The Holiday Gamble

by Sam E. Kraemer

  “So, Hannah, Cris told me you have a dance coming up. What are you going to wear? I’m a bit of a fashionista,” David stated, offering an elegant flourish of his hand.

  Cris tried to wave him off of the conversation, but David wouldn’t look at him. “Uh, David…”

  “I’m not going, because the boy who asked me is a total asshole. He and some other guys from my school came to the store to make fun of the kids in line because we’re all poor, and they’re all Richie Rich snobs.”

  “I started to hide behind my friend, Livy, but when they began calling everyone names, it pissed me off. I told him I’d rather jump off the Comcast building than go out with him. I called him a misogynistic pig, and he didn’t even know what it meant! I’m way too smart for a guy like that,” Hannah explained, which surprised Cris. She’d never opened up to him as she’d opened up to David.

  David took a bite from his sundae and seemed to consider her comments, which gave Cris a bit of relief. Finally, David tucked his spoon into his dish and nodded. “I get it. I’ve dated jerks like that before, and honestly, you’re better off without him. If he’s such an ass to criticize something… well, I think he’s a dick.

  “Is there anyone else you’d consider going with? It’s perfectly acceptable for a girl to ask a boy, or maybe another girl,” David suggested. Cris appreciated that David wasn’t making any assumptions about Hannah, but he was shocked to see Hannah was actually listening to David.

  She always shut Cris out when he tried to ask her anything about her romantic interests. It seemed as if David had found a way to get Hannah to open up, which was all Cris ever wanted.

  “Actually, there’s another guy at my school who I think is pretty great. He’s like me, on a partial scholarship, so he wasn’t even planning to go to the dance. His mother is a nurse and works the graveyard shift, so Bauer has to be at home with his two little brothers, but maybe if I ask him, he can find a babysitter, and we can go for a few hours? Maybe I should call him?” Hannah asked, sounding very excited, which was a relief to Cris.

  “You won’t know unless you try,” David suggested, handing her his cell phone. She took off down the hallway like a shot without a word.

  When David turned to look at him, Cris couldn’t conceal his worry. David’s face morphed into concern and uncertainty. “What? Did I do something wrong?”

  Cris gave him a tender smile, assuming the man didn’t have siblings, so he had no idea of what he’d done. “No. More like a rookie mistake, I’d say. If this boy, Bauer, says yes, I still have to try to find her a dress, and Mandy told me there were only a handful left at that place across the street.”

  “Even if the boy can still get a tux from that formalwear store, when can he get there? He has to babysit his siblings so his mother can work nights. I’m just afraid Hannah’s going to be more disappointed if this doesn’t work out,” Cris explained.

  He watched David sit for a minute, looking down at his hands before the man’s handsome face lit up. “Let me take care of it. If she gets the date, I’ll make sure it goes perfectly. I have a secret weapon,” David assured enthusiastically.

  Cris smirked, unable to hold the comment. “I’d like to see it sometime.”

  He saw David’s face flush as lust filled his eyes just as Hannah came bounding into the room. “He’d love to go. He’s going to talk to his mom in the morning to see what they can work out. Thanks for the idea,” Hannah told them, before she uncharacteristically wrapped her arms around David’s neck, and kissed the top of his head.

  She then walked over to Cris and gave him a kiss on the cheek, before she placed the phone on the table in front of David and wished them both goodnight. Hannah rushed back to her room, and when they heard the bedroom door close, David climbed over the table to get to Cris.

  Their lips fused together immediately as David straddled Cris’ lap and moved forward, so their rigid dicks brushed against each other with far too much clothing between them. Cris’ hands settled on David’s ass and kneaded the muscular globes as the two men continued to grind against each other, both seeking more friction.

  David finally pulled away, his breath coming harsh and fast. “Is there anywhere we can, uh…”

  Cris stopped groping David’s ass and tried to think for a moment, coming up blank. “Not here…”

  David quickly dismounted from Cris’ lap. “Come on, then.”

  David took Cris’ hand and led him to the hallway, grabbing their coats as he quietly unlocked the door and picked up Cris’ keys from the small table in the hall. David led him out into the hall and locked the door, pulling Cris with him until they were at David’s Impala, which was in the parking lot behind the building under a sizeable dusk-to-dawn light.

  “Get in,” David ordered, after unlocking the passenger-side door.

  “Where are we going?” Cris asked, caught off guard. The car shot backward until it was in the row farthest from the building… and the light. David turned off the car and quickly got out, opening the door to the backseat. He pulled the door closed and began taking off his coat. “Don’t just sit there, Santa. Get your sexy ass back here. This isn’t ideal, but I really want to taste you, and I don’t want to wait,” David ordered.

  Cris hurried out of the car, ripped off his coat and tossed it in the front seat before hopping into the back. He pulled David closer and captured his mouth, feeling their teeth clack together, which made them both pull back and laugh. “We better slow down a little. Santa already has black eyes. He can’t lose a few teeth and still be considered jolly, even with the fancy new suit,” Cris joked.

  David laughed and pulled Cris toward the middle of the bench seat, then straddled Cris’ lap and captured his lips in a gentle kiss. Cris felt his heart speed up at the tender touch. Even if David was going to break his heart, Cris believed it would be worth it.

  Chapter 8

  Ridge was thrilled he’d been quick thinking when it came to the backseat of Patsy’s sedan for him to get down and dirty with Santa, though he wasn’t about to tell her about the shenanigans. Once they were settled and his tongue was swirling in Cris’ mouth, Ridge ground his erection into Cris’, trying not to smile when he was met with a hard, thick cock encased in denim.

  Ridge popped the button on Cris’ pants and tried to lower the zipper, which wasn’t an easy task. He pulled away from Cris’ tantalizing lips and whispered, “Scoot down a little, so I can get your zipper down.”

  Without hesitation, Cris did as Ridge asked and scrunched down in the seat, craning his neck in what Ridge was sure was an uncomfortable angle. When Ridge’s fingers were able to part the denim, he felt the outline of the man’s thick rod encased in soft boxer-briefs.

  Ridge smiled when he touched the wet spot on the front of the garment, happy to know he wasn’t the only one who had a mess in his briefs. He’d been leaking since Cris had kissed him in the shadows of the loading dock.

  Sliding his hand into the waistband and brushing his index and middle fingers against the weeping, mushroom head, Ridge brought his fingers to his lips to taste the salty goodness Cris was leaking just for him.

  “Mmm. That’s better than the ice cream,” Ridge teased, before he ducked his head and moved to his knees so he could free his throbbing cock from its denim confinement.

  Cris reached for Ridge’s waistband and quickly unbutton the jeans and lowered the zipper, sliding the jeans and briefs over the globes of Ridge’s ass before he pulled the man forward, then swirled his tongue over the crown of Ridge’s cock, concentrating on the sensitive nerves. It was so fucking incredible, Ridge bumped his head… hard… against the roof of the car. Thankfully, Cris pulled him forward, so that Ridge’s cock slid further into Cris’ mouth, and his body draped over the man’s head, giving him a view out the back window of the Impala.

  Santa’s mouth was magic, and considering the guy seemed to be so wholesome, Ridge was pleasantly surprised. Cris slid two fingers into his mouth next to where he was sucking Rid
ge’s dick, pulling them out and gliding a wet stripe down Ridge’s crease until those fingers met his entrance. They circled the spot, stimulating the nerves and making Ridge moan in pleasure.

  “Can I?” Cris asked, after popping off Ridge’s cock for a second, holding it next to his lips, then grazed his tongue over the head as he spoke.

  “Santa, you can do anything to me you want. This is my Christmas wish right here,” Ridge labored to explain as he waited for that delicious warmth to envelop his chilling cock again.

  Cris didn’t hesitate to take him into his moist mouth, making love to his dick in such a fashion, Ridge wasn’t sure the blood would ever circulate to his brain again.

  Finally, Cris’ middle finger breached his ass and pushed forward until it grazed his prostate.

  “Oh, god, I’m coming,” Ridge gasped, unable to hold back. He felt Cris pull him into his throat, and the swallowing motion he felt against the sensitive ridge around the head of his cock caused him to shudder.

  Cris popped off and pulled Ridge’s head down, sealing their mouths to share Ridge’s seed that was still on his tongue. It was glorious. When they broke the kiss, Ridge scrambled to the floor of the Impala. “My turn, Santa…”

  Ridge was awakened by the pounding on the door of his studio apartment. He’d been having such a beautiful dream about blowing Cris, he was pissed it was interrupted.

  Ridge hopped up and pulled on a robe, tying it to hide his hard on. He looked out the peephole to see Eve standing outside his door.

  “Jesus Crist, it’s eight in the morning,” he complained, as he opened the door and snarled at his sister.

  “What did you do?” Eve snapped at him as she stepped inside, uninvited.

  Ridge closed the door and followed her into the middle of his studio apartment. He watched as his little sister looked around, taking off her cashmere coat and snarling at the futon, because it was the only place to put it.

  “You could at least clean up,” Eve snapped, pointing to the dirty cups, paper trash, and a few takeout containers littering most of the flat surfaces around the room.

  “Yeah, well, it’s the maid’s day off,” he responded, unable to offer a good excuse for his slovenly behavior.

  “So, what did you do that has everyone at the store avoiding me like the goddamn plague? I like those people, and they won’t even talk to me,” Eve complained.

  Ridge held the chuckle, because pissing off his sister that morning wasn’t on his agenda. “You and Elliot conspired against me, and it got out at corporate. Someone in the organization alerted the manager there was a corporate spy at the store, and you were fingered, little sister. They’re all afraid you’re going to recommend to Dad that he should close the store, so they’re avoiding you like you’re carrying smallpox-infected blankets,” Ridge teased, not admitting his father had been the one to call Liza Doyle. One day, they’d all laugh about it, hopefully at a party where Ridge could introduce Cris as his boyfriend.

  The idea Ridge could envision such a gathering totally stunned him, and the fact they were in formalwear at such an event, led Ridge to believe it was the New Year’s party, but was that getting ahead of himself?

  Eve sighed. “Elliot asked me to make sure things were fair, okay? His baby is on the line, and he decided you’d cheat somehow, so I agreed to work there to ensure everything was fair. You and Elliot are both so competitive, but I wanted to be sure things didn’t blow up into a fight. I just wanted to be sure you didn’t fuck it up, Ridge. You know we all only want what’s best for you.”

  That was the opening Ridge was looking for. “Okay, then I need you to go buy a nice dress about your size for Cris’ sister. I’ll make sure the boy gets a tux, but you need to pick out the dress, because I’m not good at that shit,” he explained to Eve.

  “What happened to all of the dresses that my friends and I donated to that charity?” Eve asked, as she went into the kitchen area and opened the cabinets, slamming them just as quickly.

  Ridge walked over to the counter and pulled out the coffee, filling a filter and adding water to start a pot. He needed it, because he’d been reliving the blowjob he’d given Cris the previous night in the car, and he’d actually rubbed himself raw, thinking about how glorious it had been. Dehydration was no joke, but oh, having Cris Gamble shoot down his throat was something Ridge wouldn’t soon forget.

  “That dress shop thing was a huge success. If you and your snotty friends want to ride around West Philly the week before Christmas, you’ll likely see high school girls sporting the very gowns you all donated.”

  “The only problem is that they’re nearly all gone, and I want something special for Hannah. I’ll help Bauer with his tux, but I need you to figure out a gown for Hannah,” he explained as he pulled out his debit card, handing it to his sister.

  Eve stopped moving and looked at him, disbelief on her face. “Wait, you want me to use your money to buy some random girl a fancy, party dress?”

  Ridge poured two cups of coffee and offered one to his sister. “No. I don’t want you to buy some random girl a fancy, party dress. I want you to pick out an appropriate dress for a high school winter formal, for the extraordinary, sixteen-year-old girl who is Cris’ sister. Do you not see the difference?”

  Eve cackled before she walked over to the bed and sank down on it after kicking off her flats. “I get it, I just wanted to hear you actually ask politely. So, you and Santa?” she inquired, with a waggle of her eyebrows.

  Growing up, Ridge and Eve had been a lot closer than Elliot and Ridge. He couldn’t easily lie to her, even though he had lied to her regarding how the idea of outing her as a member of the Holiday family came about at the store. “Grandpa and Dad seem to be under the impression I’ve fallen in love with Cris, but that’s not…”

  “No, you’re about to make a mistake and say something that’s not remotely true. Think about it, Ridge. You are such a selfish asshole, yet you’ve tried to do so much to impress Cris. Dare I say, you’re changing?”

  “I know you arranged for the sandwiches and the donuts. How much money did Daddy give you to live on until your birthday?” Eve reminded him.

  Ridge couldn’t precisely remember the dollar amount, but he was sure it was a few grand. However, he might have been wrong. Nevertheless, he’d spend whatever it took to ensure Hannah had what she needed to attend the Winter Formal. It was as important to Ridge as it was to Cris, because…

  “No! I’m not in love. Grandpa put that shit in my head, and it’s just not the case. I’ve only known the guy…” he said out loud before other words came echoing back.

  ”Eight and a half minutes,” Grandpa said.

  “I got one better, Dad. Four minutes and fifteen seconds,” JD stated.

  It couldn’t be possible. “Three minutes and twenty-four seconds,” Ridge gasped again.

  Eve’s laughter brought Ridge from his thoughts, which had him shell-shocked. “Fuck, I think I might have accidentally fallen in love with Santa.”

  His sister’s loud squeal unnerved him, but as he thought about it, the idea settled in Ridge’s mind, but more importantly, into his heart.

  Ridge found the number on his phone that Hannah had called the previous night and hit the button, knowing it would be a creepy call until he could explain himself to the young man, Bauer. When a woman answered the line, he swallowed. “Hello?”

  “Hello. My name is Ridge Holiday, and I’m calling for Bauer. Is he available to come to the phone?” Ridge asked.

  There was silence for a minute, which made him nervous, but he should have expected it. He was calling a stranger’s home and asking to speak with a teenager. What the fuck had he been thinking?

  “Excuse me, but what business do you have with my son?” the woman asked, which was a totally legitimate question.

  Ridge braced himself. “You’re perfectly within your rights to ask the question. I’m friends with Cris Gamble. His little sister, Hannah, asked Bauer to go to the Winter Forma
l last night, and he said he’d like to go. I’m just trying to help him figure a few things out, so he can be available. You have two younger sons, and you’re a nurse, right?” Ridge asked, knowing it all bordered on sounding worthy of a restraining order.

  Thankfully, Bauer’s mother chuckled. “Okay, well, Bauer hasn’t mentioned anything to me about a school dance, but explain why any of this is your business? You’re not the girl’s parent or sibling, are you?” Bauer’s mother requested, which was an example of smart parenting, Ridge decided.

  “May I ask your name?” Ridge offered.

  “I’m Janae Mays. Who are you again, and why are you calling to help my son figure out how he can go to a high school dance?” the woman, Janae, asked more insistently.

  Ridge took a deep breath and dove into the fray, explaining to the woman, who most assuredly should be concerned about a grown-ass man calling to speak with her sixteen-year-old son.

  He explained about the Winter Formal and how Hannah Gamble, which might not be her actual last name, because she and Cris didn’t have the same father, had asked Bauer to be her date.

  “So, I want to help Bauer get a suit for the dance, and I have a sister who can babysit your other sons, so Bauer can go to the dance while you work. I know you work nights at the hospital, so I don’t want to interrupt your schedule… if that’s cool? I know it sounds shady, but you can call my father at Holiday Toys to ask questions, or maybe I can take you for coffee in the morning?” Ridge offered, trying to assure the woman he wasn’t some sort of a pervert, and his request was legitimate and innocent.

  “And, you want to help my son with a suit for the dance because this young woman means something to you?” Janae Mays asked.

  Ridge knew he needed to be honest with her, because she could very well call the police and report him as a sex offender. He didn’t want to give off that vibe, so he decided to tell her things he wouldn’t be comfortable telling Cris himself.