The Holiday Gamble

by Sam E. Kraemer

  Cris slid up Ridge’s body when he had his pants open and looked into his gorgeous green eyes. “Don’t make me pun-ish you… get it?” Ridge and Cris both laughed.

  Five minutes and a quiet negotiation later, Ridge was busy lubing up Cris’ hole after they’d both stripped down to their birthday suits. He’d found out that the man of his dreams was versatile, and Ridge was thrilled to top Cris first, just as the man had asked.

  After ensuring Cris was opened for him, Ridge pulled Cris to straddle him and teased his hole with the head of his cock, before he lined the two of them up and gently pushed the condom-covered head up inside Cris. He had found a home he never thought he would find.

  “I usually prefer to bottom, but you feel so fucking good,” Ridge whispered as he let Cris settle on him, seeing Cris’ member leaking on his abdomen.

  Cris chuckled as he rose and sank down again, slowly. Ridge gently moved inside his lover, feeling the gentle cradling of Cris’ walls against his cock through the condom. As he looked into Cris’ blue eyes, Ridge could barely contain his emotions.

  “I love you,” he whispered as he ran his fingers through Cris’ soft, brown locks, pushing up into him to hit the man’s prostate with every stroke.

  “I love you, too. Harder, Sugarplum,” he teased.

  Ridge happily obliged until the two of them were spent and sweaty, Cris still resting on top of Ridge.

  “How was the test drive?” Ridge joked between labored breaths. He held the condom as Cris rolled off him so there wasn’t a huge mess. Cris settled on his side and watched as Ridge tied off the rubber and wrapped it in a tissue to dispose of later.

  “I’ll need a round trip before I can make a full assessment,” Cris told him, before he offered a cracking yawn.

  “You tired, babe?” Ridge asked.

  Cris gave him a sweet smile. “I’ve been working overtime at the garage since the Santa gig is over. I finally got the tuition money together, so I can drop it at the school on Friday. We won’t be ready to house hunt for a while, right?” Cris asked.

  “Not until you two are ready. Speaking of which, I guess we should shower and get dressed, so Hannah’s not left alone with my family. We can spend the night here, you know. Let’s go drink some champagne,” Ridge suggested.

  The two of them cleaned up again and went down to rejoin the party. They grabbed some food and drink, and they went out to the back, pool deck to dance the night away on the clear dancefloor set up over the swimming pool, celebrating their new status as boyfriends… well, after Ridge clarified it.

  “So, if I introduce you to my grandmother as my boyfriend, will that be accurate, or am I presuming too much?” he asked.

  “Not presumptuous at all, considering what we just did, Sugarplum,” Cris teased as they danced to a slow song. Ridge loved knowing he and Cris had all of the rough seas behind them and were heading to smoother waters.

  There was a knock on his bedroom door before the handle rattled that someone was trying to get in.

  “Son-of-a-bitch,” Ridge complained as he pulled Cris up his body, covering the two of them with the top sheet and comforter.

  If it was his sister or brother, they knew how to pick the lock, the jackasses, and if they wanted in, there was no stopping them. Ridge sat with his back against the headboard of his cherrywood bed.

  “Who’s…” Cris began.

  The door popped open and revealed Hannah and Eve, both with their eyes closed. “Happy birthday, Eldridge,” Eve greeted.

  “Happy birthday, Ridge,” Hannah offered.

  Cris began humming the “Birthday Song” again, laughing when Ridge’s face flushed bright red. Ridge took his hand and kissed it, laughing along with him. “Alright, get out and let us get cleaned up. We’ll be down in a few minutes,” he confirmed to his sister and his boyfriend’s sister, who appeared to be thick as thieves.

  Just as the door was about to close, Elliot stuck his head in, laughing when he saw the two of them leaning against the headboard sans clothes. “Damn, even I had the decency to allow you to get out of bed. You want your birthday spanking now?” his older brother joked.

  It was then Ridge noticed Elliot was in the same clothes he’d worn the night before to the party, a pair of navy slacks and a navy sweater with a snowman holding an empty Bud Light can. “Cheers” was above the snowman in glitter, which also happened to be all over Elliot’s face, highlighting his chapped lips.

  Ridge turned to Cris. “Babe, what did Janae’s sweater look like? I didn’t pay any attention,” Ridge asked.

  Cris looked at him, and a slow smile came over his face. “It was a pink sweater with white and silver glitter snowflakes. The white ones were sort of iridescent… kinda like that glitter on Elliot’s face,” he responded, before both men turned to look at Elliot Holiday.

  “I took her and the boys home last night, and we ended up talking for hours. We’re going ice skating this afternoon. I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday and offer you guys a ride back to West Philly, or wherever you’re going,” Elliot suggested.

  “Yeah, that’ll be great. We’ll be down in a few minutes,” Ridge accepted.

  “I’ll be in the kitchen. Patsy made cinnamon rolls. Hurry up, or I’m eating them all,” Elliot threatened, and he pulled the door closed.

  Ridge looked at Cris. “They’re really fucking good, and he’s not kidding. Come on,” Ridge urged. They quickly showered, then dressed in some of Ridge’s clothes he still had at his parents’ house, and were downstairs in record time.

  The house looked as if there had never been a party the previous night, and a woman Cris hadn’t met was bustling around, placing food into chafing dishes on a considerable buffet near the kitchen entrance. Ridge held Cris’ hand as they entered the room, seeing all eyes turn to them.

  “Morning, everyone. I was sort of selfish with my boyfriend last night, so let me introduce him to all of you again. This is Cristian Gamble, and that lovely young woman is his sister, Hannah. Cris, Hannah, these are my grandparents, Ginny and Leo, my mother, Elaine, my father, JD, and the woman who takes care of us all, Patsy,” Ridge introduced.

  Patsy turned to Ridge and put her hand on her hip. “Do you think I wouldn’t introduce myself to someone who is sitting at my table. Hannah and Eve helped me make the cinnamon rolls, while you two were busy getting frisky with each other,” she teased, and everyone laughed.

  Ridge didn’t miss a beat. “We did the frisky business last night. Those two interrupted a very nice birthday—” Ridge began, before Cris put his hand over his mouth.

  “I’m sorry we’re late. We didn’t go to bed until the wee…” Cris offered, not making it any better.

  “Let’s not talk about Ridge’s penis at the breakfast table,” Elliot chided, making everyone laugh, except Ridge. Things were going a lot better than Cris expected.

  Everyone settled at the table after filling their plates, and the conversation was lively. The previous night’s events, most of which Cris and Ridge missed, because they were in their own love bubble. As Cris sat watching his sister, he noted she seemed very comfortable sitting at the Holiday’s fancy table.

  Hannah was chatting with Ginny Holiday about school when Ridge cleared his throat and gently touched his knife against the champagne glass containing mimosa, which everyone except Hannah was enjoying.

  “I just wanted to confirm that I’ll be turning in the key to that lovely apartment where I’ve lived for the last six weeks, unless you want it for Eve, Dad,” Ridge joked.

  Cris caught Hannah’s attention to see she was still on board with what they’d discussed the night before about Ridge moving in with them. She’d been delighted, but she asked for noise-canceling headphones, which brought a belly laugh from Ridge, who promised he’d get them for her the first chance he had.

  It was funny to Cris how quickly his and Hannah’s lives had changed since they’d met the Holidays. He was more grateful for how things were working out, and he hoped his pa
rents were proud of him for the plans he was making for his and Hannah’s future.

  “Patsy, where are you vacationing this year?” Cris heard Elliot ask the woman who actually had a seat at the table next to Eve at the very end.

  “I’m going to spend time with Ginny and Leo in Arizona. I’m going to look at some property out there. I’m going to retire next year,” Patsy explained. Cris looked at Elaine Holiday to see she wasn’t happy with the news.

  “With Ridge moving out now, and Eve in a year or so, we won’t need full time help. Patsy has recommended someone to keep the house on a part-time basis, and I’ve suggested to your mother that we hire a chef to come in a few days a week to prepare food for us if she’d rather not cook. There will just be the two of us,” JD Holiday announced, offering a smile to his wife.

  “And, I said I’d consider it. I don’t mind cooking, JD, you just like Patsy’s food better than mine. Anyway, Ridge, don’t you have something you wanted to tell Patsy,” Elaine reminded.

  “Yes, Mother. Patsy, I’d like to buy your car from you. I’ll buy you a new car if you tell me what you want. Do you like the crossover?” Ridge asked, referring to the car his father rented for the housekeeper while Ridge was using her old car for his undercover work at Holiday Toys.

  “What do you want with my old car?” Patsy asked, as she sipped her coffee.

  “We want it for Hannah. She’s sixteen, so she needs a car, especially after we all move to Ambler, and she’s still at school at Mercer Academy. I’m going to have to get myself a car as well, but Cris said the Impala is in great shape, so we thought it might be a good starter car for her,” Ridge suggested before he looked at Cris. “I’m sorry. I’m butting in, and I have no—” Ridge began apologizing.

  “No! No! You go right ahead. I’ve been trying to get Cris to let me learn to drive since before my birthday. If you teach me, I can be so helpful by doing the shopping and running errands. I’m not particular about a car. My brother’s a mechanic, after all,” Hannah jumped in.

  Cris saw Leo reach over and pat her hand. “You have a good head on your shoulders, young lady. It’s nice to see it,” he praised, which made Cris smile.

  “You coulda had my Porsche, brother dear, but you’re punishing both of us by making me sell it. I still say I won the Great Holiday Bet, because you borrowed money from Evie, but I’ll let it go,” Elliot joked.

  Ridge smiled at Cris. “You might have won the Holiday Bet, but I won the Holiday Gamble, or I will when I finally get this man to marry me.”

  Cris leaned forward and kissed Ridge’s cheek, pulling away and reaching for his hand. “No way is that passing for a proposal. I expect a lot more creativity, Sugarplum.” Everyone laughed and continued to eat.

  Eve, Hannah, and Cris helped Ridge pack up a few things… his laptop, some of his suits for meetings as he started his new job at headquarters to set the wheels in motion for the Distribution Center, and a few pictures. Cris watched his sister as she teased Ridge about some of the things in his childhood room, and he saw how much Ridge actually cared about Hannah.

  When they went into the closet to box up some of Ridge’s shoes, Eve Holiday walked over to him and smiled. “You know, don’t you, that you won the Holiday, Gamble.”

  Cris nodded. “Trust me, Eve, I know it. And I plan to keep him.” That was the honest-to-goodness truth, so help him Santa.

  Epilogue

  Five Years Later

  Cris stood in the kitchen making sandwiches and putting them into three paper bags. It wasn’t a necessity as it had once been, bringing their own food to work, but they all preferred to have home cooked meals with them instead of eating junk food out of the vending machine at the store.

  Cris always packed enough to share with the other workers at Santa’s Wonderland. Everyone who worked with them appreciated the meal.

  It was Black Friday, and Cris and Ridge had taken off from work to be at the store for the big shopping day. It was a tradition they’d kept every year, the two of them working at Santa’s Wonderland in the West Philly store. Ridge enjoyed taking the Santa photos, and Cris loved playing the part of the Jolly Old Elf.

  Ridge came into the kitchen with a bag, offering it to Cris. “I was only able to get one pair, because they haven’t received their shipment of white gloves for the season, but I’ll order some over the internet. After Hannah goes back to school, I’m not scrubbing those things like she used to do,” Ridge joked.

  Cris kissed his lips and pulled him into a hug. “Hey, you promised for better or worse. I’m working on trucks all day, and I only have an hour from when I get off at the garage until we need to be in West Philly. Speaking of which…” Cris trailed off as the doorbell rang.

  “I got it. Don’t forget the cookies,” Ridge ordered.

  Hannah was home from Harvard, where she was in her second year of college, having followed Eve Holiday’s example by taking a gap year to work at the Holiday Family Foundation on an internship.

  Cris was very proud of Hannah for everything she put into the job, even more pleased when she donated her salary to a charity the Foundation sponsored at prom time and holiday formal time to provide party clothes for kids who couldn’t afford them, just as she had been once upon a time.

  Hannah had been sorry she’d missed working at the storefront at Prom time, but planned to work there over the holiday break from school. Cris could have never imagined the example of paying it forward Ridge had given Hannah, but it delighted him to see his sister take a compassionate interest in the needs of the people who lived in the neighborhood. Cris knew their mother was smiling in heaven, proud of her little girl for the woman she was becoming.

  “Okay, we’ll be home by nine thirty unless it starts snowing. Otherwise, it’ll be ten,” he heard Ridge say, as Cris finished packing up their dinner.

  Belinda Stiles walked into the kitchen, her arms loaded down with books as usual. She was a high school student who had been recommended to them by the guidance counselor at Wissahonick High School, Hannah’s alma mater.

  After they moved to Ambler, Hannah begged to attend a regular high school, so Cris finally gave in and allowed her to transfer from Mercer Academy. Ridge had been a big part of the decision, because he set her up with a very generous college fund, but he reminded her that if she wanted the chance to attend her choice of colleges and universities, Mercer Academy would look good on her Curriculum Vitae.

  Hannah didn’t waver. She took as many honors classes as she could and actually got a full ride to Penn State. She had her heart set on Harvard, so that was where Hannah went.

  She didn’t win a scholarship, but there was enough money in her college fund for her to attend her reach school. Cris was busting his buttons the weekend they took her to campus and helped her get settled in.

  “Where’s…” Belinda started when they all heard the sound of running down the hallway. Cris couldn’t hold the smile when the beautiful little blonde girl ran into the kitchen with her little brown-haired brother on her heels.

  “They were watching a cartoon while I was in the shower, but they’re ready to go, Belinda. You sure you wanna take this on? Cris can stay home and…” Ridge began.

  “No, Mr. Gamble. You go do what you do. I’ve got them. My little sister, Hollis, is coming over when she’s finished with basketball practice because Mom is working the night shift this week, so I’ll have help, but you only have to pay me. It’ll be fine, I promise,” Belinda confirmed.

  Cris looked at their two toddlers and smiled, picking both of them up in his arms. “Please be good for Belinda. If you’re not nice, she won’t want to come back,” he reminded the twins.

  Their daughter, Janis Evelyn, was born first. When their surrogate went into labor, she barely got to the hospital before the little girl came into the world, kicking and screaming just like her father, Ridge. John Elliot wasn’t born for another hour, much more of a laid-back soul like Cris. They didn’t care who had fathered which child, but pare
ntage was blatantly clear based on looks and personality.

  It didn’t matter to either man, because they loved their children with all of their hearts. They had a lot of family to love them, which made Cris happy.

  Over the last five years, the Holiday family had grown by leaps and bounds. Elaine and JD went from having no grandchildren to having seven, more or less.

  When Elliot married Janae Mays, he adopted her three sons, and a year after the couple were wed, they had a little girl, Etta. She was adorable and just a little older than Janis and John, which made for lively family holidays.

  “Where you going?” Janis asked Cris as she rested her little blonde head on his shoulder.

  “Daddy and I are going to work. You’ll get to come to see us there when Aunt Evie brings you tomorrow, okay?” Cris told her, then he kissed her head and handed her to Ridge.

  “Candy?” John asked, still hung up on Halloween. He’d made himself sick on candy, much like Ridge was prone to do. They both had a sweet tooth Cris couldn’t believe.

  “Tomorrow, you can have a candy cane after you visit Santa, okay?” Cris responded as he kissed his son on the cheek, before he handed him to Ridge after Janis was securely on the floor.

  “If you are a good boy, I’ll read your stories in the morning while Papa makes pancakes, okay?” Ridge offered.

  The little boy kissed Ridge on the cheek and nodded, before he was placed on the floor with his sister. When Belinda had taken the two of them into the family room to play, Cris turned to look at Ridge, offering a smile. “I’m glad we’re only doing this on the weekends. Those weeknights were rough, especially since we have hectic jobs,” Cris told him as he kissed his husband, so happy to have married him in the Bahamas a year after they got together, finally.

  “Well, let’s not keep our public waiting, babe. Night, everyone. We’ll see you in the morning,” Ridge announced to the kids and the babysitter as he led Cris out of the house.

  Thirty minutes later, Cris drove their SUV into the parking lot of Holiday Toys. The line to see Santa was out the door and around the store because Cris had been voted the best Santa Claus in Philadelphia, and Ridge’s pictures were sought after.