Peppermint Kisses

Sub-Genres: Christmas, Fantasy, Holiday, Romantic

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“Mr. Peterson, maybe you should go home for the day. I don’t think any clients are going to come in on Christmas Eve.”

Dan Peterson looked up at me from his computer screen. He was a handsome man, but he had never been particularly pleasant to be around. He had never been surly, or rude or even mean but he seemed to be plagued by an ever-present melancholy that permeated any room that he happened to be in.

“I have to lock up when everyone leaves at noon, Lisa. You know that,” he said, but not in an impatient tone. He looked back down at his computer screen.

“I’m sure that one of the others would be happy to do it for you. You never leave early so it’s not like they’re going to resent you or anything.”

Mr. Peterson looked up at me again with the same expressionless face. “Maybe you’re right,” he sighed. “I can’t seem to concentrate anyway.”

I nodded, thinking that that was an amazing understatement.

Dan Peterson had never been completely normal ever since I started working at Ads Agency Plus just a few months short of a year before. He was often preoccupied and it wasn’t odd to find him staring into space at nothing. He hummed Christmas carols all year round but coming from his throat, they never sounded joyful. He even kept a very pretty pewter and glass decoration on his desk, which he would pick up and stare at for longs periods of time. I could swear that I saw him crying while doing this on more than one occasion.

My co-workers weren’t gossips, and I wasn’t an eavesdropper, but I did pick up on some things over the year that I had worked there.

Before I had been hired for the job as receptionist, the woman who had held the position before me had been very popular. Everyone had known that she and Dan were in love with each other, even if neither of them ever did anything about it. Last Christmas, this woman had resigned and left to be with her family. Mr. Peterson had never been the same again.

Today, Mr. Peterson seemed so anxious and wound up that I was afraid he was going to self-combust if he didn’t get out of the office. We were only scheduled to work half a day anyway. The other partners at the agency had planned a party, but Mr. Peterson had adamantly refused to join them. They had decided to cancel the party and go out to eat together after work instead. Mr. Peterson had been invited but, as expected, had declined.

He stood from his desk and I noticed that he slipped the pewter and glass decoration into his pocket. He grasped his coat and slipped it on.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to discuss with you,” he said, pulling his gloves on. He looked up at me and it was then that I noticed how pale he looked. “Over the past year I’ve made arrangements for what would happen to this company if anything were to…happen to me.”

“Nothing’s going to happen-“ I began, but Mr. Peterson interrupted me.

“You can never predict the future, Lisa. I could walk out of here right now and get smacked by a bus. It’s important that everyone here be taken care of if that should happen.”

“Okay,” I said slowly, unsure of where this was going.

“If anything were to happen to me, there’s a file on my  hard drive titled ‘Dan’s Gone.’ It’s in the My Documents folder. Easy to find.”

“Am I the only one that knows this?” I asked.

“Yes. I just finished the contents last week.”

“What if something should happen to me?” I asked, meaning my comment to be a joke, but he looked taken aback.

“I-I never really thought about that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I said, quickly. “I’m sure that if anything did happen, your computer would be the first place everyone would look, right?”

“Yes, but the folder has as password.”

“What is it?”

“Jenny,” he said simply. “J – e – n –n – y.”

“I’ll make a note in my notebook before I leave for the day,” I said. “The one that’s locked up every night.”

“Good idea,” he said, distractedly. “But, assuming that you do survive me, I want you to be the one who opens the folder first, okay?”

I blinked this time, not only surprised by this request but by the fact that he was smiling. The sadness never left his eyes, though.

“Is…is everything all right, Mr. Peterson? Are you…are you sick?”

“No, I’m perfectly fine,” he said reassuringly, still smiling. “In fact, I feel better today than I have in a long, long time.”

“I’m glad, Mr. Peterson,” I said, smiling. I followed him out of his office and to the doors. He glanced over at his partners, who were all gathered around an unlit fireplace talking. They looked up, obviously surprised to see him leaving. He said nothing, but raised a hand to them. They all waved back, obviously unnerved, and he left the building. I watched him get into his car and drive away.

No one every saw Mr. Peterson again.

* * * * * * * *

It was almost a week before I remembered about the file on Mr. Peterson’s computer. The holiday weekend had been a long one and when we all returned to work on Tuesday, Mr. Peterson wasn’t there. Everyone was surprised, but no one was overly concerned. Rick Dieter, one of the partners, informed me that before Dan had gone into his year-long funk, he would occasionally take a day off without telling them. It was one of the few things he did that wasn’t completely professional.

However, by Thursday, we all knew that something was seriously wrong. The police were called and Mr. Peterson’s apartment had been searched. There were no signs of violence, but there were no signs that he had packed anything to flee either. From all appearances, it looked like he had simply vanished.

The only thing missing was the pewter and glass decoration that had sat on his desk all year.

* * * * * * * *

It was the Friday following Mr. Peterson’s disappearance. All of the firm’s partners were in one office, talking. None of them had been able to work since Mr. Peterson vanished and did little but talk about him and what they could do to find him.

I was sitting at my large desk, fighting tears. Mr. Peterson had been odd and depressing, but he had always been kind and patient with me. It was obvious from what little I heard from the other partners that they had all admired him and had all been afraid of something like this happening for the past year. None of them wanted to say it out loud, but I knew all of them believed he had killed himself.

I glanced at my watch – 2:30 – then glanced into Mr. Peterson’s empty office. The police hadn’t completely gone through everything yet and were scheduled to return the next day to begin searching his computer for any information. It was obvious they also believed Mr. Peterson was a victim of suicide.

My eyes landed on his computer monitor and I sat up with a start, racking my knee on the side of my desk. I was furious with myself for forgetting the last conversation I had had with Mr. Peterson. Ignoring the pain, I stood quickly and strode into Mr. Peterson’s office, not caring if the partners or even the police caught me.

I turned on the PC and quickly located the file ‘Dan’s Gone’ on his hard drive. I clicked it and when it asked for the password, I typed in ‘Jenny.’

Most of the documents inside were legal. There was a copy of his will and instructions on what to do if something were to happen to him.

At the end of the document list was a file simply called ‘zz_why.’”

I clicked it, opening the word document, and proceeded to read:

The following is an explanation. I am not dead, but you’re not going to be able to find me either. The following story is about me, but I wrote it in third person. Writing in first person proved to be too painful and I couldn’t get past the first paragraph that way.

Accept this if you wish, write me off as lost if you don’t. I’m not coming back and although I’ll miss the business and my few friends, I have no regrets.

The following was the story that Mr. Peterson included.

* * * * * * * *

Dan Peterson stood next to his desk, listening to the soft laughter and even softer music drifting into his doorway from the main lobby. His eyes moved toward the music and laughter and then back down to his open desk drawer.

‘Should I take it in there now?’ he thought. ‘Should I take it in there at all?’

His hand moved toward the gold and red foil-covered box then hesitated. Finally, he pushed the drawer shut with a snap. He left his office quickly to join his co-workers for the annual Christmas Eve office party.

As he stepped into the large lobby, he couldn’t help but smile. Carol, Marsha and Rick had tried their best with the decorations this year, but they couldn’t hold a candle to what Jenny Nicholas could do with some tinsel and a few strands of light.

Jenny hadn’t been allowed to decorate for the party this year. Her co-workers didn’t feel it was right for her to decorate for the occasion since it also happened to be her going away party as well as the usual office bash. She hadn’t been happy about that and if Dan wasn’t mistaken, he saw her professional-quality touches on the huge pine tree that took up most of the east wall.

As Dan crossed the lobby to join his co-workers and friends, he glanced out the double front doors. The sky was gray and the clouds looked laden with precipitation. He knew there would be snow tonight. The people of his northern New England town wouldn’t have to dream this year.

“It’s about time you joined us!” Rick said, gesturing toward Dan with his full cup of hot chocolate as he stepped into their midst. “I know you always like to be the last one in, but today’s a special occasion.”

“Well, it looked like I was actually going to be on time today,” Dan said, taking the cup of cocoa that Carol was extending to him. “But I hit the lights wrong and…well, there you go.”

“Those pesky lights,” Marsha said. “They just seem to rub you wrong every day, don’t they?”

“It’s my curse,” Dan said in a falsely dark voice.

“It’s a good thing you’re the boss, or you might have to fire yourself.”

Dan smiled at Jenny as she stepped into the circle, but found it hard to speak. This would probably be the last day he ever saw Jenny and this thought made him unbelievably sad.

“Are you kidding? Dan has never fired anyone in his life!” The last of Dan’s co-workers, Todd Simmons, stepped into the small circle to join the conversation. “He always leaves that to me.”

“Well then you fire him,” Rick said, gesturing at Dan with his mug.

“Can’t. He owns the joint.”

“It’s good to be the king,” Dan said and smiled as everyone laughed. His eyes never left Jenny’s face. She was so cute when she laughed. Her upturned nose crinkled and since Jenny seemed to have not one shy bone in her body, she wasn’t afraid to let her laughter loose, showing every tooth with her bright smile.

“Come on, guys,” Carol said, gesturing toward the plush chairs that had been arranged in front of the fireplace that was only lit on special occasions. “Let’s get comfortable so we can make Jenny feel terrible for leaving us.”

“I don’t see why you have to leave town,” Rick said as all six of them settled in front of the fire.

“I’ve already told you,” Jenny said, sitting in the middle of the large sofa. “I’ve finally reconciled with my father and it’s time for me to go home.”

“Can’t you be close to your family and still live here?” Marsha asked, sitting on Jenny’s left.

“Sure, I can, but I’d rather not. I didn’t really want to leave in the first place.”

“What, does your father run the whole town?” Todd asked.

“He is mayor,” Jenny offered.

Dan sat on Jenny’s left, being the only seat left available. He glanced at his office door, finding that his mind was still on the box inside his desk drawer. He would hate himself if he didn’t give it to her, but it looked like no one else had brought Jenny any individual gifts. Perhaps it was inappropriate for him to give her one. He was the president of the company and even though she was leaving, he felt he had to maintain a certain degree of professionalism.

“Well, before you go, we have something for you,” Carol said. Dan realized that she hadn’t joined them at the fire even though it was she that suggested they retire there. Carol was now standing before them with a large gift basket that he knew she and Marsha had spent over a week constructing.

“Oh you guys, I told you no gifts! You’re going to make me cry!”

“Tough,” Carol said, setting the basket on the heavy wooden coffee table in front of the sofa. “I’m sure more than one of us is going to cry, so fair’s fair.”

Despite her protests, Dan could see how much Jenny loved the gift basket. It was filled to the brim (and it was a very large brim) with all things peppermint. Peppermint candy, peppermint gum, peppermint tea, peppermint-scented candles, candy canes and even a bottle of peppermint extract.

Since Jenny’s first day at the office no one had seen her without some kind of peppermint in her hands, in her pocket or in her mouth. Dan believed she loved Christmas as much as she did just for the easy access to candy canes and even during the summer her desk’s candy dish was never without peppermint stars.

The morning hours passed quickly and even Rick was sad to see noon come. Everyone gathered their coats and bid Jenny a final farewell. Dan stole away to his office to listen to the muffled voices. He heard several tearful goodbyes and not all the tears that were shed were female.

He was sitting at his desk when he heard the last voices trailing away. He opened his top desk drawer and sighed, looking at the gift box. He had done such a great job wrapping it, too. She would have loved it.

“You ever going to leave, Boss?”

Dan gasped and looked up, slamming his drawer shut at the same time. Jenny was standing before him, leaning on the doorframe.

“Yeah, I’m going right now.”

“Were you not going to say goodbye?”

Dan was silent. He gazed at Jenny for a moment, allowing his eyes to linger longer than he ever had before. This was probably the last time he would see Jenny’s perky, ever-smiling face. He wanted to etch every line into his memory. He cursed himself for never having office pictures taken.

“Actually,” he said, finally breaking the silence. “I wasn’t. I’m not too happy about losing you, Jenny.”

Jenny smiled at him but he thought he saw a hint of regret in her eyes. He dismissed it as wishful thinking.

“You should never miss an opportunity to say goodbye,” she said, her tone much more somber than he had ever heard from her before. “You never know if you’re going to have another chance.”

“I’m not much on taking chances.”

“I’ve noticed,” she said. Her normal mischievous grin was back. “Speaking of which, who are you going to give that present to?”

“Huh?” he asked, gaping at her.

“That box in your desk drawer. I know who it’s for. You never gave it to me, so I’m wondering who’s going to end up with it. Whoever it is, I don’t like them very much.”

Dan stared at her for a few seconds, then looked down to open the drawer. He pulled out the box with the green ribbon and held it out to her. She didn’t move for a moment, tilting her head and smiling at him. Dan could feel his stomach quivering at the look and his chest hitched from shortness of breath.

Finally, she leaned forward and took the box from him. He watched her as she undid the bow on the box. He noted that her fingers didn’t have even the slightest trace of a tremor. He had always envied her very evident self-assurance and it pained him suddenly, realizing just how much he was going to miss her.

Dan couldn’t help but grin when he saw her mouth split in a wide smile when she opened the box lid. He had known she would like it.

“It’s absolutely perfect,” she said, pulling out the heavy pewter and glass figurine. It was a small elf with blonde hair, a red outfit and green, curly-toed shoes.

“Notice what’s in her hand?”

When Jenny saw it, she gasped then laughed out loud, throwing her head back slightly. “Did you have this made?” she asked.

“Actually, I did,” Dan said, delighted at how she had reacted to the single candy cane that was grasped in the small elf’s hand.

Jenny sobered slightly, still smiling. “I love it, Dan. Thank you.”

“You’re most welcome.”

Dan stood from his desk and grabbed his coat, feeling slightly triumphant, although still rather melancholy. He turned to leave his office, but stopped short. Jenny hadn’t moved and was watching him. She had returned her elf to the box and was holding it in both of her hands.

“Um…”

“I think you should take me to lunch,” Jenny said.

“What?”

“I know that you’ve wanted to ask me for years.”

“Well…yeah. But-“

“But what?” she challenged. “Why have you never done it, Dan? I would have said yes.”

“Well…I’m your supervisor. It could have been awkward and-“

“Oh, please,” she said, rolling her eyes and tossing her head slightly once again. He noticed her short blonde hair bounce as she did so. “While that is true, that’s not the real reason you never asked me.”

“So, what was the real reason?” he asked, sliding his arms into his coat. He could feel himself turning a bit red from embarrassment and just a little angry at her accusing tone.

“You’re too shy for your own good, Dan Peterson. That shyness is quite attractive and I know that any of the ladies in this office would love to go out with you but you just won’t take the step of actually asking anyone out. When was the last time you had a date?”

“Whoa, slow down, Jenny. I don’t really think this is any of your business and there’s no way Carol or Jane-“

“I don’t care if it’s my business or not,” she said, interrupting him. “And yes, Carol and Jane would jump at the chance. You haven’t had a date in over a year, maybe longer. I’m not so sure that brunette you took out to dinner last Easter was an actual date.”

Dan blazed bright red and mumbled, “That was my sister.”

“Hah! I thought so,” she said with a triumphant glare.

“Well, I must say this is a nice goodbye from you. Did you humiliate everyone before they left the office?”

“No, I saved that for my favorite co-worker.”

He stopped short. “Favorite?”

“Yes. And believe what I said. I would have said yes. Anytime.”

She gazed at him a few seconds longer then turned. He watched her as she set his gift inside her basket carefully. She grasped her coat and purse as well, and without looking back, she left the office.

Dan felt the bottom drop out of his stomach and before he knew what he was doing, he was running out the door yelling her name. He stopped, seeing her leaning against the hood of his car.

“I like Fratelli’s,” she said. “Where I’m moving there are no good Italian restaurants.”

* * * * * * * *

“I will miss this place.”

“It is quite nice.”

After eating lunch, Dan had driven Jenny to her apartment building. She had asked him to join her for a short afternoon walk around the park area that surrounded the complex and he had agreed.

The park consisted of a large gravel path around a huge pond. On one side was a children’s play area, completely deserted now. Dan figured that the cold and the excitement of Christmas Eve were keeping the kiddies inside today.

The other side of the pond, which was where they were, was lined with a thick grove of pine trees. The ground was invisible, covered with needles.

“I just know it’s going to snow soon,” Jenny said as they stepped onto the gravel path.

Dan matched Jenny’s pace, which was leisurely. When she grasped his gloved hand with her bare fingers he felt himself start slightly. He hoped she hadn’t noticed.

“Hands cold?” he asked softly, trying to cover his nerves.

“No, not really. I don’t get chilled easily.” She intertwined her fingers with his and squeezed. He squeezed back.

“You were right.”

“Always, but what about this time?”

He laughed but only pointed up. Jenny looked up and her wonderful smile split her face once again. She stopped walking and closed her eyes as the first flakes touched her cheeks.

Dan stopped as well, gazing into her upturned face, feeling very unsure of himself. He wanted to kiss her and knew that she probably wanted him to kiss her, but what if he was wrong? She was moving away and he didn’t want her leaving, thinking badly of him.

“Are you going to kiss me, or just stand there all afternoon?”

He jumped, honestly startled. He felt himself blushing once again and was glad that she kept her eyes closed.

“I wasn’t certain that you wanted me to.”

“Dan, I want you to.”

Dan hesitated still and Jenny finally opened her eyes to look at him. An expression of concern and just a bit of annoyance flashed in her eyes.

“I want to, Jenny,” Dan said softly, “but I’m not so sure it’s such a good idea.”

“You are such a paladin,” Jenny whispered, shaking her head.

“It’s just that you’re leaving town – forever from what you say – and I’m afraid that if anything more were to happen between us, I’ll regret letting you leave.”

“Don’t look at it that way. Look at it as saying goodbye with flair.”

He laughed slightly, but Dan could tell that she saw the indecision in his eyes. She took his other hand and moved closer to him.

“Dan, this is the last day we’ll see each other. And I’m a big fan of flair.”

He leaned toward her and she moved her head up. He felt a small spark on their lips when they touched, no doubt caused by their wool coats, but he didn’t even flinch. Her lips were cool, smooth, and, not surprisingly, they tasted of peppermint. His lips lingered on hers and he felt her tongue tease his lower lip, but she pulled away.

“Do you have plans this evening?” she asked.

“No, I haven’t.”

“Do you want to have plans this evening?” She moved even closer to him, releasing his hands to grasp his upper arms. Dan swallowed. Even through two winter coats the sensation of her body pressed against his was making him feel slightly dizzy.

“Yeah, I do,” he croaked, glad that any sound at all came out of his throat. He slid his arms about her waist and held her even closer.

Jenny moved her arms about his neck and pressed her lips against his once again. Dan tilted his head, enjoying the aggressiveness of her kiss. He was the first to part their lips with his tongue, however, and Jenny moaned as he explored her mouth.

They stood there for quite a while, kissing passionately, eventually holding each other as tightly as possible. Dan felt Jenny’s hand working under his arm but couldn’t concentrate on that as she chose that moment to suck his tongue into her mouth.

He let out an ‘mmph!’ when her hand gently grasped him between the legs. He broke their kiss and tried to pull away slightly, embarrassed by the fact that he was already rock hard and all they had been doing was kissing.

Jenny stepped forward as he tried to pull back, not releasing him from her grasp. “Stop moving,” she whispered.

“Someone could walk by at any minute,” he rasped.

“No one is out here, Dan. We would have heard them.”

“Maybe we should just go inside and…”

He trailed off when her hand began moving. His breath caught in his throat and he felt his eyes roll back and close as her fingers explored him through his slacks. He moaned softly as her lips met the sensitive skin on his neck. He let his head fall back as her tongue flicked over him. Her hand squeezed gently, still moving up and down.

“What are you doing?” he rasped when her fingers caught his zipper tab and began pulling it down. She didn’t answer verbally, but let her hand slip inside his slacks.

She whined with impatience and whispered, “You would wear underwear.”

“Of course I do,” he whispered back, almost scolding, which caused her to giggle. That giggle made his heart jump and he felt his cock lurch in her hand.

“You feel so nice,” she whispered.

“I really do think we should go inside,” he said, almost pleading.

“I can’t wait for that,” she rasped. With the one hand that was still on his shoulder she began pushing him backwards. Dan stumbled, asking what she thought she was doing, but she seemed unwilling to answer him. She steered him around many trees until they were quite hidden from the pathway.

“Jenny, you’re starting to scare me.”

“Shut up, Dan.” She pushed his back against a large pine trunk and kissed him, hard, for just a few seconds, taking his breath away.

He was gasping when she broke the kiss, his eyes closed. He was a bit embarrassed about how dazed he was feeling, completely overwhelmed by Jenny’s aggressiveness and the lust that was coursing through him. He could usually control himself – and his erections – much better than this. But today, he felt completely within Jenny Nicholas’ power.

When he felt her unbuttoning his slacks, he merely looked down at her. She was kneeling on the needle-covered ground. She had taken her coat off, leaving her exposed in only her short-sleeved, short-skirted red dress.

He opened his mouth to tell her she would catch her death of cold, but she chose that moment to grasp his cock through his boxers and all that came out was a low moan.

Her other hand slid his slacks down over his buttocks and seconds later she was tugging his boxers down to the same level. Dan breathed in harshly, feeling the freezing temperatures on his exposed skin and was almost afraid that his erection would shrivel right up, especially when he felt a few snowflakes land.

It was then that he first felt her tongue on the head of his cock and he knew that keeping his erection was going to be no problem, freezing temperatures or no.

Her hands, which were only cool, not cold, grasped his hips. Her tongue was flicking just under the head of his cock, barely touching him. She moved her tongue around the head, skimming the rim lightly until her tongue was back underneath where it had started.

Dan tried to keep quiet, but a soft moan escaped him as her tongue slowly moved down his shaft, leaving a warm trail, until she met his balls. She delicately scooped one into her mouth with her tongue and sucked gently, causing his breathing rate to soar.

She didn’t linger here however, and moved her tongue back to the base of his shaft. She moved up, more quickly than she moved down, moving her tongue around the entire shaft as she did so until her mouth was hovering above his cock head once again.

She was teasing him again, her tongue just under the head, and Dan felt that she was purposely torturing him. Finally, without thinking, he rasped, “Dammit, Jenny, suck my cock. Please!”

His eyes flew wide as she did as ordered, diving onto him. His entire length was in her mouth and slightly down her throat. Her mouth was so warm, her tongue so soft, and it was a thrilling contrast to the cold his ass and upper legs were feeling.

Dan’s hands had been behind him clutching the tree trunk to hold himself up. He released the tree now and gently grasped Jenny’s head, sinking his fingers into her soft, blonde hair.

Her head was bobbing on his cock now, at a relaxed tempo, and her tongue never stopped. Dan could feel her exploring ever ridge, every vein, as her mouth sucked gently at first, hard after a time and then back to gentle. She brought him to the brink of orgasm several times, only to back off, releasing his cock from her mouth and exposing it to the cold air once again. On these occasions, he sucked in air through his teeth. He caught her grinning up at him wickedly on one of these occasions, rubbing her cheek against his shaft.

He felt a growl of lust come of out of his throat and, still holding her head, he grasped her more firmly and moved her mouth to his cock. She seemed to enjoy his aggressive move and immediately opened her mouth as he thrust. He felt her moan around his cock and cried out softly at the vibration.

Without realizing it, he took over from that moment, thrusting into her mouth. Her hands grasped his hips firmly as he tenderly fucked her mouth and she never stopped moaning as he did so.

“I’m coming,” he rasped. He felt her hands move to his ass and she moved her mouth all the way down his shaft, moaning louder. Dan let loose with a louder cry than he wished and he felt her swallowing him as he came, thrusting uncontrollably until the orgasmic wave finished washing over him.

When Jenny pulled her mouth from him and stood, Dan shivered, suddenly very cold. He leaned back against the tree, still dazed and breathing hard. Jenny redressed him affectionately, kissing the head of his cock once before pulling his boxers over it. She didn’t bother to re-tuck his shirt in when re-doing his slacks.

When she stood in front of him, he grasped her arm and pulled her against his body, wrapping his long coat about her. He pulled her lips to his and kissed her lovingly. His hands moved down to her ass and squeezed. He felt her arch her back to press her breasts against him.

They broke their kiss and looked at each other. “Can we go inside now?” Dan asked with a lop-sided grin on his face.

* * * * * * * *

Less than twenty minutes later Dan found himself in Jenny’s large bed. She had taken him upstairs and rushed him into her bedroom. She had attacked his slacks once again and had him stripped from the waist down in seconds.

Without removing his shirt, Dan had pushed her hands away so that he could grasp the hem of her skirt and pull up. With one swift motion, she was naked in front of him except for a small pair of bikini panties, which were green.

Jenny was very waif-like and her breasts were not large, but they fit inside Dan’s hands perfectly. He pushed her onto the bed, moving his mouth over her second breast, devouring her nipple. Her fingers grasped his head, and he felt her fingers tugging on his short, sandy-blonde hair as his tongue flicked over her hard nub.

“God, that feels wonderful,” Jenny rasped, rotating her hips beneath him. She moved her legs around him loosely and continued to move her hips in a lazy manner.

Her moving hips were driving him a little mad and he found his mouth leaving her breasts and continuing down her body. Pausing only to probe her belly button, which caused her to giggle once again, he stopped when he found his head between her legs. He could smell her arousal and found he had to taste her.

He pulled away long enough to remove her panties, but quickly moved back, hooking his arms under her thighs. He kissed her upper thigh, biting gently which caused her to moan. He moved up slowly and after noting that her pubic hair was a perfect match for the blonde hair on her head, his pushed his tongue between her lips.

She gasped quite loudly and then moaned just as loud when his tongue found her clit. Deciding to pay her back a bit for the teasing she had given him among the trees, he let his tongue flick against her only a few times before moving down and in to probe her as deep as his tongue would go.

“Oh yes!” she rasped. “Yes! Fuck me with your tongue.”

He didn’t obey her, moving his tongue back up to her hard bud. She didn’t seem to mind his disobedience, her rasps coming out with affirmatives, so he gave up on his attempt to ‘torture’ her.

Continuing to gently caress her with his tongue, he moved his hand between her legs and began pushing his thumb inside of her. He felt her contract her muscles about him and her moans became deeper. By the time he was fucking her with his thumb as well as sucking on her clit, she was writhing beneath him, breathing harshly and occasionally yelling out her pleasure.

Dan adjusted his position, feeling his cock growing hard once again beneath him. He had to make her come soon because he didn’t know how much longer he could wait to bury his dick deep inside of her.

Jenny cried out even louder when he suddenly sucked her clit harshly and before she could catch her breath, she was yelling “Yes!” over and over again as she came, bowing her body and trembling slightly.

Dan couldn’t help but chuckle. Finally, she was trembling, and not him.

He pulled his lips away from her and removed his hand to sit up on his haunches above her. Her eyes were closed and she was moaning softly, deep in her throat, coming down from the pleasure he had just given her.

Dan removed his shirt to throw in on the floor with the rest of their clothing and pushed her legs wider. She opened her eyes and watched him move between her legs. He leaned over to place himself above her on all fours.

Jenny’s eyes flicked down and she smiled, seeing his new erection. She reached up and grasped him. Dan didn’t let her see how much he enjoyed her fingers on him and pushed her hand away.

Dan grasped one of her knees and pushed up as he lowered himself. She wrapped the leg about him as he bent his own leg giving him more leverage.

She was wet and warm and his cock sliced into her effortlessly. They both moaned as they connected and he only stopped when he was as deep inside her as he could get. He could feel himself shaking once again and this time it didn’t embarrass him at all.

“Make love to me, Dan,” Jenny whispered. “Please.”

* * * * * * * *

Dan gave a small cry of despair but continued to thrust into Jenny at a heightened tempo until finally, she yelled her pleasure, clutching him closely with all of her limbs which were wrapped tightly about him. Feeling her body pressing firmly about him sent Dan over the edge and he yelled seconds later, thrusting into her erratically as the orgasm filled his body with pleasure and rushed into hers.

They both stopped moving, gasping for breath.

When he finally felt in control, Dan withdrew from Jenny. He grasped her head and moved his lips onto hers. They kissed deeply but slow, still settling from their first coupling. Dan could feel her bare breasts against his chest and felt his stomach quiver. How many times had he dreamed of feeling her beneath him, her small breasts crushed between them? He couldn’t even fathom the number.

They broke their kiss and Jenny whispered, “That was…very nice.”

“That’s one word for it,” Dan laughed.

“I wish you had asked me out years ago,” Jenny said. “I haven’t been celibate but I can assure you none of my previous encounters were ever this good.”

Dan hesitated then said, “That flatters me and saddens me all at the same time.”

“Don’t even think about tomorrow,” Jenny said, smiling in the dim light cast by the Christmas lights strung through her headboard. “We have all night to make up for your lack of initiative.”

He saw that she meant no insult and was playing with him so he smiled back at her, although he couldn’t help feeling disappointed in himself. He did feel like a fool for waiting so long to act on his feelings for Jenny – feelings that were highly reminiscent of how he had felt when he met his first wife fifteen years before. But there was nothing to do about that now.

“Want some hot chocolate?” she asked. “I also have some tea. All I have is peppermint, though.”

He laughed softly. “I’ll take the tea,” he said. “Thanks.”

Dan lay back as Jenny rose from the bed. He watched her stretch, and felt his cock already stirring at the sight. Although very slender, he would never call her ‘skinny.’ Her hips and ass were very nicely rounded.

“Are you going to help me, or just lay there leering at me all night?”

“Oh, you mean I have options? Cool!”

“Get up, you ass,” she laughed, throwing him his shorts. She left her bedroom, grabbing her bulky terry-cloth robe on her way.

After pulling on his shorts he joined her in the kitchen where she was pulling out two large red mugs and two green saucers. Dan leaned back against her counter and looked around the apartment.

“Aren’t you leaving in a few days?” he asked.

“Tomorrow, actually.”

“Then why isn’t anything packed?”

She didn’t answer him and he looked at her. Her back was still to him as she filled her teakettle with water. She set it on one of the stove’s burners and turned it on high.

“I like to wait for the last minute,” she finally said, but still didn’t look at him.

“Maybe you don’t really want to go.”

Jenny turned around and looked at him, noticing the sudden seriousness in his voice. “Dan, I’ve told you. I’ve told all of you. My father-.”

“You’re a grown woman, Jenny. Why do you have to go running back home just because Daddy says it’s time?”

“It’s much more complicated than that,” she said and Dan could see that she was becoming a bit angry.

“Does he not have a telephone? Or e-mail? Do you have to be in the same zip code for him to feel that you’re close to him again?”

“It’s not just him,” Jenny said. “It’s me, too. I want to go home. I love my home. Nowhere else on earth is like my home.”

“I understand that. There’s no place like my hometown either – not even my hometown. That’s because it doesn’t exist. What you’re thinking of as your hometown isn’t just a place Jenny-it’s a time. You can’t go back in time so your hometown doesn’t exist anymore. No adult can really go home.”

“I can,” she said, lifting her chin in defiance.

“Why are you so special?” Dan asked.

At this, she smiled and Dan blinked in surprise. “Because I am, Dan. And let’s just leave it at that, okay?”

“I don’t want to leave it at that,” he said, leaning towards her. He found himself becoming furious at the superior smile that was covering her face. “I know it’s not fair of me to say this now, after all this time, but I have real feelings for you and I don’t want you to leave! Not until we see if this can go anywhere.”

“Your timing is horrendous, Dan,” Jenny said, her smile slipping. “And perhaps you were right about all of this. Maybe this was a mistake.”

“Even if we end this day with a huge fight and never wanting to speak again, I will never see it as a mistake, Jenny. What was a mistake was me not making this happen sooner.”

“It really wouldn’t have mattered,” she said, taking a step back. “I would still be leaving.”

“Even if we were deeply in love, you would leave to go running home?”

“Yes, I would.”

Dan stared at her, unable to comprehend her logic. He opened his mouth to tell her so, but her kettle started its shrill whistle and she turned away from him. He watched her pour the scalding water over the tea bags. She kept her back to him as she did this as if avoiding looking at him.

Dan watched her and felt guilt creeping over him. As badly as he felt about her leaving, he knew she must have been feeling some kind of remorse. This place had been her home for six years and now, the day before she was to move, a man was confessing feelings he had harbored for years.

He moved to her and placed his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. “I’m sorry, Jenny. I’m not being fair.”

“No, you’re not,” she whispered. He grimaced, hearing the tears in her voice. “Do you love me?”

He started, not expecting her question. He hesitated for a moment then said, “I probably don’t know you well enough to truly answer that question.”

“How do you feel, Dan?”

“Yes. I love you.”

She hesitated this time then softly said, “It does make a difference.”

She turned to face him. He pulled her close as she wrapped her arms about his neck. He felt that spark again when their lips met, tasted the faint flavor of peppermint. His arms held her as tight as he possibly could without hurting her and she moaned softly, sliding her tongue between his lips.

Dan could feel himself becoming dizzy, could feel his penis hardening which he found amazing after the workout it had received over the past hour. Her tongue was doing delightful things to his and he wondered if he would feel it wrapped around his cock again before the night was over.

He then became aware that the faint flavor of peppermint was gradually becoming stronger and he wondered if she had a piece of candy in her mouth. ‘No,’ he thought. ‘She practically has her entire tongue in my mouth. I would know if she had a piece of candy in there.’

Finally, the flavor was overpowering and he could feel his eyes watering. He pulled away from her, gasping for breath and released his grip on Jenny, stumbling back to lean against the counter. He covered his face with his hand, feeling dizziness flooding his brain.

“What happened?” he rasped. “I feel like I just got off of an out-of-control tilt-a-whirl.”

“It’s normal. Don’t worry.”

Her voice was different. More lyrical, almost as if it wasn’t just a voice anymore, but a voice accompanied by tiny crystal bells.

He looked up at her quickly and breathed in harshly. He grasped the counter behind him, and purposely kicked backwards. He cried out in pain as his heel contacted the hard wood but it was better than the scream he had felt fighting to break forth. Moreover, he was now most certain that he was really awake.

Jenny had dropped her robe and was completely naked before him, but he wasn’t sure if it was really Jenny or not.

Every inch of her skin was silver. It sparkled in the light and Dan could tell that it couldn’t possibly be body paint. Her actual skin was the color of polished silver. Her green eyes were still green, but they were a much darker, brilliant green. Her hair, once a golden blonde, was now simply gold. He couldn’t help but glance down and saw that the gold was also between her legs. Even her eyelashes seemed to be made of gold.

“Jenny…”

“You are awake, Dan, and yes, this is me. You’re not crazy. You’re not hallucinating.” Dan could still hear the crystal bells in her voice.

“Why are you made of precious metals?”

She laughed softly. Her hair, although made of gold, moved just like real hair and he gasped again, seeing that her ears now came to two small silvery points.

“Because my father thinks I and all of my brothers and sisters are precious. My eyes are emeralds, Dan. My fingernails are diamonds.”

“Tell me what’s going on, Jenny.”

“I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re not running away from me, screaming, or plotting how to get bits of me to sell.”

“What are you talking about?” he gasped. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He couldn’t seem to move, either. He felt as if his feet were nailed to the floor, despite the fact that he had lost all feeling except the overwhelming numbness of shock.

“I’ve shown my true self to two other men,” she explained. “The first thought I was a monster. He left, screaming like a mad man. He convinced himself it was a dream, but I never saw him again. The second was shocked but was soon asking me what I did with any hair that fell out, or if I would give him my fingernails when I clipped them.”

“Jenny, I’m sorry for how this is going to sound, but…what are you?”

“I’m an elf, Dan. More specifically, a Christmas Elf.”

Dan felt himself goggling at her, unable to fully comprehend what she had just said. Finally, he managed a, “Wha-huh?”

“You know, ‘yo ho ho, we are Santa’s elves.’” She said, raising her arms to do a silly little dance.  “I used to help make the toys, packed up the sleigh, even helped drive it one year. Shaved off thirty minutes from the usual delivery time. Dad said he’d never let me drive again.”

“Holy shit,” Dan whispered, feeling his knees starting to buckle. He grasped the counter firmly. “Are you trying to tell me that ‘daddy’ is Santa Claus?”

“Saint Nicholas,” she said, matter-of-factly.

“Jenny, are you insane?”

Again, she smiled. “I’m not the one seeing silver and gold elves, buddy.”

“You said earlier that it’s not me who’s insane.”

“You’re not insane, Dan. You’re understandably shocked. You’ve ‘known’ since you were nine that there was no Santa Claus, therefore, there are no Christmas Elves.”

“I was seven when I found out,” Dan said defiantly.

“You were nine, Dan,” Jenny said softly, tilting her head in a knowing manner. “You told your friends you didn’t believe, but you did until you were nine and saw your dad’s Santa suit in the closet.”

“Do you know everything about me?” he asked, shocked and a bit appalled.

“No, I don’t,” she said. “I only know the things about you that are Christmas-related.”

“Okay, Jenny…elf…whatever, I have got to sit down.”

Dan was fighting to stay standing but obviously losing. Jenny moved to help him. He flinched but settled quickly, allowing her to put her arm around him and lead him to her couch. He sat down and let his head hang down as she stood and rushed back into the kitchen. He rested his elbows on his knees and grasped his head, shaking it every few seconds, still trying to convince himself that he was awake. But even if he were asleep, why would he be dreaming this?

She sat next to him, now in her robe, and handed him his cup of tea. He took a sip and sighed deeply, closing his eyes. He found the hot liquid quite relaxing.

“Why do you taste like peppermint?” he asked softly without opening his eyes.

“Well, I don’t want to get too technical, but my body fluids are liquid candy.”

He opened his eyes slightly and he looked at her through half-closed lids. “You didn’t taste like that before, Jenny.”

“I can disguise myself, which should be quite obvious to you.”

“You haven’t gotten that down perfect, by the way. The first time I kissed you, I tasted peppermint.”

“I had just eaten one, you goof,” she said smiling. He couldn’t help but smile back. Her face sobered and she softly said, “Do you still feel the same way for me now, Dan?”

Dan opened his eyes completely now. “You thought I wouldn’t feel the same if I knew you were an…elf?” He still felt funny saying the word out loud.

“Of course. I’m not just a different race, I’m a different species.”

“I still love you, Jenny,” he said without hesitation and he realized that he actually meant it. In fact, he found himself wondering how different it would feel to make love to her when she was so glittery.

She smiled brightly then sobered again. “I am going home. At midnight, in fact.” Dan looked up at her clock. It was 5:30 p.m. “Even if I didn’t want to, I would have to now. I’ve promised and elves don’t break promises. Daddy’s picking me up.”

“But you do want to.”

“Yes, desperately.”

“Why did you leave in the first place?”

“I wanted to see what humans were like,” she said, shrugging. “Dad thought I was spending way too much time away from home. I thought he was being unreasonable so I lied and said that I preferred spending my times with humans. He became so angry, he banished me.” She paused for a moment then continued. “I could have gone home anytime, of course, but I can be pretty stubborn. He sent for me two months ago and I just couldn’t say no.”

They both sat silently on the couch, sipping from their tea mugs. Dan’s mind was racing but very few coherent thoughts were able to form.

“Can you come back and visit?” he asked, breaking the silence.

She hesitated and looked down into her tea mug. “Yes, but I didn’t really plan to.”

“Why not?” he asked, looking at her.

“I like humans. In fact, some of them I like quite a lot.” She looked up at him and Dan blushed just a bit and looked down. He looked back up as she continued. “But I’m not overly fond of their world. It makes me quite sick at times. Christmas Town is-“

“It’s actually called ‘Christmas Town?” Dan asked, trying hard not to laugh.

“Yes, it is,” she said with a defiant tone, but she was smiling. “And it’s the best place on earth. Well…sort of. It’s not completely in this plane of existence. It had to be moved when human technology started getting sophisticated enough to locate it without a personal expedition.”

“I’m not even going to think about that,” Dan sighed, shaking his head. “What I am thinking about is this; is this the only day we’re going to have together? Or is there some kind of arrangement that can be made?”

Jenny looked at Dan for a long time, silent. Dan looked back at her, holding her gaze, not wanting to rush her. It was then that he suddenly realized something.

“I’ve told you that I love you,” he said softly, making her blink. “But you’ve never told me how you feel about me.”

She looked away from him then and sat straight up, fidgeting with her tea mug. “Um, well, I’m not so sure it really matters now since-“

“It matters to me,” Dan said firmly, grasping her knee.

Jenny looked at him and softly said, “I love you Dan. I have for quite a while. All day I’ve been berating you for not asking me out sooner. But actually, when I say it to you, I’m really saying it to myself. I’m not normally a shy woman, you know that, but for some reason, I could never gather the courage to do anything about my feelings for you until today.” She paused and he saw her blinking away tears. “It’s my timing that’s horrendous.”

“So tell me, is there something that we can do? Is there any way that we can be together?”

“There is one way but it’s way too much to ask.”

“I have to go there, don’t I?”

“Yes,” she breathed, obviously glad that he figured it out and that she wouldn’t have to say it. “You would. I-I just can’t stay here anymore. As much as I love you, I can’t. I’ve gotten used to hiding who I am, but I don’t want to do it anymore. It’s starting to take its toll. Elf magic never runs out, but it does wear one down after a while. And six years of hiding…”

“I understand why you can’t stay here anymore,” Dan assured her. “I really do. But if I went there – wouldn’t I have to do the same thing?”

“Not at all,” she said quickly. “Even if I were able to make you look like me, everyone would know you’re not an elf. It’s a magic thing.”

“A magic thing,” he repeated, muttering, looking down.

“And…if you did want to go, you would need to leave with me tonight.”

His head snapped up to look at her. “Tonight? I couldn’t think on it for a few days? Make sure it’s what I really wanted?”

“If you were to think on it, you would have to wait until next Christmas Eve for your next chance. I can’t take you. Daddy has to do it.”

“’I’d like to hitch a ride with Santa Claus’,” Dan sang under his breath, but felt his own voice trembling.

“Dan…you probably shouldn’t go. You have your own business, your friends, your family…”

“I’ve never had many friends, really,” Dan said. “You know that while I like everyone at the office I’ve never been particularly close to them. The same goes for my family. That ‘date’ I had with sister over Easter? Ended up in a huge fight about the fact that I’m still not married, divorced the one woman who would have me and that the family name’s going to die with me. My parents are dead.”

“Don’t try to convince yourself, Dan. If you have any reservations, you shouldn’t do this. You’ll meet someone else.”

“I can honestly say that I’ll never meet anyone else like you,” he said with his lop-sided grin.

“Most definitely not,” she grinned back. “You won’t even meet another elf like me, but that’s really beside the point. Are you up to Christmas all year round? Do you have any interest in toy making? It’s the only profession up there. Well, that’s not true. Candy making is also quite popular. You could stay home and do nothing – there’s no money up there – but I know that you would get bored with that.”

“Do you guys get cable?”

Jenny laughed, but it was a sad laugh. “I don’t think you would like it, Dan. The few humans who have gone didn’t last very long. Most of them said it was the incessant carol singing. And Rudolph has this annoying habit of turning that damn nose on at the most inopportune – and embarrassing – times. He’s a bit of a pervert, actually.”

“I wouldn’t be the first then, huh?”

“Nope. But you’d only be number twelve.”

Dan looked back down into his now-empty tea mug, pondering. “I don’t know what I want,” he finally whispered. “I want to be with you, but just leaving… I don’t know if I can do it.”

“I’m not asking you to,” she said softly.

“Will you give me a year, Jenny?” he asked, looking up at her. “If I find that I want to join you, can I next year? I hate to ask any woman to wait for me, but in this circumstance…”

“I don’t like making promises I don’t know if I can keep, Dan,” she said. It looked like it pained her to say it. “Right now, I feel that I could promise to wait for ten years but I know it’s an irrational thing to do. Just like you jumping in Dad’s sleigh tonight would be an irrational thing for you to do.”

“You’ve always been the one to take chances.”

“For myself. I’m not risking your happiness for mine.”

“Dammit, would you stop being so perfect?” he rasped, smiling, but he felt the tears forming in his eyes.

“If I were perfect, this conversation would have happened six months ago, not today.”

“You’re right. You bitch.”

They both laughed, but both were fighting tears. Jenny took his tea mug and set both his and hers on the coffee table in front of the couch. She moved closer to him and when she reached for him, he put his arms about her.

Their lips met and Dan tasted the strong taste of peppermint as his tongue parted her lips. He pulled her into his lap. She straddled his legs and undid the tie of her robe without breaking their kiss and Dan helped her push the cloth down her shoulders and onto the floor leaving her naked in his lap.

Dan ran his hands over her neck, down her shoulders and arms, to her sides and them down to her round hips. Her skin felt the same as it had before…almost.  It glided smoothly under his hands, soft and pliant, yet firm. He broke their kiss and looked down at her body.

“Your nipples are copper,” he said suddenly, grasping both of her breasts in his hands.

“Yes,” she said, the bells tinkling in her voice.

“You’re beautiful like this,” he whispered then kissed the inside curve of her breast. “I thought you might be hard and cold, but you’re soft and warm.”

Jenny let her head hang back and closed her eyes and Dan’s mouth once again covered her nipple. She moaned softly as his teeth nibbled at her slightly. Her other nipple was being gently rubbed between Dan’s fingers and she was starting to writhe in his lap.

Dan moved his hand around her and down her back until he was grasping her ass firmly. He reached further down until his fingers could slip inside of her. She gasped and pressed down starting to slowly ride his fingers.

“Uh-uh,” he said, pulling his hand away. “If you’re going to ride something, it’s not going to be my hand.”

She smiled that wicked smile of hers and pulled back just enough for Dan to lower his boxers and release his cock. She reached down and tugged until it was nice and hard in her hands. Grasping it, she lowered herself onto him and he moaned as she enfolded him.

He sat back on the couch and watched her as she rode him, moving slowly at first, her head tilted to the side, her lips parted. With one hand he grasped her hip and with the other, he caressed both of her breasts, enjoying the firm mounds that were jiggling before him as she bounced.

“Ah god,” she cried and began moving faster. Dan caused her to cry out louder when he began thrusting upwards, impaling her even deeper with each push. Her breasts were bounding erratically before his eyes and he couldn’t drag his gaze away from them.

When she came, she did so with a yell that was filled with loud bells and fell forward onto him, limp in pleasure, covering his face with kisses.

“I’m not done with you yet,” he whispered. She let out a surprised yell when he lifted her from his cock and pushed her onto the couch, face first. He grasped her hips again, draping over her back and before she could ask what he was doing, his cock was deep inside her again.

The couch was cramped but neither of them complained as Dan took her from behind, grasping her right hip almost painfully. Jenny moved her hand back to grasp his hip, feeling his movements as he plunged into her over and over again, diving into her to the hilt. Dan could feel his balls slapping against her and from the sounds emanating from her throat, he could tell that she was enjoying his forcefulness.

“Yes,” he heard her growling. “Yes, Dan, fuck me. Fuck me until I scream.”

“What would the kiddies think if they could hear a Christmas elf talking like that?” Dan scolded, rasping into her ear. Her only answer was a repeat desire of him to fuck her and to fuck her hard.

It didn’t take long for them both to come and after catching their breath, they moved back to her bedroom.

* * * * * * * *

It was still dark when Dan opened his eyes. He looked around the room for a few seconds then shot up quickly, realizing he was in his own bed.

“Oh no,” he moaned desperately. He grasped his bedside clock and let out a stifled sob. It was 4:00 a.m.

He flung it aside and it fell with a clatter to the floor. He left his bed in a rush, running down the hall, not even sure of what he was looking for. He saw it the second he entered the front room and he skidded to a halt, breathing hard.

The pewter and glass elf that he had given Jenny was on the mantelpiece. A fire was blazing in the fireplace and a note was hanging down, anchored by the figurine.

With shaking hands, Dan removed the note and read:

Dan,

I know you would have left with me so I didn’t wake you. I want you with me, but I want you to be sure that you want to be with me.

I have changed my mind and I promise you that I will wait for one year. If you want to join me, be in the park outside my apartment building where you and I first kissed yesterday on Christmas Eve at the stroke of midnight. I’ll be there.

If you decide that you want to stay where you are and live the life you know now, I will understand.

Whatever you choose, please remember that I love you.

Love,

Jenny

Crumpling the note in his hand, Dan sank to the floor, sobbing.

* * * * * * * *

I looked up from the computer screen, tears streaming down my face. I glanced at my watch – five minutes until 5:00. I looked out the office door but there was no sign of anyone. The others rarely left on time.

No one would believe this. I didn’t know if I did either, but I didn’t want people to think of Dan – I thought of him as ‘Dan’ now – as being crazy or delusional. I quickly popped a CD into the drive, copied the story then deleted it from the folder. I did a few more steps, trying to erase any proof that it had ever existed. I could only hope that the police didn’t dig too deeply. I had often heard that nothing is ever truly deleted from a computer’s hard drive.

After shutting down the computer, I quickly left Mr. Peterson’s office, shut down my own computer and went home for the evening.

Now, I sit alone at home, writing all this in my own journal, wondering if Dan was crazy, or possibly delusional. I also wonder if he’s now dead or maybe lost, raving and all alone.

I don’t want to believe that. Mr. Peterson was undoubtedly depressed but I will never believe he was suicidal and I don’t believe he was crazy. But believing in Santa Claus and Christmas elves made of silver and gold…am I crazy?

I suppose it doesn’t really matter in the long run. Wherever Dan is, whether it be a loony bin, dead in a back alley or trapped in his own mind, I can only hope that he’s happy and with Jenny.

And next year, I’m leaving cookies and milk out on Christmas Eve night.