Rest Ye Merry Mermen & Moonlight and Mistletoe Read online

  I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t a dream, she bit her lip, And I just hope that, come tomorrow morning, I still feel as much in love as I am now.

  Ironically enough, it was the sound of a pounding shower massager that roused Sheila the next morning. And she purred contentedly as she savored the image of a naked, wet Derrick in the shower.

  “Maybe I should go join him,” she wiggled her eyebrows. “Mustn’t let my dear boyfriend get lonely.”

  “My dear boyfriend.” How many times had Sheila uttered that phrase in a loving tone–instead of spewing it out sardonically with a growl or a grimace?

  “I guess I haven’t had much luck when it comes to men,” she reflected, stretching luxuriously. “It seems, though, the tides are finally turning. About time, I say.”

  Her dreamy meditation was sharply disrupted by the loud ring of Derrick’s telephone.

  I’d better not answer, she bit her lip. It might be his mother and she’ll think I’m a slut for sleeping over on the second date.

  Shrugging, she added with a grin, She doesn’t need to know the truth quite so soon. At least let me charm her first with a fruit basket and a Leveaux gift certificate.

  The voice that eventually appeared on Derrick’s answering machine, however, was not exactly a maternal one. It sounded low and sultry, and delivered a message that made Sheila cringe.

  “Hey there, Baby. It’s Serena, your favorite customer. Give me a ring as soon as you can; I have another job for you.”

  Sheila shook her head, gaping openly as the message continued.

  “You really knocked my sister’s socks off at her birthday party; so now I’m going to hire you for her bachelorette bash. It’s only a few weeks away, though, so don’t wait too long to call.”

  Jumping from the bed, Sheila rushed into the living room and hurriedly donned her black dress. She was not as quick, however, to retrieve her red negligee.

  “I won’t be needing it, apparently,” she grabbed her purse and stormed out of the house–slamming the door soundly behind her.

  The loud thump of Derrick’s door disrupted his shower, where he had fantasized about the woman who lay sleeping in his bed. Frowning deeply, he wrapped a towel around his lower half and walked quickly into his bedroom; just in time to hear Sheila’s car speed from his driveway.

  “What the –” he began, then noticed the blinking light on his answering machine. He almost ignored the ‘red alert,’ opting instead to go after Sheila; yet somehow he knew it would solve the mystery of her departure.

  Minutes later, the mystery was solved; and Derrick sat dejectedly on the edge of his bed, head buried in his hands.

  “I wish she had given me a chance to explain,” he whispered.

  Yet he was not sure if his explanation would have made a difference–and that seemed the saddest part of all.

  * * * *

  Derrick’s melancholy persisted throughout the next two days; even so, he remained determined that, when he met Sheila for their Saturday morning shift, he would explain everything–and she would understand.

  She has to understand, he thought.

  Even with this renewed conviction, it was still a torturous couple of days for Derrick; and when he arrived at work Saturday, his hopes were dashed yet again–and in the brashest, most obnoxious manner possible.

  Leveaux Department Store, it seemed, had a new Santa; a skinny, cranky woman who greeted children with a jolly, “Yeah, spill it! The line is long and we haven’t got all day.”

  Derrick froze before the Santa seat, shaking his head in sheer disbelief.

  “Ms. Leveaux?” his tone resounded with what could best be defined as sheer, unadulterated horror.

  “Don’t talk to me!” Sophia barked, pointing an accusing, perfectly manicured finger in his direction. “You’re the reason ‘Sheila Claus’ jumped ship; using her vacation time to escape this place until after Christmas.”

  Shutting his eyes, Derrick sighed deeply. Then, issuing an apology to a waiting child—who seemed terrified of ‘Santa’ anyway—he took Sophia aside and demanded to know the details of Sheila’s departure.

  “Not much to tell,” Sophia snapped, adding, “When I noticed she was upset this morning, I asked if it happened to concern you.”

  She paused, waving yet another accusing finger in his direction.

  “I’ve noticed you two flirting on company time, and I think it’s most unprofessional. I mean, I sometimes sneak a stray glance at that hot Latin gentleman who works in the ‘big and tall’ men’s department–I suspect he’s both, by the way. Nonetheless, I keep my wits about me…”

  “So dock me,” Derrick suggested through clenched teeth. “Fire me. I don’t care–just tell me why Sheila is angry.”

  “I was getting to that!” Sophia insisted, adding, “When I asked her if you were the cause of her concern, she nodded but wouldn’t say why. Then, when I asked if she was upset about your night job, she looked at me in shock and said, ‘You know he works as a male escort?’ ”

  Derrick paused, considering the answering machine message Sheila had heard.

  Yes, I can see how she misunderstood Serena’s words, he pondered, adding aloud, “And she wasn’t going to tell you. As betrayed as she felt, she protected my job.”

  “She ran out of here before I could tell her the truth,” Sophia glared openly in Derrick’s direction. “Why don’t you two idiots stop screwing around and admit you’re in love?”

  Derrick opened his mouth to issue a sharp retort–then closed it just as quickly.

  “You have to help me, Sophia,” he implored her with a sad-eyed gaze.

  Chapter Ten

  Christmas Eve arrived with little fanfare at the home of Sheila Baxter. Tomorrow, of course, would be a different story; she would visit her parents’ home in the nearby community of Odessa, paste on a festive face, and pretend to enjoy the holiday.

  Tonight, however, she felt free to experience the misery that had held her captive the past week.

  “He hasn’t even tried to call,” she snorted. “He knows better. He knows from experience how loudly I can scream–and this time, it would not be a favorable reaction.”

  Sliding into the depths of her favorite easy chair, she fell into a light sleep disrupted by the loud, insistent ring of her doorbell.

  She almost groaned audibly as she opened the door to greet Sophia Leveaux, who carried a large, foil-wrapped package.

  “Merry Christmas!” she greeted. “Since you missed the Leveaux holiday gift exchange, I’m bringing you your gifts personally.”

  Without awaiting an invitation, Sophia bounded into Sheila’s living room and handed her the box. Nodding her thanks, Sheila opened her gift to reveal a portable CD player–with a starter CD apparently included.

  “Thank you, Sophia,” she nodded, tone sincere. “That’s very nice of you.”

  She raised her eyebrows, however, as she plugged in the DVD player and pushed the ‘on’ button–only to hear the pounding rhythms of “It’s Raining Men” by the Weather Girls.

  Her confusion grew considerably a moment later, as Sophia opened her door to reveal a tall, muscular man dressed in a fake beard, hat, and red jacket.

  “Oh, that’s just sick,” Sheila folded her arms in visible indignation. “You wanted to cheer me up, so you hired a male stripper dressed as Santa Claus. Have we been nipping excessively at the eggnog, Ms. Sophia?”

  Yet she watched with noticeable interest as the obviously agile dancer slithered and gyrated across the living room, finally planting himself directly in front of her.

  Sheila smiled slightly as the stripper slowly, temptingly peeled off his red jacket–one shoulder at a time. Then he slid off his matching red pants, revealing a sparkling red g-string with a fresh sprig of mistletoe attached.

  Heatedly thrusting his hips back and forth for her approval, he next removed his hat–revealing a long, luxurious mane of golden hair.

  “Wait a minute,” Sheila murmured, ey
es widening.

  The stranger’s identity soon was revealed, as he peeled off his faux beard to reveal a sculpted, planed face.

  A face that’s about to be slapped, soundly, Sheila pursed her lips. “Is this a sick joke, Derrick?”

  The ‘stripping Santa’ shook his head, and smiled softly at the woman he had missed so dearly.

  “It’s not a joke. It’s the truth, Sheila. I’m not an escort; I’m an exotic dancer. I’ve never slept with a woman for money; I just entertain women.”

  “Or at least I did,” Derrick added quickly, then, looking deeply into Sheila’s eyes, “I quit my ‘night job’ tonight, Sheila.”

  Pausing, he opened his arms to her.

  “I’m just hoping that will be enough to bring you back to me.”

  Sheila stared at him, considering his words as Sophia stood silently beside her door.

  All three sighed relieved, as Sheila ran forward into Derrick’s arms, and buried her head in his chest.

  “I’ll say one thing for you,” she leaned upward to kiss his smiling lips. “You do a mean lap dance.”

  Laughing, Derrick cupped her face in his hands and stared deeply into her eyes.

  “And from this point forward, I dance only for you,” he assured her. “I love you, Sheila.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Christmas Eve, one year later

  “Ha! Ha! Ha!”

  Sheila Baxter walked purposefully into the home of Derrick Barnes, bearing an armful of packages for her boyfriend of one year.

  Derrick, for his part, sat underneath his tree–fully clothed this time, much to Sheila’s chagrin.

  “Merry Christmas, Baby,” he beckoned her forward. “You’ve put me to shame, I see; I only have two gifts for you this year.”

  Shrugging, Sheila kneeled under the tree and took the small, brightly wrapped box now presented her.

  Making quick work of the wrapping, she gasped audibly as her efforts uncovered a diamond ring.

  She looked with wide eyes at Derrick, who took her hands warmly in his.

  “Sheila Baxter,” he looked deeply into her eyes. “Will you marry me?”

  Tears filled his lover’s eyes as she took him into a loving, all-encompassing embrace.

  “I will,” she grinned as Derrick slipped the ring onto her finger.

  For a moment they sat silently, wrapped in a cocoon of intimacy neither wanted to break. Finally, Sheila drew back to wink playfully at Derrick.

  “You said you had two gifts for me,” she cocked her head curiously. “I don’t see how you can top the first one.”

  She took in her breath, however, as Derrick seared her with a boldly seductive gaze.

  “Watch me,” he growled, pulling her into his lap and kissing her, deeply and passionately.

  Making quick work of their clothes, the couple tumbled recklessly under the tree and joined their bodies in a heated, thrilling union. Mouths, chests, and hips molded perfectly together to form a full-bodied embrace, and they clung to one another as Derrick entered Sheila–penetrating her with slow, deep strokes.

  Burying his head in her chest, he laved her already erect nipples as she ran her hands slowly and deliberately down his back. Then, grasping his perfect derriere, she pulled it forward to deepen his penetration–all the while savoring the feel of his mouth on her breasts, her neck, and finally against her lips.

  Their tongues joined in a wet, hot dance of seduction as Derrick filled his future wife with the essence of his manhood. Shuddering, they came together as Sheila threw her head back–and, indeed, even the neighbors could hear her intense cries of “comfort and joy.”

  “Ha! Ha! Ha!”

  The End