15 comments/ 38391 views/ 25 favorites A Bazaar Sweater By: gwen_twenty_ten A small invisible creature with pointy ears, a long nose and very long fingers stalked the halls of the hospice where Mary Graham sat dying. She wasn't dying precisely at that moment. She was knitting a sweater for her son, but she had been given a diagnosis of terminal cancer from her doctor two months earlier. Now, she sat in a wheel chair in a sunny window working on the back of the neck of the last sweater she would ever knit for her son Alexander. It was a complicated pattern, full of cables and texture, just how she liked her patterns to be. She no longer needed to consult the pattern, though, as she had been working on the sweater for so long that she had the pattern fairly well memorized. Instead, she sat thinking of her son as she knit, knitting a mother's love into every stitch of the garment. The small invisible creature stood silently next to the woman listening to her thoughts and watching the memories filter through her mind. He watched as she remembered her son as a small boy playing on a slide. He continued to watch with the woman as her son grew into an awkward teenager. He felt her pride and joy as she watched her son graduate from high school and then from college, grown into a handsome, confident young man. He felt her pain as she watched her son struggle in the world, not with work, for he was brilliant and personable, but rather with his relationships with woman. He watched as she remembered consoling him after each heartbreak and felt pain with the woman as her own heart broke a little each time her son's did. Finally, he felt her greatest desire. He felt her desire to see her son settled in a loving relationship with a woman who deserved him. The creature and the woman both knew that she would never live to see her desire realized, but he knew that there was something he could do. The creature extended his long skinny fingers, uncurling them from his palm. He placed his hand palm up in front of his lips and blew gently, sending bits of magic into the sweater the woman was knitting so that, though she might not be there to see it, her heart's desire might be realized. ••••••••••• Noelle stumbled through the door into the church fellowship hall. She pushed the old door shut against the cold wind and snow flurries that had followed her in. As always, the wooden door squeaked and stuck, but Noelle leaned her 125 pound into it to get it shut. Breathing deeply in an effort to regain her breath lost to the cold wind and the sticky door, she looked up at the older woman standing behind folding table piled high with children's clothes. The woman stood behind the table sorting the clothes into various piles. "I'm so sorry I'm late, Susan," Noelle said, having caught her breath. "My car didn't want to start again today after work, so the cat was sulking and hiding because I was late feeding him. I searched all over the house only to find him waiting by his food bowl. I hate when he does that." "I'm glad you made it ok," Susan, the older woman replied. "You should really get that car checked out." "I know. I know," Noelle replied. "I just can't seem to find the time with the holidays coming up." Silently, Noelle amended the excuse to include the large bill that a repair would likely entail. "What can I do to help you?" Noelle asked, hanging up her coat and scarf next to the door. "You can start sorting that last bag of clothes," Susan replied. "Some one dropped it off today. It looks it is mostly men's clothing." "Are we doing adult clothing this year?" Noelle asked. "Yes," Susan answered, still sorting and folding. "There was such a demand for children's clothing last year that the pastor thought it would be a good idea to expand into adult clothing, since the economy is still so bad this year." The women chatted amiably about church politics and about the items that had come in for the 'Last Minute before Christmas Bazaar and Tag sale'. The clothing was destined for the tag sale part of the event. Noelle brought out another folding table from a stack by the wall and set it up. She found the black garbage bag that Susan had indicated and brought it over to her work space. The scent of the man who had last worn the clothing wafted up from the opened bag which had been sitting near the heater. Noelle found herself momentarily stunned by the aroma. It was not a foul, sweaty or greasy odor like so much of the men's clothing they received. Instead, she found the clothes infused with the scents of wood smoke, fall leaves, and just a hint of sexy man. She found the scent intriguing, almost intoxicating. She caught herself just before she brought the first article, a white hand-knit sweater, up to her face. Touching it, she found that she could just about picture the man who might have worn the sweater. She saw him as tall, clearly indicated by the length of the torso and sleeves. He had dark hair, she thought, and rugged, outdoorsman good looks. He would be into camping and hiking, maybe fishing but not hunting. Susan saw Noelle sway as she clutched the first article out of the bag and called out, "Are you alright, Noelle?" Noelle started in surprise, surprised to find that she had been daydreaming. "What? Oh! Yes, Susan," Noelle reassured her older companion. "You were swaying," Susan said in the sort of tone a mother might use with a child who is trying to hide something. "Did you remember to eat today before you came over?" "Um," Noelle replied, biting her lower lip in embarrassment. "No, I don't think so." "Again?" Susan sighed. "You need to take better care of yourself, Noelle. Go on back to the kitchen. I think there is some cold coffee left over from the committee meeting earlier today. There should be some cookies or pastries left over, too." Noelle went into the small galley style kitchen and found the food as indicated. She ate quickly and resumed sorting. Gratefully, she noted that though the clothes still carried their distinctive scent, it was not nearly as intense as it had been. The two women carried on, sorting and folding, and finally, placing the items into the appropriate boxes for the tag sale. Noelle had set aside the white sweater when she placed the other items into their boxes. Now she held it up to show the older woman. "Would it be ok if I buy this one today, Susan?" Noelle asked. "Yes, I guess so, seeing as the sale is tomorrow. Why do want a men's sweater, though? There were plenty of pretty ones in the women's boxes." Noelle blushed, thinking of her earlier daydream, but she had come up with a likely excuse for wanting the sweater. "I think it might fit my brother, Arthur," she said. "Oh," Susan replied. "How is Arthur doing?" "He is doing pretty well, but he said the nights in the Afghan mountains can be really cold. This sweater looks like it might be warm." "I heard that they get lots of snow there in the winter," Susan said, conversationally, as she retrieved the cash box to collect the money for the sweater. "Yes, that's what Arthur has said." "That will be ten dollars." Noelle counted out a five, four singles, and a collection of change to pay for the sweater. She wondered as she did so why she was spending her last cash to pay for a sweater that she was not actually planning on using. She justified the purchase to herself with the thought that she might end up actually sending it to her brother in Afghanistan. Maybe. Some day. That evening Noelle fell asleep, exhausted, on the sofa in front of a fire in her brother's house curled up with her brother's cat and the sweater. She dreamed of a tall, strong dark-haired man. She saw him hiking in autumn, polychrome leave scattered as he walked trails in the brisk air. She saw him leaning in to prod an errant log back into a blazing campfire. She saw him chopping wood in the evening gloaming, a powerful torso swinging the axe high at every stroke. She saw him weeping by a casket. She woke in the early morning light of Christmas Eve day, chilled and cramped from sleeping on the sofa, weeping for the unknown dead in the casket of her dreams. ••••••••••• Alexander Graham slammed the phone down into the cradle. He didn't usually treat his belongings that way, but he was furious. The bitch had gone into his apartment, stolen his clothing and donated it to some church bazaar on the day before they were supposed to have a tag sale. Alexander had listened patiently to his ex-girlfriend's gloating in the hopes of find out which church bazaar, but he had come up empty. Sarah had wanted him to suffer, though God only knew why. It wasn't like he was the one who had cheated and then broken up. He would have forgiven her again, in time, but she had decided that since he was no longer a chief financial analyst that he was no longer good enough for her. She had walked and apparently blamed him for the break-up. Why did he always pick the psycho ones? Alexander paced the kitchen in his parent's Greenwich home. He had inherited it ten month earlier when his mother had died, leaving him alone in the world. He had thought to sell it at the time as he had been living in New York and had been employed at a prestigious Wall Street bank. His plans had changed drastically when he lost his job during the downturn, and he realized that he would not be able to pay rent on his Manhattan apartment past the end of the year when his severance pay ran out. Even now, he found the cost of living in Manhattan to be extravagant, which is why he was spending most of the week in his childhood home in Connecticut rather than living in his Manhattan apartment. Alexander pondered how he was going to get his clothes back. He figured he would probably have to buy them back from wherever Sarah had left them, but how was he supposed to figure that out? He thought and paced and finally booted up his laptop. He decided to try every church within a two hour drive of his apartment. He was a researcher by nature so the search for church phone numbers came easily to him. Speaking on the phone to every secretary who answered did not. He had struggled all through school with a lisp that came and went according his anxiety level. He had mostly avoided talking to people once out in the working world by sending email, but today, when he was stressed, he found his lisp was back. Shortly past noon, Alexander discovered that the only church within two hours of his apartment that was having a tag sale that weekend was one in a town just one town over from his childhood home. He wondered if Sarah had done it on purpose. He hopped into his car and drove off, hoping that at least a few of his clothes had not yet been sold. ••••••••••• Noelle rose stiff and sore from her night on the couch. She showered and dressed carefully making herself ready for the Church bazaar and tag sale. She was pleased that it was Saturday morning, and she did not have to go in to work. She did not have to go in to the tag sale until later that morning either. So, after a plain oatmeal breakfast, she decided to finish decorating the artificial tree she had found in her brother's basement. She had found some tinsel and a few ornaments in a box near the tree. Even after adding them, the tree still looked very bare to her eyes, so Noelle returned to the basement to look for more decorations. She found some mistletoe, a wreath, and a few more ornaments in a box that had been stashed in a back corner. Noelle had just hung the mistletoe when she noticed that the cat was hacking, like he was trying to cough up a fur ball. She walked over to the cat, which was when she noticed two pertinent facts. There was no more tinsel on the lower branches of the tree, and there was a silvery thread hanging from the corner of the cat's mouth. "Oh, no," Noelle said to the cat. "You didn't eat that, did you?" She knew the answer to her own question even as she scooped up the cat and placed him in his carrier for the trip to the vet. A short while later Noelle walked out of the vet's office with a large bill and no cat. The vet had wanted to keep the cat for further observation, just to be sure that all of the obstructions had been removed from the cat's digestive tract. She got into her car, shivering with the cold and turned the key. Nothing happened. She tried again. Nothing happened. When the engine failed to start yet again, she got out, took her purse and decided that the car could just stay in the vat's parking lot for Christmas. She would walk. She failed to see the small invisible creature with a long nose and very long fingers dust off those very long fingers and grin triumphantly over a task well done. So it was that Noelle arrived thirty minutes late, without a car, and half frozen for her shift at the baby clothes table at the tag sale end of the bazaar. Even so, the sight of so many mothers with little babies brought a smile to Noelle's lips and joy to her heart. She was holding a baby so that the mother could shop, rocking and cooing to it, when Alexander first saw her. Alexander had reached the church shortly past one in the afternoon and had driven around for a while looking for parking. Eventually, he found his way inside and enquired about any men's clothing that had been donated. The helpful greeter had directed him to Susan. "Yes, Mr. Graham," Susan replied to his question, "we did receive a donation of a bag of men's clothing yesterday. I did not unpack it myself, but I believe the person who did just arrived. Let me introduce you to her." Susan took Alexander's elbow and directed him over to the baby table where Noelle was entertaining an infant. "Well now isn't that just a picture?" Susan mused. Alexander thought it a rhetorical question and did not answer, though he agreed with her in his head. The young woman with the infant was wearing a chunky purple sweater over a long grey fitted tweed skirt. The clothing clearly had not been chosen to flatter her body, but it did cause a man to look at the woman's face. Alexander, being a man, looked at her face and was stunned. Her pale features were those of a perfect porcelain doll. Pale clear skin, rosy cheeks, a button nose, perfectly arched brows over milk chocolate eyes, and a rose colored bow at the mouth were framed by light brown hair cut in a bob. Granted, the mouth was making strange shapes to amuse the baby, but Alexander did not think that or the infant detracted from the woman at all. Susan looked up at the stunned man beside her and a small, private smile formed on her lips. She knew the man beside her was single, or would be shortly after what his girlfriend had done. She knew from the stunned look on his face that he was interested in Noelle, even in that super conservative church lady outfit she insisted on wearing to church functions. Susan also suspected that, despite his recent troubles, the man beside her was a good man. She had a sixth sense about such things. So, after a quick prayer that things between the two might go well, Susan introduced Alexander to Noelle. "Yes, Mr. Graham, I did unpack a bag that might be the one with your belongings," Noelle told man who might easily have stepped out of her dreams from the night before. "Susan," Noelle said, "If you don't mind taking Melissa's baby and minding the table, I think I might be able to help Mr. Graham find what he is looking for." "Of course, my dear," Susan said with a bright smile, taking the baby from Noelle. Noelle walked with the handsome Mr. Graham over to the men's clothing table where she quickly identified the boxes she had used the night before. She had a photographic memory, which she found quite useful in her secretarial job, as well as in tasks like this one. "Why don't you come around the table, Mr. Graham," Noelle suggested. "I think these might be the right boxes and it will be more comfortable sorting through them back here." "Unfortunately, it looks like a few of the items may already have been sold, though," she added sadly, noting that several boxes were only partially full. "I will be happy to retrieve whatever I can," Alexander replied. He noted the sorrow in her voice and wondered if it was for him. He also noted the way her long skirt molded around her backside as she bent over the first box. He wondered just how long he could watch those luscious curves without drawing attention. He longed to reach out and touch them, but being a gentleman, he held back. Finally, he sighed and knelt down beside her to start on a second box. "Is this one of your items," Noelle asked, holding up a grey button down shirt. "Yes," Alexander replied. "Good," Noelle said, "now I know which bag was yours." Noelle decided not to mention the sweater just yet. She was not entirely sure why, but she thought he might find it weird that she had bought the sweater before the tag sale even began. She was also extremely reluctant to part with it. Together they made short work of the boxes. Some items had already been sold, but Alexander had been able to find most of his favorite items. It appeared that his ex-girlfriend, Sarah, had only taken the items he wore most often. It was just like her to notice and to use the information spitefully. There was really only one item he truly cared about, only one item that was truly irreplaceable; that was his white sweater. Alexander thought his heart might break as he gathered up his items and still did not see the sweater among them. Slowly, he rose to his feet and arranged payment with the woman behind the table. Noelle remained by Alexander's side as he paid for the items. She saw the weariness in his form. She thought she saw a touch of sadness as well. Suddenly, an image of the sweater flashed in her mind. She knew she had to tell him. "Mr. Graham," Noelle said, once he had paid and gathered up his purchases. "Yes," he replied slowly turning his head. "I do know where one other item from that bag has gone." "Oh?" "Yes," Noelle said, color rising up her pale neck. "I bought it myself." "You did?" Alexander asked, genuinely baffled. "Yes," Noelle said, "I bought a white sweater for my brother." Noelle saw joy gleam brightly in his eyes only to fade again. She could not stand to see the sorrow return to such lovely blue eyes. "It seems the sweater means a lot to you," she said slowly. "Yes," he said, "it does. My mother made it for me when she was dying of cancer last year." "Oh," Noelle said, her own eyes misting, the vision of the dream casket suddenly returning. "Oh," she repeated, "I am so sorry for your loss. I would be happy to return the sweater to you, but it is not here." "Thank you," he said, somewhat gruffly, his throat constricting with sorrow. "I would appreciate it." Alexander swallowed and let the moment pass. "I have not had lunch yet and something over there smells divine. Would you care to join me?" He asked finally. Noelle smiled. Alexander's heart nearly stopped. She was just so beautiful. "I would love to. Let me just let Susan know that I will be taking a break." Alexander bought Noelle lunch and they sat chatting amiably. Each found they greatly enjoyed the other's company and that they had much in common despite having different backgrounds. "Oh my," Noelle said, glancing at the clock on the wall. "I've been sitting here an hour. Poor Susan." "An hour?" Alexander asked, incredulous that so much time had flowed by without his notice. Glancing at the clock, himself, he could see that they had sat and talked for an hour. "I have to get back to the table," Noelle said, distressed. "I was late coming in as it was, and, now, I have just taken an hour for a twenty minute break." "I'll walk back with you," Alexander said, clearing up the lunch dishes. "We should discuss how I am to retrieve the sweater." A Bazaar Sweater "Ah, yes," Noelle said, blushing. "See, here's the thing." Alexander sighed. There was always a thing. He knew this woman was too perfect to not have a thing. "The sweater is home, but I don't have a car right now," Noelle said, walking to her table. "You don't?" Alexander asked, thinking that the church was hardly walking distance from much of anywhere. "Not really," Noelle said, unsure how to explain her situation. "That's why I was late this morning. I had to take the cat to the vet this morning because he ate the tinsel off the bottom of the tree. When I got done at the vet's the car wouldn't start, so I just left it there and walked here." "You've had quite a day today, haven't you?" Alexander asked, trying to keep from laughing. Finally, he gave up and chuckled, a sexy rumble from the core of his being. Noelle couldn't help joining in and laughed with him. It felt good to laugh at all her troubles, to be able to share them and see them for the farce that they were. Finally, Alexander caught his breath and asked, "So how do you plan on getting home tonight?" "I thought I might be able to catch a ride with someone," Noelle said, wiping the laughter from her eyes. "Well," Alexander said, hesitating just a beat, "I have a car. Maybe I could bring you home and pick up the sweater then." "Oh I couldn't ask you to do that," Noelle said. "I told Susan I would stay to help clean up after the sale, and I thought I might like to stay for the caroling tonight, too." "There's caroling tonight?" Alexander asked. "Yes," Noelle replied, "every year on Christmas Eve." "Oh," Alexander said. "I wouldn't mind staying for that. I haven't sung carols for ages. I might even be able to help with the cleanup. I'm sure there must be some troglodyte tasks around that will need to be done." "Troglodyte tasks?" Noelle asked, skeptically. Alexander chuckled. "Yes, that's what my mother always called the sort of tasks that require heavy lifting but no real brain power." "Oh," Noelle said, laughing. "Yes, I think we might have a few troglodyte tasks later tonight, if you really don't mind waiting." "I don't mind waiting to take a pretty woman home," Alexander said gallantly. Noelle blushed again. Alexander loved to see her blush and thought he might enjoy provoking the reaction more frequently that day. By the end of the day Noelle had nearly sold out of baby clothes. Alexander could see that she had a way with both the babies and their mothers. She had a knack of choosing just the right items for the babies and then making the mothers' think that they had chosen the items themselves. He thought she would make an excellent saleswoman. Alexander helped with the 'troglodyte' chores and found that the cleanup went swiftly. He joined the ladies and a few husbands at the potluck supper before standing next to Noelle for the caroling. Standing next to her and sharing a hymnal felt natural, as though they had been doing it for ages. It felt right, which he found was true of so many of their activities that day. For the first time, he thought he might have found a companion, a friend, rather than just a potential girlfriend. He was certainly thinking of her in those terms. He did not want their time together to end when she returned the sweater. Noelle helped Alexander carry his repurchased clothing out to his car. She thought it was strange how easily they seemed to fit together. Suddenly, she was very grateful that her car had decided not to start. She had enjoyed meeting the man beside her. He felt right to her. She was pleased that they would be spending the ride home together. She had virtually given up dating because she had grown so tired of going out with perfectly nice men who were nothing more than simply nice. This man was different. Yes, he was nice, but he was so much more. He was interesting, a good listener, a good singer, a kind and generous man. He just seemed to fit. They loaded Alexander's clothing into the trunk before getting in to the tidy, upscale sedan. Noelle was shivering from the cold, even huddled into her coat. "If you reach down the side of your seat," Alexander said, "you'll find a switch to turn on the seat heater." "This thing has heated seats?" Noelle asked amazed. "That must have cost a fortune." Alexander laughed. "Not really," he said as the car warmed up. "I bought the car off the lot and the dealer forgot that it had heated seats when he quoted me a price." They talked about the travails of buying cars as Noelle directed him the short distance to her home. "This is a nice place," Alexander said, walking up to the door. "Thanks," Noelle replied, opening the door, "but I can't really take credit for it. It belongs to my brother. He wanted someone to live in it and take care of his cat while he was away, and I needed a place to live for a while. It worked out." "I'm surprised a soldier would have bought a place, knowing how the life tends to move a person around," Alexander commented. "He was actually retired from the service when he bought the place," Noelle said. "He went through college on an ROTC scholarship, served his four years active duty and retired. He was called back to active duty, though, after he bought this place and had started up his own computer services company." "Your sweater is over there on the back of the couch," Noelle said, indicating a large, rather hideous, red plaid couch. "I was going to heat up some mulled cider. Would you like to stay for some, too?" "I'd love to," Alexander said, retrieving and donning the sweater, "if it isn't too much trouble." "No trouble at all," Noelle replied, disappearing into the kitchen before poking her head back around the corner to say, "The fire is laid if you want to light it. There are matches on the mantle above." Noelle had actually planned on cider by the fire when she returned home from the caroling at church, but she wanted to see how Alexander would react to the suggestion. So far he was living up to every expectation she had of him from her dreams. Noelle carried two steaming mugs of mulled cider to the sofa. She handed one to Alexander, who sniffed at it appreciatively. "This smells wonderful, Noelle." "Thanks, I use my own spice blend." A small invisible creature stood outside the living room window looking in at the scene. His long pointy nose sketched patterns in the frost on the window glass as he watched the young couple on the sofa sipping hot cider from mugs before a roaring fire. He could hear them talking, discussing some of their favorite holiday traditions, finding much common ground between them. Finally, he heard the young man say, "Well, I think it is time I was heading home. Would it be ok if I called you tomorrow?" Noelle stood up, sorry to see her guest leave, but acknowledging the hour. "Yes," she answered, "I haven't much planned for tomorrow." The small creature decided that this turn of events would not do. He moved away from window and stood studying the car for a few moments. Having made up his mind, he uncurled his long fingers from the palm of his hand, bent just a bit to the right height, and blew frost into the lock of the first car door. He made his way around the car repeating his action at all four doors and the trunk, just to be sure. Finally, he stood up and smiled as he waited to watch events unfold. Alexander reluctantly walked out of the small warm house toward his cold car. He had his keys out as he said goodbye on the doorstep. He walked to the car, pushing the button on the remote to unlock the door. He heard the lock mechanism click and reached for the door handle. It didn't budge. He tried again. Nothing happened. Finally, he tried a different door. Again, the door refused to open. Exasperated, he tried all of the doors and even the trunk. Nothing worked. Finally, he turned back to the warm little house. Noelle had been watching from the window next to the door. She opened the door for Alexander as he came up the walkway. "Noelle," he asked, "could I use your phone? I don't seem to have any cell reception out here." "Of course," she replied, allowing him back in to the cozy room that served as entryway and living room. "Thanks," Alexander said, "My locks are frozen. I hope that someone from the garage will pick up this late on a holiday." "You are welcome to use the phone," Noelle said, hesitating before adding, "but you could stay here if you like. There is just the one bedroom upstairs, but I could offer you the sofa." Alexander's heart thumped in his chest at her words. He had not been looking forward to going home alone to a cold house and a cold bed. "You wouldn't mind," Alexander asked, thinking to give her a way out. "Not at all," Noelle said, "I think I might be able to find some of my brother's sweats that might fit you, and I am sure that I can find an extra toothbrush." "I'd really appreciate it," Alexander said. "I don't think it will be easy to find someone other than Santa to come out this late on Christmas Eve." Noelle laughed. "Come on," she said, "I'll get you those sweats." Alexander stopped her with a hand on her arm. "Wait a minute," he said. When she looked up at him curiously, he leaned in and kissed her. He had meant it to be a chaste peck on the lips, but his body had other ideas. His arms gathered her in close, wrapping around her slender form, his hands exploring her back and sides. His lips moved over hers, until his tongue insisted on tasting her lips. Her lips parted in a sigh of invitation as she seemed to melt into him. His tongue boldly entered the warm cavity as his cock stirred lustily in his pants. Finally, he groaned, unable to go further lest he lose control. He pulled back, still holding her, looking down into her beautiful face. Noelle stood still, breathing deeply for a moment, trying to regain her internal equilibrium. She looked up into his crystalline blue eyes from the secure warmth of his strong arms and asked, "Well, what was that all about?" Alexander smiled down at her, unwilling for the moment to let go. Finally, he pointed up at the ceiling and said, "Mistletoe." Noelle laughed. "I didn't actually expect that to happen this year when I put it up there this morning," she said. Alexander quirked up one eyebrow and said, "You have to be careful with these things. You never know." Noelle laughed again and said, "Let's go get those sweats." The small invisible creature smiled as he watched the pair go upstairs together. His work here for tonight was done. Noelle and Alexander settled companionably on the sofa, both having changed into more comfortable clothing for the evening. Noelle had mentioned that there was a Christmas movie marathon on, and Alexander had agreed that it might be fun to watch a movie before bed. The room had grown somewhat chilly, however, so he reached around and pulled the afghan off the back of the sofa. He spread the blanket over the two of them, making a cozy movie viewing cocoon for them. The warm cocoon, the long day, and the familiar movie had soon lulled Noelle into a deep sleep. Her head rested comfortably on Alexander's strong shoulder. He enjoyed having the beautiful woman so close. Her particular mix of scents, scents of shampoo and soap, mulled cider, and her own unique female fragrance drifted to him and unexpectedly comforted him. He watched the happy couple at the end of 'Miracle on 34th Street' and wondered if such a happy ending might be possible in real life. Noelle woke in her own bed Christmas morning to the smells of coffee and frying bacon. She smiled contentedly as she came awake until she realized that someone was in her house cooking bacon and making coffee. She was confused until her fuzzy brain remembered that Alexander had spent the night. Satisfied as to the cooking smells, she was further confused as to how she had ended up in her bed when she had fallen asleep on the sofa. Not on the sofa, she corrected, on Alexander's shoulder. She blushed thinking about it. Not only had she asked a strange man to spend the night, but she had actually fallen asleep with him. She never did things like that. She had absolutely not been acting like herself lately, not since she had first opened that bag of Alexander's clothes the day before the Bazaar and tag sale. A knock on her door caused her to open her eyes. She saw Alexander standing in the doorway with a tray. "Merry Christmas, Noelle" Astonished, Noelle struggled up to a sitting position and rubbed her eyes. She was seeing correctly. Alexander was standing in her doorway with a tray of pancakes and coffee wishing her a Merry Christmas. She was shocked, but suddenly very pleased. She smiled, in delight. Alexander thought his heart might stop. Her smile was so beautiful. It was just the smile one would expect on a porcelain doll, only hers was surrounded by light brown, sleep rumpled hair. He thought it was the sexiest thing he had ever seen. "I hope you don't mind," Alexander began, suddenly wondering if he had overstepped some boundary. "I woke a while ago and was hungry. I found some blueberries in the freezer and made some pancakes. I hope you like coffee. I made coffee, too. I thought maybe you might like breakfast in bed since you weren't up yet." Noelle was struck dumb. No one had ever made her breakfast in bed before. It was such a sweet, romantic thing to do. Her smile widened as she patted the empty side of the bed next to her. "I," she began, "I don't think anyone has ever brought me breakfast in bed before." Alexander grinned, a brilliant smile lighting his eyes, as he brought the food into the room. "I thought it might be a nice way to thank you for letting me stay the night," he said. "Will you," she began suddenly shy, "will you join me for breakfast here?" Where had that impulse come from? She usually liked to take things slow, waiting for the fourth or fifth date before even considering inviting a man to sleep with her. Alexander was somehow different, though. They had talked more intimately the night before than she ever had with any of her previous boyfriends. She felt connected to him in a strange way that was deeper and more intense than she had ever felt before. Asking him to her bed just felt natural, right, in the way that falling asleep on his shoulder had the night before. Alexander's heart stopped for just a beat at her invitation. He longed to be in her bed, but he wondered if she meant the invitation in the way that he was taking it. "I'd love to," he said, "but I'll have to go back downstairs for another plate of pancakes." "Why?" Noelle asked, blushing at the implication of her words. Alexander's heart glowed. He grinned at her wolfishly as he settled beside her on the bed. "I guess," he said, "maybe I don't need them after all." He took the plate of pancakes and cut a small bite for Noelle. He held it out to her lips. Her lips parted and her tongue came out slightly to accept the food. His breathing grew heavy and ragged as he watched her take the morsel of food into her mouth. He remembered how warm and soft that mouth had been under his the night before. He felt his cock growing hard in the loose sweat pants, but he didn't care. He just wanted to be with her this morning. He felt like he was the luckiest man in the world to be feeding her breakfast, a lover's task. Noelle saw tender passion bloom in Alexander's eyes and knew that he wanted what she wanted. She gently took the fork from his hand and cut another piece of pancake for him. She dredged the bite through the pool of syrup on the plate and held the morsel to his lips. A drop of syrup hit his chin as he received the food. Noelle swept a finger across his chin to remove the errant syrup. She put the finger to her own lips and licked the syrup off. She watched as Alexander swallowed convulsively at the sight. She smiled at his reaction. "Maybe we should set this tray on the nightstand so we don't knock anything over," she suggested, amazed again at her boldness. Alexander inhaled sharply but readily acquiesced. He moved the tray to the nightstand and pulled back the covers to more fully join her in bed. He thought he could happily wake every morning to the sight of her beautiful face in his bed. It was a surprising thought, since he had never felt that way about any other woman before. He had always been happy for a roll in the sheets with the women he had dated, but the idea of longevity had never really entered into his mind with any of them. Noelle was different, though. She had a sense of permanence, of stability, about her. She felt soothing and right. Noelle felt her pulse quicken in anticipation as she watched Alexander pull back the blankets and join her in bed. She had never had a man in her bed before. She had been a few men's beds, but she had never had a man in her own bed. It felt so much more intimate to her, and she welcomed the feeling. Noelle held the covers back so Alexander could come beneath them. He opened his arms and she went into them, lifting her face for a kiss. His lips came down to meet her slightly parted ones. She moaned her pleasure into his mouth, the sound vibrating into his innermost places. He smiled slightly at her reaction and pushed for more. His lips caressed her softer ones as his tongue boldly explored the contours of her mouth. She tasted of maple syrup and blueberries with just a hint of butter. He thought he might never think of blueberry pancakes the same way again. Noelle welcomed Alexander's tongue, greeting and exploring it with her own. She relaxed into his embrace and explored the hard planes of his chest and back even as he explored her softer ones. She moaned as his hand found her breasts. She arched into his touch. It had been so long since they had been caressed. She felt her nipples harden, even through the flannel pajama top. Alexander felt her firm nipples, too, pressing into his palm. He suddenly felt the intense need to touch her skin. He distracted Noelle with tiny kisses along her jaw and down her neck as his fingers found their way to the buttons trapping the breasts he longed to feel. Alexander felt her sudden intake of breath as the cool air hit Noelle's bare skin. He pause a moment to let her object, but she just nestled in closer to him. He groaned as his hand slipped under the flannel and felt the smooth skin of her breast. His lips followed the path that his hand had taken and he took the first turgid nipple into his warm mouth. Noelle arched into him as he suckled first one breast, then the other. He was forced to pause as Noelle's cool hands traveled up his heated stomach, lifting the sweatshirt over his head. Her hands returned to run across his muscled chest and abdomen, to slip around and feel his strong back. Her fingers slipped into his hair as he bent to place kisses along her soft, slender belly. He lifted his head to look into her eyes when he reached the waistband of her pajama bottoms. When she smiled and nodded, he slipped his fingers below the band and slowly revealed pale, snowy skin draped over softly curved hips. Alexander placed kisses all over the exposed skin before slowly lowering the pajamas further. Slowly, a dark patch of hair in the form of an inverted triangle appeared. He buried his lips in the coarse, dark hair, releasing gasp from the lips of the hair's owner. He paused long enough to admire the lovely contrast between the dark hair and the soft, pale skin before moving on to explore the soft, toned thighs beyond. He kissed the point of the triangle, where it met the tops of the closed thighs, but he did not press for more. Instead, his lips moved down the crease formed by the two legs, marveling at the smooth expanse, so like a rolling field covered in fresh snow. When he reached the ankles, he gazed back up the long expanse of leg he had just revealed. His gaze lingered appreciatively as it took in the coarse black curls hiding a sweetly scented treasure. His eyes moved over the soft hips and slender waist to the snowy mounds whose peaks were tinted the delicate pink of sunrise. Finally, he looked into her eyes. A Bazaar Sweater "God, you're beautiful," he breathed. Noelle blushed deeply in a way that she had not as his gaze had taken in every part of her. She did not know what to say, so she just held out her arms to him. Alexander smiled at her blush and invitation, but shook his head. He had other plans. "Not yet," he said, his voice a near growl with pent up lust. He returned his gaze to her feet, noting the toe nails painted a pink that nearly matched her nipples. He wondered if she had done it intentionally but doubted that it was anything more than a happy accident. He kissed each of the pink toes before running his thumbs up the arches of her feet. Noelle moaned her approval. Alexander smiled, enjoying giving her pleasure. He slowly massaged her feet before moving on to her calves. He kissed and massaged her legs, subtly arranging them so that her thighs had opened to him by the time he reached their apex. Alexander breathed deeply of the scent that was Noelle before gently placing a kiss on the point of the dark triangle. He gently moved her thighs apart, noting her ragged breathing as he did so. He smiled as he saw her pink lips pouting through their dark covering. She was beautiful all over. He leaned in and kissed her. She moaned. His tongue ran up the crevice between her pouting lips. Alexander thought he could lap up that taste forever. It was so purely her. He kissed and licked her lower lips until they were puffy and swollen. He could see her clitoris just poking out between them and decided to explore further. He parted her outer lips and delicately ran his tongue over the ridges formed by the inner ones. Noelle shivered at the light touch. He blew a stream of cool air along her moist crevice. She shivered again and moaned softly. He laughed softly and returned to licking and stroking her sensitive lower lips. When she began to squirm beneath him, he finally tasted her tender bud. Noelle cried out as his lips closed around her pulsing clitoris. He suckled gently at first, gradually applying more pressure as she writhed in pleasure. He thought she must be getting close to orgasm, so he inserted one finger into her wet channel. She was so tight. She had begun calling out his name, begging for him to continue. He pushed his finger deeper into her until, at last he felt her walls contract around him in ecstasy. He continued to lick her gently as she came down from her orgasm, until he felt her relax. "Alexander," Noelle moaned, her fingers tangled in his thick, dark hair. "Mmm?" he asked, smiling up into her eyes. "That was," Noelle began breathless, "amazing." Alexander grinned before kissing her belly on his way up to her breasts. He kissed and nibbled her breasts and nipples until she was breathless with pleasure once more. His finger in her vagina had not remained idle. She was so tight, virginally tight, that he knew he would have to open her up more if he were to go all the way with her. In the hopes that she would allow that, he continued to move his finger inside her tight channel, stroking until he found her special spot. She began writhing again when he inserted a second finger, using both to stroke and widen her channel. She was moaning now, uttering breathless incoherences as she neared another orgasm. Knowing she was close again, Alexander used his thumb to stroke her clitoris, pushing Noelle over the edge again. This orgasm was more powerful than the last, causing her to arch off the bed into him. Alexander was delighted by the response he created within her. Noelle clung to Alexander as she came back down from her second orgasm that morning. Breathing deeply, she held his head to her breast, held his strong muscular torso as though it were a lifeline. Finally able to think again, she rolled them so she was straddling him. She leaned down and kissed him, tasting herself on his lips. "My turn," she said and began kissing down his hard, masculine body. Alexander looked at the very image of feminine perfection straddling his body and could not believe his amazing good luck. He watched as her milky breasts swayed as she kissed his chest. He reached out and cupped them, gently weighing them and stroking the nipples until they moved out of his reach. Alexander felt Noelle's cool fingers slide under the waistband of the sweat pants he wore. He gasped as her cool fingers made brief contact with the head of his penis. He lifted his hips so she could slide the fuzzy material down his legs. Noelle was impatient to taste him, so she left the material trapping his knees and returned to her primary target. She leaned down and kissed his stomach all around the head of his penis, teasing him a little. He groaned, hard as he had ever been. He longed to be inside her, any part of her, and he was not at all sure that he would be able to last long if he was finally allowed in. Her kisses drew closer and closer to his hard shaft, driving him wild with need. "Noelle, please," he groaned. Noelle grinned up at him before kissing the very tip of his penis. Precum shone on her lips when she lifted them again. Alexander moaned softly as her tongue came out and scooped the small drop into her mouth. He had never seen anything so sexy before. He had never felt such need before in his life. She dipped her head again and, this time, took the entire head into her mouth. Alexander nearly lost it. Her mouth was so warm and wet. Her tongue was doing amazing things to him. Alexander realized that his fingers were lost in her hair and he was pushing her head down on him. He eased up, not wanting to hurt her. She took more of him into her mouth, playing with his balls at the same time. He could feel his testicles tighten in anticipation and groaned, "Noelle, that feel so good. I am very close." She lifted her head and smiled before reaching into the drawer of the nightstand. She pulled out a condom and rolled it on to his hard shaft. He nearly came right then and there. She slowly crawled up his body, kissing his chest as she went. When she was positioned over his penis, she lowered herself onto him as he held his hard shaft at the right angle. Noelle let out a sigh of pleasure while Alexander groaned. The fit was perfect, tight and wet and warm and perfect. Alexander could feel Noelle's muscles holding him tight and suspected that she might be close. He hoped so because he knew he was not going to last long. Noelle waited a moment to let her body adjust before she began to ride. Alexander reached up and cupped the beautiful breasts that swayed above him. Noelle leaned in so he could take one into his mouth, which he did. He suckled, feeling Noelle's walls ripple in pleasure around him, pushing him to the edge. He slid one finger between them to stroke her clitoris. He made contact and felt her implode around him. Her milking muscles sent him over the edge, and he sent spurt after spurt into the condom. She collapsed on top of him, sated and very happy. He held her, kissing her gently as they both returned from ecstasy. Finally, she lifted her head and whispered, "Merry Christmas, Alexander." He nipped at her earlobe, conveniently close to his lips and whispered, "Merry Christmas to you, too, Noelle." A small invisible creature smiled as he floated, watching, outside the bedroom window.