Page 31 of Sexted By Santa
“Okay, Professor. Then we’ve got a deal.”
9
CHRISTIAN
Aunt Henry was halfway through her Bloody Mary by the time I met her for brunch at Lakeside Country Club—and I wasn’t late despite being tired and irritable after a restless night. If Sir Elton John hadn’t been so insistent about his morning walk—and had I not known that when ignored, he peed all over my shoes in retaliation—I might have been tempted to sleep in. As it was, I hadn’t made it past 6 a.m. To the rotten furball’s delight.
I couldn’t blame Sir Elton John for my poor sleep, however. That honor went to Jaxson Hicks. The nerve of him, showing up to that date and barely blinking at the discovery that I was the man he’d been sexting!
How could the man be so cool and unflappable? I’d fumbled for my footing, reeling at the realization that the gorgeous body I’d drooled over had belonged to my very unapproachable, far too young neighbor.
It didn’t help that Jaxson had put that delicious body into a pair of tight jeans and a button-down shirt that clung to the contours of his shoulders and pecs. Or that he smiled and flirted, entirely unfazed, almost as if he’d already known it was me. Which, given my recent proclivity for wearing Santa attire, wasn’t entirely impossible…
Did Jaxson knowingly sext with me? Did he come to that date already knowing it was me?
No. Impossible. I couldn’t succumb to such wishful thinking.
Since the day we’d met, Jaxson and I hadn’t meshed well. Granted, I’d been advising him to stay in school when he’d already made up his mind to go. I’d impressed upon him the seriousness of the decision. The stats were clear. Most students who left school never returned. Jaxson had been red-eyed, exhaustion and worry lining his face, as he’d told me: “I can’t stay in school and raise a baby by myself. I just can’t do it. Even with childcare…” He’d shaken his head, heaving a shuddering sigh. “It’s too much.”
“If you give up on your education, you’ll regret it,” I’d told him. “This is a crossroads, Jaxson. What kind of life can you provide for a child when you’re still a child yourself? Your irresponsible actions have consequences, and I’m afraid the wrong choice here will derail your future for good. Mistakes like this—”
His eyes had flashed as he’d cut me off. “Tori isn’t amistake,” he’d said fiercely. “She’s my daughter, and she deserves a fully committed father. When she’s older, I can return to school. Right now, she’s my top priority. She has to be.”
Looking back, I could see that I’d had tunnel vision. I’d been so concerned about Jaxson’s future. I’d worried about him trying to raise a child on his own when it was clear he wasn’t prepared for it. But he’d done it. He’d dropped out of college, gotten a day job, and managed to buy a house right next door to mine. By all appearances, he and Tori were close, and really, what did I know about parenting or the right choices to make? My parents had thrown me out at fifteen, and I had no experience of my own.
I’d been relieved to see he’d landed on his feet. But by then, the damage had been done. We weren’t friends, and it had become clear during our few interactions as neighbors that we never would be.
Except last night, we’d had dinner like civil adults. Jaxson had charmed me all over again—even as he’d remained infuriatingly unruffled by the turn of events.
Maybe it was his experience as a father that had made him so cool and collected while my head had spun.
I’d gone home, body heated with unwanted attraction. I’d tried to sleep, but memories of our sexts had haunted me. I’d taken out my phone, opened the Thrust app, and rewatched the video he’d made of himself. Only this time, I had known it was him.
Jaxson’s broad chest, marked up with that tattoo. Jaxson’s stomach, with that happy trail leading down, down, down. Jaxson’s dick, clenched in his tight fist. Jaxson’s gasps and moans as he pleasured himself for me.
Jaxson coming. On video. For me.
I’d grown so hard so fast I’d felt light-headed. It was so, so wrong, but I’d guiltily jerked off while I watched the video. I’d shot hard, body shuddering with the force of my shameful orgasm as the question had played across my mind:Did he know? Did Jaxson perform specifically forme, a man he’d never liked, or was it all bizarre coincidence?
I’d closed down the app, cleaned up, and tried to sleep. But despite my body being sated, my mind was just getting started. I couldn’t dispel thoughts of the man next door.
The pull between us on the app, the antagonism I’d felt in person for so long, the warmth I’d seen in his smile when I was kind to his daughter. It was like a disorganized jigsaw puzzle I didn’t have the faintest idea how to assemble.
I pushed away the pesky thoughts trying to resurface as I took a seat across from my aunt where my mimosa was already waiting. I sipped it gratefully, even as I took stock of Aunt Henry.
She was gulping her drink, which was unlike her, and her makeup wasn’t nearly as perfectly applied as usual. These were red flags when she prided herself on her appearance.
More than once, she’d told me, “Just because no one’s going to see us doesn’t mean we can’t be glamorous!”
“I need to talk to you about my holiday dinner party. It’s next Friday.”
“The week before Christmas Eve, like every year. I know.”
She fiddled with her straw, uncharacteristically nervous. “You’ve missed the past two years.”
My heart clenched. I really had been selfish, hadn’t I? I’d let my own aversion to the holidays keep me from my true family at a time of year that mattered to them. Not just Henry, but Barry and Teresa, as well. Darius, Lydia, and especially Roger, who’d never admit how lonely he was as an ever-lasting bachelor. He pretended to be happy going to gay clubs and hooking up with strangers, but we all knew he wanted something more. Didn’t we all?
“I’m sorry. After the divorce—”
