Book 1: The Positions of Love-8
666 Words
Vic felt conspicuous and stupid in the Santa suit, and Matt’s continuous snickers didn’t help improve his mood. When Vic asked his lover’s help in belting a large pillow to his stomach to fill out the suit, Matt had been unable to stand, he’d laughed so hard. “I’ll remember this on Christmas Eve,” Vic threatened.
Somehow, Matt managed to contain himself long enough to help Vic dress. But when Vic pulled out the Santa hat, complete with white curly wig and attached white beard, Matt fell into giggles all over again. “I’m leaving you here,” Vic told him. “I feel like a fool enough as it is. I don’t need you laughing at me, too.”
“You look cute,” Matt said, breathless with laughter.
Cute was not something Vic thought of in relation to himself. Giving his lover a mean glare, he growled, “And you’re sleeping on the couch.”
“Oh, Vic.” Matt reined in his laughter and wiped the tears from his face. “Hush up, I’m just teasing. You know you can’t sleep without me.”
In the car, Matt held Vic’s black Santa gloves in his lap—Vic couldn’t drive with them on. If he’d thought the suit was itchy, it felt like silk compared to the damn wig and beard. At each red light they hit, Vic scratched under the hat, until finally Matt took it off his head and dropped it with the gloves into his lap. “Why am I doing this again?” Vic groaned.
“Full week off at Christmas,” Matt reminded him.
Instead of elevating Vic’s spirits, that thought plunged him deeper into a black mood. He still had a gift to buy.
The Christmas party was held in an empty maintenance bay at the bus garage. Outside, Vic let Matt adjust his costume as he peered through the dirty plastic window in the bay door. The setup was the same as the previous year’s had been, and the year before. Large folding tables spread out across the room, decorated with festive tablecloths and poinsettias as centerpieces. An office chair had been wrapped in aluminum foil and set up at the far end of the room, beside a lit Christmas tree and false fireplace, complete with fake flickering logs. Santa’s seat.
How Vic was supposed to ho ho ho his way past those tables filled with his coworkers was beyond him.
“You look great,” Matt whispered. Pulling Vic’s beard into place, he leaned closer and kissed Vic through the fuzzy white hair. “Knock ‘em dead.”
Vic started, “I don’t think…”
But Matt had already ducked through the door, leaving him alone outside with the sack of gifts. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Vic reached out with his mind to touch his lover’s. A surge of strength flooded him, and he felt Matt’s presence wrap around him as if in a tight hug.
Then he picked up an undercurrent of excitement buzzing through the room. The telepathy he struggled to hold back came flooding over him as a myriad of kid’s voices hummed excitedly. Did you see him? Outside? Santa’s here! Santa Claus! I saw him, I DID!
Suddenly Vic’s trepidation fell away. He’d forgotten about his coworkers’ families—some of their children in there had caught a glimpse of him when Matt entered the room, and those who had seen were gossiping with those who hadn’t. Anticipation roiled through the room like a tidal wave, washing everything else away. His coworkers didn’t care if he were decked out in this stupid suit; their wives and girlfriends and guests wouldn’t be upset if Santa didn’t show. But the children…they were beside themselves with glee, waiting.
For him.
The next breath he took strengthened his resolve, and as he shoved through the door, he bellowed out, “Ho, ho, ho!”
He had to tamp down a silly grin that threatened to split his face at the shrieks that met his arrival. A horde of kids flung themselves at his legs, and he felt like a rock star meeting a crowd of groupies, or a celebrity fighting his way through a throng of paparazzi.
Matt stood nearby, camera in hand, the smile on his face all the encouragement Vic needed to belt out, “Merry Christmas!”
One thought from his lover cut through the babble to warm Vic’s heart. Do you know how much I love you right now?
- Writer
