A Christmas to Remember

Copyright © December 2022 by CiaoSteve

CiaoSteve reserves the right to be identified as the author of this work. This story cannot be published, as a whole or in part, without the express agreement of the author other than the use of brief extracts as part of a story review.

This is a work of fiction. All sexually active characters in this story are over 18. The events described here are imaginary; the settings and characters are fictitious and are not intended to represent specific places or living persons.

Author's Notes

This was always intended to be an entry for the 2022 Winter Holiday Contest, but I sort of got carried away with myself and the story took longer than planned to write. I do hope though that it provides a little Christmas cheer, even if it is a tad on the taboo.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

One

January 2023 (the here and now of the story) - the end of what has been a most eventful Christmas holidays.

The railway station was busier than usual. It was to be expected come the second weekend after New Year when students started to say farewell to their loved ones and head back towards university.

Amidst the crowds, most of whom were waiting for the morning express heading north, were the Robinson family, all four of them: Monica, her mother, her father, and, quite unusually, her brother Jack. It was Monica who was heading back, all the way up to what was going to be a very cold and wintry Edinburgh.

As she waited, Monica kept herself to herself, a little distant from the rest of her family. She had that look on her face, the look of innocence which suggested butter wouldn't melt in your mouth. It was what most expected of the twenty-one-year-old student. Monica had never been an extrovert. She was serious. She was studious. She strived to do what was expected of her, to do what was right, to do what was going to make everyone around her happy.

You see, for all her life, Monica had always worried about what others may think of her, and the actions she took.

Today, Monica was in a reflective mood, the type which hadn't hit her since that first ever journey to university. Back then it was the thought of leaving home which had Monica contemplating. Now though, there was something else on her mind. It wasn't like this was her first time away. She was already in her third year of studies, so the trip home for Christmas was old hat, and heading back again was just one of those things you got on with.

What then... what was different, and why did she feel so unsure?

She had dressed expecting the worst that Scotland could throw at her. The fleece-lined black leggings, oversize fluffy jumper, woollen overcoat, and scarf would protect from the cold. The sturdy trainers would give some traction on slippery streets. It was a far cry from what she had been wearing in the warmth of her home, on those few occasions when she was lucky enough to be left alone.

Was that it? Was it just the thought of departing into the depths of winter which had affected the young woman? Or was it not so much about where she was going, but more about what she was leaving behind? Something had happened this Christmas, something which had changed everything.

For once in her life, Monica had put herself first, had not given a toss about what everyone would think of her, and it had felt so very, very good.

So now, the young woman standing there, waiting for a train up north, was quite different to the one who had travelled down a few weeks before... no, not physically, but for sure mentally, and most definitely emotionally. She wouldn't let it show, that was not Monica's style, but she could feel it deep inside.

"Stand back from the edge platform three, the next train doesn't stop here," a tinny male voice announced.

As if by habit, Monica took hold of her suitcase like her life depended on it. With such a big bag there was no way it was going to get sucked off the platform, but Monica just felt better in knowing that she had a good hold on her worldly possessions. Her whole life was contained in one suitcase and a small rucksack.

Her whole life?

Monica watched the train approach from a distance, a blur on the horizon at first, quickly gaining form as it moved closer and closer. How fast was it going? The speed was deceptive at first, but soon became evident as carriage after carriage hurtled through the station. And then it hit her. As the train exited the station, in its wake came an almost storm force wind.

Quickly, Monica turned to one side, but it was no good. She was too late. Monica's perfectly styled long locks—she had the most gorgeous shiny black-brown hair, straight but for the merest natural wave, all the way down to breast level—were sent flying across her face, as if somebody had turned on a wind machine from behind.

As she tried to gather herself, using fingers to regain a modicum of neatness, Monica caught sight of her brother. For a moment she stood there, looking at Jack, and he just stared back. Then, with a face still half covered in tangled hair, her expression changed. A smile came across Monica's face... no, not a beaming, perfectly white teeth on show, sort of smile... more a sultry, lips closed, mouth upturned a little sort of smile. It was subtle. It had to be subtle. But it was enough for Jack to notice. He didn't smile back, but that didn't matter.

You see... Jack was the part of the problem, part of the reason Monica felt like this. There would have been a time when Monica would claim her whole life was in that very suitcase, but now that wasn't quite true.

"The next train to arrive on platform two will be the ten thirty-six Azuma service to Edinburgh," the tinny voice called out.

The moment was gone. Quickly Monica brushed the remaining hair out of her face and turned back towards the platform edge. Her train was slowly pulling to a stop. Monica reached for the train door and pressed the button. Slowly, the door swung open.

It was time to say goodbye... or rather, au revoir.

There was a hug for both mother and father, with the usual parting words.

"Take care," her father said.

"Look after yourself," her mother responded.

"Make sure you eat well," her mother added.

"And... make sure to ring us when you get there. We love you, Monica," her mother finished.

"I'll be fine. Love you too... Mum... Dad," Monica responded.

"And... don't you be getting up to any mischief, my girl," came her father's parting words, spoken in a half sarcastic tone.

This time Monica just smiled. There was something so ironic about what her father had just said, but there was no way she was going to be letting them know. She grabbed her case and moved it over towards the open train door. It was as Monica prepared to lift the case up onto the train, that Jack took his cue.

"Here, let me help," Jack called out.

In one move, and without flinching, he lifted the case and carried it onto the train, placing it onto a very full luggage rack. For a moment Monica and Jack stood in the doorway.

"I'll miss you, Moni," Jack whispered.

"I'll miss you too, Jack," Monica whispered back. "Promise me though... promise me you'll come and visit."

"I will," Jack responded. "You have my word."

Against her better judgement, Monica stood up on tiptoes and wrapped her arms around her brother. It was a fleeting embrace, a simple show of affection.

"Now... Jack," Monica announced, this time her voice loud enough to be heard by her parents. "You'd better be getting that ass of yours off this train unless you want to be coming to Edinburgh with me."

There was a smile from Jack as he stepped off the train.

There was a look of disgust from her mother at the language Monica had just used.

Then she was away. The doors closed, and Monica made her way down to her seat. As the train started to pull out of the station, she gave a wave to her family.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Two

December 2021 - the end of another term and a kiss from Santa's little helper has Monica wondering.

"Come on my girl... it's Saturday night, so get that cute ass of yours up off your chair," Amber announced, bursting into Monica's bedroom. "Term's nearly up, and us girls are gonna party one last time."

"I dunno, Amber," Monica replied, her head still buried in a bundle of hand-written notes. "Still got one more assignment to hand in."

"I means it, my girl... work'll still be there in the morning... and, what's more, when else am I gonna get to dress like this?" Amber stated her case.

This time, Monica lifted her head up from her work, and glanced in the direction of Amber's voice. There, standing just inside the open doorway was her housemate.

Monica and Amber had met at university. As with many relationships, it all started when the two women were thrown together in halls. From appearances, and backgrounds, you wouldn't have expected the two of them to hit it off, but they did, and have done ever since. Since leaving halls, the two women had moved in together, choosing a two-bedroomed first-floor apartment over the larger student houses. It was on the small side, but it was modern, it was close to the university, and they called it home.

Without thinking, Monica gasped. It wasn't directed so much at Amber, but more at what she was wearing, or more to the point the way it made her look.

At the best of times, Amber was a pint-sized blonde bombshell. At five foot four, she was definitely pint-sized, and a few inches shorter than Monica, but what she lost in terms of height Amber more than made up for in personality, oh... and... yes... in appearance. Where Monica was the understated girl next door, Amber was far from it. She wasn't quite a rebel, but she didn't hold back in getting herself noticed.

Being petite, with smaller breasts and narrow hips, it would have been easy to fade into the background, but that so wasn't Amber's style. Small she might have been, but still Amber made the most of what she had. What did you notice first? Was it the sexy shoulder length hairstyle, feathered to give it bounce and movement? Was it the way she dyed it the most attractive light blonde, all the time leaving her natural dark roots obviously on display? Was it the way her clothes always seemed to accentuate the best of her petite figure, and quite often reveal a fair amount of it?

If you've got it, flaunt it, seemed to be Amber's motto in life, and today Amber had taken that to another level.

Monica couldn't believe what she was looking at. It was like Santa's little helper had just walked into her bedroom, and if it was Santa's little helper, she looked damn gorgeous.

"Where the hell did you get that from?" Monica asked.

While Monica had been studying, Amber had taken herself off shopping. Her first purchase was this very outfit, a long-sleeved bright-red hooded mini dress. Everything about it was cheeky, from the sumptuous velvet with white faux-fur trim, to the hood complete with two snowball pom-poms dangling down at the front, all the way to the black diamante buckle belt. Her second purchase had been a secret gift for Monica, but that would be for later.

"What's wrong, Monica?" Amber asked. "Don't you like it?"

Amber was in her element. She gave a cheeky curtsy, pulled her hood up, then stood there twirling her pom-poms.

"It's... it's..." Monica started.

Monica didn't know what to say. She wanted to use the s-word... to say it was sexy, but that would never do. Amber had a girlfriend already, so it wasn't appropriate for Monica to be saying her housemate looked goddam sexy.

"It's ever so short," Monica finished off, her eyes dropping to the hem of the dress. It was an accurate statement. The outfit covered Amber's decency but not much more.

Amber smiled. Yep, it was short, and that's how she liked it.

"Now... don't be long," Amber added, spinning round, and walking back out of the bedroom. "I'll be putting my shoes on."

Monica took it all back. The dress covered Amber's decency as long as she stood still. Sudden movements, such as spinning around in the bedroom doorway, made the dress flare out a little, and gave a very different view... one of the cutest, firmest, ass and a tiny pair of matching red knickers. It was the thought of her housemate doing just that in public, and most likely getting herself into all sorts of bother, which convinced Monica that she had better go along, if only to provide a modicum of common sense.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The party was just what Monica expected it would be.

The music was poor, and very loud.

The place was hot and heaving.

They ended up drinking too much.

They ended up dancing too much.

They grabbed too much unwelcome attention from the opposite sex... well... at least Monica did. Amber, on the other hand, seemed happy to play along, to lead them up a merry path before dropping the batting for the other side card. It was as one more drunken lout tried it on with Monica, that Amber took matters into her own hands.

"Come on my darling," Amber interrupted, placing a kiss on Monica's lips in a show of affection. "Time to get going."

"What are you doing?" Monica asked, a sense of shock running through her mind at the way she had just been kissed by her housemate.

"Where I come from, they call it..." Amber started to answer, breaking off only to bring her lips up to Monica's in another soft caress. "... kissing."

"Now, shall we get out of here?" Amber added, taking her housemate by the hand, and leading her through the crowds and into the fresh air outside.

Nothing more was said until the two women reached their apartment. Once inside, it was Monica who tried to make sense of what had just happened. Nobody had ever kissed her before... well, not like that, not softly, not sensually, not right against her lips. It had shocked her, yet at the same time the feeling had excited her.

So, what was the problem?

The problem... well... it wasn't so much the kiss which caused her consternation, but more who had kissed her. Was Amber being serious? Didn't she already have a girlfriend? Monica needed to know, as she in turn had her heart set on somebody else. The only problem was that she hadn't told him, or maybe even... couldn't tell him. As with most things in life, Monica lacked the confidence to make the first move, so all she did was dream about being with him.

And now... now... she had a dilemma to navigate. Monica needed to know.

"Did you mean it, Amber?" Monica asked.

"What... did I mean it when I said we'd better get going? Yep... sure did," Amber replied.

"No... no... not that," Monica responded.

"Come on my girl, out with it," Amber replied, using the pom-poms from her hooded dress to tease her young housemate.

"Well... when you kissed me... did you mean it?" Monica clarified.

"What... when I did this?" Amber replied with a question of her own and yet another soft caress.

For a moment, Monica just stood there, unsure what to say or do. In the end it was Amber who broke the ice.

"You're beautiful... I'm drunk... and I just couldn't resist it," Amber continued.

"And... am I looking to take you to my bed and make love to you... well... you tell me... would you like me to?" Amber added.

The look on Monica's face said it all. She was confused. She had to admit that the idea of going to bed with Amber was exciting, but surely that had to be the drink talking. Monica had a boyfriend. He didn't know it yet, but for sure she had a boyfriend, and it would be him she went to bed with, not Amber.

But... what would it be like? What would it be like to go with another woman?

"I... I..." Monica started to reply, never quite managing to say what she wanted.

"It's okay," Amber replied, taking her housemate's hand, and leading her over to the apartment's only sofa.

The sofa, just like most things in the apartment, was on the small side, so the two women found themselves sitting cosily close together, so close that Amber ended up resting her head against Monica's shoulder, with Monica wrapping an arm around her best friend.

"I shouldn't have," Amber added. "I just... well... I just... no... I'm drunk, you're drunk, and it sort of seemed..."

"Right?" Monica added.

"Maybe, it was right," Monica continued, "but I just don't know. You excite me, Amber. You're so pretty. You're so vivacious. You're so... so... god, what am I trying to say... you're damn sexy, especially when dressed like this... but I don't know if it is what I want."

For a moment there was silence.

"It's not you," Monica added. "It's just... well... you have a girlfriend, and I have a boyfriend, and... well..."

Again, there was a pause.

"I'm not saying this well, am I, Amber. I think you are wonderful... but I don't know if it's what I want. To be honest I don't know what I want. I hope you understand."

"A boyfriend?" Amber asked. "Who is he? Do I know him? Does he make you happy? You know... does he make the earth move for you?"

A flush of warmth came over Monica. She was blushing at the very idea of her boyfriend making the earth move for her. She was using the word boyfriend in its loosest sense. If truth be known, she had a would-be boyfriend, but hadn't gone as far as telling him she was interested. It was difficult, you see, and Monica wasn't one for confronting difficult situations.

"You don't know him," Monica replied. "He's back home, and... it's a bit tricky."

"But he makes you happy, doesn't he?" Amber asked.

"I'm sure he will," Monica answered, avoiding getting pulled into a debate about relationships, and her sex life.

Sex life? If truth be known, until now, Monica didn't need a sex life. Her studies were more important than a sex life. Sex could come later, if you excuse the pun, but a failed education would be difficult to recover from. So, education it was, and anything else could wait.

Don't get it wrong, Monica did have her eye on somebody. She carried his picture hidden in her purse, and she promised herself she would tell him... when the time was right. The problem was that the time never did seem to be right, so she never actually went through with telling him, and it didn't seem to matter... until now.

That kiss had Monica thinking. What would it be like... to have him kiss her just like Amber had done? She knew it couldn't happen, but it didn't stop her thinking.

"I'm so happy for you," Amber replied. "Are you going to spend time with him in the holidays?"

"I'm sure I'll see him, but don't know how much time we'll have... what with family, festivities, and the like," Monica responded.

"Oh... Monica!" Amber exclaimed, suddenly jumping up from the sofa. "I nearly forgot. I got you a little something, for Christmas. Let me get it."

Moments later, Amber was back holding a neatly wrapped rectangular box.

"Amber, you shouldn't have," Monica replied. "Can I open it now?"

"No... no... absolutely not," Amber replied. "It needs to go under your tree and can only be opened on the day itself. I do hope you like it. You're never gonna guess what it is, but I tell you... it's gonna be out of this world."

"Out of this world?" Monica asked.

"Oh yeah... just you wait and see," Amber replied, a mischievous look on her face as she winked at Monica. "Now, promise me... under the tree, and no peeking until Christmas morning."

"I promise," Monica replied. "And I have something for you too."

"You do?" Amber asked.

"Of course... but you'll have to wait as it's not wrapped yet," Monica responded.

"Come here," Monica added, holding her arms out wide to her housemate.

Amber took up the offer and sat on Monica's lap. As she did, Monica wrapped her arms around Amber and held her close.