Chapter 8 -- Thanksgiving II and Christmas

I've grown a little leaner,
Grown a little colder,
Grown a little sadder,
Grown a little older.
And I need a little angel
Sitting on my shoulder,
I need a little Christmas now.

--We Need A Little Christmas (Mame Soundtrack)

On Saturday, Kristen had an appointment to get her hair done at a salon nearby, leaving Will and me alone. Will took me to the campus at M.I.T. From out of nowhere, Will asked me, "Do you know you have a strange aura?"

The question made me laugh, seeing as how we were walking at one of the leading intellectual campuses in the country. "I do?"

Will didn't seem to mind me laughing. "I've seen your particular aura before, a few years ago, and it scared the shit out of me. Somehow, it's different now."

"I don't think we met a few years ago," I pointed out.

"You're right."

Will then told me about his real mother. She lived in New York City, and gave him up for adoption a week after he was born. She died just another week later, the victim of an automobile accident.

Will explained, "I've always felt that a part of Katie, my real mother, lives on inside me."

"That's a beautiful thought, Will."

Will shrugged. "It might not be profound, but I really feel it. Sometimes, I can almost hear her giving me advice. Of course, it could very well be wishful thinking. I'm glad that my family adopted me; I don't think I would have wanted to be an orphan in New York. My adopted family is truly wonderful. Having Katie a part of me is just like having a second mother around whenever I need her."

I thought about living with my real father and shuddered.

Will noticed my reaction. "Kristen said that your mother remarried."

I nodded.

"Your father was an alcoholic."

My head turned toward Will. I never told that to Kristen. I knew that my mother didn't talk much about my real father much either. "What makes you say that?"

Will shrugged. "That was just a hunch."

Staring at Will, I said, quietly, "That's the second lie you've told me since I've been here."

We stopped walking, and intently looked at one another. Finally, Will nodded. "Yes. I have lied to you twice."

"I know the reason for the first lie."

Will changed the subject. "You don't believe in auras, Jim."

I answered truthfully. "I used to think things such as E.S.P. and all that were just foolishness. Nowadays, I don't know what I believe anymore."

Will smiled. "That's a start."

Will told me everything he knew of his real mother. Nobody ever told him anything, it seemed as if he always knew. She was a fortuneteller in Greenwich Village. She would tell fortunes simply by analyzing a person's aura and interpolating how that person would react in a given situation.

Will added, "As I said, Jim, this may all be wishful thinking. It may be that every adopted person has some wonderful dreams about their real parents, but to me, Katie isn't a fairy tale. She was a fortune teller and part-time prostitute."

I didn't have anything to say about this.

"You believe in magic," Will pointed out.

"I might," I agreed.

"That's the aura I see around you: magic. I saw it once before, and my instinct was to run from it. The person with the magic was not a good person."

I shrugged.

"You are different," Will said. "I see in both Kristen's aura and yours that the two of you are truly in love with one another. Her aura has changed significantly since I saw her this past summer, and it's definitely due to your influence. I'm really happy that Kris has found true love."

We ended up once again on Massachusetts Avenue, and found Kristen a little while later. We ate lunch at a small Cambodian restaurant. I found that I was falling in love with most ethnic cuisines; Cambodian consisted of a lot of grilled foods.

Will told me that there was another city north of Boston called Lowell with a large Cambodian population. Lowell was the birthplace of the beat poet Jack Kerouac. I made a mental note to add Lowell as a potential destination for a future visit; I didn't think there would be many Cambodian restaurants in my hometown.

After lunch, Will left Kristen and me at the "T" station, and the two of us took the subway system into Boston to the Boston Common. Our hotel, the lavish Ritz-Carlton hotel, was a short walk away and it was as opulent as its name suggests. We were given a suite that overlooked the public gardens.

The suite also sported a lovely bathtub that Kristen insisted on using. It was the first time I saw Kristen take a bath since my birthday, as we usually loved taking showers together. On this day, Kristen helped me rediscover the lovely joys of sharing a luxurious bath with the one you loved. The bathtub was smaller than the one in Chicago, which made the experience even more intimate.

A concierge brought up our luggage (Will dropped it off earlier in the day), and after we cleaned each other in the tub extremely thoroughly, we put on robes and went to the queen sized bed.

We invented a new sex game in that room, which we called "Fifteen Minutes." The rules were simple, each player was given fifteen minutes to fondle, caress, lick, or even fuck the other one, who could not return the favor until the time was up and the other player took his or her own fifteen minutes. The game would continue until both players were thoroughly satiated.

I let Kristen start, and she got into a sixty-nine position on top of me. She took my penis into my mouth and swallowed me deeply. Although her crotch was inches from my face, according to the rules of the game, I couldn't lick her. I could see the glistening of her juices forming between her legs, and I could smell the heady aroma of her musk.

I decided to return Kristen's torture in spades when her fifteen minutes were up. I told Kristen to lay down on her back. I knelt next to her on her left, and with my left hand, I started to finger her crotch. With my right hand, I started to quickly masturbate myself. Looking at Kristen's body writhing from the assault of my left fingers soon coaxed my balls to churning intensity in about five minutes. Sure enough, I felt the contractions and pumped my seed onto Kristen's stomach and tits.

This was also a relatively new experience for me; I rarely masturbated in front of Kristen. However, I wanted to achieve orgasm, and this was the easiest way for me.

Kristen was a bit surprised to feel the warm jets of my sperm hit her body. Almost reflexively, she moved her hand to capture the essence to which she was addicted, but I took her hand and slapped it, reminding her of the rules.

Instead, I found a small puddle on the breast closest to me, and licked at it, capturing it onto my tongue. I then bent down and kissed Kristen, depositing the bit of sperm onto her tongue.

My lovely Goddess realized I didn't have any desire to deny her a taste of my semen, and she smiled in appreciation. I found the process of scooping up the semen to be surprisingly difficult. I used more or less the same technique that Kristen used when cleaning up a similar mess on my body, and kept kissing Kristen afterward.

After Kristen was clean, she informed me that I took two fifteen minute periods.

"Damn!" I said in mock indignation.

"I have a better idea, Jim. Let's fuck!"

We made love, face to face with me on top. Kristen's body was still a bit sticky from the mess I made earlier, but I didn't care. There was a wonderful tub to clean us up again afterward, if necessary.

After we made love, Kristen took me once again in her mouth, cleaning my shaft of our combined secretions.

It was late afternoon when the two of us walked to the Common. I talked to Kristen about what Will told me earlier.

"Will's always been into the occult," Kristen said.

"Maybe," I said. "But some of the things that he says seem to correspond to things that I have been thinking about."

"Do you believe in his auras?" Kristen asked.

I answered, "Will seems to think of them as colors. He told me that his mother Katie would tell him about them, but he never really saw them until March 1970. The image of the solar eclipse that year was the missing link for him. You know how the corona seems to shoot out from behind the moon, which is blocking out most of the sun?"

Kristen nodded.

"That was the image he needed in order for what Katie told him to start making sense to him. He was looking at the people, when he discovered that he should have been looking at what was being radiated out from the people."

Kristen looked at me. "Will never told me that."

"He knows that I believe in magic. He says that my aura shows magic in me."

"Do you think he means the tickets? I have found that I can never talk about them with him, and I sometimes get frustrated."

I shrugged. "I don't know. What else could it mean?"

From the Common, we walked around the city near the hotel until dinnertime, where we found a small restaurant and ate a simple meal of hamburgers and French fries. Later on, we explored a bit more before returning to the hotel.

Kristen enjoyed watching me masturbate earlier, and she asked for a repeat performance with the exception that my aim be for her open mouth; Kristen didn't want to have to get my semen "second hand" as she put it.

Later on, I would think of Kristen's comment as being weird. The big argument we had last Autumn was over her tasting my semen second hand--from the crotch of another girl!

I felt a bit awkward performing this time, being able to see Kristen watching me. After a few moments, I saw Kristen start touching herself through her lingerie, which got me more in the mood. Kristen knew how excited I got seeing her clad in her naughty bras and panties.

When I reached my peak, Kristen noticed and she sprawled out on the bed, her mouth open in expectation. I moved as close as I could, and my aim was true. Just about every spurt landed on her tongue or her teeth; one errant spurt hit her lips, but a quick swipe of her tongue removed all evidence of the missed shot.

Will met us for breakfast the next morning, and I told Kristen that the two of them should go without me. I didn't feel like eating breakfast, and wanted the two of them to have some more time alone together. Kristen kissed me warmly before she left.

The two of them arrived about an hour and a half later, and Will accompanied us via the "T" to Logan Airport.

Once again, we found our flight delayed, and the airport was packed. Kristen and I got into the First Class passenger check-in line, and we made it through the throngs to our gate.

Will offered us a drink at a lounge, and both Kristen and I went in, although we only consumed soft drinks. I was now a seasoned traveler and a member of the Mile High Club. I knew that I didn't need the liquid courage this time. The three of us chatted, and made plans to visit again for another stay near Easter, when our school was on vacation.

When we heard our flight announced, Will said good-bye. He gave Kristen a big hug and a kiss, and then offered me his hand. Instead, I surprised both him and his sister by opening my arms and pulling him into a tight hug as well.

"I'll miss you, Will," I said.

Will smiled, although I could see the sparkles of tears in his eyes. "Me, too. Take care of my kid sister."

"I will make it my life's endeavor."

Will and Kristen smiled at my response.

"Will?" I asked.

"Yes?"

"I wish that you find the perfect person that will make your life complete."

Both Will and Kristen looked at me strangely, and I finally jarred Kristen enough to get into the jet way with our first class tickets.

Kristen and I were a bit tired from our trip, and we decided to spend most of the time on the jet snuggling against each other.

I overheard a flight attendant--a different one than on the last flight--mention our row number and the words "five bucks" and I smiled. This was probably a bet that she'd lose. I'd already earned my wings.

When we arrived back in Chicago, Kristen pulled out an envelope and gave it to the flight attendant before we landed. I saw her open the envelope and watched her blush. Kristen told me that she also overheard the bet, and left a note of apology and five dollars to cover her bet.

On the way out of the plane, the flight attendant tried to give the money back to Kristen but my Goddess wouldn't accept it.

November merged into December as Christmas season came upon us. I didn't have a lot of money of my own to spend, as I spent most of the money I had on souvenirs and gifts in Boston. In addition, there were a lot more people this year on my Christmas list.

I earned some spare cash at a nearby grocery store, helping people bring packages to their cars. I also started earning my allowance again by helping out around the house, eating into the sudden windfall that Merry was reaping while I was spending all my time with my blonde Goddess.

Of course, this new work ate into the amount of quality time that I could spend with Kristen, but I explained things to her. Although Kristen told me repeatedly that she didn't have any problems giving me any money I wanted, I knew that she understood that it meant more if I was spending my own money.

Luckily, I didn't have to spend very much.

Deciding on a gift for my step-father was the easiest. I found an exact duplicate of the tackle box that I remembered him checking out repeatedly at the flea market in the local sporting goods store. Since it wasn't fishing season any longer, the tackle box was on sale; I got a hefty discount that almost rivaled what the vendor at the flea market wanted for the used one.

For my mother, I selected some old photographs from her photo albums. Some of the pictures were from when she was a child; some were from the good times of her first marriage; and some were more recent. I picked out my favorites, marking the locations in the albums so I could replace them properly, and then went to a camera shop to have my favorites reprinted at various sizes, and then enlisted Patty's artistic help in setting up a montage of all those photographs. The result was a loving look at my mother's life that I hoped that she would enjoy.

I found out from Toby McConnell--the trumpeter that caught Patty's fancy--that he was pretty skilled with woodwork, and we spent a Saturday in his basement at his father's workbench fashioning a wooden heart from a four inch two by four wood "discard." We cut it with a coping saw and then sanded it down, and used some Minwax to dye it a medium brown. A few days after the dye was dry, we then engraved it with a wood-burning tool. Over the next week, I would stop over and we would give it a new coat of shellac after the current one dried. The result was a shiny wooden heart for Merry that said "My Favorite Shortcake" on it.

Kristen and I did some mail order shopping for presents for Patty, Camille, and Wendy. I insisted on paying, but I soon found that my tastes in lingerie were expensive, most likely due to Kristen's influence and her occasional modeling them for me. Kristen helped me find deals that were more reasonable and used her status as a "frequent customer" to eek out a few more percentage points in deals. When the items arrived, I wrapped up the three scandalous lingerie sets for the girls as a reminder of the day that we met. Inside each present was a handwritten note, "To one of my favorite lingerie store customers."

I knew that Patrice was fond of small dogs, so I purchased her a cute little stuffed one. Kristen helped me pick out an appropriate one. In addition, I got four new "Olympic" Frisbees of varying weights for her brother, Jack.

I arranged a special present for Toby. Of all the people in the jazz band with the possible exception of Amy, Toby seemed to work the hardest. He didn't have the natural talent that some of the other members had. In addition, he was willing to help me out in just about any way that I asked, doing some construction work for props for our jazz concert as well as helping me out with Merry's heart. I owned a couple of trumpets, and, after explaining to my mother, I decided to give my special silver one to him as a gift.

Another special present was for Amy. I took the original piano score that I copied for Amy and gave it to Kristen, who knew what my plan was. She wrapped it and made it a present to the piano player from the two of us.

For Sherry, I purchased a silver charm bracelet, and bought her two charms: a silver pair of pompoms and a silver megaphone.

I was mostly out of money by the time I decided on a present for Kristen. After all, what do you get for the girl that could have whatever she wanted? I talked it over with my parents, and they loaned me some money in order to have the manuscript that I used for the "Hooked on a Feeling" session earlier that year professionally bound. Patty helped me letter the first page, featuring a giant fishhook. Two sterling silver necklaces, each with a two-inch fishhook made of sterling silver, accompanied this. The custom silver work required me to do a lot of running around to be able to get the job done before the holiday.

Before the Christmas concert, Kristen and I found Amy and gave her our present of the sheet music. She looked at it, and then dug through her concert music at the piano and found the copy that I made. That song wasn't on the schedule, and I was surprised and a bit pleased that Amy brought it with her. Amy looked between the original and the copy that I made for a couple of minutes and finally said, "Thank you. I love them both!"

As the rest of the band started to gather, I presented Toby his trumpet. A round of applause from all of the band members accompanied my presentation, since every one knew how hard Toby worked at his craft. At first, he didn't want to take it, but we all insisted. To top it off, I presented Toby with a dozen sets of earplugs, "So your parents won't mind it when you are practicing." Good-natured laughter and applause accompanied my announcement.