*
As the plane taxies down the runway when we land, I look down at Noel with her head on my shoulder, fast asleep. The stuttering jerk of the plane as the pilot hits the breaks makes her wake with a start, her head jerking up to look at me.
“Sorry, oh my God, I can’t believe I fell asleep,” she mutters, pulling away quickly to bend down and grab her purse she stowed under the seat in front of her.
I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me, but the closer we get to the end of this flight, the more anxious I feel. I just met this woman and I’m not ready to say good-bye. She drooled on my shoulder and mumbled in her sleep the entire flight, but she felt warm and comfortable with her body pressed up against me. We barely know each other, but talking to her back at O’Hare made me forget about how much I hate this time of year. She made me smile and laugh. I’m not even that depressed she fell asleep as soon as we took off and killed my chance of joining the mile high club. I was just happy the flight wasn’t full and we managed to convince the flight attendant to let us sit next to each other.
When the plane finally stops at the gate, we both stand and I move into the aisle, gesturing with my arm out for her to go first. She smiles and moves in front of me, which at least gives me a great view of her ass as we walk down the aisle and exit the plane. When we get to the corridor, I move up next to her and we walk silently, side-by-side until we get out into the gate area. We stop and turn to face each other, then I hold my hand out in front of me to say good-bye instead of shoving her into the nearest closet and ripping her clothes off. I smile and give her a nod when she slips her hand into mine.
“It was nice meeting you, Noel Holiday,” I tell her honestly.
She doesn’t say anything and I wonder if maybe I misread some of the heat I’d seen in her eyes earlier at the bar. At least I’ll never see her again so it’s not like it really matters if I make a fool of myself right now. I can go home to my empty house in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere and go to sleep until this shitty holiday season is over, jerking-off to images of her licking her lips until my arm falls off.
Hefting my backpack up onto one shoulder, I drop her hand and turn away from her without another word and head toward baggage claim. I only make it a few feet before I hear her call my name.
“Sam, wait!”
I stop immediately and spin around, crossing my fingers that maybe she feels bad for my dick that’s been on a forced hiatus for a year and a half and wants to help a man out. She moves quickly around the line of people waiting to board the plane we just got off of and jogs the last few feet up to me.
“No one should be alone at Christmas. Come home with me. I can’t promise it will be anything less than a train wreck, but at least you’ll get some delicious home-cooked meals and a few laughs, most likely at my expense,” she rambles.
I couldn’t be any more shocked by the words that come out of her mouth if she asked me to fuck her in front of the entire airport.
“I’m sorry, what?” I ask in disbelief.
“Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, all the homemade cookies you can shove in your mouth,” she speaks quickly. “Doesn’t that sound much better than going home to a dead goldfish, an empty fridge, and a house void of porn when the Amish got bored with churning butter and raising barns?”
I haven’t been laid in eighteen months, which is like ten years in horny-man time, and it’s the only reason I’m even contemplating this right now. Right? I mean, there’s no way I’m seriously considering her offer because I just want to spend more time with her whether we’re naked or not.
Shit. The Marines will definitely be revoking my man card now.
It’s not like I could do any worse than having a hot-as-fuck woman beg me to come home with her. Even though I hate Christmas and everything to do with it, I know it will be worth it to be in this woman’s company for a little bit longer. And maybe if I’m lucky there will be some nakedness involved at some point.
“Okay.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them or think this through a little more.
Noel looks just as shocked by my reply as I am that I said it.
“Okay. Wow, that was easy.” She laughs, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the direction of baggage claim. “Um, there’s just one thing I’m going to need you to do.”
Chapter 3
Noel
“You’re sure you remember everything I told you?” I ask Sam nervously as our cab pulls up in front of my parent’s house.