Her Christmas Love: A Feel Good Christmas Romance Read online

  After the pair got comfortable, a server appeared, and Mickey requested two menus. The server returned within seconds, plunking down two large, plastic-laminated sheets.

  Mickey already knew what she was going to order without looking at the menu, but she wanted to help Katrina pick something tasty and mild. “I know what I am going to have, but can I help you with the menu? I could suggest something yummy if you aren’t sure what to order?”

  Katrina looked up from her sheet. “That would be lovely, Mickey. Sure, what do you suggest?”

  “May I?” Katrina passed over the menu to Mickey so that she could peruse the choices. Looking over the items, Mickey then asked, “Hmmm, do you eat meat?” Katrina nodded. Mickey continued, “In that case, I would suggest the Tikka Masala with basmati rice. And maybe add the Chicken Vindaloo Curry. The menu portions are kind of small. I would recommend two dishes, just in case.”

  “Okay, cool. Sounds yum to me! I will take your advice, Mickey.” Both Mickey and Katrina put their menus to the side as they waited for the server to return. Facing Katrina,

  Mickey became nervous again as she racked her brain for a conversation starter.

  “I must say you are quite beautiful. Do you mind if I ask about your background?” Mickey inquired.

  Katrina beamed at the compliment. “Sure! I am Mexidorian. Do you know what that is?” Mickey shook her head no. “Sorry, I don’t. I have never heard of that term before.”

  Katrina cleared her throat. “It’s a mixture of Mexican and Ecuadorian. My mother was born in Mexico and my father was born in Ecuador. They came to Los Angeles separately but met each other and fell in love. I have been living in L.A. all of my life.” Katrina narrowed her gaze on Mickey. “What about you?”

  Mickey replied, “I am Jamaican. I was born there in a parish called Portland and grew up in Port Antonio, which is the capital. I moved to L.A. when I was nineteen and lived with a cousin. The rest is history, been here ever since.”

  Katrina asked, “Do you still have family there, in Port Antonio?” Mickey answered, “Uh, yeah. Most of my family still lives there. I have a few cousins here though.”

  Discussions

  about

  family

  often

  made

  Mickey

  uncomfortable, so she wanted to change the subject.

  Katrina continued, “Oh, that’s cool! I have family in both Mexico and Ecuador, but my parents still live here. Well, after they retired they moved out of the city to Hermosa Beach. It’s less than an hour away, but it affords them the peace and quiet they deserve.” Katrina then added, “It’s close enough for them to see their grandson but far enough away that my mom is out of my hair.”

  Mickey chuckled. Even though she hadn’t lived with her mom since she was a teenager, she knew how nosy parents could be. “That must be nice, having them somewhat close by. So, tell me more about your son?”

  Katrina looked off into the distance for a moment, smiling to herself. “Oh, Jackson is great. He is six and getting very excited about Christmas!” Katrina then looked down at her lap before meeting Mickey’s eyes again. “I guess you are wondering about the father, huh?” she asked shyly.

  Mickey shook her head back and forth; asking about Katrina’s baby daddy hadn’t crossed her mind. She was more concerned about making general conversation. But since Katrina brought it up, the notion did pique her curiosity.

  “I mean, you are welcome to share whatever you like. I wasn’t judging or anything like that. To be honest, I just wanted to learn more about you and your life.” Mickey shrugged.

  Katrina seemed to relax. Taking a breath, she said,

  “Okay, cool. I just know that some women think it’s weird that I identify as a lesbian but that I slept with a man. I mean, that is how I conceived Jackson.”

  Katrina rolled her eyes and made air quotes with her fingers. “The ‘old-fashioned way,’ as people like to say. But the truth is that I have always been attracted to women. I just had happened to meet a guy who I started seeing casually and we ended up hooking up. I got pregnant and then he bailed.”

  Katrina noticed the look on Mickey’s face and retracted,

  “Oh, it was fine. He and I were not in love. It was just a fling but I really wanted to keep the baby, so I just made it work. And here I am, a single mom, six years later.”

  Mickey nodded, following Katrina’s story. Mickey had known of many queer women who had children, although none personally. It didn’t seem strange to her at all. In fact, she liked that Katrina was a mom. It made her appear responsible and mature. She seems like a real, down-to-earth woman. I like that!

  “I think it’s great that you are a mom, and who cares how you got pregnant? If you are happy and your son is happy, I say, live your life and don’t worry about what other people think.” Mickey then raised her water glass to clink against Katrina’s.

  “Wow, Mickey, thank you. I like your attitude!” Katrina grinned. As Mickey and Katrina continued to make small talk, the server appeared again.

  “Ready to order, ladies?” The server stood over them, poised with a pen in hand.

  Mickey looked up to address the waiter, “I will have the Pork Vindaloo and small order of Laal Maas.” Motioning towards Katrina, she added, “And she will have the Tikka Masala and Chicken Vindaloo Curry.”

  The server jotted down the orders. “Thank you very much.” With that, he turned on his heel to attend to the other guests.

  Mickey was feeling happy and at ease. She was enjoying Katrina’s energy, and to her, the two of them seemed to vibe well. Gathering her confidence, she decided to reach her hand across the table, and to her delight, Katrina took her hand and held it in her own. So far, so good! This seems to be going really well.

  10

  Sitting across from Mickey, Katrina was feeling light and relaxed. She was enjoying the sensation of holding Mickey’s hand, and so far, she felt as though the conversation was going smoothly. In particular, she loved Mickey’s non-judgmental perspective regarding her own life situation.

  She listened intently as Mickey spoke about her first few years in L.A., after leaving her home in Port Antonio.

  Mickey had mentioned that her immediate family was not accepting of her sexuality, and thus, she had to create a new life for herself in the States. Katrina herself was lucky in the fact that her parents were generally supportive, even when Katrina decided to take on the responsibility of becoming a single mom. And while she was fully independent, raising Jackson on her own, she couldn’t imagine not having family nearby. She was impressed with Mickey’s resilience and pride in her identity.

  Katrina also found Mickey very attractive; she was drawn to Mickey’s butch presentation and how big and strong she looked. The dress shirt and tie is such a hot combination, and the colors look so nice against Mickey’s dark skin. She felt excited to be in the presence of such a strong-looking and commanding woman.

  In Katrina’s opinion, the date seemed to be going well.

  She listened as Mickey was just about to tell her more about her nightclub job when the waiter arrived with their food. Oh, yay, I am starving!

  “Here we go, curry and Tikka Masala for you.” The server graciously presented the dishes in front of Katrina and Mickey. “Vindaloo and Rista over here.”

  He looked at the pair and asked, “Is there anything else I get for you?” Mickey smiled and shook her head no while Katrina breathed in the fragrant scents that wafted from the plates.

  “Wow, this looks so yum.” Katrina looked down at her meal. Giving Mickey a flirtatious smile, she added, “Thank you again for ordering for me.” She gave Mickey’s hand a light squeeze before digging into her Tikka Masala.

  Bringing a juicy morsel of chicken to her mouth, she turned her attention back to the conversation. “So, Mickey, you were about to tell me more about your work. Which nightclub did you say you worked for again?”

  Mickey took a moment to finish chewing, swa
llowing her first bite of Pork Vindaloo. She looked down, inhaling deeply before responding. Clearing her throat, she answered, “I work at Lix. I just received a promotion to be General Manager, in fact.”

  Katrina’s eye’s widened in surprise. Putting down her fork, she blurted out, “No way! You work there? Wow, that is so cool!”

  Mickey nodded carefully, keeping her voice even. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool. I have been there from the beginning, actually. I was a bouncer for many years.”

  “Whoa! That is very interesting. Gosh, you must have seen so many things there!” Picking up her fork, she picked some more at her dish. “I personally haven’t been, but I sure have been curious about that place.” A thought then occurred to Katrina. “So, like, how is dating for you, in general? Does it ever get weird or dramatic?”

  Mickey thought for a moment. “Um, I try hard to stay away from the drama. In general, I like to keep my work life separate from my dating life, but there have been times where the lines have become murky.” Mickey smiled, lowering her eyes to her plate. “With this new position, I just want to be as professional as possible, so I think it's important to have certain boundaries.”

  Katrina was intrigued at Mickey's sudden and mysterious shyness. She was someone who was very comfortable with her sexuality. There were times since Jackson was born that she struggled with her body image, but in general, Katrina considered herself to be quite liberated and comfortable. The idea of a lesbian sex club was exciting to her, but Mickey's closed-off response seemed to indicate a possible conflict of interest.

  Hmmm…I wonder if she thought it would be weird if I ever went there. Would I be breaking some kind of rule?

  Katrina's mind raced as she processed this information. If she was to pursue this situation with Mickey, there might be more for them to discuss, but for now, she decided to leave the topic, as not to cause Mickey any discomfort.

  Almost as if reading her mind, Mickey switched gears.

  “So, since you now know about my job, tell me about yours.

  You mentioned you work in a plastic surgery clinic and you bartend?”

  Tina swallowed a bite and responded, “Mm hmm, yup, that’s right!” She wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “Daytime reception work is pretty bland. I work with nice and surgically-enhanced people all day long, which does wonders for body image.” Katrina gave a self-deprecating laugh.

  At that moment, to her pleasant surprise, Mickey lightly touched her elbow and said, “I am assuming you have a high opinion of your body because from what I can see, you are absolutely gorgeous.”

  Katrina blushed and smiled, feeling disarmed. Well played, Mickey. You sure know how to make a woman feel special! Clearing her throat, she tried to gain her composure as her body began to tingle with arousal. “Um, well, thank you very much! I think you are pretty attractive as well.” Looking down, she fiddled with her hands, forgetting what she was going to say next.

  Mickey grinned, seeming pleased with the effect the compliment had on her. “Okay, so what about the bartending? Do you like it? Whereabouts do you work?”

  Hmmm…I wonder how this will go over, Katrina thought to herself. While she had no issue with working at Minx and, in fact, quite enjoyed it at times, this would be the first time that she would share this information with a potential love interest.

  With a nervous laugh, Katrina took a breath and blurted out, “I bartend at Minx; it’s a gentleman’s club.”

  For a split second, Mickey looked stunned and dropped her jaw. But a wide smile soon replaced her look of surprise. Mickey nodded and said, “Well, it sounds like both of our night jobs are kind of similar to each other.”

  Katrina grinned back, feeling a combination of joy and relief. She bobbed her head in agreement. “Yes, I supposed you are right about that. We both get to look at hot women doing sexy things all night!”

  Mickey added with a hardy laugh, “Yeah, and they end up taking off their clothes too!”

  Katrina giggled and replied, “You are bad, Mickey, but I definitely like it.” Katrina continued, “No, but seriously, I don’t mind it. The money is good, and with Christmas around the corner, I need the extra to spend on making it special for Jackson. But like you, I see a lot of drama too, and I do my best to avoid it.”

  Mickey inquired, “What are the other women like to work with? Are they cool or what?”

  Katrina replied, “They are all pretty great, actually. I really admire their confidence and their hustle. And a lot of them are incredible performers. Man, the things they can do with their bodies on the pole!”

  Katrina shook her head in disbelief. “I know that strippers get a bad rap, but the women I work with are some of the strongest and focused women I know. Plus, they are all so beautiful. It can honestly be intimidating at times. Talk about power femmes!”

  “I know what you mean. I have met some pretty incredible performers as well. There have been times we’ve hired dancers for special occasions at Lix, and in speaking with them afterward, I was pretty impressed with how down to earth and talented they were,” Mickey said, adding, “In fact, we may even be hiring some entertainers for our annual Christmas Eve bash at Lix.”

  Katrina playfully joked, “You can say the word stripper, you know. It’s not a dirty word. Many of the women I work with prefer that term.”

  “Oh, really? Okay, thanks for the tip. I guess I just wanted to be respectful, but I suppose you are right.”

  Mickey then gave Katrina a coy look, which gave Katrina delightful shivers down her neck to her shoulders.

  “Would you ever consider dancing?” Mickey took a sip of her water while maintaining eye contact with Katrina.

  Blushing, Katrina replied, “Uh, I-I don’t know. I don’t think I have the confidence or the skills to pull that off.”

  Looking away shyly, she continued, “Besides, with Jackson, I prefer not to have super late nights. Bartending a few nights a week is enough, especially with the cost of a babysitter.”

  Mickey continued to flirt. “Well, KatrinaBae14, I think you would look amazing on the pole!”

  Katrina countered, “Thank you so much, MickLix. Why don’t you come down to Minx and see my show sometime?”

  While it felt outside of her character, Katrina found herself

  giving Mickey a seductive wink. Whoa, where did that come from? What is this woman doing to me?

  Suddenly, the server appeared. Katrina was so caught up in vibing with Mickey that she jumped in her seat. “Oh, goodness, I didn’t see you there!”

  The server looked down and chuckled. “Everything alright here, ladies? Are there any plates that I could clear for you?”

  Mickey looked up and handed the waiter a near-empty plate of vindaloo. “That was delicious, thank you.”

  Katrina looked at her spread. She wasn’t able to eat both of her dishes. “Would you mind packing some of this up for me? It’s so good, but I am afraid I am too full to finish it.”

  “Certainly, right away.” Swiftly, the server gathered the smattering of dishes, leaving an empty table between her and Mickey.

  Instinctively, Katrina reached out for Mickey’s hand, which she took in hers. She looked at Mickey, reveling in her gleaming white smile and perfect teeth, which seemed to glow against her flawless complexion. Katrina wasn’t sure if it was only on her side, but she sensed a strong chemistry between them.

  Mickey dropped her gaze to look at Katrina’s mouth and licked her lips while gently playing with Katrina’s hand.

  Katrina felt a surge of electric energy run through her body while her nipples became hard under her dress. I wish the night didn’t have to end. I am enjoying this date so much!

  Mickey shrugged her shoulders, looking as though she wanted to say something. “Well, I guess this is it the end of our dinner.” Leaning in, Mickey locked eyes with Katrina from across the table. “Thank you so much for agreeing to meet up with me. I hope you enjoyed the restaurant. I know it wasn’t too fancy or an
ything, but….” Mickey trailed off.

  Katrina shook her head. “No, Mickey, this was great!

  Really, the food was good, and the conversation was even

  better. I think you picked a great spot. Thank you for taking the initiative and suggesting this place.” Her eyes were twinkling with happiness.

  Mickey smiled warmly. “Okay, cool. I am glad you liked it. Yeah, I agree, the conversation was nice.” Mickey then cleared her throat. “Actually, I was going to say that the next time we have dinner, you could pick the spot.” She gave Katrina a sly grin.

  “Oh, so is there going to be a next time?” Katrina beamed, feeling delighted. Inwardly, she was thrilled. She wanted to go out with Mickey, and she was happy to know that Mickey felt the same way.

  Mickey nodded slowly. “Yeah, I think there should be.”

  She made soft, teasing circles with her finger over the top of Katrina’s hand. “What do you think?”

  Katrina felt as though her face was going to freeze from smiling so much. “Yes, definitely. I would love to go out with you again, Mickey.” A girlish laugh escaped her mouth, and Katrina covered her mouth, feeling bashful.

  “Great, it’s settled. No rush, but think of a place that you would like to eat at, and we can make a plan sometime soon.” Mickey added, “I already have your number, so I will text you mine.”

  “Perfect, and of course, there is always Ruby!” Katrina laughed. “Let me check my schedule in the coming week, and I will send you a message.”

  Mickey rose from the booth. “Shall we?” Mickey extended her hand towards Katrina, which she took, also getting up from the table. Katrina held Mickey’s hand as they walked out of the restaurant together.

  Once outside, Mickey said, “Let me walk you to your car.

  I like to be a gentleman as well as a Top.” She couldn’t help winking at Katrina.

  Katrina nodded. “Sure, I would like that very much.” The pair strolled through the parking lot until they reached Katrina's Honda Civic. She loved the feeling of being so