His Candy Cane Read online

  “That’s amazing,” I breathe, my eyes wide. “But what sets your supplements apart from others? The field must be so crowded.”

  Patrick nods seriously.

  “Good question. I put a lot of thought into this, and it’s the fact that every single part of my supplements is natural and organic. Did you know that the shells encasing vitamins are often made of artificial ingredients? Sometimes there’s even plastic in there. It’s soluble plastic, but it’s still a man-made material. But my supplements are different. They’re Mr. P approved, and they’ll do your body and the Earth good.”

  I clapped my hands with enthusiasm.

  “Okay, sign me up. I’m your first customer.”

  Patrick threw his head back and laughed, squeezing my thigh with approval.

  “Sweetheart, I’m not going to make you buy my stuff because for you, it’s all free. In fact, you’re an example of what dedication and hard work look like, Maisie. You’re fit, fabulous and absolutely glowing with health. Heck, you could be a model for my supplements line.”

  I flushed because my boyfriend was just kidding around. I’m nowhere near model-shape. In fact, I’m pretty much the opposite. Although Patrick doesn’t realize it yet, I’m actually pregnant, which is part of the reason why I’m glowing. My cheeks are round and pink, and my belly is already bulging just the tiniest bit from our child.

  But no one knows because I’ve always been a big girl, and so my curves are expected. Personal training hasn’t caused me to lose any weight at all, but I’m not disappointed because Patrick has helped me change my mindset so that I’m more focused on being strong and healthy, as opposed to being slim. He’s such a groundbreaking entrepreneur, and so supportive too. I can’t wait to tell him the news that he’s going to be a daddy soon.

  But my parents are another story. Lorraine and Henry should be over the moon because for the first time in my life, I have a boyfriend. This is why they got me the personal training sessions in the first place: so that I could slim down and attract a man. But when I told them I was dating Patrick, they were curiously unenthusiastic. In fact, I almost thought they didn’t hear me at first.

  “Mom, Dad, I have a boyfriend. A real boyfriend, and it’s my personal trainer from the gym. Remember him? Patrick.”

  My dad squinted at me while shaking out his paper.

  “You mean from Mr. P’s CrossFit? That guy?”

  I nodded enthusiastically.

  “Yes, Patrick is Mr. P, get it? P is for Patrick.”

  My dad smiled vaguely.

  “Oh right. How are those personal training sessions working out for you?”

  “Fabulous!” I enthused while doing a twirl. “Patrick has whipped me into great shape, and even better, we’ll be moving in together soon. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

  Before Henry could speak, Lorraine butted in.

  “But honey, isn’t this happening really fast? You did just meet him, after all.”

  I stare at her.

  “Mom, the reason you bought me personal training sessions is so that I could meet a guy. And now I have! Sure, I know you didn’t expect my new guy to be the personal trainer himself, but why does that matter? I’m going to move out, and get out of your hair. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

  Lorraine hemmed and hawed while looking down at her hands. Finally, she let out a huge sigh and met my eye.

  “It’s just happening so quickly, Maisie, and we want what’s best for you,” she said as my dad nodded in agreement. I was completely floored. Why weren’t they raising the rafters with cheers? I thought that me moving out was their ultimate goal so that I could go on to have a “meaningful life” following “a woman’s natural path.” Their goals for me had actually come true, so why weren’t they more enthusiastic?

  But I couldn’t get Lorraine and Henry to do anything but nod distantly, even as I began to pack up my childhood bedroom. Who knows? My parents have always been strange people, and this was just the latest twist in their idiosyncratic behavior.

  Patrick assured me not to think twice about it

  “Trust me, baby girl, it’s about money and nothing more.”

  I squint at him.

  “What? They’re not paying you money to date me, are they?”

  He threw his head back and laughed.

  “No of course not. Your parents are just protective of their daughter, that’s all. They want what’s best for you, and that means marrying their daughter off to a man who will take care of her financially.”

  I shake my head.

  “Yes, but isn’t that so old-fashioned? We’re not living in eighteenth century England where women don’t have jobs anymore. In fact, I’m going on my fifth year as a vet tech now.”

  My lover grinned.

  “Of course your parents’ thinking is outmoded, but it’s just a reflex. Plus, it doesn’t help that they likely believe that I’m a pauper literally selling my body and know-how in order to make money. I did pose as a fitness model for Men’s Muscle last year, remember.”

  I shivered hotly, seeing the spread in my mind’s eye.

  “Yes, but you looked amazing in the magazine, Patrick. You look incredibly yummy now, and what’s wrong with being a male model? You’re studly and muscly, and I love it so much.”

  Patrick arched his eyebrow at me, grinning.

  “Can’t get enough of my candy cane, can you, Maisie?”

  I shake my head enthusiastically.

  “Definitely not. Who could resist?” I tease. “So why don’t my parents appreciate my hunky stud muffin?”

  Patrick makes a funny face.

  “Well, I hope they don’t see me as a hunky stud muffin because that would be gross. But in general, people don’t want their daughters dating a male model. It’s just not seen as a “man’s job.””

  I nod.

  “Another outmoded idea.”

  He shrugs.

  “Yes, but what can we do? Your folks are the products of another time and age.”

  I smile sassily.

  “We could tell them about your new supplements line, and how you’re going to take over the world selling them.”

  He grins and rubs my back affectionately.

  “I appreciate your support Maisie, but I haven’t told anyone about my new business venture, not even my parents. So let’s keep it on the downlow, otherwise there will be too much pressure. I want to do well, don’t get me wrong, but there are no guarantees in the business world. It’s competitive out there, with a lot of sharks looking for prey.”

  I nod in agreement, but inside, my heart is bursting with joy. I’m so proud of this man, and I support his hopes, dreams, and aspirations. I never thought I’d be with someone who dreams such big dreams, and I’m ecstatic that he’s going to be the father of my child.

  Smiling still, I sit down on a hard bench in the packed school auditorium, looking around. There’s Mrs. James chatting with the elderly Mrs. Peckham. There’s Mayor Jones, scribbling something on a piece of paper at the front. Then the door opens, and my parents enter. What? I wave, a little surprised. Why are they here?

  But Lorraine and Henry don’t see me, and they move somberly to a bench at the front, taking their seats with their backs to me. Hmm, weird. Maybe they’re planning on renovating the house, and need to get a permit? I have no idea. I’ve been so caught up in my own life recently, that I haven’t noticed much outside of the little bubble that Patrick and I exist in.

  Suddenly, the banging of a gavel sounds and Mayor Jones takes a seat at the front of the hall. The City Council members walk to the front of the auditorium as well, and take their seats along a long, narrow table fitted with mics.

  “Hi everyone,” Mayor Jones greets. “Thanks for joining us at our monthly City Council meeting. There are a few things on the agenda tonight, and we’ll be going through them one by one.”

  The crowd nods and I zone out as the Council discusses various zoning changes, the flow of traffic near the Tremont int
ersection, and the new children’s wing of the library. I smile to myself, rubbing my belly absentmindedly, as if saying hello to my baby. He or she will be born in my hometown, and I can’t wait to meet him or her.

  But then the gavel strikes with a bang, and I jerk a bit.

  “The next item on the agenda is a business permit for a new business downtown called Mr. P’s CrossFit Supplements. Patrick Walker is here to give us an overview of his plans and to explain how this business will add value to our downtown.”

  My heart bursts with pride as Patrick appears from a side door and strides to the front of the room. He’s so handsome in a blue blazer and fitted trousers, with those arresting azure eyes, chiseled jaw, and incredible physique. His voice is low and deep as he begins speaking.

  “Mr. Mayor, City Council, thank you for having me. As you know, I’m already the proprietor of Mr. P’s CrossFit gym on the east side of town, and we’re doing quite well. I’m here to apply for a business permit to open a related business which will sell vitamins and supplements, also branded with the Mr. P name. My new shop will add value to our town because—”

  But then, to everyone’s shock, my dad gets up and states in a flat tone, “I oppose this business.”

  Mayor Jones is flustered.

  “I’m sorry, Henry, but there’s a time for questions, and that time isn’t now. If you’d save your comments for the fifteen minutes at the end –”

  But my dad won’t have it.

  “No. This man doesn’t deserve a business license. In fact, he deserves to have his current license taken away, and to be run out of this town because he’s violated my sweet daughter, Maisie.”

  A gasp arises as shocked townspeople swivel around to look at me. I gasp, my face draining of all color. What’s going on? My parents have never “liked” Patrick, that’s true, but they never mentioned hating him either. Nonetheless, my dad continues in a flat, dead monotone.

  “My wife, Lorraine, and I purchased personal training sessions for our one and only daughter, Maisie. We thought it would be a good way to help her lose weight and feel great. Unfortunately, this man took advantage of her. He seduced her during a training session and violated her multiple times after that.”

  Okay, this is getting crazy. Maybe the words my dad are saying have a little bit of truth in them, but “violating” is going way beyond the pale. I stand up, about to defend my boyfriend, but my mom jumps in then. Lorraine’s face is pale, strained, and to my horror, tears brim in her eyes.

  “I second my husband. This man has engaged my daughter in amoral behavior that’s absolutely transgressive,” she says, her voice breaking. “And we have proof. I beg you to listen before considering any action on Patrick Walker’s behalf.”

  What the hell? What’s going on? Have my parents gone insane? But at that moment, the screen at the front of the school auditorium flickers to life, and to my horror, my face appears on the flat surface. But it’s not just any candid shot of me. My expression is delirious with ecstasy and it’s clear that I’m moaning with pleasure as my lashes flutter and lips part. Then, a man’s hand extends onto the screen and begins touching me. You can’t see his face, but there’s the edge of a broad, bronzed shoulder and a shock of dark hair, with a low voice rasping, “Come for me baby. Come for Daddy, sweetheart.”

  Holy shit! It’s video from the time when Patrick and I made love in Santa’s sleigh while viewing the holiday lights. Fake white snow falls around us, but it’s not enough to obliterate the naughty, X-rated action. Then, to my horror, more of our bodies come into view, and you can see Patrick pounding away at me as I mewl and pant, my expression one of pure need. The only thing blocking our privates from the viewer’s eyes is Rudolph’s nose. Evidently, there was a hidden camera somewhere on the roof, but the fake Rudolph was in the way and a big red bulb sits in the middle of the screen, preventing the City Council from seeing my private parts.

  Oh my god! How is this happening? I jump up, trembling like crazy, and begin to scream.

  13

  Patrick

  Where the fuck did Maisie’s parents get this video? Suddenly, I have a sinking sensation that Lorraine and Henry have known about everything from the very beginning. They probably know that I took advantage of their daughter during her very first personal training session; that we’ve been enjoying each other’s bodies non-stop since then; and obviously, the fact that I claimed their daughter’s anal cherry during a holiday spectacular because it’s right here on camera.

  But where the fuck did they get this video? Within seconds, Lorraine Handle answers my question. With tears in her eyes, she speaks loud enough for the entire auditorium to hear.

  “Our friends, the Valencias, live on Tremont Street, which puts on a holiday light show each year. Many of you have likely seen it. It’s a wonderful experience, and this year, the Valencias did their house up with Santa and his sleigh on the roof. Of course, they installed cameras all over their property because the decorations are expensive and quite elaborate. Imagine my shock and horror when Trudy Valencia called me and informed me that there was tape of my daughter having sex on the roof of their home by the very man I hired as her personal trainer!”

  I gape. The video has thankfully come to a pause, although you can still see Maisie’s mouth open in an ecstatic scream as I grip her hips from behind. Fortunately, Rudolph’s red nose blocks exactly where our bodies meet, so at least you can’t tell that I’m giving it to her in her backdoor. At least, I hope not.

  But Lorraine continues.

  “We trusted him!” she cries in an agitated voice. “How could you, Mr. P? We entrusted our precious, darling daughter to you and then … this happens!”

  I’m about to speak but there’s no need because Maisie leaps to her feet and begins defending me.

  “It’s not like that!” she exclaims quickly while turning to the audience. “Everything is being mischaracterized. Let me start by saying I’m no young, innocent naïf. I’m a twenty-five woman and I have a full-time job. I work at a vet’s office downtown, and pay my taxes like an adult.”

  The word “taxes” seems to shake the audience out of its trance. At that moment, the screen flickers off as well, giving me relief. No one needs to see our naked bodies frozen on screen like that. But my girlfriend continues, talking a mile a minute.

  “My parents are right. I met Patrick at his gym as a result of the personal training sessions they bought for me, but why is that wrong? I wasn’t taken advantage of. I wanted it. Plus, I willingly went on several dates with him, as any young single woman has the right to do. Yes, I still live at home, but I’d ask you to ignore the comments of Lorraine and Henry. I love my parents, but they’re misguided, and nothing untoward happened between Patrick and I. In fact, I’m pregnant with his child and proud to be carrying his baby.”

  That causes another gasp of surprise to run through the crowd. In fact, I can hardly breathe myself as the air escapes from my lungs. Is it true? Maisie turns toward me with tears in her eyes.

  “I’m having your baby,” she says in a voice that carries. “You are my man, Patrick Walker, and I couldn’t be more proud to be with you. You deserve to get this business permit, and I know that both your supplements store and your gym will thrive. You are the man for me, Patrick, and I am your woman.”

  Heart thumping, I can barely breathe for a moment. But then I literally leap over several rows of chairs like Superman before dashing to my girl and pulling her into my arms.

  “I love you,” I growl fiercely into Maisie’s ear. “Fuck this permit. Fuck this town. As long as I have you and the baby, that’s enough for me.”

  The rest of the world seems to dissolve into a blur of nothingness as my beautiful girl smiles up at me with tears in her eyes.

  “Do you mean it, Patrick?” she asks. “You’re not angry that I’m pregnant?”

  I shake my head.

  “How can you even think that, sweetheart? I’m lucky to have you, and we’re blessed to be
expecting. You’re the best holiday gift that I could ever have, and I thank my lucky stars that your parents brought you into my life.”

  She sniffles a little.

  “Are you mad at Lorraine and Henry?”

  I think for a moment.

  “This is a conversation for another time because people are watching, baby girl,” I say, jerking my head over my shoulder, indicating the audience. “But no, I don’t think I am. They’re misguided but they just want the best for you, sweetheart. They don’t realize that I treasure you and our child above all else, and that no matter what happens, I will always put your needs first. Will you marry me, Maisie? Because these are the words that have been circling in my head for a while now. I love you, and the baby brings everything together. Please say yes, honey, and make this the best Christmas ever.”

  Tears really begin to fall from my girl’s beautiful brown eyes then, but they’re tears of joys.

  “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!” she whispers, pulling me close for a kiss. And at that moment, my life becomes complete. I have Maisie, we’re expecting a baby, and what else could a man ask for? My business can wait because Santa’s given me a wondrous gift, and I intend to cherish our relationship until the end of my days.

  Epilogue

  Maisie

  A month later.

  I’m visibly pregnant now, and Patrick adores my baby bump. My husband rubs my belly with delight, running his huge palm over the gentle swell.

  “Do that too much and the baby will want a massage after he’s born,” I joke while lying on my back. “He’s getting so used to your through-the-belly massages.”