My Only Wish

    Hannah sighed and glanced down at her watch with a little impatient sigh from her glossed lips. She only had a few hours left to get ready for the band's gig this evening and her niece didn't show any signs of finishing up any time soon. Out of some misplaced feeling of guilt Hannah had agreed to take Emily to the mall so her older sister could have a few hours of rest. And after an agonizing hour and a half in the line for Santa with an over-eager three-year-old. Emily sat and stared up at the kind old man to make sure he was paying attention to her overly detailed list of the things she was expecting. Hannah sighed again and smiled, what if it could be that easy again? Maybe she should go after Emily and ask Santa for the one thing she wanted for Christmas this year.
    But just as she thought that, Emily was taken off of Santa's lap by a helpful elf and someone handed Hannah a photo snapped with her niece on Santa's lap. "Come on sugar-plum we need to get going." Hannah took a firm hold on Emily's hand and led her away from the little village.
    "Aunt Hannah what about my treat!?" I sighed and altered my course for the candy shop knowing the tantrum that would ensue if the spoiled little thing didn't get her treat. Smiling and trying to keep from looking at her watch, Hannah let Emily choose the biggest, brightest lolly-pop and paid the cashier before bustling her niece out to the car.
    Two hours later Hannah stood on the stage and listened to the first bars of 'Jingle Bell Rock', feeling with excitement the heat from the bright spot light bringing out the red highlights in her dark brown hair. She had managed to curl her tempestuous curls into a 1940's hairdo and had completed the look with deep red lipstick and smoky bedroom eye makeup. Hannah swiveled her slender hips and watched with pleasure as the white sparkling slip dress threw off shimmers from the light.

    Mark had stumbled into the bar seeking to get away from the blizzard. He had not expected to discover himself listening to the low throaty voice of an angel. In a trance he moved further into the room to feast his eyes on the goddess who was performing such music. Standing on the stage with the air of a siren and singing, 'Santa Baby' stood the most beautiful woman he had ever been given the chance to see in the flesh. Dark brown hair framed her face in soft Marilyn Monroe curls and the lushest, reddest lips he had ever seen practically made out with the microphone that she held in her slender fair hands. He breathed hard and looked unsteadily for a chair where he could watch her and hide his quickly growing excitement.
    Suddenly as if heaven had opened their windows and granted his hearts desire, just as he sat down she made eye contact with him and with the sexiest bedroom eyes he had ever seen she seemed to be urging him to crawl down her chimney! Mark slid down in his chair and tried to control his breathing, could she really be looking at him? Would the fates be so kind to him? As the song ended and the temptress announced the band would be taking a short ten minute break, he shook his head to clear his delusions. A star-trek geek like him was so far below the notice of such a goddess that she was probably looking at someone behind him, or no one at all.

    The applause that heralded the end of each number was enough to warm a lesser woman's heart and they finished the set with a wonderful jazzy rendition of 'Santa Baby'. Walking gracefully offstage, Hannah collapsed into a chair just off the stairs and sighed. She had been having a little trouble getting into a sexy frame of mind until that Adonis had walked through the door. Peering through the spotlight as she had been she couldn't tell what color his eyes had been or even the exact shade of his hair. It didn't matter, his eyes had sent a bolt of lightning attraction straight into hers. Hannah closed her eyes and fanned herself with a napkin. Suddenly the last two years felt longer, as soon as he had looked at her, her voice had dipped that little bit lower into a sulky bedroom voice and her eyes had promised him every pleasure in the world if only he'd look at her, and look at her he had. Like a starving man at a feast.
    In that instant Hannah knew she wanted to be the eye candy on his arm. And for a stern supporter of women's rights who despised those horrible women without enough self-esteem to be anything more than accessories for men. But surely such a tall man; lean with rippling muscles under that light cardigan sweater had someone. Hannah bit her lip and told herself sternly that this man was probably married and that she didn't have a chance in hell with him. She had two hours left of the gig and she could meet his eyes with promise and fantasize that he would be going home with her. With a sigh on her lips she sent a wish out in the night, Please just this once, can I have a man be interested in me? I swear this is the only thing I want for Christmas, just let him stay for the rest of this job. I've been good haven't I? With a sniff Hannah realized with a little sadness that she'd been a saint. There hadn't been a man in her life since her ex-boyfriend almost two years ago and it was getting awful lonely in her small home on Main Street.

    Mark debated going and talking to the goddess against the fear of rejection for the next two hours while he basked in her sweet honey voice. His mom had used to sing to him, back before she started seeing things, back when she loved him. Mark shook his head and stood up to leave, the bar was closing and the woman had left out a backdoor five minutes ago. Once again he had proven himself to be a coward. The barkeep was glaring pointedly at him as he stood up and left a generous tip on the table, considering he hadn't ordered anything. Turning around he almost fainted as he found himself face to face with the goddess herself. She was biting her lip and he gulped to realize that yes now without a doubt, she was looking at him. With a sinking heart he felt a blush creep over his face, she was more beautiful standing so close to him. Just the right size to tuck under his chin and he knew instinctively that they would fit together like two puzzle pieces.
    "Look I know this is absolutely horrible of me, but I would really like to get some coffee and since I'm all alone I was hoping you might want to join me." No way. She sighed and bit her lip harder, and tears filled her eyes. He felt a strange chivalrous urge to sweep her into his arm and keep her safe. "I'm sorry, you're probably waiting to go cuddle up to your special someone, I'm sorry." He realized suddenly that she was blushing possibly more than he was! Before he could stop himself he reached out a hand and grasped her elbow in his hand.
    "Actually, I haven't got any plans and I would love some coffee." His voice was oddly husky and he knew it was her proximity that had forced him to lower his voice. If this angel really wanted his company well he was going to try his damnedest not to run her away! Especially not before he got to see if her lips really tasted as good as he thought they would. She smiled so brightly he knew that he would never be able to say no to her and he found his lips lifting strangely at the corners. Funny he couldn't remember the last time he had really smiled like this.
    "Great, uhm I'm not really familiar with this side of town. Do you know where we could go to get some coffee?"
    "There's a diner just down the street," he offered her his arm and when she slipped her arm through his he felt a sharp stab of electricity race from her light touch straight to his groin. Great, how the hell did he think he was going to sit across from her in a booth and not look like an utter idiot?

    It had been stupid, so very very stupid and yet when the job was over and she had sat in her car ready to go home she hadn't wanted to. With her heartbeat racing, she had run back into the bar and found him just getting ready to leave. She took a moment to study him with the lights on before daring to approach him. No wedding ring, but that wasn't saying much plenty of men didn't wear them. Still his sandy blond hair was just shaggy enough and his jaw was firm and strong, just like she liked in her men. His eyes were hidden behind glasses that somehow doubled his charm. Before she could faint she had walked up to him.
    While Hannah couldn't remember much of the conversation, she knew that he didn't have anyone and that he was willing to take her for coffee. Hannah tried to control her breathing and not jump the man into the nearest snow-bank. She waited to talk until he had opened the door of the little diner for her and handed her into a booth. "My name is Hannah," she whispered and held her hands together tightly to keep her body from trembling from her nerves.
    "Mark," he smiled at her and then ordered two coffees from the tired looking waitress who had approached the table. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have ordered for you." He looked down and she bit her lip to keep from smiling. It felt nice to be taken care of, her ex never had bothered. Hannah sighed and smiled anyway.
    "Its alright, I don't mind." She watched his chest in wonder as he sighed in relief. "So, Mark what brought you into The Cantina tonight?" Small talk, she could do small talk even if she was sitting across from a man who looked like he had just stepped out of a magazine.
    "Actually, it was really storming earlier, I wanted to get out of the snow." He smiled and she watched in fascination as a blush crept over his face. "I usually ride my bike from work but its been so icy lately that I've taken to walking." She stared in fascination, he cared about the environment too! She tucked her over-eager imagination back quickly before she fell in love with the guy before she knew anything about him at all.
    "Don't you believe in cars? Don't get me wrong, I love to walk and all that when the weather's nice but you're living in Indiana and if you haven't noticed, it gets cold here!" She laughed nervously and cut herself off before she really started babbling.
    "Sure I believe in the things, I just never learned to drive one."

    Mark took a sip from his coffee that had just arrived while he watched the goddess add cream and sugar to her sugar, a lot of cream and sugar. She seemed to be in a state of shock. With a self-deprecating laugh he hurried to explain. "I was raised in foster homes and I didn't have many opportunities to learn. Besides I was busy with other things." He shook his head remembering those years so full of horror. He had only wanted to get out of those houses full of other needy children with stories worse than his.
    "What other things?" Her voice was a little husky he thought, with shock maybe? He smiled and decided to tell her the truth, it couldn't hurt things. For some reason she had sought out his company and it was better to let her know who he was than lie to her and try to get some action.
    "Studying. I graduated high school when I was sixteen and sued the courts to become recognized as an adult. I worked hard with scholarships and part-time restaurant jobs and put myself through school. I didn't have time for something like learning to drive." He shrugged his shoulders with a smile on his face.
    "I graduated early too," she said with a smiled on his face and he was taken aback.
    "No way I don't believe you. You can't have brains and be that gorgeous too." The words fell from his tongue without a thought on his part, he hoped he hadn't just called her dumb. He folded his arms over his chest and looked into her eyes, waiting for her to call him names and storm out.
    "You think I'm gorgeous?" Instead she leaned toward him over the table and looked into his eyes. With a shock he found himself really looking into the depths of her brown eyes. Her eyes were like deep pools, he happily would have drowned in them if she hadn't blinked, looked down into her lap and blushed furiously. "Everyone's always told me I was cute, my big sis was the real beauty of our family."
    Mark leaned closer over the table and put two fingers under her chin. Forcing her to look into his eyes, "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life." He watched as she gulped and looked into his eyes until he saw in her eyes that she believed him and he released her.