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Category: Erotica/Gay-Lesbian Erotica/Romance
Description: Gracen loves Christmas. It's his favorite time of the year. So much so that he works as a mall photographer for the season, taking pictures of children with Santa. There's something about seeing all those happy families that he finds satisfying, which may be slightly odd since he's so very alone, himself. Working three jobs is never fun, but when Jesse takes a part time position as a greeter elf at Santa's Workshop in the mall, he meets Gracen and realizes that maybe job number three isn't that bad, after all. The handsome photographer appeals to him, even with all Jesse's family issues. Two lonely men, one Santa's Workshop, elf costumes, curl-toed shoes and a camera. They aren't exactly a recipe for finding that someone special? except maybe they are.
eBook Publisher: Torquere Press/Sips, 2011 www.torquerepress.com
eBookwise Release Date: December 2011

9 Reader Ratings:

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Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [258 KB]
Words: 59870
Reading time: 171-239 min.

Sometimes, Gracen wished it could be the Christmas season all the time. He wished he could spend every day making children smile and seeing the way their little faces lit up when they told Santa -- this year, he was a retired sanitation worker named Bernard, who had the classic Santa physique and "Ho-ho-ho!" down pat -- exactly what they wanted under their trees come Christmas morn. Gracen didn't have any desire for children of his own, but he did enjoy seeing their excitement.

"Uh-oh, we have a cry-er." The words were muttered from right behind him, but Gracen didn't jump. He also didn't turn around to look at the person who'd spoken. It was only the new elf's second day on the job, and Gracen already knew the guy had some sort of sixth sense about the kids. It was somewhat amazing, considering the elf was working the Santa gig for the first time ever. "I'm going in with candy cane therapy. You might want to try the light-up nose. The last thing we need is the start of a chain reaction."

Gracen stifled a laugh as the elf -- really not an elf, of course, but a six-feet tall, twenty-five-ish young man with floppy brown hair and hazel eyes that always seemed to be laughing -- pranced goofily toward Santa's throne, waving the mentioned candy cane. The child who had obviously been gearing up to scream down the roof paused in the midst of gathering a deep breath, though Gracen couldn't be sure if that was due to the promise of candy or the way the elf, Jesse, bounced and bounded across the fake snow and glitter-strewn terra cotta tiles.

Jesse had definitely managed to learn how to maneuver in the curl-toed elf shoes since the previous afternoon, which was a relief. Gracen honestly hadn't minded seeing the poor guy ass-up, repeatedly, when adjusting the things. While the sight had given him some very happy feelings, they weren't feelings appropriate to the Santa's Workshop photo station. Considering that Gracen was attired very similarly to Jesse -- curly shoes, pointy ears, small green shorts, tights and a top that was more of a slightly long vest with built-in sleeves -- his body's reaction to seeing Jesse's bottom presented so appealingly might be misinterpreted by any parents who happened to notice. Luckily, the rather bulky, fabric draped disguise-stand his camera perched in had hidden that the day before, but there were no guarantees. Even if there were, sporting wood while photographing children was creepy, even with Jesse as a reason, so Jesse's new skill with the elf-shoes? Yeah, that was a good thing.

Equally good was not having Jesse punch him in the face for ogling his ass. Gracen was a big fan of not being punched in the face, or any other body part for that matter, and while he wanted to think Jesse might be gay, he couldn't be sure, so... no ogling. He didn't have time for that, anyway. He had Christmas memories to make for the parents lined up, waiting to have their children photographed with Santa. That those same children would be embarrassed by the pictures in a decade or less was a given, but there it was. At the moment, the kids loved Santa and the parents would be happy, and that was what mattered.

"I thought you were going to put on the nose," Jesse said with a grin, and Gracen laughed. He pulled the light-up nose from the small pocket of his elf-vest and squeezed it, both to turn the light on and make it fit.

"I was hoping the candy cane would be enough." Gracen shrugged.

A laugh answered him and Jesse moved just a half-step closer. It was just enough to make Gracen uncomfortable, or rather enough to make his tights start to be a little too tight, so he shifted away. "I just like seeing you in the nose," Jesse whispered, apparently not noticing Gracen's discomfort. "It's very Rudolphian."

Gracen's eyes rolled as Jesse winked, but then Jesse returned to his usual post at the velvet, snowflake-adorned rope behind the camera stand and Gracen shook his head before getting back to work. The crier wasn't crying after all, and that was yet another sign of the magic of Christmas, as far as Gracen was concerned. ENDEXCERPT