A Very Furry Christmas

Caitlin's breath swirled into the dark night sky in little white puffs. Nerves and anticipation bundled together in her stomach as she walked towards the ice rink.

"I wonder if Santa's single?" Shannon positively bounced up the steps in her ridiculously stacked heels.

"He definitely seemed interested in you." Caitlin stoked her buoyant mood even though her target for the night hadn't exactly exuded enthusiasm for another meet. She'd give it one last shot to get to know him then she could be happy she'd at least tried.

Before they opened the door to join the party, Shannon stopped and dug deep into her handbag. "Best make sure we're both well prepared for any eventualities."

She pulled out a fistful of condoms and shoved them into the side pocket of Caitlin's bag.

"I should be so lucky." Caitlin feigned reluctance but didn't try to stop her, when she knew full well she would do her best to seduce her polar bear. A drunken hook up was probably as much as she could hope for and to be honest it would be enough for now. She needed to get this man out of her system - or in it - so she could stop thinking about him and getting carried away with the idea that he could possibly be the one. If only he expressed the same interest in her, it would be the best Christmas present ever.

"We're both single, attractive ladies. There's no reason we can't enjoy the season and everything else on offer." Shannon adjusted her shimmering silver top to maximize the view of her ample cleavage and pushed the door open.

It looked like any other office party inside, but with added hunks. Pockets of giggling girls were interspersed with tall, muscular men. Although she didn't follow hockey, Caitlin could spot the players a mile away. Even the male fans fussed around them like love struck teenagers. Keen to revel in their heroes' reflected glory.

"Glad you could make it." A sandy haired, blue-eyed hunk welcomed them inside, recognizable even without his beard.

"Hey, Santa." Shannon went straight into flirt mode, fluttering her false eyelashes.

"The name's Nev. I didn't catch yours." Very smooth, Nev.

"I'm Shannon and this is Caitlin." Shannon waved a hand vaguely in Caitlin's direction, but she could have been at the other side of the room for all the notice the two paid to her. "Can I get you ladies a drink?"

"Yes, please." Caitlin would need more than one to get through the night if Shannon was going to leave her sitting like a spare part.

He led them over to the makeshift bar and ordered two glasses of white wine on their behalf.

"Where's your furry friend?" Caitlin scanned the room but the closest thing she found to her dream date was a fake fur wrap hanging on the back of a chair. She tried to feign her interest but they probably all knew he was the only reason she was here.

Puzzlement briefly furrowed Nev's handsome face. "Oh, you mean Jase? He's around somewhere." He wasted no more attention on Caitlin as he turned back to engage Shannon in conversation.

Resolving to slip out of the party and head home if her evening didn't liven up pretty quickly, Caitlin downed the glass of wine and ordered another. With little else to occupy her, she mentally ran over her Christmas plans. It would be too easy to ignore it altogether and lie in bed all day, after Paul so callously dumping her last year, but her strength of character wouldn't let her surrender to melancholy. It refused to let her wallow when she'd been through so much tougher circumstances as a child and survived. So, stuff Paul and his ill-timed cowardice. This year she would plonk her backside in front of the telly and enjoy her turkey dinner for one if it killed her.

"A beer please." The dour Scottish voice at her ear reached straight under her clothes to tease her pussy and harden her nipples.

"Hi." When she turned around to feast on her eye candy, a cold shower of disappointment rained over her.

Barely lifting his head to acknowledge her, Jason took his beer and left. For many of the ladies present, his smart black dress shirt and butt-hugging jeans were quite the draw, but not for Caitlin. Without the security blanket of white fur, he simply became another good-looking guy capable of breaking her heart.

Another glass of wine dulled the importance of the anti-climax, but as the people in the room started to blur around the edges, she wanted food to soak up some of the alcohol.

"I'm going to get something to eat." Lord knew why she bothered excusing herself with Shannon and Nev oblivious to anyone else in the room.

The buffet table suddenly seemed an awfully long way away as she took the first wobbly steps across the room, but she got there in one piece.

"The sausages are edible, but I'd avoid the sandwiches with the curled edges." Jason appeared from nowhere with a paper plate piled high with party food.

"What are you, the local food critic?" Caitlin held onto the edge of the table for support, resenting him for not being who she wanted and making her drink.

"No. Merely a concerned bystander." He left her with the hint of a smile to prove he had a sense of humor at least. That one point in his favor almost redeemed him in her glazed eyes.