Chapter Four
Aiden
Who knew that Christmas shopping could be so fun? Certainly not Aiden. But then, he’d never really had friends that he felt compelled to shop for.
Daddy had woken him early that morning, informing him that it was time to shop for the Christmas party the club was throwing for the Littles.
Aiden had never attended a Christmas party either unless you counted the ones he’d pretty much watched from the sidelines in school.
He’d never been in one school long enough to form true friendships and had always felt like the unwanted extra in those parties so he’d kept his distance.
This party was going to be something altogether different, though. The others attending were not just friends, they were the family Aiden had always wished for. So, he was meticulous in what he chose for each person.
For Sapphire, he’d found the cutest panda wearing a bunny suit and a panda coloring book along with her favorite scented markers and some glitter gel pens.
For Arabella, he’d purchased a complete set of LEGO blocks with everything she’d need to build a beautiful, massive castle.
It even came with the LEGO princess. And he’d also gotten her a set that built the fire breathing dragon, so her knights had something to rescue the princess from.
She already had everything to build an amazing moat, but he seriously considered getting her the volcano and dinosaur set.
Daddy had told him he’d already gotten her enough, though, and that he should leave Spike some options too.
That made sense to Aiden, so he’d stored the sets in his mind for a birthday present if she didn’t get them for Christmas.
He’d gotten Jane the cutest frog onesie with a drop bottom and a stuffie that matched it exactly. And he’d found the most awesome diamond painting of frogs on colorful mushrooms. Jane had recently discovered diamond painting and was quickly becoming obsessed so it seemed the perfect thing for her.
Shopping for his new Little friends was the most fun he’d had in a while.
He couldn’t wait to see their faces when they opened the special gifts he’d found just for them.
He just knew they’d love them. He’d even found a little something for Diana, who’d be at the party.
He didn’t know her as well as the other women in the group but he hoped she’d like it.
The guys were a little more difficult to buy for. Guys were really simple creatures. If they wanted something, they got it. That made deciding what to get them all the more difficult. Still, Rocky helped him come up with something special for each of the men who’d be there.
Stone was the resident grill master, constantly inviting everyone over for barbecues, so Aiden had gotten him some custom spices and a really nice grilling set.
He’d also found a manly apron that said, ‘You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted my meat’.
And had a picture of a grill with hotdogs and hamburgers on it.
For Spike, he’d found a sketch pad and some charcoal pencils for him to design his tattoos with. He’d also found an amazing leather jacket with the hurricane symbol embroidered on the back.
For Blade, he’d run across an almost exact replica of the bike that Blade rode.
It was a lucky find. He found it in an antique shop and he was particularly proud of it, but what Aiden was most excited for Blade to open was the book he had gotten him.
It was a gag gift, entitled How to Get a Girl in Ten Days.
Aiden just hoped Blade found the gift as humorous as he did.
Something had to spur that man into going after his girl, maybe the book would give him some good pointers.
Daddy had treated him to lunch at Ralf’s where Aiden had given Ralf a present.
Everyone in town knew and loved Ralf and the owner of the diner knew almost everything there was to know about everyone in town.
Except maybe the lady who came to take their order.
She was new, Aiden had never met her before.
“Boys,” Ralf said as he tied his new apron around his waist, “I’d like y’all to meet Monica. She’s new in town. Monica, meet Rocky and Aiden. Most people call Aiden ‘Pup’, but I ain’t most people.”
“You most certainly aren’t,” Daddy chuckled as he reached for the hand the older woman held out.
Her long black hair was threaded through with silver stands and the corners of her sparkling eyes had laugh lines, showing how much she enjoyed life.
Aiden decided immediately that he liked the woman, and she hadn’t even spoken yet.
She shook both his and Daddy’s hands, before declaring that there was no need to order, she knew what they wanted. Aiden wasn’t sure he believed her, but when she said if she got it wrong, she’d cover their meal, he and Daddy decided to let her try.
Amazingly enough, when the food was brought out, it was exactly what he’d have ordered, right down to the adjustments he’d have made. When he asked her how she’d done it, Monica had simply winked at him and headed off to her next table. Yeah, Aiden was going to like the woman very much.
Aiden felt like he had waited forever for the club Christmas party.
They’d never had one before but since all the guys were finding their partners, it just made sense to start the tradition.
This would also be the first party held in the newly redesigned building that Aiden and Rocky had overseen the remodel of.
The newly built room for Littles was fully decorated with a tree practically overflowing with lights and ornaments, garland with more lights and ornaments had been stung along the walls, tables covered in festive cloths were filled with projects and finger foods, and so many presents were under the tree that the pile was spread for feet surrounding it.
Christmas music played in the background as the Daddies in the group talked amongst themselves and all the Littles, except one, rushed around inspecting each corner of the room the men had worked hard to make festive for them.
While everyone else oooooed and aahhed over everything, Aiden stopped short and made his way to the wall where one woman stood alone, taking it all in nervously.
Aiden glanced over at Blade as he made his way to Diana and was relieved when Blade gave a small nod and wink, encouraging his mission.
“Nervous?” he asked gently.
“Yeah,” she said in barely more than a whisper.
“There’s no need to be. This is the most accepting group of people I have ever met.” He knew he probably wasn’t convincing her because he’d been in her shoes more than once in his life and knew the terror of trying to make new friends.
“Yeah, I’ve noticed that. But…” Diana reached into her handbag and stood there for several moments.
It didn’t take much for Aiden to figure out what she was doing, he’d done the same for years. So he ran to his own bag and brought out Octavia. Stroking the octopus’s soft fur as he hugged her to him, Aiden made his way quickly back to Diana.
“This is Octavia.” He held out the octopus for Diana to see. “I think she’d love to meet your friend.”
Diana blushed a deep pink before finally pulling a worn Highland cow from her purse and holding him out, much in the same way Aiden was doing. “This is Connor.”
When Diana offered a shy but genuine smile, Aiden beamed. “I think he’s great. Him and Octavia are going to be wonderful friends.”
After her initial shyness, Diana fit right in.
She had the most interesting facts in her brain about Christmas, and cookies, and everything anyone could think of.
She shared a lot with the group as they ate snacks, danced to Christmas songs and while Aiden taught everyone how to make a Christmas tree ornament with LEGO blocks.
It was a simple snowflake design, and he loved how they all worked from the same template but made each snowflake their own creation.
Once they’d hung all the ornaments on the already overloaded tree, they headed to another station where they’d decorate their very own cookies.
It was the most fun Aiden had ever had. They laughed and joked and tried to make gingerbread biker Daddies.
Diana’s was a work of art, but Aiden’s and Sapphire’s were a mess.
It was okay, though, they’d still taste delicious and trying to create their Daddies from icing was a blast, and gave Aiden the best idea.
As he glanced over at his Daddy, who was wearing a set of antlers on his head that Aiden had insisted he needed to wear, he leaned over and whispered to the group.
He explained his plan and their roles in it as he gathered what he would need amidst the giggles and shushing of his friends. This was going to be so much fun!
Rocky
The first ever MC Christmas party was a resounding success.
Rocky couldn’t help but pat himself on the back for the idea.
It was just what all of their Littles needed.
As he glanced back and forth between Blade and Diana, he knew without a doubt by the way the man watched her that it really was all of their Littles.
He smiled to himself as he thought of Blade opening Aiden’s gift with the girl in question in the room. It should be interesting.
His attention was snagged by his own Little heading his way, a bright mischievous smile on his face and a bounce in his step that had Rocky going on alert.
“Look, Daddy,” he exclaimed as he plopped himself down on Rocky’s lap and held up a mangled gingerbread man. “I made you!”