8. He’s Generous With His Egg Roll
“I ’m not sure if I want to admit this…” Nick chuckled to himself. We sat on the dark elevator floor, slurping down noodles and sesame chicken. He passed me another crab wonton, his hand and features visible in the cast of the mellow red light above.
“Oh, come on! It can’t be that bad. All Christmas movies are a little silly, anyways. So which one’s your favorite?”
“It’s a divisive answer, I swear.”
“What? Christmas with the Kranks ?”
Nick held out his hand as if stopping me. “Woah… don’t diss the Kranks.” He stabbed his chopsticks into his takeout container, dividing the assorted vegetables from the picked over meat. “Ok. Here it is. I know it’s not pretty, but try not to judge… promise?”
“Promise.”
It was dark, but I could tell Nick squinted in my direction. He paused, then spoke into his napkin. “It’s Home Alone… Two .”
I coughed up sweet and sour sauce, obviously judging him and not keeping my promise. “Two!”
“Hey! Don’t be rude.”
“I’m sorry, but that’s blasphemy. One is the original, it’s untouchable. Two?”
“I’m a New Yorker, what can I say? It’s the same movie as the first, but in our city. It’s way better.”
“He’s not even home alone in that one!”
“He is at one point… alone in a home. It gets by on technicality.” Nick reached into his endless bag of Chinese food to hand me napkins and an egg roll. I took both from his hand, still laughing at how appalled he was by my response.
“Is this to shut me up?” I asked, taking a quick bite, wiping sauce off my chin.
“Trying to make amends for offending you with my movie taste… wait till you hear my thoughts on Jingle All the Way .” Nick turned his attention back to his food, but I didn’t dare look away.
It’d been over thirty minutes since the power went out, but I didn’t mind any more. Sure, I was a little drunk, still semi-mortified, but Nick was being totally cool. The emergency panel was still open, the speaker still silent, but I wasn’t that bothered. Here in the dark, munching on food, laughing, it almost felt romantic, kinda like a date.
I ignored the fantasy, the ridiculous notion that us being stuck in an elevator could ever be considered something as exciting as going out to dinner with Nick Stafford. Yet, wasn’t that what we were doing?
“Thank you,” I said quickly.
Nick perked up.
“Pardon?”
“Thank you for making me feel better. I know I was freaking out earlier, but you… fixed that. Guess that’s what you do, though. You fix things, and not just the plumbing. I don’t know what I’d do if I were alone right now.”
Nick took a few more bites, then shrugged.
“I’d find you.” He nodded. “Just like someone will find us. It’s late, and people are either out celebrating tonight, or already in bed.”
“Maybe Marty will come to our rescue,” I joked, but Nick was quick to reply.
“His bowl is full of food, and he’s watching Seinfeld right now. He won’t even know I’m missing.”
“So, he isn’t expecting this giant sack of Chinese food?”
Nick furrowed. “It was more of a Christmas surprise… the old boy will still get a treat once I’m back.”
We both chewed a little longer, taking turns crossing our legs, making due with the space we had. Nick’s long legs would spread out from time to time, his large boot resting near my thigh. I kept my legs tight together, our walls made of mirrors, giving me all the opportunity to accidentally flash Nick if I weren’t careful. It was dark though, maybe I could get away with it, my panties still hidden enough that I carefully relaxed more in my posture.
“So… why were you all dressed up tonight? I know you were with your boss, but…” he didn’t finish his sentence, he only arched a perfectly intrigued brow.
“There was sorta a Christmas party tonight.”
“Sorta?”
“Well… a big one. But it ended up having to do with my deadline, so I was on the clock, but with cocktails, of course.”
“Oh! A work party.” He seemed sensitive to the subject, pausing after the word work . Oh, god, of course, he was thinking of this morning, of the package I so pathetically declared was for my job.
“I’m actually doing a small assignment: Twelve Days of Sex-Mas. ”
“Never heard that version of the song before,” he joked.
“It’s better than the song. This one will actually make you hit the high notes.” I shamelessly plugged in one of my Instagram captions.
“Explains the package today.”
“Yeah… The August Falls toy.”
“And which day was that one for?”
“Second to last.” I swallowed my spit, chewing more Chinese food than maybe I should’ve. My mouth felt entirely too dry, and Nick seemed to notice.
“Thirsty?”
“A little.”
Nick reached into the paper grocery bag, moving items aside as he revealed a crystalline bottle of Havana Club Rum. He twisted it with a pop. “Looked good at the store, thought it could bring a little holly to my jolly.” He sniffed it, then took a long sip, letting it sit in his mouth. He made me laugh, but the way his cheeks contoured to the bottle, his Adam’s apple bobbing with a swallow, felt oddly masculine and entirely hot. He exhaled, absolutely pleased. “Interested?”
“Always.” I leaned over to take the bottle. “Now this is Christmas.” I took a swig, the liquor still chilled from the Manhattan wind. I shivered as the punch of alcohol hit my chest.
“You know, technically, it’s not Christmas till you get a gift.” Nick motioned to Camilla’s package.
“Oh, no, no… that’s for later.”
“How so?”
“It’s my next assignment.”
Nick smiled. “Don’t tell me, twelve drummers drumming?”
“That would be hard to rate, I’m used to only one drummer drumming, if you know what I mean.” I passed the bottle back to Nick as he took another sip.
“And how does one rate the toys of Sex-Mas? Price? Practicality?”
“Pleasure,” I burped. Fuck . I wiped my face, fixing my hair as I straightened my posture. “Sorry.”
“No need to apologize. That was cute. Maybe even cuter than this intriguing little countdown of yours. But how is the pleasure assessed? Is it by customer reviews?”
“Not exactly…” I pinned my attention to the glittery tips of my heels, wondering if this was a good topic to discuss. Would it be so bad considering he admitted to liking Home Alone Two ? I tried to convince myself that this was some sort of vulnerable flaw he trusted me with, that this silly preference made him not only human, but approachable. Maybe it was the fresh hit of rum, but my ridiculous reasoning made sense. “Actually, I review them… personally.”
“Including August Falls?” he asked, intrigued.
“It’s for work .”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“He’s very popular, you know. There’s a reason he’s number two on the list. Do you know who he is?”
“I’m aware of him…”
“How aware?” I jabbed inquisitively, truly curious.
“I’ve seen him perform… he’s done scenes with some of my favorites.”
“You have favorites?”
“Yes. Don’t you?”
I set my takeout down on the floor, reaching for the bottle of rum. “Maybe. August Falls is probably my top pick… yours?”
Nick twisted his lips, silently biting the inside of his cheek. “I don’t watch too much… but I certainly have a type.”
“What’s her name?” I dared him with a whisper.
“Madison Love.”
I instantly knew who she was. In fact, I watched her with August Falls today. I could’ve sworn she was Latina, but couldn’t tell for sure. My heart raced at his admission. “She’s petite,” I said, acting nonchalant.
“She has dark hair, and a nice olive tan. I’d prefer if her eyes were brown, though. That’s what I like… amongst other things. But there is no one on film that fully captures what I’m really wanting… or who.” Nick folded his hands together, probably feeling unsure if he had made the right move in telling me. “So, you like August, huh?”
“Of course, what girl doesn’t?”
“How about his toy?”
I took another drink, then passed it back.
“Let’s just say… he passed my test.”
“Five stars?”
“Mmmmhmm…” I tried not to fidget, but the way Nick stared at me, the crimson light on his sharp features and chiseled chin burned down my arms. “I watched him today… for my assignment.”
“Tell me about it,” he instructed, not sternly, but confidently, as if it were natural and expected.
“I, uh… watched him with Madison Love, actually. They were in an alley, having sex behind a nightclub in the dark. Felt homemade… spontaneous even.” I blushed, my face dropping as I realized what I just admitted. Did I really say that? “I’m so sorry. I know we shouldn’t be talking about this.”
“About what?” Nick had the most perplexing, eyebrow arching expression.
“You know… porno .” I mouthed the last part of my sentence, as if the word itself would summon my abuelita with her disciplinary chancla. This was so wrong.
“Porn? Really? Oh… I’m not bothered by that at all.” Nick shrugged, as if it were no big deal, when in actuality my entire upbringing begged to differ.
“We don’t really talk about sex where I come from. It’s a ‘keep it to yourself’ kinda topic.”
“That’s like ignoring an itch that needs to be scratched.”
“My mother would disagree.” I flashed an awkward smile, keeping my cool. I wasn’t sure if I said too much, or if I was now considered un-ladylike—like how my family would perceive it.
Nick bumped his boot against my thigh.
“I promise it’s ok. You don’t need to feel ashamed for something that’s as natural as sex. You’re safe to be yourself with me.” He pointed to the metal walls around us. “This is a judgment-free zone. Besides, I know exactly what video you’re talking about. It’s actually really hot.”
My eyes shot wide open. My mouth dropped.
“So hot!” I blurted, unapologetically.
“And the ending…”
“God, the ending ,” I emphasized, hypnotized by the outdoor creampie that dribbled all over Madison Love’s ankle adorned panties.
We both laughed, relaxed in the fact that we both knew exactly what we were talking about. Nick’s chuckle slowed into a sigh. He wanted to ask me something. I just knew it. He licked his chopsticks before looking me straight in the eyes.
“So… how did the toy feel going in?” he asked, his gravelly tone reaching from across the elevator.
Was I ready to reveal my dirty side? Normally I was reserved, but my current state of mind was as loose as my drunken lips. Anyways, Nick was pretty cool about sex, treating it more like a casual conversation about the weather rather than a lecture on sin.
“It felt like heaven… I stuck it on my shower wall and used it before getting clean… my laptop was on the counter, my shower curtain pulled all the way open.” I wanted to laugh from my candidness, but Nick seemed so pleased with my answer. He swooped his hair back with his hand, his smile a dirty little taunt.
“How soon after I left did you do this?”
“I was on a time crunch…”
“How… soon?” he asked calmly.
“I… did it as soon as you left. I had to.”
Could this be the confidence Camilla talked about? Because it sure was getting Nick’s attention as he tried his hardest to keep cool, steepling his hands before cracking his knuckles.
“Hmmm. I love the way you worded that, ‘I had to’, ” he repeated, sitting with it, mulling over the phrase. “And, is there anything else you have to do right now?” He motioned to my gift. “Since we’re stuck here, don’t you want to see what your next assignment is?”
I picked at my nails, not sure what to do, or how exposed the next toy would make me feel. Did I really want to open this in front of him?
“What else do you have in your paper bag?” I asked curiously, acknowledging the unmentioned items still left inside from where he pulled the rum out.
“Oh, no you don’t. I showed you my booze… Now don’t you want to show me your gift?”
This felt like an opportunity to play it cool like Nick.
“Knowing my boss, it could be pretty salacious.” I lifted the package, untying its glittery bow, pretending indifference. “But I suppose we’re past that.” Carefully, I ripped the candy cane paper apart, opening the box it contained. I stared inside for a second, slightly underwhelmed by what I saw.
“Well?” Nick asked. “What is it?”
“ Secrets or Steam … a lovers card game?” I scrunched my nose. “This is supposed to beat out August Falls?”
I read the back out loud, wrapping my mind around what could possibly be better than having a porn star inside me.
“ Secrets or Steam: the hottest new sex card game where couples complete a series of truths or dares while avoiding physical contact. The key is to not touch your opponent, no matter how tempting it may get. If a player refuses to answer a truth or enact a dare, they must remove an article of clothing that their opponent selects. Whoever touches their opponent first loses.”
“Interesting.” Nick narrowed his eyes onto the gift.
“I’m not sure if this is the right game…” I said, garnering his attention.
“Let’s decide for ourselves. I’m ready to play.”