Just the Beginning

Mandy moved quickly to clean off her desk, setting the pens back into the organizer, gathering the papers into a neat pile. She must have been the last one left in the office. It was quiet, almost eerily so, and she rushed to get out of there as well. It was creepy being in the office alone.

She shut down her computer and pulled the hat and scarf out of the sleeve of her coat. She was all bundled up, her purse on her shoulder when she headed towards the elevator.

"Oh, God, you scared me," she stopped a few desks ahead, her hand shooting to clap against her chest, spotting Asher in his cubicle. He turned to look at her, a small smile spreading over his face. His eyes seemed to twinkle in her direction.

"How did I do that? I was just sitting here," he was relaxed, his hands clasped over his tight abs.

"I... umm... didn't realize you were still here." She bit her lip, her face heating both from being bundled up and from embarrassment. "Why are you still here?"

"Don't have anywhere else to be," he shrugged, his smile fading slightly. "Thought I'd try to work out this bug in the Silver project before leaving for the weekend." He half-turned back to his dual monitors.

"It's Christmas Eve," Mandy's eyes widened. She suddenly felt a rush of pity for Asher, hanging around at work alone on this night instead of being with family and friends. He looked back at her, a fresh smirk lifting the left side of his lips.

"I'm Jewish," he replied. Mandy let out a sigh. She didn't consider that. She and Asher had a friendly workplace relationship, they sat down to lunch together sometimes, walked to the train together on occasion, but for some reason, this never came up in their conversation.

Or maybe it had come up and she was just too googly-eyed to have paid attention. She hadn't admitted this to anyone out loud, but she definitely had a major crush on Asher. He was tall and broad and had a full beard that she found incredibly sexy. It was thick but neatly trimmed and she had, on occasion, fantasized what it would feel like against her skin. There were moments that she felt as if they slipped into some sort of flirty banter, but she always doubted it was mutual. He probably didn't mean anything by it.

She felt herself blushing again, or was it still? Had she stopped blushing since she started this conversation with Asher?

"I didn't realize," she told him, her voice soft. "So you don't do anything at all on Christmas Eve?" He shook his head.

"Nope. The plan was to figure out this dumpster fire," he pointed a thumb back towards his monitors. "And then get some Chinese take-out on my way home."

"Come to Christmas Eve dinner with me." The words tumbled out of her mouth without a second thought. "It's just me and my sister and my mom and there's always plenty of food. You should totally come." Asher cocked his head, staring back at her for a moment. His chocolate brown eyes crinkled at the sides, giving his face a kind and wise appearance.

"Are you sure?" He narrowed his eyes. Mandy's heart hammered in her chest at the thought that he might actually come.

"Yeah, absolutely. They won't mind at all. It will be a good time," she assured him at a rapid pace. "My mom makes a whole roast chicken and it's just the three of us and there are like at least 4 sides and," she was rambling, she needed to slow it down. She loosened her scarf a bit, feeling the heat rushing over her body. "there are a ton of Christmas cookies for dessert."

"That sounds really good actually," Asher straightened up in his chair, sitting forward. "I think I will take you up on that offer." His eyes drilled into hers assessing her reaction.

Mandy breathed out heavily. Asher was going to come to her mom's house with her. He was going to sit down and have dinner with her family. That was...

"Ok, why don't you get your stuff and I am just going to text my mom real quick to let her know." She pulled her phone out of her pocket.

***

A few minutes later, they were walking down a nearly deserted street towards the train station. Mandy filled him in on her family dynamics as they walked. Her dad had passed away a few years ago when she was already in her 20s and living on her own. He had a short but intense battle with pancreatic cancer. Her sister still lived at home with their mom, she had only graduated from college this past Spring. Mandy's apartment was just five blocks away from where her mom and sister lived, she told him. They were close, she said, they had a great relationship.

He shared about his family too, while they were riding the train into Brooklyn. His parents still lived in the Philly suburbs, in the same house where he grew up. His brother and sister were both older and had their own families, also out in Pennsylvania. If it weren't for the 4 grandchildren that his parents already had, he expected there would be a lot more pressure on him to get a move on it too. But as it was, they just conceded to the fact that he was the baby of the family and hadn't yet gotten married at the age of 32.

It felt like a strangely intimate conversation for them to be having on the train. There weren't a lot of other passengers in their car though as they rode further and further into the outer borough. They got off the train somewhere that looked almost suburban. He hadn't been paying attention to exactly where they had ended up. There were a lot of private houses and occasional small, brick buildings as they walked from the elevated train tracks towards Mandy's mom's house. She turned into the gate of a two-family house. She let herself in and was greeted immediately by her giddily smiling sister.

"Sissy!" her sister exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Mandy's neck. There was a definite family resemblance, but her sister had slightly sharper, more angular features than the soft, endearing countenance that Mandy had, that he found appealing.

"Hey! Asher, this is my sister Lucy. Lucy, that's Asher, we work together," she introduced them. He extended his hand out, but as Lucy disengaged from around her sister's neck, she came over to pull him into a hug as well.

"Gah, how come you get to work with all the hot boys and I'm stuck in an office full of middle-aged ladies?" Lucy addressed Mandy as they took off their coats. The question put an embarrassed grin on Asher's face. Him? Hot? Mandy seemed to blush at the question, leaving it unanswered.

They made their way into the decorated living room, the Christmas tree residing proudly in the front window. The table was already set in the adjacent dining room, a plate added for him as well. There were lots of family photos all over the place, Mandy and Lucy of different ages smiling out from them. It was strange stepping into the home life of a person he's only ever known at work before. Her mom came out of the kitchen, whipping her hands on her apron and Mandy introduced them as well. Once again, he put out his hand to shake that of Mrs. Harding, but she pulled him into a hug.

"This place smells fantastic," he declared when she pulled away. She beamed.

"Come in the kitchen," she beckoned with her hand. "There are some things to munch on before dinner."

Mandy ushered him into the small kitchen where her mom had a platter with various pickles set out on the kitchen island. Lucy followed them in there as they crowded around in the tight space, picking at the gherkins, olives, pickled mushrooms, and peppers. When Mandy and Lucy started helping their mom pull things out of the oven and the fridge, getting them ready to carry to the dining room table, he stepped back, out of the way, leaning on the door jam.

"Ooh," Lucy suddenly exclaimed, her eyes wide and on him. "Someone's standing under the mistletoe! Better go kiss him, Mandy!" Asher looked around himself, glancing up to spot the decorative sprig attached at the top of the doorway with a red ribbon.

He smiled, straightening up. He knew of the tradition, even if it wasn't something that his family's ever done. He absolutely wouldn't mind a kiss from Mandy, only she was blushing furiously, her face a deep red all over. Lucy gave her sister a little shove and Mandy took a stumbling step towards him. He shrugged.

"Without traditions, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof," he quoted the musical. Mandy's mom turned around to give him an approving smile and nod.

"Oh, go on Mandy, go give the guy a smooch," her mom encouraged. He hadn't planned this, he didn't notice the mistletoe there when he took that spot in the doorway, but now it appeared as if it was purposeful. As if he wanted Mandy to kiss him. He definitely found Mandy attractive. She had a curvy figure, beautiful auburn hair cascading to the middle of her back, intense green eyes, and the way that she always looked up at him, her eyes wide and round, was super sexy.

Mandy approached him tentatively, twiddling her fingers nervously in front of herself. She stepped very close, tilting her face up. He closed the distance between them, going right for her lips, connecting with them in a soft touch. There was a small spark between them, a tiny zing of electricity that sent tendrils of pleasure down through his body. It only lasted a moment before they disconnected and she turned away. Asher blew out a breath. That was... unexpected.

The rest of dinner seemed to progress in a complete haze. He heard what the women were saying and even responded to them, but his mind seemed to be singularly focused on Mandy and that kiss. He wanted more. It felt so much like the beginning of something; something that he wanted, maybe even needed, to see through to the next level. He needed more of her lips, of her mouth, of all of her.

***

Mandy got up to clear the dinner plates, collecting them from everyone at the table, scraping and stacking them together. Her mom moved towards the china cabinet to take out dessert plates and teacups and Lucy gathered the cookie tins from the buffet to arrange on the table. Asher stood too, picking up the platter with chicken in one hand and the bowl with leftover roasted potatoes in the other, ready to follow Mandy into the kitchen. She shot him a tiny smile before turning to walk through the doorway.

She set the dishes down on the counter and opened the dishwasher, intending to load them in. She could feel him right there beside her though, so close that either his body heat or just his presence washed over her. Mandy looked up to a face full of lust and hunger and need and her eyes widened.

"Can I kiss you again?" His voice was just a whisper, keeping the request intimate, just between them. The butterflies in her stomach did somersaults. Mandy nodded.

His arms reached out to embrace her this time, pulling her close, as his mouth covered hers. His lips were soft in contrast to the scratchy hairs of his beard. The kiss grew more intense, their mouths opening, inviting each other's tongues in. The thought 'Oh my God, Asher is kissing me! Asher's kissing ME!' screamed in her head. It was some sort of a Christmas miracle, Mandy decided, as he lightly nipped her lip with his teeth. Of all the things, Santa must have decided to set her up with Asher on this night. She held onto the sides of his face, afraid to let go, not wanting for this to be over.

"Well," the word came out on a breath as soon as their lips separated. The edges of his eyes crinkled at that. "That..." she pressed her lips together, then licked them before continuing to speak. "Was so good." She let her hands drop to his chest, feeling the hard, solid surface against her palms.

"Yeah, it was," Asher chuckled quietly. Her thighs squeezed together automatically at the sound of his deep voice. She wanted so much more of him. A craving was growing inside for the feel of his skin against hers. She imagined the sort of sparks that would zing through her body then, if this is how she felt from just a kiss.

The quiet surrounding them seemed overly suspicious and Mandy looked around, finding the kitchen still empty. Yet she felt like they had probably been found out.

"Help me load the dishwasher?" She requested, giving Asher a pat on the chest.

"Yeah, of course," he stepped back, wiping a hand over his bearded chin.

They returned into the dining room after finishing with the dishes to smugly grinning expressions on the faces of her mom and Lucy. Her sister stood up as Mandy and Asher got back to their seats.

"I guess I can go make that tea and coffee now," she winked in their direction, causing Mandy's face to burn again.

Surprisingly, aside from that brief comment, her sister did not take the opportunity to tease her about the kiss. It was a toe-curling kiss. It circulated throughout her body and left her wanting so much more. Longing for more. Would there be more?

They sipped tea and munched on cookies while casual conversation veered off in the direction of cooking. They talked about their favorite dishes growing up and things they cooked now. Asher admitted to having a few signature dishes that he was quite proud of, saying that you don't get to his age, living alone, without learning a few things. 'Man can't live on ramen alone,' he chuckled.

It was as if that evening added layers of dimension to Asher. She'd known a few things about him before, they'd worked together for a couple of years now, but now her impression was becoming more filled out, more substantial. He was kind and funny and didn't seem uncomfortable in this new situation, among her family. He was open about himself, unintimidated by personal questions, not even when her mom asked him whether he was interested in a family of his own.

"Yeah, definitely," he spun the almond spice cookie on his plate as he spoke. "I'd always imagined myself as a dad, at some point. I just don't have any hard deadlines set for this sort of thing." He shrugged.

"And there's never been a girl who wanted to lock you down?" Lucy asked, her eyebrows raised. Asher chuckled, looking down at his plate.

"There has been, yeah. But things didn't work out." He was quiet for a moment, as everyone seemed to watch him, waiting for more. He took a bite of his cookie and chewed it before continuing. "I had a pretty serious girlfriend a few years ago. We were considering some... possible marriage plans. But our opinions diverged on a lot of things, the sort of wedding we'd have, the sort of house we'd buy, where that house would be. I guess you could say I was a bit disenchanted with the person she was the more we talked about these forever plans."

Everyone sat quietly again, their eyes fixed on Asher. Mandy's mom nodded, pressing her lips together. Mandy didn't know what to say. She had never heard him refer to any sort of girlfriend before, at work. He'd occasionally mention having a date here or there, when discussing what they had done over the weekend, but nothing more. For the first time, she felt like she was really getting to know him as a friend, not just as a co-worker.

***

After a bit of cajoling for Mandy to stay the night at her mom's, they were finally able to make their escape, stepping out into the biting cold of the dark December night. Mandy had reiterated again and again that she had not intended to stay in the first place with her apartment just a few blocks away and all the presents she still needed to carry over from there. Her mom finally conceded to her leaving, while her sister made sly faces at them. They walked to the corner together, both of their hands shoved deep into their pockets before he spoke.

"Let me walk you to your place," the words left his mouth along with a puff of condensation. She looked up at him with those big, round eyes.

"I was thinking I should walk you to the train," she replied, biting her bottom lip. He tried to gauge her disposition at the moment, but all he was coming up with was nerves. She seemed apprehensive.

"I'd feel better if I walked you home and knew you were safe. I can find my way to the train. There's Google Maps, you know." He pulled his hand out of his pocket and gave her arm a little rub, trying to peek into her face.

"It's less than five blocks," she spoke the words softly. Her hand came out of her pocket as well and gingerly brushed against his as they walked next to each other.

"So I won't be going all that far out of my way." He found her hand with his, grasping it in a loose grip. She seemed to let out a small, satisfied sigh at their connection.

"I've always felt pretty safe in this neighborhood, coming home late at night and whatnot."

"That's good. I'm glad it's a nice neighborhood." He stuffed both of their hands, still clasped, into his coat pocket and she giggled at his move.

It seemed like in no time at all they were standing in front of her building, a brick, three-story walk-up with small, square patches of lawn on either side of the entryway. He wanted to come up, but there was no way that he could invite himself. He was entirely capable of taking it slow, it would be fine, he'd see her again on Monday. They saw each other every day at work. Sometime during dinner, he'd already thought the whole thing through. He'd ask her on a real date, he'd wait until she wasn't quite so nervous around him to make another move. But he did want to kiss her again tonight.

With his left hand still holding hers in his pocket, he brought his right hand to her face, angling it up towards him and leaning in to kiss her. It just kept getting better and better every time. She tasted sweet and smelled like cinnamon, her skin soft under his fingers. He wanted to taste her and feel her everywhere, find out how she'd respond to his touch. He'd wait though, there was no rush.

"Do you wanna... come up?" She stared straight ahead at his chest, her hand pressing there against his coat.

"Mandy, I wasn't fishing for that. That's not why I walked you home," he told her.

"I know. But..." she blew out a breath as if psyching herself up to push the words that weren't coming easily to her. "I want you to come up."

Asher tipped her chin up with the hand that was still holding her face. Her eyes were wide when she glanced up at him, looking as if her admission was embarrassing. He could tell that she meant it.

"Are you sure?" He wanted to be certain. She nodded. "Ok."

His heartbeat sped up a bit as he followed her inside the building, letting go of her hand so Mandy could fish out her keys and unlock the door. They walked silently up to the second floor and into the narrow hallway of her apartment. She flicked the light switch on and reached past him to lock the door. The proximity just then, in the cramped space, was suddenly too much and they tumbled into another long kiss. Only this time, layers of clothing peeled off simultaneously. Coats, hats, scarves dropped to the floor. Mandy's hands found the hem of his sweater and slid underneath it. He took that as a sign to pull it up over his head as well, momentarily disconnecting his lips from hers. Her eyes felt hot and hungry. She reached down to unzip and take off her boots while he toed off his shoes and then they were connected again, stumbling blindly through the apartment. He kissed her jaw and neck while her fingers tangled in his hair.

"Ow, fuck," he hissed out, his shin colliding with the coffee table. He reached down to rub a hand over the sore spot.

"Are you ok?" She grasped his forearm.

"Yeah, yep, I'm fine," he put on a brave face. It wasn't that bad. Mandy nudged him towards the sofa, pulling him down to sit.

"Do you want me to get you some ice?" She offered, her forehead creased. That would have probably been a good idea, but he didn't want to put the breaks on what was happening between them.

"No, I'll be fine. Come 'ere." He gestured to her and she came closer.

His hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her in, bringing her to straddle his legs with a knee on either side of him on the sofa. And they were kissing again. His hands rested on her hips, guiding her down to sit in his lap. After a moment, she was unbuttoning his shirt and he felt himself growing harder with anticipation. This was not at all where he expected his day would go when he woke up that morning.