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Christmas is coming again. Honestly, I don't get what all the hype is about. We're still in November and all people are thinking about is Christmas decorations, I thought glumly as I threw clothes into my suitcase. Pausing, I looked up and around my apartment, quietly consulting my mental checklist to ensure I didn't leave anything behind. The afternoon sun shone into my eyes as I looked out the window and I winced, turning the other way rubbing my sore eye. Unintentionally, I caught Juris' questioning gaze.

"What do you want?" I asked her curtly.

Sighing, I broke eye contact with her and turned back to my suitcase, closing it quickly. Muttering to myself about Christmas balderdash, I stood up and grabbed Juris' suitcase, packing her toys and everything else I thought she might need as she wriggled in excitement and dashed around the table. After I was sure I got everything, I ran around the entire apartment again doing a counter check. I would be on the plane the day after tomorrow. Abandoning all my worries, I went through the rest of my day uneventfully.

Tomorrow we'd be let off for our Christmas vacations. I feigned excitement and rolled my eyes as my coursemates called me a Grinch and wished me a pleasant holiday season. In my opinion, the perfect definition of Christmas is sitting before a roaring fire with a law book in my hands and Juris asleep. Instead, here I was rushing to the house of my closest friend. She didn't even have the decency to live close by. I couldn't take Juris with me to the States, it would be too stressful for her and I couldn't leave her alone in my apartment for half a month. I sorted out my schedule in my head quickly as I drove home. Surprisingly, I arrived quickly. I ran inside my apartment and grabbed both our suitcases that I'd positioned beside the door and threw them carelessly in the car's trunk where they landed with a huge thud. I went back inside, scooped up Juris and we began the 1 hour 23 minutes drive to London. The car drive was quite stressful, thank you for asking. Juris kept trying to stick her head out the window at regular intervals, so I was forced to close the windows and turn on the Ac but even that was a problem. Anyway, I finally dropped her off with more fuss than was necessary. She was horribly clingy and I found myself missing her on my way to the airport but surprisingly, things went fast and I was on my way to LA.

You might be thinking by now that I don't like Christmas much and the truth is.....I don't. I had my fair share of awesome Christmas experiences as a kid but that was just it, I'm an adult now. I have absolutely no time to spread the holiday cheer. Anyway, It was a long flight and I don't want to bore you with my flight details or else you might never want to sit in a plane again. I will tell you this though, I brought this book, The ballad of songbirds and snakes by Suzanne Collins and it kept me entertained throughout the flight.

Finally we touched down at LAX. If you're wondering how my flight was, I thank you for your concern but I'd rather not discuss it.

I hated airports because tons of paperwork make me dizzy and I don't like the security very much.They seem to like staring at me as if I'd done something wrong. I barely travel alone but here I was, settling the long, boring process of my paperwork and explaining to a nice looking woman the exact reason why I was here. I didn't really understand the entire layout of the airport but somehow, I managed to get my luggage. It wasn't difficult to find since it was the tiniest one. I wasn't staying long anyway, I thought as I rolled it behind me. I squeezed among tons of people, desperately trying to locate the exit, hoping that a friend of mine had remembered to pick me up.

I wasn't surprised when he was late. Since I took so long finding the exit, I only had to wait for five minutes before I saw him speeding up to me. I jumped backwards as he hopped out of his car, giving me a tight hug, whispering to me about a Christmas miracle. Irritated and slightly amused, I pushed him away. I closed my eyes and tried to level my breathing after being squeezed while he stood there grinning like a fool. He picked up my suitcase and laid it carefully in the back seat. Just as I was about to get in the car.....

THUD, CRASH, BOOM!!! I landed painfully, bottom first on the unbelievably hard pavement. A skinny man had bumped into me. Who knew such a tiny body packed a hard punch? He apologized quickly, muttering something about not seeing me. He jumped up and without helping me up, scurried on. I looked after him and scoffed at his retreating back. A considerate amount of heads were already turned in my direction. Avery helped me up to my feet and we looked in the direction of the clumsy man, knocking other people over.

I snatched my hand from Avery's and got into the car.

"How long of a drive is it, Where are we going?" I asked

"You should've done your homework" He smiled

1 hour. An hour and approximately 13 minutes to get to Encino. I'd never be really sure until I check online. I didn't even know it was a place. It had a lovely name though. It was giving me Spanish vibes. Avery shoulda told me but instead he just told me to come over to LA. There were Christmas decorations everywhere and I fell asleep on the way to his house. I was dreaming of Juris before I felt a hand poking me. It was becoming increasingly annoying and I tried batting the hand away but it just kept coming back. Avery was trying to wake me. I snapped my eye open.

"Oh honestly Avery, I'm not heavy" I complained. He wasn't having it. He made me walk inside after him and even made me carry my own suitcase.

His house screamed Christmas in big neon signs.... Literally. I'll refrain from explaining how his house looks firstly because i don't want to make this text longer than it already will be. Secondly, because my battery is low and Third, the description would make you hopelessly queasy and dizzy if you tried to imagine all the colors.

The days dragged on slowly until Avery got tired of my Grinch energy and decided to take me out.

"Let's go out!" He suggested one fine morning as I was on a video call with Juris, reminding her to behave. She wasn't really paying much attention to me anyway.

"No, thank you" I answered politely but, he pulled me out into the street. French temperament, I thought and before I knew it, we were at Starbucks.

He ordered me a pink drink and it was quite an experience since I'd never been interested in it before. I could safely say it was probably my favorite Starbucks drink now. I was enjoying my drink when Avery hit me hard in the ribs with his elbow. I looked up to where he was pointing, gaping and quite obviously drooling.

I forgot to mention that Avery was gay and that he'd spotted an extremely beautiful man. His makeup was extraordinary. I found myself gaping as he passed our table and placed his order. I pressed a warm hand to my cheek, criticizing my own makeup skills.  Avery looked at me burst into giggles.

"Hey darling, there's what real makeup talent looks like" He laughed

I rolled my eyes at him. I didn't even consider myself a makeup genius.

"Avery, are you a top or bottom?" I asked him coldly

"Ask your ex" He smiled and winked at me.

I choked and started coughing. I didn't even want to know what he meant. Before I could finish my drink, Avery pulled me outside and stood casually by the doorway.

"When he comes out, we ambush him with a Merry Christmas! Sige?" He smiled foolishly, His dimples winking at me

I waited with him because I wanted to meet this guy as well.He looked friendly, he looked familiar and although he had Christmas vibes all about him, it wasn't as annoying as Avery. Just then, my phone chimed and I realized, my friend that I'd left Juris with was calling me. I answered the call, prepared to scold Juris, assuming she'd destroyed something. But, then my phone slipped out of my hand and fell onto the pavement. I'm sure I don't need to explain that it was quite ruined. I crouched down to pick it up, cursing under my breath. Just at that moment, the door swung open and I heard Avery.

"Hi sister! I'm your biggest fan, can I have a picture with you?"

I stood up and watched as Avery pulled out his phone which was in perfect condition and snapped a few pictures with him. Then it hit me like a million bullets. This was James Charles . Avery's celebrity crush that he wouldn't shut up about. I googled him once and in all honesty, the Google photos did not do him justice. How didn't I recognize him? I stood miserably, hoping for the ground to swallow me up.

"Oh hey come here Mars" Avery pulled my limp hand. He made quick introductions and even if James Charles was bored or not interested at all, he showed no signs of it. James' voice was so comforting and I fought the urge to curl up in his lap like a child and fall asleep. I kept hanging on his every word and twice, Avery had to jab me in the ribs to keep me from falling. James was very civil but we couldn't keep him standing out with us all day talking nonsense and by the time we got home, Avery casually let me know that he was going up to his room to masturbate. Frowning, I went back to my own room and lay back in bed quietly appreciating James' blend of masculine and feminine beauty.

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I woke up the next morning, absolutely sore. My body was on fire. One day, Juris and I would settle here or we could come visit Avery. There would be nothing wrong with it. Sighing, I climbed out of bed. Prepared to suffer through the day.

Fast forward, four years. Once again, I was on my way to LA but this time, with Juris. After a devastatingly long flight of approximately 21 hours and 50 minutes, from my country of origin to LA, I was finally here. With Juris. If you're wondering how my flight was, I thank you for your concern but I'd rather not discuss it.

I barely travel alone but here I was again, making sure that mine and Juris' paperwork was accurate. I got my luggage quicker than usual. It wasn't difficult to find since it the saddest looking yellow suitcase among all the others plus Juris' purple suitcase. I squeezed among tons of people, desperately trying to locate the exit, pulling Juris after me. Twice, she slipped out of sight and twice I had to stop her from ambushing a dignified looking man with a frown on his face.

Juris and I got out of the airport and I looked around. Again, I had to wait for Avery. I looked down at Juris and we began to walk. The sun beat down furiously on my head. Any second now and it might catch fire. I imagined what it would be like if I were bald. I giggled at the thought and had to make some effort to stop myself from laughing too loud. I felt like a character in a cartoon movie, waiting for some unfortunate experience to befall me.

Then, I looked up and saw a white Ford racing recklessly towards me and Juris. Avery quickly stepped on brakes and jumped out of the car. He looked down at Juris and patted her head fondly.

"Well it's a good thing that you brought her. So, you're 23 now right?" He smiled

I frowned intently at him. "Stop bringing up my age."

He laughed and began to put mine and Juris'suitcase in his back seat. He lifted Juris up and put her down carefully in the back seat as well since she refused to climb in herself. He opened the door to the front seat and smiled mockingly at me, bending over slightly at the waist.

"You're a lawyer now" He said in the worst English accent I've ever heard.

He was right, I'd completed law school and I wouldn't mind practicing in LA. In fact, it would be a great thing and as a plus, I get to be around Avery.

Another hour long drive. I hated sitting in cars for long periods of time and even Juris was getting restless and she starting whining. Finally, we arrived at Avery's Encino residence.

Juris let out a hearty bark and jumped out of the car as soon as her door was open.

"I know a great law firm" Avery started as we settled down.

"Sure, I'll go apply" I murmured distractedly, keeping an eye on Juris as she explored her new home.

"Is she potty trained?" Avery began carefully.

I nodded.

"Avery, let's go. I wanna apply as soon as possible" I whined

"Okay, okay"

We left Juris at the house and soon enough we were there. I nervously hopped out of the car and entered the building. It was a funny looking building. It was tilted too far right and it had a very pink roof. The building itself was lemon green and it was the lousiest building on the street.

I entered, not knowing what to expect. If I had known what was awaiting me, I probably would've stayed home.

The lobby was about as lousy as the exterior. There was a wide range of unusual decor. There were a bunch of dead grass in flower pots. The carpet seemed to made out of skunk fur and absolutely smelt like it . I turned and looked at Avery. He smiled at me.

"Oh Avery, you can't be serious." I punched his shoulder and turned around. I bumped into a tall man. He had a chiseled jawline. His eyes were emerald green and his lips were full.

"Came for a job?" He asked

I nodded and frowned. He was giving me pervert vibes and I didn't want him anywhere around me.

"Cone apply at my Law firm then " he handed me an official looking card and walked away.

I ignored Avery on the drive home. If he expected me to work there, he was utterly mistaken

"Tomorrow, we'll search for jobs okay?" He said

"Avery, no"

"If you're thinking about going to that guy.... don't" He commanded

"Why?"

"He's a bad person." He murmured

It didn't matter, I still wanted to check it out.

The next day, I crept out of the house. Met up with Mr. Rogers (that was his name) and I was working in his law firm.

Before long, I had my first case and I won! It was something about a goat herder.

A college suggested that we go for a few drinks and my problems started there.

I probably shouldn't have drunk so much

I opened my eyes, looking around a dimly lit space. I squinted at a battered bedside table with a condom on it. Other than the condom, there was absolutely nothing else in the table. I widened my eyes in surprise and tried to jump off the bed. My limbs felt heavy and my head spun at high speed. My eyes watered and I whimpered. My throat my horribly dry and my mouth felt like I'd been eating sand.

Another problem was that the heat was horribly stifling. I was slowly baking. A slippery sheen of perspiration moistened my skin and a big ceiling fan was swinging uselessly in the air.

I tried looking down at myself and saw that I was still fully dressed and that I had no signs of foul play. The only thing that bothered me was that with each labored breath I took, the horrible scent of alcoholic drink wafted to my nostrils. I tried squirming away and my entire body felt as if I were filled with a thousand bags of cement.

The rest of the room was hopelessly disgusting. With each movement I made, clouds of dust tickled my nostrils. It would be of no worldly use to you if I described the rest of the room to you or else you just might have many sleepless nights thinking of such a revolting place. You might even find yourself being disgusted at any house that had so much as a cobweb hanging in their grandfather clock.

I heard a shuffling sound outside and I squeezed my eyes shut as a man swaggered into the room. An instantly recognizable scent followed him. Someone had definitely been smoking. Personally, I'm instantly attracted to men that smoke. He was built quite well and was someone I would've taken an interest in...in different circumstances of course. I suppressed a sneeze and squinted up at him. Now, i had to fight to not faint. He was handsome. Very. Very. Very handsome.

He looked down at me with Almond colored eyes. His hair was an ashy blond. His body was well toned and I could tell he'd been working out. His abs were starting to form and he looked a day over 21. He looked down his straight, bony nose at me with a disapproving glare. His lips were screwed up tight and he rolled his eyes. I coughed a bit and he smirked. Two delicate dimples winked back at me. He pushed my damp hair from my face and I caught sight of his sleeve of tattoos. I almost stuck my tongue out at him. How did he know I loved men with tattoos? It was like he was made especially for me.

At his side, was a large dog sniffed at my fingers and licked them periodically. I wasn't sure what breed he was but I could tell he was a mix. For someone who had such a depressing room, he had an exceptional dog. It looked very expensive. Maybe he stole it.

Suddenly, the heat became vicious. I felt a deep, dull throbbing in my core. I remembered vaguely that I had gone clubbing with my new colleagues at work. I was new to the law firm and had just been successful on my first case. It had to do with the murder of a goat owner. He'd been stabbed with a severed goat horn. He also favoured goat cheese. I'm sure this would be boring information to you anyway. However, a male colleague came up with the idea that we should go out drinking. I agreed since I was so up tight most of the time. I decided that the others could come as well because i wasn't comfortable being with that guy.

He was quite muscular and had beady eyes. He had jet black hair and looked awfully entitled. He was rich obviously. He was always trying to get into bed with me. I could barely work on my goat case without him ogling at me. Apparently, he wanted to showcase the fact that he was anti racist by sleeping with a black girl. When we all arrived at the bar with his expensive limo, we jumped out and partied like there was no tomorrow. He gave me weird looks throughout our little party.

He went towards the bar and came back with drinks for everyone. As a lawyer, i guess I should've been a bit smarter and shouldn't have drank something given to me by such a shady looking character. Anyway, i foolishly chugged it down. Glass after glass until I could barely feel my legs. Then, i felt him dragging me up and away. When we got on the street, i had the common sense to yell and then my savior came. After a brief fight, i was in a pair of stronger arms. One thing led to another ( I'd never know what they were since I was unconscious) and I found myself here sweating under this man's gaze.

It all came crashing down on me. SHIT! There was some sort of aphrodisiac in the drinks I'd had. Although, I was dizzy, the drugs clouded my brain and I knelt unsteadily on the bed and began to strip off my clothing slowly. The dog backed away and sat back to enjoy the show. The handsome man gave me a toothy grin and then shook his head and tried walking away.

Swaying, i wrapped my arms around my saviour's neck and planted a wet kiss on his lips. His eyes widened in surprise and he wrapped his arms round my waist for the same reason. I pulled him down onto the bed. He squeezed my already hard nipples and I moaned in appreciation...