My One True Christmas Wish

We were definitely intent on enjoying our evening as both Aubrey and I were drinking, her maybe just a skosh too much. I slowed down my intake and made it a point to keep my eye on her. After a while I'm standing there just kind of watching her as she stood with her back to the bar amidst a small crowd of people. She was of course the center of attention. I occasionally nodded my head to the guy next to me as he droned on and on about his boat. Really? Dude, its November....but I was trying to be polite so I stood there and half-listened. My eyes moved down the bar away from Aubrey and for some reason I settled my gaze on the host of this party. I watched as he concentrated on putting together a tray of shots. I guess what got my attention was the fact he was using real glass shot glasses and not plastic cups.

I continued watching with a little more interest when I saw him look around over both shoulders, but in a sneaky kind of way...like that wasn't suspicious. I scowled as I watched this douchebag empty the contents from what looked like a small vial or some kind of pill bottle into one of the shots. I found myself stepping away from my would-be suitor in mid-sentence. I began to walk across the room, stepping around party guests and mumbling 'excuse me' while keeping my eyes glued to the asshole host as he carried that tray of shots over to a group of people. The same group of people who were hanging around Aubrey. I was having a hard time believing that this was actually happening as I approached the group.

Unreal. He actually did it...I literally watched him do it. He made sure Aubrey got the doctored shot. I didn't have time to explain or intervene, so I did the only thing I could think of - I lunged into the middle of these people and slapped the shot glass out of Aubrey's hand. I actually slapped her hand a little harder than I meant to as she yelped and immediately clutched her hand to her chest in pain. She looked up at me in shock and I started to reach towards her to explain when the wannabe rapist prick blew his top.

"Hey!" the douchebag-host stepped in front of me and looked at me like I had lost my mind. "What the fuck?"

"She's my friend," I replied a little too loudly. As far as explanations went that really didn't make a lot of sense, but my adrenaline was pumping. I leaned to the side of him so I could look at Aubrey. "Come on, time to go."

"Oh, hell no!" the asshole glared down at me and raised his voice. "Bitch, I'm telling you right now that you aren't going any-fucking-where until you clean this up."

"Yeah, about that," I raised my voice and turned my full attention to this motherfucker who just happened to be about a foot taller than me and twice as big. I didn't care. I was furious and a little drunk. "I could care less about your fucking carpet since you were trying to drug my friend with that shot...bitch!"

The crowd around us within earshot of my voice immediately got a lot quieter and turned all of their attention to the scene unfolding in front of them.

"What?" the host replied and he suddenly seemed more nervous than pissed. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about...but you're gonna pay to have my carpet cleaned."

"You really think so?" I asked doubtfully. I reached down and picked up the shot glass that still had some remnants in it. "Huh. I wonder if the cops can test this...you know, see what all is in it."

He started to laugh, but then his hand shot out and grabbed my wrist hard enough that it made me drop the shot glass. With a jerk on my arm he pulled me in closer and lowered his voice. "Whose fucking house do you think this is?"

"Let...go." I demanded quietly and tried to pull away. He just smirked at me as he held on. I looked him square in the eye and told him straight out, "You're hurting my arm. I'm asking you for the last time...let go of me."

With an even bigger smirk the asshole nodded his head and did as I asked. He let go by giving my arm a push which sent my little ass tumbling backwards to the floor. Everyone just stood there in shock and a few people let out a quiet "hey" in protest. I started to get up and was all prepared to try and kick him in the balls when a large brown hand shot in from stage left of this little drama and grabbed the douchebag by the throat. The guy froze and his eyes got really big. He reached up to grab on to the hand that was around his throat, but it didn't look like he was doing much but hanging on. I glanced down and saw that he was being lifted up onto his tippy-toes.

My eyes followed that large brown hand to the brown face it belonged to and hey, it was that nice, unbelievably humungous guy that I had chatted with earlier. I thought he was really nice. During our conversation I remember he mentioned that he was Samoan...and, oh yeah, I think he also mentioned that he played for one of the NFL teams.

"You hurt?" he asked me simply. My arm would probably end up being bruised, but nothing serious. I shook my head no.

"You?" he next asked Aubrey. She was wide-eyed and slowly shook her head.

"You ready to apologize?" he asked the piece of crap in his grip.

Douchebag managed to sort of nod his head and then croaked a strangled, "Sorry."

Humungous Samoan dude let go of the guy's throat and the douchebag immediately went to his knees. He brought both of his hands up to hover protectively near his damaged throat as he started coughing and gagging. The whole party erupted into applause and people started high fiving the pro football player. I turned to Aubrey. She nodded. It was definitely time to go. We made a beeline for the door and I called a cab from the elevator. We were both a little shook up, but we still managed to laugh at the fact that chivalry was not dead.

We got in the cab and I gave the driver Aubrey's address to drop her off first. She told me to just stay at her place tonight. We could do a late breakfast in the morning. I hesitated, but then she asked me to please stay, that she didn't feel like being alone after all that bullshit at the party. I finally agreed and we both just kind of rested in a comfortable silence in the back of the taxi as it headed towards her apartment. I ended up having to help Aubrey up the steps...she was a little drunker than I thought.

It was also later than I thought.

I was exhausted and asked Aubrey if I could borrow a t-shirt to sleep in. She nodded towards a drawer as she headed for the shower. She announced that she wasn't going to wash her hair as she put her long tresses up into a ponytail-bun, but she wanted to wash the stink of that party off of her. I stripped down to just my bra and panties and threw the oversized t-shirt on. I was crawling under the sheets of Aubrey's queen size bed when I heard the shower shut off.

I settled down under the fluffy comforter and was in the process of reaching up to flip the pillow over so that I could lay my head against the cool side of it when Aubrey walked into her bedroom with a just a towel wrapped around her. I could see from the glow of the little night-lite by the door that the tan skin of her shoulders glittered from little droplets of shining water on them as she walked around to the side of the bed I was lying on. She sat down next to me on the edge of the bed and silently looked down at me for a moment. She smiled and I could tell she was still buzzed. Suddenly there were tears in her eyes.

"Meg..." Aubrey whispered as she tried not to cry. "I just wanted to say thanks."

"Hey," I sat up and wiped away a tear from her cheek with my thumb. "No worries, hon."

"I'm serious," Aubrey insisted as another tear ran down her cheek.

"So am I," I smiled and wiped that tear away and then took her in my arms in a reassuring hug. "I got your back, Aubs. That's what friends do...they look out for each other."

"Thank you," Aubrey whispered and then stood up. She gave me another tired smile as she walked back around to her side of the bed. She took the towel off and wiped her face with it and then crawled into the bed next to me...without a stitch of clothing on.

I was stunned. I mean, it wasn't like I had never shared a bed with another girl before. It certainly wasn't the first time I had seen one of my friends naked either. Hell, it wasn't even the first time I had slept in the same bed with a naked girl...it was just Aubrey without clothes on was - fuck, I don't even know how to describe it. A work of art? Beautiful beyond description? I mean she was utterly stunning.

"I really appreciate you being my friend, Meg," Aubrey whispered as she faced me. "I really do."

I turned towards her and whispered back, "I really appreciate you too, friend."

She grinned and then let out a big yawn. "I'm really tired."

"I know, baby," I whispered. Baby? Why did I call her baby? "Just try to get some sleep."

"Mmmhmmm," she mumbled in agreement and turned over on to her other side facing away from me.

I was still kind of in shock from seeing my goddess-like friend completely naked. Wow...Aubrey was ridiculously good-looking and extremely attractive with clothes on, but naked? Holy smokes - that's like a whole other level of hotness. I closed my eyes and mentally shook my head at the events of the evening when I felt Aubrey scooch back into me. I gently started to move backwards away from her when she wiggled her ass until it was pressed right up against my groin area. She reached behind her and grabbed one of my arms and then pulled it around her so that I was spooning her tightly.

I tensed up for a moment, but then relaxed and with a small sigh snuggled her close to me. My friend needed to know that I had her back and I was there for her. She obviously needed to be comforted right now...she needed to feel safe and loved. I was also still kind of buzzed...that was what I was telling myself.

Yep...I was totally chalking up that little tingling feeling in my panties to the alcohol.

****

I was warm...and comfortable...and slightly hungover.

I managed to open one of my eyes and found myself staring directly into the tangle of Aubrey's hair. I did a quick inventory without moving. Stomach just the littlest bit queasy, but I think after I had something to eat I would feel better. My head hurt and my arm was a little sore, but not unbearably so. Ibuprofen or aspirin would help that. Uh, wow, I became aware that part of that warmth and comfort was due to all of the intimate body to body contact. My leg was kind of thrown over Aubrey's leg and she had her naked butt nestled right up against my lady parts. My arm was draped over and kind of around her waist and...yup, that was definitely a handful of Aubrey's large breast resting in my palm. Her breast was heavier than I would have thought...and really firm, but still really soft. It actually felt quite nice.

I can honestly say that I'm not really sure exactly why I did what I did...I think it was probably due to the fact that I had never felt another woman's breast before. I mean not like felt 'for real' in such an intimate setting as the one I was in now, all cuddled up with my naked friend in her bed. So yeah...I did it. I gave Aubrey's breast a nice squeeze as I closed my eye and dozed back off.

I have no idea how much later it was when I woke up again, but I didn't feel quite as rough and the space next to me in Aubrey's bed was empty. I gradually managed to sit up and swing my legs around so that my feet were on the floor. I was still hungover, but not as bad as I expected to be. I definitely needed food and something for my headache and my sore arm. I stood up and took two steps towards the bathroom when the door opened and Aubrey stepped out dressed in yoga pants and a t-shirt drying her hair with a towel. It amazed me that she could look that good with no make-up on and wet hair.

She immediately smiled at me and quietly said, "Good morning."

"Morning," I smiled back and went to move past her so that I could relieve my screaming bladder, but Aubrey stopped me with a quick hug. I hugged her back and then she stepped away with another smile and I moved into the bathroom to use the facilities. I decided to go ahead and jump in the shower and the hot water helped...every minute I stood under the hot spray it seemed like I felt a little less hungover. I reluctantly shut the water off feeling a whole lot better than I did when I woke up. I was just about to call out to Aubrey and ask for a towel when I opened the shower door and saw that sitting on the edge of the sink was a stack of clothes and a fresh towel.

I grabbed the towel and quickly dried off and then started going through the clothes. Underwear, sweat pants, a tank top and a sweatshirt. Obviously she wasn't going to loan me a bra (I figured Aubrey had to be at least a DD cup), but how thoughtful was that? I got dressed, choosing to go with just the tank top rather than the bra I wore last night. Everything fit okay if just a little bit too big, but I was super comfy and you were not going to hear me complain.

I emerged clean, comfortable and ready to go to breakfast. Aubrey came over to me with one hand closed and the other holding a bottle of water. I gratefully took the four Advil tablets from her with a tired grin and downed them with half the bottle of water. As soon I finished swallowing, she asked me if I wanted to wear a pair of her ballet shoes or flip-flops.

Hmmm...I tried on the Rainbows and was surprised to find we wore the same size shoe. "These work for me."

"Cool," she nodded as she pulled a polar fleece jacket on over her t-shirt.

We headed out to a little bistro-diner place that was right around the corner from Aubrey's apartment. Twenty minutes later we were a couple of happy girls now that we were elbow deep in eggs, bacon, french toast and coffee. We were not the least bit concerned with manners or looking dainty or lady-like either - at least I wasn't. I was throwing down on all that yummy, greasy goodness, and I think Aubrey was doing a heck of a job of keeping up with me.

Finally stuffed to the brim with all of the fat and carbs we could stand, we both sat back on our respective sides of the booth satiated. From the look on Aubrey's face she was feeling like I was and that meant much better than when we first woke up. We just kind of sat there for a few moments in a comfortable silence. I was enjoying the last few swallows of what I had decided would be my last cup of the bistro's house-blend when Aubrey cleared her throat. I glanced up to find that she was looking at me with a semi-serious expression on her face like she had something important to say.

I sat up and gave her my full attention.

"I uh, kind of remember saying something last night," Aubrey smiled and then looked down self-consciously. "But I want you to know that I'm truly thankful you were there for me last night."

"I told you last night and I'll tell you again in the light of day, all sober and whatnot," I grinned and then pointed my finger at her like a pistol. "I've got your back, chick."

"No one has ever done anything like that for me before..." Aubrey looked back up at me. "I mean, you stood up to that asshole and I don't know...it looked like you were willing to get your ass kicked trying to protect me or whatever."

"I don't know about that," I joked. "I think I could have taken him."

"I'm serious, Meghan," Aubrey reached out with a very somber look on her face and placed her hand on top of mine. "I've never known another friend much less a female friend who looked out for me like you do. I want you to know...I really, really appreciate it. And I appreciate you...a lot."

"Back at ya," I smiled and squeezed her hand. "Seriously...I think the world of you. I'm happy we've become such good friends."

Aubrey nodded and then bit her lip, which was like cuter than a whole litter of puppies and I swear it looked like she might start tearing up again. She didn't. Instead, she sat up straight and motioned for the waitress. She insisted on picking up the check. We went back to her place and lounged around on her couch for a while watching reruns of The Walking Dead. I loved spending time with Aubrey...but before long I knew I had to get going. I still had laundry to do if I was going to have anything to wear to work on Monday. We hugged goodbye, but not before I promised that I would definitely come back over to her apartment the next day for Chinese food and more TV time.

I started the drive back to my place and two things suddenly stood out to me. I was in a really good mood and felt like despite all the drama, Friday night and the sleepover and this morning's breakfast had been a lot of fun. I enjoyed all of it immensely...and I kind of missed hanging out with Aubrey already. Was that ridiculous or what? I wasn't even home yet. I found myself smiling in anticipation of tomorrow afternoon. I was actually really looking forward to curling up with Aubrey on her couch and enjoying spring rolls and a movie.

I don't know if I can tell you the exact date and time when it occurred to me, but it wasn't too long after that weekend that I realized Aubrey had become my best friend.

****

After that weekend, there was a noticeable change to my relationship with Aubrey. It was kind of subtle and I don't think I gave it much thought, but Aubrey started treating me differently. I think she felt our friendship was growing into that next level of 'best friendship' and looking back on it now, I don't think she'd ever had like a real female best friend before...not one that she could trust anyways. I'm not going to psychoanalyze it, but Aubrey began to confide in me and ask my advice about pretty much everything.

I of course reciprocated - I loved Aubrey. She was awesome.

I think she also began to really appreciate the fact that I wasn't overwhelmed by her looks and I wasn't about to bow down to her will - I told her the truth and gave her my honest opinion whether she wanted to hear it or not. Aubrey was the kind of person that needed that. Believe it or not, she was actually kind of insecure about a few areas of her life - especially guys. Again, I know it sounds cliché, but it turns out it was true in this case - the prettiest girls don't get asked out all the time because most guys are intimidated by their looks or don't even bother trying. Most of the guys she did end up going out with were pompous assholes that were only concerned with getting into her pants...and I wasn't shy about telling Aubrey that either.

The day started off as just an average day at work - well as average as a Friday can be the week before Thanksgiving. We were both super busy trying to finish up last minute projects and reports on all things marketing before the holiday. I was concentrating on a power point presentation when Aubrey nudged me and gave me that look that I knew meant "follow me." I mentally sighed. It was Friday and I had to finish this presentation before a meeting later that afternoon. I held up a finger so I could finish the slide I was working on. Once I had it done and made one small grammatical correction to it, I proceeded to get up and follow Aubrey out of our little work area and around the corner to the marketing supply room. She ducked into the supply room and dragged me in after her and locked the door behind us.

"Meg, I need your help," Aubrey whispered dramatically and then took a deep breath and let it out slowly as if she was getting ready for an Olympic high dive or something.

"Alright," I shrugged. "What's up?"

"Well...I met this guy," she started to explain, but then stopped and scowled at me when I groaned and rolled my eyes.

"Seriously, Aubs?"

"Yes, seriously," she insisted.

I looked into those expectant amber-brown eyes and finally let out a small sigh as I mentally submitted and prepared myself to try and listen patiently. "Okay, okay...I'm listening."