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My December	By : Fuelish Category: Individual Celebrities > Josh Groban Views: 2010 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I do not know Josh Groban. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Josh leaned on the railing of the ship and took in the ocean air. He glanced to his right and saw Karen, her eyes closed sucking in air through her nostrils, her hair was being blown back by the wind. He smiled, she was so beautiful like this, he mentally cursed himself for leaving the camera back in the stateroom.
“This is fantastic.” She said softly. He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her into him. Just then Carlie and Ashley came running up to them, Alex and Dee arm in arm following close behind.
“There’s a craft room, Mommy!” Carlie said and threw her arms around her mom. Karen hugged her daughter and then let her go.
“Is that where you’re going to be because we’re going to eat dinner in about an hour or two and I need to be able to find you." Carlie glanced at Ashley who nodded.
“Yep, that’s where we’re going to be.”
“Let’s walk them there and then we’ll have drinks.” Dee said as the girls skipped off towards the elevators. Josh slid his arm around Karen’s shoulders as they walked and slipped her hand inside Josh’s and laced her fingers through his.
“This New Year’s cruise was a fantastic idea.” She said. Josh nodded.
“It’s going to be a blast.” He said. They took the elevator down to the 5th level and found a whole hall full of rooms for kids 13 and under. Karen was amazed … a line dancing room, a music room, food and drinks, crafts … Ashley and Carlie opened the door to the craft room and chatter from the inside filtered into the hallway. When they were safely tucked inside the four adults made their way back to the main deck where they found a table and waited to order drinks. Once they had them they toasted the new year and valued relatives then drank.
“Where are the older two?” Dee asked sucking the olive out of her martini and chewing it.
“They are watching a concert.” Karen replied. There were three auditoriums on the ship, two of them holding concerts all night featuring popular rock stars and groups including Justin Timberlake and the Black Eyed Peas. She was fairly certain she wouldn’t see them until they crawled back to the suite and flopped into bed. Dee nodded. She pulled the schedule out of her purse and spread it out onto the table.
“Okay, let’s see … what time is it now?” She said, checked her watch and went back to the schedule. Karen leaned over to look with her. “Okay let’s see … it’s 8:15 …” She ran her finger down the page and found the listings for the Main stage. “Wow!” She said. “The new INXS is playing now.” Karen raised her eyebrows.
“That’s cool. And check it out, Nickelback is next. Who’s playing at midnight?”
“The Goo Goo Dolls.” Karen made a face and stuck out her tongue. Josh pulled the schedule out from under Dee’s hands and peered at it.
“Fabulous!” He said, excited. “My Chemical Romance is playing on the other stage. I want to see them!” Karen looked at Dee who shrugged then they both giggled. “Okay, whatever.” He said and leaned back in his chair.
“I’ll go watch them with you.” Alex offered. Josh tipped his glass to Alex who did the same. The guys finished their drinks and then excused themselves. When they disappeared the girls sighed, finished their drinks and ordered more. They drank and chatted until they were once again joined by their men who informed them it was time to round up the kids for dinner.

Most of them sat in the main dining room and perused menus. Kelly and Ryan were missing but Karen expected that. Josh closed the menu and set it down on the table.
“I’m going to have a huge steak.” He announced and laced his fingers together in front of him.
“Me too.” Karen said and set down her menu as well. Ashley and Carlie decided on mostaccioli and then Alex and Dee decided on the steak and lobster combination. They chatted as they ate, making plans to visit Disney World in the near future. Ashley and Carlie giggled excitedly as the adults made plans to go here and there. Then Josh sighed.
“I’ve got a tour coming up.” He said as he ate the last bit of his meal and then pushed the plate to the side.
“Oh you’re not going anywhere for a while.” Alex said and then stifled a laugh. Josh pointed at Alex.
“That’s not nice.” Alex laughed and drained his glass of the last of his beer.
“Oh, pffft.” He waved him away. “You love touring and you know it.” Josh laughed.
“Yeah, but I love Warner Brothers Studio too!” He said. Karen muffled a laugh. He could be such a child sometimes.
“Well …” Dee said, wiping Ashley’s face with a cloth napkin. “You might have a day or so in between to sneak off.” She offered. Josh nodded.
“Sure.” He sighed, dejected. Karen clasped his hand in hers and squeezed.
“We’ll figure out something.” He lifted her hand and kissed it gently. The soft of his lips and the heat of his breath gave her chills. She looked forward to later, in the room when they were safely away from relatives and children and she could take advantage of those delicious lips and the tongue inside. She felt herself flush at the thought of it and emitted a little sigh. Josh noticed and sucked one of her fingers into his mouth. Karen closed her eyes at the tantalizing feeling. Josh continued to suck on her digit until he heard Alex clear his throat then he backed up and gave Karen’s hand back to her. She fumbled with the napkin in her lap uncomfortably until Dee got up with the girls.
“They want to try line dancing.” She said and then shrugged.
“I want to!” Josh said getting up from the table and pulling Karen up. The six of them headed down to the dancing floors. They danced and laughed until 11:30 when they made their way to the main concert hall and joined the Goo Goo Dolls concert which was well under way. Waitresses breezed past them with trays held up in the air filled with flutes of champagne. Josh stopped one and snagged two glasses for himself and Karen. They clinked glasses together then drank.

Two minutes before midnight the waitresses were making their way around the room ensuring that everyone had a glass of champagne to toast the new year. Josh, Karen, Dee, and Alex made sure the girls were close at hand when the countdown began. At the final stroke of midnight, there on a cruise ship in the Pacific Ocean Josh was holding in his arms someone he’d found he loved dearly and truly couldn’t live without. He pulled her close and gazed into her emerald eyes.
“I love you, Karen. Happy New Year.” She smiled and leaned up for a kiss.
“Happy New Year to you, Josh, I love you too!” He pressed his mouth against hers engulfing it and kissing fiercely.

Karen made one last check on the kids before closing the door to the suite and making her way back to the bed where Josh lie waiting. He pulled the covers aside so she could crawl in next to him and once she had he tossed the covers back over her and pulled her into his arms.
“Finally.” He said, pulling a stray hair from her lashes and leaning down, kissed her forehead. She sighed and slid her arms around his neck.
“I know.” She whispered.
“Now we can ring in the New Year the right way!” He said softly and then slowly, teasingly leaned down and pressed his mouth onto hers. She pulled him closer and sucked at him hungrily. He slid his tongue into her mouth and found hers as his hands made their way down her side and under her silk nightie. She moaned lightly as he slid his hand up her thigh and onto her belly. He rubbed it momentarily before sliding up and underneath her breasts. He took one into his hand and rubbed his thumb along her taught nipple. She raised up her knee and pressed it against him. He took the cue and ran his hand back down to the fur mound that signaled he’d reached what he was looking for. His fingers slid down through the hair and found her wet and slightly open. “Mmmm …” He moaned and tickled her opening with the tips of his fingers. She groaned into him as he slid one inside and pushed it as far as it would go. He began to move it inside and out as her hips raised to him, giving him more access to further her pleasure. He pressed his hardness against her and rubbed lightly, the liquid he oozed providing a much needed slick surface for him. She pulled back from his head and groaned.
“Oh God, baby, do it, now!” He wasted no time and mounted her, she opened herself for him and he slid inside quickly. He made love to her, going slowly even though his body said fast and when he was done he held her in his arms, his fingers tangled in her hair as he lay staring at the ceiling and contemplated the coming year.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Josh looked up at the house and squinted into the sun. He held a hand over his eyebrows, it blocked the bright light and allowed him to take in the front of it while shaded. It was stately yet modest, had a nice stairway to the front door, and a bay window. He turned and looked past the drive into the small forest that provided much needed privacy from any prying eyes. He climbed the stairs and went inside. The air was cool and dusty. The place was empty save for a hutch in the foyer. He made his way to the back and into the kitchen; there was no sound except for his footsteps. It was somewhat eerie. He shivered and pulled his sweatshirt closer to him. The kitchen was massive, a pot rack hung from the ceiling in the middle of the room over a butcher block table. He smiled. It would be fantastic for entertaining. He knew Karen would love it. She could cook some memorable meals in here. Moving on to the family room he envisioned a giant, flat screen TV against the far wall and leather movie theatre seating all around it. Josh grinned and nodded.
“Yeah …” He whispered and reveled in the fact that the carpeting absorbed the noise in the room. He moved up the stairs to the bedrooms. The master bedroom was located to the left of the stairs and engulfed the whole space above the four car garage below. The only thing he wasn’t sure about was the white carpet. “That can be changed easily.” He said to himself and moved on down the hall towards the other rooms. There were five bedrooms in all, each one of them having their own private bathroom and walk-in closet. Josh tingled with excitement as he hopped back down the stairs and found the front door. Once outside he dialed a number on his cell phone and waited for an answer.
“Yeah, Jim …” He said to the man who answered on the other end. “I want it.” He put the car in gear and pulled out of the drive. “Get the papers ready, I’m on my way.”

After making an offer on the house, Josh headed over to the studio and helped put the finishing touches on the upcoming CD. He met with his bosses to find out what kind of schedule he was looking towards. He was going to Mexico for a photo shoot in late February then an extensive promotional tour that not only spanned the U.S. but Europe as well. He felt a momentary flood of panic. His thoughts went straight to Karen and how she would deal with his absence. He wasn’t sure if he could handle it either. He left there with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He headed towards his parent’s house where he was to have dinner with them and Chris. He thought about his upcoming schedule and frowned. He thought about asking Karen to come with him; he wasn’t sure if he could stand being away from her for extended lengths of time and then sighed because he knew the answer would most likely be no. She was engaged to her job and the kids would have to stay with their father and, according to Karen, he was a total jerk. He shook his head. He was going to have to figure this one out because he wasn’t going to be separated from her for that long without losing his mind.

Josh sat and watched as the snow fell heavily from the angry, slate sky. He loved the snow, it was so pure, and white and usually tumbled from the sky gracefully, unlike rain that splattered everywhere making everything wet and heavy from the moment it landed. Snow, on the other hand, though it was wet didn’t seem to soak anything until much later when it melted, even then it was just droplets. Today, however, the snow came down quickly and covered the ground and anything else it landed on with a white, glistening blanket. He was mesmerized by it. Turning his head he looked upwards and watched as it rained down in large, wet flakes. It melted as soon as it landed on him leaving a droplet of water in it’s place. Looking around to see if anyone was looking he stuck out his tongue and felt the snowflakes fall onto it, it tickled. He smiled. He was glad he didn’t have to see snow every winter in California but now and then it was fun to experience it. He leaned against the rental car and waited for Karen. He glanced at the watch on his wrist and sighed. She should have been home by now. He sniffled and couldn’t understand why his nose was running so much. His hands were beginning to freeze so he stuck them up under his arms and felt the warmth it provided. He saw headlights approaching and as Karen pulled carefully into the driveway behind him he leaned away from the rental and smiled. She turned off the headlights and killed the engine.
“What the hell are you doing here so early?” She asked as she got out of the car and approached. “Thought you weren’t supposed to be here until later.”
“I took an earlier flight and man, am I glad I did!” He held his arms out to her and she slipped into them. She smiled and began picking white snow flakes out of his curls. He leaned down and kissed her. She pulled away quickly.
“Wow! You are cold!” She said and grabbed his hands, they were icy. “Oh, honey, come inside!” She pulled him to the front door. “Why didn’t you wait inside the house?” She asked unlocking the door and pushing it open. She pulled him inside and shrugged off her coat.
“I was looking at the snow. I’ve never seen snow before.” Josh took off his coat and hung it up on the hook behind the door with Karen’s.
“Really?” She asked, incredulous. He laughed at her gullibility. She pulled him to her and held him close, his cheeks and his hands were still chilly. He ran his cold hands up her back and she shivered. “Oh God, you have got to warm up!” She pulled from his frozen grasp and threw a few logs into the fireplace. While it was beginning to catch fire she went to her bedroom and found a faux fur throw and lay it down in front of the fireplace. Josh watched as she spread the throw flat in front of the now blazing fire. He smiled slyly out of one corner of his mouth and stuffed his hands in his front pockets as he watched her. When the fur throw was flat on the floor she stood and eyed him seductively. He watched with interest as she slowly unbuttoned her blouse and then slid it down off her shoulders. She reached behind her back and unhooked her bra. It dropped to the floor. Karen shook her head and then tossed her hair back. Josh licked his lips and then rushed to her as she held her arm out in front of her, hooked her index finger and indicated he should come forward. The contrast between the heat of her half naked body and his still cool hands made her gasp audibly as he cupped her breasts in his hands and dipped his mouth to hers. Karen slipped her fingers into his hair and pulled his head down, his lips now crushing hers. She whimpered as he sucked her lips in and nibbled at them. She worked on the buttons of his shirt, they gave her a hard time. Josh released her and after pushing her hands away, finished the job and pulled it off. Karen unsnapped his jeans and barely got the zipper down when she was tugging at them. He kicked them behind him and pulled her down to the fur-lined floor where he pushed her onto her back and unsnapped and unzipped her pants. She smiled to herself as he grabbed them by the ankles and slid them down from her hips. He smiled slyly at her and raised his eyebrows as he hooked his fingers into her panties and pulled slowly bending down over her and kissed the flesh that was exposed as the panties trailed down her body. He pushed her legs apart and ran his fingers up her thighs and bent down to her. He breathed in her scent, she was damp and musky. Too excited to wait another minute buried his face into her and lapped at her with his tongue. She moaned loudly, her body responding to him, arching, pressing forward. Encouraged by her reaction brought her to her peak quickly and then teasing, pulled back. He went for it again, feeling her fingers digging into his scalp, knowing she was right there as her thighs tensed and her pelvis tilted upward. He pulled back again and she sighed.
“What are you doing?” She panted. “I’m going to lose my mind!” He chuckled then dipped his tongue into her again. “You’re a tease!” She felt him nod his head and then this time when she was nearly there, her eyes squeezed tightly shut, her legs tense and throbbing, the heat beginning to spread to her belly, he made to pull away and she grabbed his hair and held him tightly there. Taking the hint that she wanted no more taunting he lapped at her, flicking his tongue against her and felt her body release. He slid his tongue inside and felt her pulsate again and again. Josh pulled himself up and slid into her. Pulling her into his arms he sat her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he leaned forward onto his knees. He placed his hands under her buttocks and made love to her, her body pressed against his, her mouth on his, licking and sucking, his tongue seeking. He groaned as he rocked his hips back and pulled out the forward and sunk himself deep inside her. He breathed heavily through his nose. Karen’s arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, and she whimpered again while they made love. It had been nearly three weeks since they got to be together and not only her body but her heart had missed him to the point of a dull aching pain whenever they spoke or she thought of him. If she passed someone in a store who wore the same cologne that Josh wore she was thrown into a pit of desire and then frustration. Josh pulled away and threw his head back, moaning as he peaked and he felt a rush from his thighs into his belly. He panted until the rush subsided then he let her down to the ground slowly and rolled onto his side. Karen raised her arms above her head and sighed heavily.
“Oh God, Josh.” She sighed. He grinned and ran his fingers down the side of her face and down her neck to her chest. He trailed his fingers around the mounds of her breast and then lightly touched her nipple. She took his hand and laced her fingers through his. He leaned down and kissed her. Karen got up, went to the couch and retrieved several fluffy couch pillows and brought them back to the hearth. Josh took one and stuffed it underneath his head, he settled himself down in front of the now roaring fire. Karen pressed herself close to his side and he pulled her to him. After a few minutes of lying quietly in the heat Josh yawned.
“Man, this heat is making me tired.” He sighed.
“It could be the heat and the exercise.” Karen offered.
“Mmmm …” He muttered, agreeing. A few more moments of silence passed before Karen noticed Josh’s even breathing. His mouth had dropped open slightly and his eyeballs were moving back and forth under his lids. Karen smiled as she watched him sleep. The room was dark, lit only by the flicker of the logs burning in the fireplace. The whole place was silent except for the occasional pop and hiss of the embers. Karen stroked his face lightly, all the way down to the fuzz on his chin. It wasn’t long before he was snoring lightly. She got up careful not to jar him, got a blanket off the back of the couch which was now devoid of pillows and covered him. He rolled over and tucked the blanket around him. Karen padded off into the kitchen and began to put together an impromptu dinner consisting of a basil and tomato sauce with spaghetti noodles and hot rolls fresh from the oven. She set the table, put the food out, lit a few candles and poured two glasses of wine. She then went to wake up Josh. She knelt down next to him and kissed his parted lips slightly. He didn’t move. She tickled his nose. He shook his head and opened his eyes groggily. Karen smiled at him. He frowned and looked at his watch.
“What time is it? How long have I been out?” He yawned and scratched his head.
“About an hour.” He sat up.
“I’m sorry!” She tousled his hair.
“It’s okay honey. I made dinner while you were sleeping. Come and eat.” She got up and headed back into the kitchen. Josh got up, slipped into his jeans and shirt. He entered the kitchen fiddling with the buttons and stopped when he saw the candles and the meal she’d prepared. He smiled and ran a hand through his hair.
“Oh sweetie, this is fantastic! You did all this while I was napping?” Karen nodded and sat down. She indicated his chair. He sat and took a sip of water before sipping the wine. “Mmm wonderful!” Josh dug into the pasta. He discovered he was hungrier then he thought he was. He thought back and couldn’t remember when the last time he ate was. Karen watched him eat, it was good to see him enjoying it. “I can’t believe you whipped this up in a short amount of time!” She laughed softly.
“You’re silly! Eat your dinner!” He shoveled the food into his mouth and sipped his wine. When they finished he shooed her out of the kitchen and he cleaned it up while she changed into warm pajamas. She grabbed another blanket and met him in the living room when he’d finished with the kitchen then she waited while he changed into pajama pants and a tee shirt. They made sure the lights in the house were all off and as they cuddled together on the couch under the blankets as the snow fell fiercely outside while the logs in the fire blazed hotly inside.
“What should we do?” Karen asked as she snuggled close to Josh.
“Want to watch a movie?” He asked timidly, hoping she would say no.
“Not tonight. I think I’d like to just sit here and talk, I haven’t seen you in ages!” He smiled and slipped his arm around her. He reached up and slipped his fingers into her hair. He wanted to talk to her about coming with him while he did his rounds but he was scared. He had a bad feeling about the answer he would get and, quite frankly, he didn’t want to hear it. He cleared his throat and kissed the side of her head.
“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.” He said softly. She leaned her head on his shoulder.
“Hmmm? What about?” He hesitated. He felt a momentary surge of panic flood through him.
“Well …” He began with a sigh and rubbed his palm against the blanket as it had grown damp.
“What’s wrong, Josh?” She asked picking her head up from his shoulder to look at him. He avoided eye contact.
“It’s about the next few weeks.”
“Don’t make me guess, tell me!” He coughed then wiped his hand again.
“I wanted to know if you’d …” He felt a choking sensation in his throat and stopped talking.
“If I’d what?”
“If you would come with me on a photo shoot.” She smiled.
“Where?” She asked.
“Mexico.” He replied. Her eyes opened wide and she grinned.
“Wow! It sounds beautiful!” He smiled.
“So you’ll come?” He asked, incredulous. Her smile faded as she thought.
“I don’t know if I can.” His heart sank. “What about the kids?”
“Can’t they stay with your ex?” He turned to her now, his large brown eyes pleading. She sighed and frowned, her brows furrowed.
“I don’t know. I’ll have to check. How long will we be gone?”
“Well …” He began and took a deep breath. “I was thinking you could come with me while I went on my advertising tour.” She looked surprised, her brows knitting together again.
“How long is that?”
“It’s only 10 weeks.” She uttered a nervous laugh.
“Only 10 weeks?” She looked away.
“What?” He asked. “It’s not that long!” She turned to him, her cheeks tinged red, her green eyes a bright contrast to the red of her cheeks.
“Yeah, it’s not that long if you’re a single man and the tour is your job!” His smile faded and he felt like he’d been stuck with a pin.
“Karen, you could get some time off of work, couldn’t you? Maybe take a short leave of absence?” She laughed.
“Oh yeah, sure I could and I suppose all the bills would just pay themselves or perhaps the utilities would give me leave of absence as well?” He frowned.
“I will take care of that.” He said, reassuring. She stared into his eyes, hoping for some sort of miraculous answer and found none.
“But the kids …” She said and then turned away. She got up from the couch and paced the room. Tears stung her eyes and threatened to spill down her cheeks. She wanted desperately to go but knew she couldn’t leave the kids that long. She bit the end of her thumbnail and turned her back to Josh. She heard him get up and come up behind her. He set his hands on her shoulders and the tears came then. He turned her around.
“Hey!” He said and wiped away the tears. “Don’t cry!” He pulled her against his chest and hugged her. “This is supposed to be something exciting!” She sobbed against him. “Karen!” He said and stroked her hair softly. When the wave of tears subsided she pulled away and looked at him. He held her face in his hands.
“It would be something exciting if I could go. I don’t think I can.” He kissed her lightly.
“So you’re saying you won’t even try?” She sniffled.
“No! I’m not saying I won’t try but I’m not counting on it happening.” He hugged her again and closed his eyes. His heart sank into his stomach as he watched his hopes swirl down the drain.

They went to bed silent. It wasn’t that they were angry with each other but something had fallen over them, something dreary, something sad. Neither one of them fell asleep right away, Josh lay with his arm around Karen and she snuggled against him, here eyes closed yet not near to dreaming. She tried to think about who to ask to watch the kids. She was sure HE wouldn’t do it, he never did more then what he was contracted to do and 10 weeks would be way too much to ask of him. She didn’t think she could saddle her parents with the three of them either. She sighed and clutched at him. He rubbed her arm lightly and when he stopped she knew he’d fallen to sleep. What she didn’t know was that he lay awake long after she’d finally met with sleep and the whole night the wind howled and the snow still fell malevolently.

Josh woke sometime during the night. The house was eerily silent, the only noise being the wind whipping against the side of the house. He sat up and noticed the chill in the air. He glanced at the nightstand and tried to read the clock and noticed it was gone. He stretched out his hand to feel for it and found it right away. It was off. The power was out. He crawled out of bed and slipped on his sweatpants and a shirt then padded off to the bathroom. As he stood there in the dark silence his shoulders slumped and he felt a wave of grief. When he was finished he went into the bedroom, grabbed his clothes and crept back out to the living room where he dressed, put on his shoes, coat and hat and snuck silently out the door. He slipped on his gloves and stuffed his hands in the pocket of his winter coat. The wind whipped at his back and the cold snow swirled around him stinging his eyes. He walked through the darkness in anger and frustration. He didn’t know how he would go on another 10 weeks without Karen and he understood that she wouldn’t be able to get away for that amount of time without the kids. The sad fact remained that they were at an impasse. The kids couldn’t go because of school. He felt wetness on his face and wiped it away with the back of his gloved hand. He wouldn’t cry, he couldn’t cry. He wouldn’t give up either. There had to be a way even if he had to ask his mother for her advice. He turned the corner and went head to head with the wind. It bit at his cheeks and burned his eyes. Tears slipped down from them and made the bite of wind more painful. He walked another block and then turned again and headed back to the house. He had to convince Karen not to give up. He slipped back into the house and shed his now very wet clothing. He entered the bedroom quietly and slipped back under the covers. Karen lay still and sleeping. Josh curled up behind her and reveled in her warmth. She moaned slightly as his cold form pressed against her but didn’t wake. He lay awake for some time and willed himself to sleep but sleep would not come.

Karen woke when daylight streamed through the windows. She detached herself from Josh and tried to read the clock and discovered that the clock was unplugged.
“Shit.” She said and pulled back the curtains. It was still snowing though it had slowed to flurries. The ground was covered and sparkling. She scooted off the bed and checked the plug on the clock. When she discovered it was plugged in correctly she decided the power must be out. Josh snorted in his sleep, rolled over and pulled the covers up over his head. “Lazy ass.” She muttered as she slipped on her sweat pants and a sweat shirt, a pair of socks and her slippers and headed out into the kitchen. She needed coffee. When she got to the kitchen she sighed disgustedly. No power meant no coffee. “Dammit.” She hissed. She glanced outside and wondered if it was worth driving to get some hot coffee. She sighed. If her power was out probably half the town’s power was out. She may have to go pretty far to get some and with the snow it might be treacherous. She went into the living room to find her boots when she discovered Josh’s wet clothes on the floor. She frowned and bent down to pick them up. She turned them over in her hand and stared at them as if they held the clues to some great mystery. “What the hell was he doing out during the night in this snowstorm?” She asked aloud. She stood up and looked out the window of the front door and saw that neither of the cars had been moved. He had been walking? Out in the snow? She sighed and frowned. She had to do something. She put on her boots and bundled up warmly. She started the car from inside the house and waited for it to begin melting the snow to jump inside and venture to the Starbucks a town away. The drive was slow and slippery but she would surprise Josh when she got home with hot coffee and donuts.

Karen hung up Josh’s wet clothes in the bathroom so they would dry somewhat. It was still fairly warm in the house and frighteningly quiet. She thanked her lucky stars that the kids were with their father this weekend. She wouldn’t know what to do with them if there was no TV, no computer, and no X-Box. She started a fire in the fireplace and got it roaring good and hot. Once that was accomplished she went back to the bedroom and slipped out of the sweat pants and shirt she was wearing. She looked at the bed and found a large lump in the middle of it. She smiled to herself and crawled underneath the covers. Josh lay in the fetal position, his pillow over his head. Karen tugged at the end of the pillow and Josh tightened his grip on it.
“Hey, sleepy head!” She said, laughed and tugged at the pillow again. Josh pulled off the pillow, his hair sticking to it and frowned. He tossed the pillow away and frowned, his hair now covering most of his face. “What’s the matter with you?” She asked, agitated.
“I’m really tired.” He growled and flopped over. Karen leaned over him and pushed the hair off his face. He had a thin film of fuzz all over his chin and cheeks. He still frowned. She rubbed her hand over the soft fur and smiled. “Why are you so tired?” She inquired. He sighed heavily.
“I didn’t sleep very well last night.” He muttered.
“Well you can’t sleep when you’re traipsing all over the town in the freaking snow.” She teased.
“Whatever.” He said and rubbed his nose, his eyes still closed. She rolled her eyes and then pinched his nose closed. He held out as long as he could with his nose pinched closed and his mouth shut and then his chin dropped down and he took some breaths. She laughed.
“Come on, Josh! Get up and play with me. We have snow angels to make.” She bounced him around on the bed with her knees. He sighed and rolled over onto his back pulling Karen down next to him and holding her down tightly, his arms wrapped around her. She ran her hands up his chest and tweaked his nipples.
“Knock it off, I need to sleep more.” He said softly. She snickered and slipped her fingers down to his belly button where she dipped the tip of her finger in and then out of it. He grabbed her hand and held it fast. She sighed.
“Come on party pooper.” She whined He let go of her hand and covered her mouth. She licked his fingers and he pulled them away quickly.
“Yuck!” He said and wiped his hand on the covers. Karen laughed.
“Oh sure, it’s okay for my tongue to be in your mouth but not on your hand. That doesn’t make any sense.” She shook her head and he lay quietly trying not to smile, eyes tightly closed. She slipped her hand under the blanket and ran it down his belly and found him hard already. “Ohhhh … what’s this?” She had just wrapped her hand around it when he pulled her hand back out of the covers, clicked his tongue and sighed.
“I need some more sleep.” He said, serious. Karen sighed and settled herself against him and lay silent. It wasn’t long before she felt a sleepy feeling settled over her and the two of them slept a while longer.

Josh woke first and tried to turn himself sideways without waking Karen. He hugged her tightly and stroked her hair while she rested. Karen woke when he’d turned over and buried her face in the hair that matted his chest. She breathed him in. She didn’t know what exactly she would do about going with him on his trek but if there was a way to do it she would find it. She wasn’t sure of how or who but she knew one thing, she wanted to be with him. She felt his hands trail down from her hair to her back and then downward. She sighed as his hands found her buttocks. He cupped them in his hands. He held them, gently rubbing them until his fingers slipped into the crevasse and moved slowly forward until he found her slick spot. She allowed him to tease her with the tips of his fingers and squeaked slightly when he pulled her closer so he could gain deeper access. Josh leaned into her ear and whispered.
“Want me?” Karen felt a surge of heat jolt through her body as desire swept over her. Did she want him? She answered that by pushing him onto his back and mounting him swiftly. He smiled as she rode him slowly. “I guess so.” He chuckled and then as his pelvis tingled with excitement, closed his eyes and let the feeling wash over him.

All the clocks in the house flashed 12:00AM. Karen pushed buttons on the microwave, set the clock, and, grateful for the power, warmed up the coffee she’d gotten earlier. She brought the sweet treats into the bedroom and set them on the bed while the coffee heated up and then brought that back to the room when it was finished. The heat in the house was on but had not warmed the bedroom just yet and the fire that blazed in the fireplace had succeeded in bathing the living room with heat but did nothing for the rest of the house. Chilled, Karen slid into bed next to Josh and they sipped their coffee together. Josh pulled the curtain back and seeing that it was still snowing lightly, sighed and flopped back down on the pillows.
“I guess we’re not doing much today.” He said.
“I have some calls to make.” Karen said picking out a strawberry jelly filled donut and biting into it. Josh glanced over at her as he was picking out a muffin and giggled when he saw strawberry jelly on her chin. He leaned down, tipped her head back and licked it off then sucked the sugar off her lips.
“Mmmm …” He said. She giggled.
“You’re silly.” She said.
“I’m hungry.” He replied and bit into his banana nut muffin.

Karen sighed as she listened to her mother drone on and on about all the reasons she would be a bad mother if she was to leave the kids for that extended period of time and tour with Josh.
“Mom.” She interjected. Her mother paid no attention and continued talking. “Mom!” She said again and again her mother ignored. “Mom.” Karen repeated it several more times before her mother finally fell silent. “Forget I even asked.”
“Karen, all I’m trying to say is that you have to think of your kids first – before yourself!” Karen’s head fell forward and she rubbed her forehead to try to ease the pain that was settling in it.
“I know that, Mom.”
“When you choose to get pregnant and have kids then you choose to leave your own life behind. There were things I would have liked to do but I had you and your brother so … I never made it to Hawaii.” Karen felt tears sting her eyes under her closed lids.
“I know that, Mom. I gave up my life and now I’d like to have it back, just a little bit! I’m not asking for a lot of time!”
“You’re asking for almost three months away from your children, Karen. That’s a long time!”
“How about half of that Mom?” She could tell her mother didn’t want to watch them at all but she had to push, for Josh, for her.
“I have to think about it. But I’m going to encourage you to put your children first. You won’t regret it. You may regret leaving them for such a long time though.” Karen felt her nose running and sniffled. “Don’t be upset sweetie. I’m not trying to upset you, I’m trying to help you!” Karen nodded.
“I know, I know.”
“Go blow your nose.”
“Okay.”
“And Karen …”
“What?” Karen asked softly.
“I love you.”
“Love you too.” Karen said and hung up the phone. She sat silent, her head in her hands, tears dripped through her fingers. Her mother wasn’t her last hope but she was her best hope and she had destroyed that with her ‘thoughtful’ comments and admonitions. It was going to go downhill from there, her senses told her that. She heard Josh enter the room behind her and quickly wiped away the tears and sniffled.
“Whatcha doin?” He asked slipping his hands over her shoulders and squeezing gently. Karen sighed.
“Just calling people about watching the kids.” He slid his arms around her neck and kissed her ear.
“Ooooo … Any luck?” She shook her head. She couldn’t even get herself to say it out loud. Her throat tightened just contemplating talking about it.
“Shit.” He spat. “Well, don’t give up, someone will help us, I know they will.” She took a deep breath then exhaled. She wished she had that optimism. Unfortunately she knew her family and knew that no one would help her.

Carlie burst into the house, hugged her mother then went straight to her room. Karen sat on the couch, eyes red and watery, feeling very alone. The other kids came in followed by her ex-husband, Sam. She watched as he glanced around hoping for a glimpse of the much talked about Josh that Karen was dating but found no sign of him. He flopped down on the couch next to Karen.
“What’s the matter?” He asked. Karen sighed. As if he cares, she thought.
“Nothing.” She said.
“Oh come on, I know something’s wrong. Trouble on the boyfriend front?” She glared at him. He shrugged his shoulders, hands out to his sides shoulder height, palms up.
“What? I’m just asking, trying to make conversation.” He sighed heavily and turned and stared at the wall.
“Well yes and no.” She admitted. She couldn’t believe she was going to tell him her problem, he wouldn’t care, he never did.
“Maybe I can help?” She stared at him and wondered what kind of compassion drugs he was on. He hadn’t cared about her or her problems for going on two years now. She sighed, closed her eyes and prayed for strength before speaking.
“I need you to watch the kids for a few weeks.” She said quickly and all at once. He frowned.
“Why? You getting married?”
“Uhhh, no.” She said. “Josh is going to Mexico and he wants me to go with him.” She figured she’d start out small and move up to 10 weeks.
“When is this?”
“Next weekend.” He sucked in air.
“Wow, that’s soon.” He frowned and pursed his lips. She watched, anxious as he mulled it over. “I’ll have to ask Brenda. She wanted to go away for the weekend.” Karen nodded trying desperately not to say the ugly comments that came to her mind when he brought up Brenda, his main squeeze and former secretary. He was going to tell her no because of what Brenda wanted. She fought the urge to growl at him. She got up from the couch and walked over to the door.
“Well I would appreciate it if you could check with her and then let me know.” He got up and strolled over to her. He stood uncomfortably close.
“Why don’t you ask your mom.” She closed her eyes and for a moment the whole ugly phone call with her mom came trickling back into her conscious mind.
“Mom won’t do it.” She admitted then chastised herself for opening up to him. He whistled.
“Wow. Well …” He felt the power of control and stood straight up and smiled slightly. It made Karen want to kick him right in his nuts.
“I’ll check with Brenda and we’ll let you know. How long you going to be gone?” He stuffed his hands in his jean pockets and fished for his car keys. Karen felt her chest tighten as she contemplated how much time to tell him.
“Minimum?” He nodded. “Two weeks. But if you could spare another few I would be grateful.” He winked at her and turned his keys over and over in his hands.
“How grateful?” She frowned at him. “Why don’t you ask your mom.” She closed her eyes and for a moment the whole ugly phone call with her mom came trickling back into her conscious mind.
“Mom won’t do it.” She admitted then chastised herself for opening up to him. He whistled.
“Wow. Well …” He felt the power of control and stood straight up and smiled slightly. It made Karen want to kick him right in his nuts.
“I’ll check with Brenda and we’ll let you know. How long you going to be gone?” He stuffed his hands in his jean pockets and fished for his car keys. Karen felt her chest tighten as she contemplated how much time to tell him.
“Minimum?” He nodded. “Two weeks. But if you could spare another few I would be grateful.” He winked at her and turned his keys over and over in his hands.
“How grateful?” She frowned at him. “Don’t even start with me, you don’t want to know what I’m thinking.” He glared at her, eyes squinting slightly.
“Well you’re the one who wants the favor not me.” She felt her temper flare. Controlling it was a daunting task.
“You know, forget I even asked.” She turned and closed her eyes. Under her lids she saw Josh getting on a plane – alone and then turned back to Sam. “Please, I just need some time to get away.” She swallowed her pride and pleaded with him through her eyes.
“You go away nearly every weekend.” He said with a sigh. Karen clenched and unclenched her fist.
“This is different, Sam. This is Mexico.”
“Whatcha gonna be doing in Mexico?”
“Josh has a photo shoot.” He nodded, his eyes had a far away look. Karen couldn’t believe this, he had some nerve. She wanted to scream at him, punch him, slap his face for what he’d done to her and for what she was reduced to. She felt her blood pressure rise and her face turned pink and warm. Swallowing her pride she pleaded with him.
“I just need time away. I’ve never been to Mexico.” He glanced at her and then looked away. He had but he wouldn’t tell her that. He slapped his keys into his palm.
“Fine, then I’ll check with Brenda. I’m sure we could arrange some time.” She nodded.
“Thanks.” Sam slipped out the door quickly and Karen closed it. Relieved that he was gone she leaned back against it and sighed. ‘This is totally ridiculous.’ She thought and sniffed. ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this.’ When she heard an argument ensue from down the hall she pushed herself away from the front door and headed off in the direction of the shouting.
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My December