SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN (Chapter 28)

It was December 17^th. A light snow was falling. Warren had just gotten off the phone with Sophia, and went down to talk to his Mom.

"Hey. Mom? Got a question."

"Shoot, honey."

"Would you mind if Sophia came over for Christmas?"

"Not at all, honey, but does her mother mind? Wouldn’t she be more at home with her family?"

"Nah. There isn’t anything with her family. Her brother and sister are going to be with their father, so her mother is going over her aunts and uncles house. She’s invited both places, but Charlie is not her father, so she feels uncomfortable going there; and her aunt and uncle have no kids or anything so it would just be her, her mother, and them. Neither place sounds too Christmas-y. In fact, when I asked her if she wanted to come here if I could get approval, she got all excited. They’re actually doing Christmas at her house on Christmas Eve, so she’d love to come here on Christmas day."

"Great, then. We’d love to have her. Now, I’m driving you guys to a party tomorrow night, right?"

"Yeah. Jessie and Crash, too—Crash is going to get dropped off here, and he’s staying overnight here after the party."

"Oh, yeah, that’s right."

"Mrs. K is going to get us on the way home from work, so it will be a very late night."

"Where’s the party?"

"Over on Wickner Street. John Vassar’s house."

"Didn’t you used to hate John Vassar? Wasn’t he one of the bullies at East?"

"I have encountered a lot of my old tormentors in Sophia’s social circle," Warren said with a grimace. Peg laughed. "He’s actually OK, and he’s known Sophie since she was practically born, so he’s accepted me because of her. He’s not a bad guy. He’s the one that helped me get her home that night she was plastered, and he willingly stopped hitting on a fabulous looking girl to help me out, so I got to give him some bonus points for that."

Peg laughed. "You hang around with people who used to bully you?" she said a bit more seriously.

"A few. John. Nick Papadopoulos. Hey, people change. Nick has really changed. But, then again, so have I."

"Nick was the one that helped you with your weightlifting, right?" Warren nodded. "How do you think you’ve changed, Warren?"

"I’m a lot more at ease in social situations. I’m more at ease with people than I ever have been."

"Well, you’re dating a social butterfly." They both laughed.

"Yes, I am. And she has helped me with this immensely. Everybody thinks that I help her out with some of her shit—she helps me out just as much. I’m more at ease in social situations, more comfortable in my own skin, more confident. Thanks to Sophia. Long ago, John Vassar, in a fit of pseudo-cleverness, nicknamed me Wimp-Man. Y’know—Warren, Wimp-Man? Back at East, it used to bug me to the point of ridiculousness. He still calls me Wimp-Man. But now it’s just a joke. And it’s not just a joke because he’s eased up on me, it’s a joke because I take it as a joke. I just stopped being upset by that crap."

Peg smiled. "Listen, honey. I know, all in all, Sophia is good for you. I really do. As long as you don’t have to give her any more post-hangover baths, eh?" They both laughed at that.

Jessie and Sophia were waiting for Peg to pick them up at Sophia’s house.

"My parents were out last night." Jessie offered.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Crash came down." Jessie looked down. "I gave him an early Christmas present."

"What?"

Jessie blushed, but didn’t say anything.

"Jessie, you’re blushing! I’ve never seen you blush." Then light dawned on Sophia. "JESSIE! You didn’t. Did you?"

Jessie just nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "He got me for Christmas. All of me."

"Wow. He didn’t put any pressure or anything on you, did he?"

"Crash? Come on. Nope, this was mutual. We’ve fooled around, some, you know, but never did it. We were fooling around, and had gotten each other off with our hands, but then it just hit me—I want him. So, I told him—I want you. He actually almost tried to talk me out of it."

"Really?"

"Well, more like just making sure that I really wanted it. Boy, did I really want it. He worried about protection—you know my parents put me on the pill when I was with Aaron, not that that was necessary—so I reassured him about that. So we did it."

"How was it?"

"Well, Soph, you know the first time hurts. And it did, at first. He was as gentle as could be, but it hurt when he first went in. Then it stopped hurting. Oh boy did it stop hurting. It was great."

"You came?"

"Uh-huh. Like I said, I had gotten him off with my hand, so he lasted long enough. It was fantastic."

"But, today’s the big test, you know. How do you feel about it today? Any morning-after regrets?"

"Y’know, I was almost expecting them. And they weren’t there. It was fantastic and I feel great about it and I’m glad I did it, and I am especially glad I waited for him. He said the same thing, that he was glad Ally had never said yes."

"Jess…..are you in love?"

Jess got a contemplative look, moreso than she usually did. "I think I am. If you ever tell anyone I said that, I will deny it and then I will kill you." Sophia just laughed. "But he told me last night. He said that he was falling in love with me. And I told him I was falling in love with him, too."

"Afterwards?"

"Actually, before."

"WOW. Then it means more."

"Uh-huh. Afterwards he fed me grapes, naked in bed, while he read love poetry."

Sophia cracked up laughing. "You’re not kidding, are you?"

"Nope. I’m telling you, Soph, this is my kind of guy."

Just then Peg beeped her horn, and the girls went out and climbed into the car.

The Vassar's large house was decorated all up in Christmas lights. It was noisy and festive inside. John and Anne threw a Christmas party every year, and made sure it was a bash. There was even a live band, some of John’s friends, playing, and they were quite good.

John opened the door. "Sophia!" He kissed her on the cheek. "Wimp-Man! Merry Christmas." He shook Warren’s hand. "Glad you could make it. Hi, Jess!" He kissed her on the cheek.

"Playing the royal host, eh, John?" Jessie said with a smirk. "Oh, John, this is my boyfriend Jason. Jay, this is John."

"Nice to meet you," John shook his hand. "Where’d you find him, Jess?"

Jessie laughed. "Through Prep Boy, here," she pointed at Warren.

"Jason, aka Crash, here, is my best friend. We introduced them over the summer, and sparks flew." Jessie hit him on the arm.

"Your best friend, Wimp-Man? Goes to school with you?" Warren nodded. John tried to force a grimace, but it was plainly forced. "I’m so terribly sorry, but we have already reached our quota of Preppies at this here party."

Crash looked at Jess. "Damn, I knew I shoulda got that tattoo."

John cracked up laughing. "I’m just kidding. Come on in. Hang your coats over there, eats and drinks are in that room, and you can hear where the band is, no doubt. "

They walked in, hung up their coats, and started walking into one of the rooms. Sophia looked up at the doorway. "Oooooh! Mistletoe!" She stopped, and Warren gave her a big kiss.

They walked through, and Jessie approached the doorway. "Ooooh, mistletoe!" She stopped, and Crash squeezed her ass. "*That* is how you do mistletoe," Jessie joked. Then she kissed Crash, to general amusement from her friends.

The party was in full swing, and the foursome had gathered in a little knot with some of their friends. They had just come off the dance floor, and Karen was commenting on Sophia and Warren’s dance prowess.

"Well, we are dancers," Sophia smiled. "This isn’t our usual dance surface, mind you, but we do know how to move together."

"Next time we’ll have to ask John to lay down a patch of ice, so we can really show off," Warren quipped.

"I’d love to see you guys ice dance," Karen smiled.

"You will. Sooner or later, if you want," Sophie told her.

Warren looked over to the band. They were playing a mixture of classic rock and a generous dose of Christmas Rock and Roll tunes. "They’re good. I’ve never played with a band. I wish I had time for it."

That gave Sophia an idea. "Hold my place, Romeo, be right back." She went and found John.

"Well, hello, beautiful. You guys having a good time? I saw you and Wimp-Man cutting quite a rug earlier."

"We’re having a blast, John, it’s a great party. Listen. I know the band lets people sit in with them at some of these parties."

"Sure. People like to get up, have a little fun, they don’t mind. Why, you thinking about getting up and warbling a tune?"

Sophia laughed. "No, it’s Warren. He plays guitar, and sings really well. He’s been gazing at the band all night. I think he’d be thrilled to sit in."

"Wimp-man, a rock and roller? Wonders never cease. Let me go talk to the band." He walked over, and caught them between songs. Sophia watched him, and he looked up, and pointed at Warren, and waved in a "come here" motion.

Sophia went over and grabbed Warren. "Come with me, dear heart, I’ve got a surprise for you." She pulled him over to the bandstand. John greeted him. "Hey, Warren, Sophie tells me you’re a musician?"

"Yeah. Lead guitar, and I sing."

"Great." One of the band members said. "I’m Joe. We let people sit in from time to time. You know any Christmas rockers?"

Warren smiled. "Lots of ‘em."

"Great." Joe took off his Stratocaster and handed it to Warren. "C’mon up. Take very good care of my baby."

"You betcha."

"Guys, we’re gonna let a guest sit in with us for a tune or two, which will allow me to go get a beer." Laughter. "Please welcome, Warren Kelleher!"

Dave, the bass player, turned to him and said, "You gonna play a bit? What do you want to play?"

Warren thought for a second, and looked at the rest of the band, and said, "Run Run Rudolph?"

"Yeah! Great choice!" said Ed, the second guitarist/second keyboardist.

"In A?" Warren said. They all nodded agreement. "Start it off, Warren," Andrea, the keyboardist, said.

Warren hit the opening chords to the Chuck Berry classic with polished aplomb. Then, he stepped to the mic and started bellowing out the words as the band roared behind him.

The room turned towards the bandstand. They pretty much knew Warren, and most of them liked him and accepted him as Sophia’s boyfriend. But they didn’t know this Warren. Nobody did. Not even Sophia.

And she was amazed. He had played and sang for her many times, but just the two of them and mostly love songs with an acoustic guitar. She had never seen him rock out, ever. Warren was a reserved guy. Sophia knew he was a guy of deep passions, but nobody ever saw those passions. She did, more than others, but he rarely let it all hang out, except in bed, or occasionally on the ice.

He certainly was letting it all hang out now. His face was flushed and split by a huge grin as he spat out the words to the Chuck Berry classic with a huge, soulful bellow that Sophia didn’t even know he possessed. His fingers flew over the fretboard, as he took the standard Berry solo and made it his own. Sophia couldn’t stop smiling. She was so proud of herself for thinking to arrange this.

The song came to a crashing halt, to the sound of raucous applause from the partygoers. Sophia looked at Warren, and he was beaming. He gave her a little wink, which made her blush.

"Damn, what a voice!" Mike, the drummer, was saying. "And he can play, too."

"Thanks."

"You got a lot of Springsteen in that voice," Dave said.

Warren smiled. "I love Springsteen."

"You do?" Andrea smiled. "Hey, maybe we can do this song right for once, with Warren playing guitar and singing. Joe, get up here!" He ran up. "Grab your sax. Ed, you’re on organ and glock."

Warren looked around questioning. Andrea looked at him. "Warren, if you like Christmas songs, and you like Springsteen, you’ve got to know this one." And she hit a series of chords on her piano.

Warren immediately grinned in recognition, nodded at Andrea in affirmation, and stepped up to the mic. In his best Springsteen, he bellowed, "You better not shout, you better not cry………"

This, if anything, was better than Run Run Rudolph. Bruce Springsteen’s version of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town is guaranteed to bring any house down, and Warren was doing a note-perfect job of singing it, while the band did the E Street Band proud. Joe took a marvelous sax solo, and Warren sang and played like a man possessed. By the time Warren had bellowed the final "Santa Claus is coming….toooo town," and Andrea hit the final piano chords, the party was absolutely raucous. Warren stepped off stage to hearty congratulations from the band, thanking them for the gig, and was surrounded by well-wishers as he made his way to Sophia.

"Oh. My. God."was all Sophia could say.

"Wow, that felt good."

"Damn," Crash interjected, "if it felt half as good as it sounded, it must have felt pretty damn good indeed."

"I am impressed, Warren." Jessie agreed.

"Thanks, guys. And thank you"—he kissed Sophia on the nose—"for setting that up. I never would have had the chutzpah to ask myself."

"I know," Sophia smiled. "But I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that again—next time, they’ll be asking you." Warren just laughed.

"Hey, Warren," hollered Joe from the bandstand, "since you entertained all of us so well, you got a request we could play for you?"

"You guys don’t happen to know Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits, do you?"

Joe smiled, "As a matter of fact……" and he hit the opening guitar riff.

"Your dance, m’lady?" Warren said, holding his hand out to Sophia. She took it, and they danced to their song.