I bend over the bar. For her, not for drinks. She says: “Finnish”; and it all starts right there.
“Finnish”, I smile. “Finnish” I wonder and I smile. F-i-n-n-i-s-h, I let it drup in, drup, drup,
drup, letter for letter.
“Lapland”, I think;
“Cold”;
“Foreign affairs” (I just read an article that mentioned the Finland model, questioning myself
what that could be);
“Somewhere north”;
“Cold”?!;
“Bears”? No, no bears I believe, and I smile.
I take another sip of my Friday eve beer. It’s a pity for those bears, I like bears. Maybe I
should go to Greenland and find some …

Laetitia is wearing colorful socks, a bit like mine, but wilder. Women have more choice when it comes to socks. Women have more choice in general. Her socks are pinky with yellow and green spots. I noticed those colors immediately, I’d describe them as bright little monsters devouring the pink. I am sure she disagrees with that statement. She ‘d call them cute little things. She is a girl. We disagree a lot, and often. Yet I fall about those raised eyebrows on her face, over and over. She chuckles, …

She plays, ten fingers running up and down the ivories, filling the audience room with music. She sits straight, very straight, it is part of the technique. I feel a smile growing on me, stupidly happy, as if I am still surprised to find us here, almost every day for weeks now. I just love this moment: her piano on stage, Eline totally drawn in herself, that very same spotlight, the empty chairs, and me, watching from the silent dark. It is like a movie, and I feel part of …

It was Christmas again when the streets were covered with snow. And, everywhere you turned, things looked pristine white. Dana loved Christmas time. She thought Christmas was magical, and secretly believed in Santa Claus. She loved the colorful lights, Xmas trees, and the snow fall. It made everything even more beautiful!
Most importantly, Dana felt loved and treasured for it was the time when everyone showed how much they cared. Friends and relatives showered gifts on you too. And Dana knew that if you were lucky, your beloved would show you …

It was Christmas eve. Festivities were gathering momentum in the Whitney household. Nina was glad that she had Jack to spend her Christmas with. Jack was her sister May’s brother-in-law. And well, they had been dating each other for months now.
Last Christmas had been a miserable one for Nina. She had broken off with her long-term boyfriend Ned. He was not worth her. All he wanted was to go to bed with her. For Nina, love was beyond the physical realm. And she wanted to take the final plunge with …

Part I:
“I can I can change black to white
I have it in me to make you go out of sight
Ho Ho! It’s me the man of wonder
With my wand and wit I can create thunder
Watch out watch out all you misters and misses
I have arrived to please and steal your share of kisses”
He sashayed into the room with a quick little spin, chin up and eyes on the crowd. He swayed his black magic cloak with a deft hand delivering his lines loud and clear with gleaming eyes. After two …

Business hours were strenuous and as it was almost the end of that year, work was in full force. There was no time to think, breath and least…. sleep. Every person who belonged to that organization was working difficult hours and Parag was one of them. He was the senior head of sales, so his work usually had no official working hours, whatsoever. Days or even during nights…. he had to work! Something about him – his ever present smile – indicated that he loved what he did and the …

Violet was super excited. She would finally be 21 years of age – a young woman in her own right. Not a kid any longer! How long had she waited for this just as she was waiting for something else….a dear person to profess his love for her. Her parents had left for the day so that Violet could usher in her birthday with her close friends at home. As a young woman now, she wanted to have her own party, sans parents. However, she planned to have her birthday …

It was around 2am when Erica finally managed to get some sleep. Her mind was filled with thoughts of her fiancé, Sam. His chiseled face, his green eyes, his warm smile. She had spent most of the day looking at his photo. For the first time, they had not spent the weekend together. He was too busy, he had said. Poor Erica, how lonely she had been through the day!
As she fell deeper in slumber, out of nowhere she heard familiar strains of music. She opened her eyes but couldn’t …

….For the umpteenth time she screamed “I am sick of this”. Rolling up her sleeves, she begins to type again, it was one of her many letters to the stranger. Hillary walks in unnoticed, while covering her mouth to hide her mocking laughter; she pushes Tami from behind;
Girlfriend, don’t you think you are taking this letter thing a little too far?
Not in the least, Tami retorted, pissed at the interruption. You just don’t get it gal!
Oh ok, I get it, this stranger is the one who gets to hear what …

I studied the world outside the frosted glass, hoping it would distract me from the wrapped present in my hands. The refrigerator hummed, the logs in the fireplace crackled as the heat deemed too much on the chunks of wood, and the rush of holiday traffic buzzed by in a hurried frenzy. Even with all that went on around me, the absolute stillness within the walls of my once home pierced my ears and rattled me to the core.
Don’t go there.
I brought my attention back to the present. I couldn’t …