He spotted the little girl from across the room. She was all dressed up to look just like one of mommy’s china dolls or maybe a ballerina. She was wearing a red dress lined with white lace, and matching white satin gloves and shoes. Her dark hair was being held in a bun at the top of her head with a white scrunchy. He could tell she was both nervous and fascinated by how she stayed near the wall, but craned her neck upwards to watch the grown-ups dance. She took a few quick steps backwards as one couple danced past her.

The flower hanging over her head caught his eye and remembered his mommy had put it up earlier before the party had started. An ingenious idea struck him as he recalled the explanation for the flower. He started to move towards the little girl with a mischievous grin on his face. As he got closer, he tried to be quiet and stay as close to the wall as possible so that she wouldn’t see him coming. He shouldn’t have bothered. The music was rather loud and her eyes were fixated on the twirling couples.

He finally found himself right behind her and prepared for action. He reached out one little hand and tapped her on the shoulder. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion: she turned around, just as he leaned in to place his lips on her cheek. A second later, he went deaf with a ringing noise in his head.

She had screamed right into his ear, and now had a hand on her cheek where he his lips had been. The adults had stopped spinning and were all trying to see what had happened.

“Ewww!! You kissed me!! How could you? I have cooties now!! I’ll never have friends anymore!”, she cried out

The little boy raised his throbbing head to look at the grown-ups, prepared for his punishment. Instead, all he saw were grinning adults and a chorus of “aww”s. Realizing that he was safe and wasn’t in trouble cheered him up immediately. He looked over at the little girl just to see her shoot him a murderous look and run away with tears in her eyes.

‘Well, that was fun.’ It had really cured him of boredom AND he had gotten away with it! He tucked this information away, deciding that he would just have to do it again…

That had been the first annual ambushing under the mistletoe, 12 years ago. Over the years, he had continued to kiss the girl on the cheek under the same mistletoe at his parents’ Christmas party. The girl slowly stopped resisting and accepted it as tradition. But by the 9th anniversary, when he was 16, he began to realize it was more than a tradition or a prank for him. With each passing year, he looked more forward to the one time of the year when his lips could touch her soft skin. Throughout the year he would wish that Christmas came more than just once. He now realized that he wanted her and that he was in love. But what could he do?

As always, he stood across the room from her and the mistletoe, with a sea of dancing couples in-between. Little Miss China Doll had grown-up and filled out. She wore a silk, green knee-length dress that hugged her slim body in all the right places. A pair of 2-inch black pumps that helped to showcase her endless legs. Her hair was loose and free, so that the ends brushed her elbows when she moved. Her outfit was completed with a black velvet choker that stood out against her creamy skin. She was gorgeous. As if she could feel his gaze, she turned her head and caught sight of him. She looked at him and waited, knowing the time had come for this year.

He slowly started making his way over, getting more nervous with every step. He had promised himself that this year would be different. He was concentrating so hard on his target that he almost crashed into his dancing parents.

“Are you all right son?” said his worried father.

He absentmindedly nodded in response, and continued forward with determination. He finally reached his place next to her and looked down. Even with her heels, he was still a considerable 6-inch taller. All she did was turn her head and offer her cheek to him. He didn’t give himself time to think before acting, he couldn’t. In one quick movement he grabbed her arms, turned her so that she faced him and leaned down to kiss her on the mouth. He saw the shock in her eyes before he closed his own. The noise of laughter, bantering and music all faded away as he lost himself in the moment, and softened the kiss. The only thing he was aware of was her lips: soft and full with a hint of red wine

After what seemed like an eternity, he reluctantly lifted his lips from hers. Slowly, he opened his eyes and waited for the screaming and slapping to begin. He looked down to see her big, hazelnut eyes already open and staring at him. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking at all and that made him more uncertain about anything he had ever done. But he couldn’t bring himself to regret his actions, and he doubted that he ever would.

Suddenly, she smiled and said “It’s about time.”