Watermelon Kisses

By Freddy MacKay

Part of the "A Holiday to Remember 2017 Series"

Life hasn't been easy for Amir since he fled Iran after a brutal imprisonment. The trauma experienced at the hands of the guards left a dark spot on his soul. The one constant in his life since relocating to Chicago has been his lover—now husband—Esmail, whose steadfast love and support has soothed his wounded heart.

​But this Shab-e Yalda, Amir wants to be the one giving his husband something special, because even after the darkest nights, the sun will rise again.

A Holiday to Remember
Freddy MacKay - Watermelon Kisses
Foster Bridget Cassidy - But to Love More
Toni Griffin - Corey's Christmas Bundle
Angel Martinez - Safety Protocols for Human Holidays
Nicole Dennis - Secrets & Silk
Kassandra Lea - Winter Home
Jill Wexler - The Christmas Eve Craigslist Killer
Jayne Lockwood - New Beginnings
Tray Ellis - A Piece of Ourselves
J. Scott Coatsworth - I Only Want to Be With You
Siri Paulson - A New Year on Vega III
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mischief Corner Books
• Release date: Nov 29, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386335221

Freddy MacKay

Freddy is a bisexual, biromantic, genderfluid nerd and geek who grew up in the Midwest playing soccer, diving, swimming and doing gymnastics, along with running around outside as much as possible—preferably spending that time in swamps and hiking through forests. The haphazard escapades have not changed, except some of them have been replaced with a healthy geocaching addiction and a love for Science Fiction and Fantasy. This love of SFF developed into a writing passion and has led to several awards in the gay science fiction and fantasy categories. Freddy likes worms, dancing and being outside... and toll passes, but you'll have to ask on that one. (They/Them/Their pronouns.)

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This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from the authors. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

Cover Artist: Freddy MacKay

Editor: Jaymi E

First Edition

Watermelon Kisses © 2017 Freddy MacKay

All Rights Reserved.

Published in the United States of America.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: Watermelon Kisses is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are fictionalized. Any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. The story contains explicit sexual content and is intended for adult readers.

Any person depicted in the Licensed Art Material is a model and is being used solely for illustrative purposes.

PUBLISHER

Mischief Corner Books, LLC

Dedication

To Angel and Toni.

You are always there for me.

I love you both dearly.

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Dedication

Watermelon Kisses

Shab-e Yaldā

Foods of Shab-e Yaldā

Dear Reader

About Freddy MacKay

Also by Freddy MacKay

About Mischief Corner Books

Watermelon Kisses

Whirls of color flashed past Amir. Loud voices drummed against his ears without the words really making sense. He knew them, or rather should know them, but they blended together in one great cacophony humming all around Amir. The light above shone too brightly for his eyes so he closed them, but only briefly—the darkness suffocating. Too much to handle.

The brightness hurt his eyes, but it was better than swirling around in the void of his mind.

Leaning, half-sitting against something solid, Amir stared at the paper in front of him. Though his hands shook he knew what the list should say, so he focused on the lettering as much he could. He counted, timing how long it took before each letter came into focus.

Fifty-eight seconds for the b.

Not bad. Not good, but definitely not the worst time it had ever taken him.

Forty-two for the e.

Nineteen for the second e.

Eight for the f.

Beef. Amir was looking at a grocery list. He'd been shopping for foodstuffs for tonight, getting his surprise ready for Esmail. A trolly—the trolly with food he'd picked out—was in front of him. His non-trembling hand was holding onto it, and Amir had made his way to over to the aisle with the bins of candy and nuts.

How convenient.

Somehow during his attack he'd moved to an out-of-the-way spot he actually needed to be.

Being the middle of the afternoon there weren't too many customers for him to have disturbed, but Amir slid a furtive glance around the aisle into the rest of the store. No one was looking. While his heart didn't settle, the buzz in his head dropped down a decibel to something more tolerable, where his own thoughts started piecing together beneath the haze.

Amir went over to the plastic bags and gathered a few so he could get the nuts he wanted for the ajil.

For the love of— It took a few tries to get the bags opened and filled with what Amir wanted, but the simple task of open, scoop, fill, twist, and knot allowed the buzz inside him to die down. Fine. Good.

It wasn't until Amir tried moving into the more open area of the store that the thrum of noise hit him again. Hard. Forceful. He swayed, then grabbed onto the trolly like a lifeline. His hold stiffened around the bar, his steps wobbly. Metallic gray with rainbow edges pushed into his vision.

Amir?

A gentle, sweet voice—a familiar one associated with an almost painful kindness—pushed back at Amir's panic. He blinked owlishly a few times, the gray vision fading away. A beautiful redhead stood to the left of him, near the deli.

Catherine.

Amir was rewarded with a bright smile from the store's assistant manager.

How— Amir searched for the right words, pushing the Farsi aside. The parched aridness in his throat made the words rough to say. How are you today?

Not bad, she answered. One of her hands hovered outstretched, but she didn't move to touch him. You?

Ah. Amazing how one word, the way it was said—the tone, the softness—could say so much. Catherine had seen his distress. A flush heated Amir's face. He wanted to turn away, run, but he had a cart of food. Food for his husband. For tonight. If he ran away from this episode his plans for Esmail would be for naught.

Despite the fierce embarrassment burning through Amir, he replied, I've had better days.

Catherine nodded, her brilliant smile never once wavering, the curve of her lush lips perfectly in sync with the rest of her. Should we call Esmail?

No!

Amir's shout made Catherine twitch, but still she smiled. Was it strained?

Are you sure? she asked without missing a beat and lifted up her cell. It's not a problem.

"I mean, no please. No, he amended, looking down at the tiled floor. It's—" His words failed him. Amir shook his head. Wet warmth pushed at his eyes. Catherine moved