The Christmas Pact

by Keeland, Vi

  “For the same reason you’re going to pretend you have a handsome boyfriend—to get my family off my back.”

  “Your family is on your back too, huh?”

  I nodded once wihout elaborating further. I wasn’t about to get into my fucked-up mess with her. Hell, I wasn’t even sure why the hell I’d decided to go home now. But I looked her in the eyes and told her something my gut thought she could relate to. “We all have reasons we do the things we do, don’t we, Riley?”

  She swallowed, and for a millisecond that I could’ve missed if I’d blinked, her eyes dropped to my lips. “Fine. I’m in.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “I know. I told you, my mother tends to go overboard with Christmas.”

  We pulled up to a stately, two-story brick colonial that looked like Christmas had thrown up on it. There had to be a few hundred moving decorations all over the snow-covered lawn, lights flashed even though it was daytime, and “The Little Drummer Boy” blared from outdoor speakers. Riley’s mother’s house was one of those weird Christmas homes that people took their kids to visit.

  “This is more than overboard. This is…” I shook my head. “Nuts. That’s what it is.”

  Her face fell. “I know. But Christmas was my dad’s favorite time of year. When he got sick, she started doing a little extra decorating to cheer him up. And then after he died…she just kept adding things.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize your father died.”

  She nodded. “Seven years ago now. Colon cancer. Mom has a collection box at the corner of the driveway. People come by the carload at night to see the Christmas display, and a lot of people leave a donation to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance while they’re here. It makes her feel better. But I know it’s a little weird.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “It’s not weird. It’s cool. I shouldn’t have judged without knowing the facts.”

  She smiled at me. “You mean, sort of like you did when you read my letter to Dear Ida? Well, you’re about to meet my family and understand all those facts firsthand. I think you might have a different perspective after spending all day with my mom and then being at the party tonight.”

  “Maybe. We’ll see.”

  We got out of the car and stood at the curb with our bags. Light snow had started to fall during the ride from the airport, and the snowflakes seemed to double in size in the last few minutes. Though Riley didn’t seem like she was in a rush to go inside. I looked over at her as she stared up at the house. She was definitely nervous. I put a hand on her shoulder, and she jumped.

  “Sorry,” she said. “I’m just a little on edge.”

  “I can see that.”

  She took a deep breath and turned to face me. “Okay. I’m ready to do this.”

  A snowflake the size of a quarter landed right on her eyelashes. It made me smile. “I don’t actually think you are ready yet, Riles.”

  “No?”

  I shook my head. “If we’re supposed to be a couple, you can’t be jumping every time I put a hand on you.”

  “Oh.” She nodded. “You’re right. I’ll try to remember that.”

  Her cute little pert nose was pink from the cold, and she pulled her jacket tighter.

  I opened my arms. “Come here.”

  “Pardon?”

  “Let me hold you for a minute. You know…to get you used to my touch. So you don’t jump while we’re pretending.”

  “Oh. Okay. That makes sense.” She took two hesitant steps toward me, and I wrapped her in my arms. After maybe thirty seconds I felt her shoulders relax.

  Without giving it any thought, I kissed the top of her head. “You good?”

  She nodded. I wasn’t sure if it was her shampoo or perfume, but a waft of something floral hit me, and I inhaled deeply to capture it all. How could she smell so good after a 6AM flight?

  Riley tilted her head up to look at me, but made no attempt to leave my arms. “So how did we meet?”

  I smiled. “I guess you’ll find out when someone asks us. That’s half the fun of it. We’re going to ad lib the entire thing.”

  She laughed nervously. “I’m totally going to get caught. I just know it.”

  “Not if you trust me and just follow my lead. Can you do that, Riley?”

  She didn’t seem so sure of herself, but she nodded nonetheless.

  My eyes dropped to her mouth. “I’m not so certain you can. Are you sure?”

  She swallowed.

  Did her lips get fuller since the flight?

  I found myself thinking that maybe I should kiss her. I mean, what if the circumstances called for it during the party and she flinched at my touch or something? A warmup would be totally justified. Wouldn’t it?

  I lifted one hand and cupped her cheek while my other glided down to rest on her hip. Even through her thick winter coat, I could feel the start of her curves. Riley’s body trembled as I slowly lowered my face to hers. It was going to take everything in my power to kiss her gently and not suck the lips right off her face right there in the driveway in front of her mother’s house.

  She licked her lips, and I nearly groaned. The warmth of her breath met the cold air and formed a misty cloud between us as our lips moved closer. God I wanted to devour that damn mouth. And I was just about to. Until…

  “Riley! Is that you, sweetheart?”

  Riley

  Instinctively, I pushed back away from Kennedy. “Mom!” I forced a smile, hoping she didn’t notice how frazzled I was.

  My mother looked between us, a tentative smile curving her lips. “Riley, you didn’t tell me you were bringing someone.”

  Kennedy shrugged. “Surprise?”

  “Well, yes, but a wonderful surprise! Let’s get you two inside where it’s warmer.”

  As we entered the house, Mom insisted that we stop in the foyer so Kennedy could admire her decorations. She had really gone all out with the garland and red bows this year. A battery-operated Santa playing “Jingle Bell Rock” was shaking its hips in the corner.

  “Who is this handsome man, Riley?”

  Kennedy extended his hand to her. “Kennedy Riley. Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Kennedy.”

  “Did I hear correctly? Your name is…Kennedy...Riley?”

  “Yes, indeed.”

  “What a crazy coincidence.”

  “Is it?” Kennedy grinned and looked down at me. His face went soft as he said, “Or maybe meeting your daughter was written in the stars. I like to believe the latter.”

  My mother’s eyes gleamed as she turned to me. “Charming one, he is. And how long have you been dating my daughter, Kennedy?”

  “A few months now. But it seems like forever in some ways. I’ve been really enjoying getting to know your wonderful daughter.”

  Determined to stay in character, I beamed at him before turning my attention back to my mother. “I’m sorry I never mentioned it, Mom.”

  “Despite the fact that you know little about me, Mrs. Kennedy, Riley has certainly told me so much about you.”

  “All good things, I hope.”

  “Of course.”

  My mother waved her hand, prompting us to move into the living room. “Well, come meet everyone, then.” As we followed her, she said, “Unfortunately, Kyle didn’t make it home this year. He’s doing much more important things in Africa.”

  I felt Kennedy’s eyes on me, but I just kept walking.

  My sister, Abby, was practically being attacked by her two-year-old twin girls, Naomi and Nina, when we entered the room.

  When she spotted me, she wiped her hand on her dress before standing up to greet us. “Welcome home, Riley! You didn’t tell me you were dating someone.”

  “Well, now you know,” I said as I hugged her. She gave me a look that said you’d better fill me in later.

  “Great to meet you, Abby,” Kennedy said as he shook her hand. “How are things at the Philharmonic? What instrument is it again that you play?”

  I
t impressed me that he’d remembered.

  “Cello,” she said, lifting her chin proudly.

  “Fantastic. I’d love to go see a performance.” He pulled me into his side again. “We’ll have to go sometime.”

  My sister Olivia snuck up behind us. “Hey, Riley.”

  While Abby and I were one year apart, Olivia was nine years younger.

  I squeezed her. “How’s my little sister?”

  “Good.” She looked toward Kennedy. “Who’s this?”

  “This is my…er, boyfriend, Kennedy.”

  She laughed. “Kennedy? Seriously?”

  “And his last name is Riley!” Mom added with a girlish giggle. Kennedy was definitely winning her over.

  “What? Riley, seriously? That’s crazy.” My sister cracked up.

  Abby added, “So, if you get married, your name would be Riley Riley?”

  Oh God. That was the first time I’d thought of that. Reason enough to be happy that this relationship wasn’t real.

  “Or Riley Kennedy-Riley, with a hyphen.” Kennedy winked.

  My mother left to set up a drink station with warm cider and hot cocoa.

  And then upon her return came the moment I’d been dreading.

  Mom joined us by the fireplace and the inquisition began. “So, Kennedy. What is it that you do?”

  He looked over at me before answering.

  Here we go.

  “Actually, I’m entering training to become an astronaut. I’ll be heading down to Houston soon.”

  I let out an instinctive cough.

  Jesus.

  Astronaut?

  Couldn’t he have picked something more…practical?

  I thought about the name Kennedy Space Center and laughed under my breath. Is that how this ludicrous idea started in his mind? Now, I regretted not getting our stories straight before we got here.

  Totally buying into it, my mother beamed with pride as she looked at me. “Riley! An astronaut! How could you have not mentioned a word of this to me?”

  Gritting my teeth, I smiled. “Yes, I’m…dating an astronaut. Literally out of this world.”

  She turned back to him. “I’ve never met an actual astronaut before.”

  “Well, I’m not there yet. But I will be. The hard work and perseverance will pay off. It’s a two-year intensive program. But then I’ll hopefully be selected for a flight when all is said and done.”

  “How does one even become an astronaut? How do they select you?” Mom asked, hanging on his every word.

  He was digging himself into an even deeper hole. I expected him to flub up, but he kept answering the questions without breaking a sweat. I couldn’t decide if I was impressed or horrified by his ability to lie so naturally.

  “Well, there’s a minimum education requirement, of course. My major was biology. They tend to like science or engineering majors. But of course, you also have to pass a rigorous physical exam as well. But a majority of the decision is based on a long interview process.”

  “Well, I can certainly see why they were charmed by you.”

  “Thank you, ma’am. They want to not only be sure that someone has the physical prowess for the job, but that they can mentally handle it as well. I have no doubt I’m ready.”

  Mom wasn’t finished yet. “It could be tough, too, if you’re selected for a mission, right? How long are you in orbit?”

  “The average time in space is about six months. But the personal sacrifice is worth it. Anything in the name of science. There’s so much yet to be learned.”

  My mother seriously looked like she was about to cry tears of joy. “Wow. Fascinating. Truly.” She probably wished she could have written an addendum to the annual Christmas letter. It didn’t even matter what I was doing with my life now that I was allegedly dating the modern-day Neil Armstrong.

  “Honey, will you be following Kennedy to Houston?”

  “We haven’t gotten that far.”

  He took my hand, looping his fingers in with mine as he gazed into my eyes. “We’re taking it one day at a time, but she knows she means more to me than the moon and the stars.”

  Okay. Now I wanted to barf.

  My mother sighed. She had completely bought it.

  Kennedy continued to answer more questions about the space program as if he seriously worked for NASA. When everyone left the living room and headed to the buffet in the dining room, he and I were alone for the first time since our arrival. The flames from the fireplace crackled in the silence.

  “That was some pretty amazing bullshit you fed her. How do you know so much about the space program anyway?” I whispered.

  “Because I actually got accepted into it.”

  My eyes widened. “Really?”

  “Really. ”

  “Wow. What happened?”

  His expression grew solemn. “I fell in love. She couldn’t, or wouldn’t, move to Houston with me, so I turned it down.”

  Whoa. What?

  “You gave up your dream for a woman?”

  He shook his head. “It wasn’t my dream, really. I just love a good challenge. My father bet me that I couldn’t get in.”

  “Your father bet against you?”

  “Sure did. So I wanted to prove him wrong. When I was accepted into the program, I seriously considered going. But the fact that I’d met someone at the time who couldn’t move with me made the decision to decline easier.”

  I asked the inevitable question. “Whatever happened to her?”

  He hesitated. “We eventually broke up.”

  Footsteps crept around the corner toward us, preventing me from getting more dirt on Kennedy’s lost love. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close right before my mother entered the room.

  “Why are you two lovebirds still over here? Brunch is getting cold.”

  Kennedy kissed me on the cheek. “Great. I’m starving.”

  Every time he touched me, I tingled inside. It seemed my body needed a reminder that this was all a sham.

  The table was decked out for Christmas Eve, my mother’s signature fruitcake serving as the centerpiece. A life-sized Santa and Mrs. Claus were swaying from side to side at the window. Honestly, you’d think my mother had robbed the window display at Macy’s.

  As we moved away from where Mom and her friend were standing in the dining room, I immediately saw Kennedy’s eyes land on a collage of photos on the wall. The fact that there were several of me and the same guy must have intrigued him. He strolled over to get a closer look and I followed.

  “Who’s the guy with you in all these photos?” he asked.

  Ugh.

  I took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. “He was my boyfriend.”

  “I figured that. But why does your mother have pictures of him hanging all over the house? That’s kind of creepy.”

  “Especially when he’s dead, right?”

  Kennedy’s expression darkened. “Shit, Riley. What happened?”

  “Frankie was a passenger in a car driven by another guy. His friend lost control, and the car veered off the road. It was the summer before Frankie’s senior year of college. Three guys died, including Frankie. We’d been together since high school. I found out after he passed that he was going to ask me to marry him right after he graduated.”

  He closed his eyes briefly. “I’m so sorry.”

  “My mother loved him. He was like a son to her. She never really got over it. Between Frankie dying and then my dad...she went a little loony. Started throwing herself into things like Christmas. Anything to deflect from the perpetual sadness.”

  Kennedy looked into my eyes and I couldn’t look away. It was like he was seeing me for the first time, like he’d finally found the missing piece of my puzzle and things suddenly made sense.

  “What?” I finally asked.

  He shook his head. “Nothing. I’m just...sorry that happened to you.”

  We somehow managed to survive the annual Kennedy family Christmas Eve brunch. The
conversation was lively, there was lots of laughter, and through it all Kennedy continued to bullshit his way through NASA talk whenever my mom or one of my sisters would ask him about it.

  When we were done eating, Kennedy insisted that I sit and catch up with my sisters while he helped my mom clean up. Afterwards, he snuck up behind me while I was looking out a window at the backyard. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed his warm body tight against my back.

  “Your mother told me to call her Evelyn instead of Mrs. Kennedy, but I’m pretty sure she’ll have me calling her Mom by the end of the night,” he chuckled. “I like your mom. I suppose eventually she won’t think quite so highly of me, though.”

  “Does that bother you?”

  The silence that ensued was very telling. Mr. Noseybody had a conscience. Who knew?

  “I just want you to be able to work out your stuff with your family. It’s not good to let things fester.”

  I got the feeling he was speaking from experience. But I didn’t push. Instead, I smiled. “Well, you certainly have won her over. You’ve been laying on the charm pretty thick there, Neil Armstrong.”

  He chuckled softly. “See? You were worried about nothing. This was a piece of cake.”

  I turned to face him. Kennedy made no attempt to back up. “A piece of cake, huh? I wouldn’t be so cocky just yet. You haven’t met Mom’s squad.”

  Kennedy’s brows drew together. “Her squad?”

  “Mom plays Mahjong. Tonight at the open house, you’ll meet the three ladies she plays with. And they’re going to eat you alive.”

  He laughed because he had no idea. Of course, I’d failed to mention that my dad had been a career military man and that Mom’s squad were all veterans who had served with him.

  “Pretty sure I can handle three card-playing ladies at a Christmas party,”

  I nodded and grinned. “We’ll see.”

  Riley

  I almost felt bad for him.

  But I’d had two cups of Mom’s famous spiked eggnog, and watching Kennedy squirm was the most fun I’d had at one of these Christmas open house parties in years.