A Movie Star for Christmas

by Jess Mastorakos

  “It has its ups and downs, good parts and bad parts. Problems between friends usually get settled pretty quick since you’d have to see each other all the time or else move away. And couples usually stay friends after they break up. For the same reason, of course.”

  Holly made a face. “Ugh, I would not want to run into any of my exes on a regular basis around L.A. That’s why I never date other actors.”

  “Oh, really? I thought you were having an affair with your co-star?” Nick teased.

  “No, I’m not!” With a surprised laugh, Holly jabbed him in the cheek with her paintbrush that was still coated in red paint.

  Nick’s eyes widened as he reached up and touched his face, his fingers smeared with red paint. “Did you just stab me? Help! I’m bleeding!”

  The rest of the volunteers working on various projects around the hall just looked over and laughed, but no one came to Nick’s rescue. “They’re ready to let me bleed out over here.”

  “Some community,” Holly mused, shaking her head, then falling backward with a laugh as he tried to place a large red dot on her nose with his paintbrush. “Uh uh, too slow!”

  “You call this work?” Joan asked from behind them in a mock scolding tone. “At this rate that photo booth won’t be ready until next year’s Gingerbread Ball.”

  Nick and Holly straightened up and stifled their laughter, guilty expressions on their faces as if they’d actually been caught doing something wrong.

  “Sorry, Ma,” Nick said, though it wasn’t really necessary. “Here to lend a hand?”

  Joan nodded, her eyes sparkling as she looked between them. “I just figured I’d drop off some ornaments for the goodie bags.”

  “Goodie bags?”

  Nick nodded. “Mom makes ornaments and we put them together in little plastic bags with a cookie and a couple of pieces of candy. The kids really love it.”

  “Started it about ten years ago, I think. Maybe twelve,” Joan added. “The high schoolers come in and help us bag them all up on the days leading to Christmas now that they’re too old to get them anymore.”

  Holly tossed her head back. “This town.”

  “Holly’s a little obsessed with Snow Hill and all of its Christmas cuteness,” Nick explained to his mom using air quotes and a mocking tone when he said the term she’d used earlier.

  “Mmhmm. I see that,” Joan replied, a mischievous look on her face. “Hey, listen, I’m old, can you guys go get those boxes of ornaments from up there on the stage and bring them to the tables down by the front? That’s where the high schoolers are going to put together the goodie bags.”

  Nick followed her gaze to the area where the boxes sat and almost groaned out loud. He stifled it at the same time that Holly said, “Sure, happy to help.”

  As Holly took off for the stage, Nick shot his mom a death glare. “You just happened to put those boxes right there, huh?”

  “The movie crew is done for the day so I’m just going to go out the front,” Joan said, ignoring his question. “Oh, and it looks like the rest of the volunteers have called it a day, too. Goodbye, dear.”

  “Bye,” Nick replied, watching his mom head for the door, then quickly realized he needed to head to the stage. Holly had already reached the first of the two boxes his mother had put there and was about to lift it up, but Nick held up a hand as he jogged up the steps to the stage. “Hang on.”

  Holly turned. “Yeah?”

  “Well,” Nick said, glancing around to see if his mom had been right and all the volunteers were really gone. Satisfied that they were alone, he kept walking until he was only a breath away from her. “I’m not sure if you know this, but we’ve been in this position twice now.”

  Holly blinked up at him. “And what position is that?”

  Without a word, Nick held up a hand between them and pointed at the ceiling. He watched her face as she looked up, seeing her eyes twinkle and a slow smile cross her face when she caught sight of the mistletoe.

  “Ah, yes, when Julia interrupted us at the inn.”

  “Yep.”

  “And was this here yesterday when Jack came in?”

  “Yep.”

  “Well ... third time’s the charm?”

  Nick reached up and cupped her cheek, tracing his thumb lightly over her lips before leaning in close. “Yep.”

  11

  Holly

  When Nick’s mouth closed over hers, Holly couldn’t help but melt into him. She’d been aching for this moment almost from the first time they’d met. There’d been something about how he carried himself or the glint in his eye when he poked fun at her Christmas obsession that made her want to just grab him and press her lips to his. She’d resisted, however, and now she was grateful she had. Because the way he pulled her close and was completely in charge of this kiss was like nothing she’d ever experienced.

  Holly brought her arms around Nick’s neck and into his hair as he took the kiss deeper, her fingers mingling with the edges of his short caramel-colored waves. His strong arms wrapped tightly around her waist and pulled her onto her tiptoes. His lips were soft and patient, but there was also a hunger brimming around the edges that made her knees weak. She was grateful for the support of his body against hers.

  Finally, with one last whisper of a kiss, he brought his forehead to hers and leaned forward, returning her feet flat on the ground. Holly had no idea what to say, for once. In fact, she was almost dizzy from the flood of feelings that came pouring out of him with that kiss. She’d had a couple of boyfriends over the years, and plenty of on-screen kisses that were staged to look as good as this kiss was. None of them had ever come close to that.

  “Holly,” Nick whispered, his lips inches away from hers.

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m really glad we didn’t get interrupted that time.”

  She let out a chuckle and squeezed his shoulders. “Me, too.”

  Back at the inn, Holly sat at the kitchen counter with Robin drinking hot apple cider. She was grateful that she had such sweet people to spend time with when she wasn’t filming. Harriet had been busier than ever on this trip for some reason, so she hadn’t seen her much. And Jack hovered a lot less with the safety and security that came from being in such a friendly town. Plus, Holly knew he was enjoying the cozy inn with its plush sofa and big screen TV.

  “Alright, spill,” Robin said.

  Holly furrowed her brow. “What?”

  “That’s the third time you’ve blushed at the mere mention of Nick. Did something happen between you guys or are you just crushing that hard?”

  “Well,” Holly put down the steaming cup of apple cider she’d just sipped from and took a deep breath, “we kissed.”

  Robin squealed. “I’m so happy. Aw, was it amazing?”

  “It was,” Holly confirmed, covering her face with her hands.

  “So, would it be weird for me to ask a ‘now what’ kind of question? I mean, maybe you haven’t even thought that far ahead yet, but it was kind of my first thought, not gonna lie.”

  Holly peaked out at Robin from between her fingers. “It was my first thought, too. I have no idea what comes next. Honestly, after I found out about him and Julia, I backed off. Or, at least, I thought I did. I tried, anyway.”

  Robin chuckled and then took a sip of her cider. “The Julia thing crossed my mind, too. Anyone would be stupid not to see the sparks between you guys ... but I was surprised he’d go there again given what happened with her.”

  “With who?” Joan asked as she entered the kitchen.

  Holly and Robin exchanged a look, and then Holly sighed, leaning her head dramatically on her arm that was resting on the counter. “This is your fault.”

  “My fault?” Joan exclaimed. “What did I do?”

  “You and your boxes under the mistletoe,” Holly answered, her voice muffled by the counter.

  Joan let out a full, rich laugh. “Oh, so it worked, did it?”

  “Maybe a little too well,” Robin
answered wryly.

  Holly looked up at this. “I’m nervous about what’s next. You know ... since I’m leaving. And after what he’s been through.”

  She thought it would be weird to talk to Nick’s mom about this, but for some reason Holly felt completely at home in the kitchen of the inn, pouring her heart out to Joan. The whole scene could only be described as warm and loving. Hot apple cider, Jingle Bells playing in the background, and festive touches spread throughout the kitchen that were a mix of homemade crafts and elegant trinkets. It was the kitchen of an inn, sure, but it was also the kitchen of a family, filled with comfort. Holly’s heart twisted painfully as she thought about her own mom and how she’d give anything to talk about her love life with her in a kitchen like this over hot apple cider.

  Joan reached across the counter and put her hand over Holly’s. “Don’t stress about that yet, dear. Just allow yourselves to be happy.”

  “Not a bad idea,” Robin shrugged. “Even if it is just a Christmas fling, there are probably worse guys you could have one with.”

  Holly wanted to make a joke about her having a Christmas fling with Jack, but after finding out a bit about her history from Nick, she bit her tongue.

  “Oh, I don’t know much about flings, but if it’s the real deal, you’ll be able to overcome your circumstances. Just you wait and see.” Joan winked at Holly.

  Harriet burst through the doors leading from the dining room and pulled a pen out of the messy bun atop her head. “Hey, sweets. Sign these papers for me, will you?”

  Holly took the clipboard from her assistant. “What are they?”

  “Just boring stuff. Don’t worry about it. That’s what you have me for,” Harriet replied with a wink, putting the pen in Holly’s hand. “Just sign here, here, and here.”

  Holly signed the lines where she was told and handed back the paperwork. “Thanks, Harriet. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “You’ll never have to find out,” Harriet replied. “I’ll see you ladies at dinner, I just have a few more calls to make before I call it a day.”

  Harriet bustled out of the room without giving Joan or Robin a chance to reply. Holly couldn’t be sure, but she thought she saw the barest hint of suspicion cross Joan’s face as she watched Harriet go. Before she knew it, the look was replaced with warmth again as Joan’s smile turned back to Holly.

  “Speaking of dinner,” Robin said as she stood, “I should get going. Abby is going to be home from her book club soon.”

  “I love that girl’s passion for reading, Robin. You’re doing a great job with her,” Joan said, her eyes practically pouring love and compassion onto Robin as she looked at her.

  “Thank you,” Robin replied, seeming to be working hard not to tear up. “I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

  Holly and Joan said their goodbyes and watched Robin go. Holly couldn’t imagine going through what Robin had. They weren’t close enough for her to ask about it and she didn’t know the details, but she couldn’t imagine losing her partner the way Robin had. Not to mention losing the father of her child and needing to raise her on her own. It may have been a completely different situation since Nick had been so much older than Abby, but I could see the bond between Robin and Joan over their similar losses.

  More than ever, Holly appreciated this small community. Robin had a literal village standing behind her ready to help, and she had Joan, who clearly understood much of how she felt. She and Jack had pretty much only had Harriet and each other when they’d lost their parents.

  “Hey, Ma,” Nick said as he came in from the back. His eyes smiled bigger than his mouth did when he caught Holly’s eye. “Holly.”

  “Hi,” Holly replied, proud of herself for not grinning like an idiot.

  “Sure was nice of you to volunteer to help with the ball preparation today, Holly,” Joan said, taking out various ingredients from the fridge and setting them up on the counter.

  Holly smiled. “It’s my pleasure. I love that you guys have been doing that for so many years. And it definitely seems like a lot of work.”

  “Oh, it is,” Joan agreed. “And this one always wants certain things to look fresh and new each year instead of re-using the old stuff, which only adds to his workload.”

  Nick had been pouring himself a cup of cider from the kettle on the stove, when he turned out to defend himself. “Hey, I do that because Dad did, and now people expect it. Not my fault.”

  “I’m sure you don’t get any satisfaction out of it, either, do you?” Joan tossed her shoulder at him then looked back at Holly. “He’s a lot like his dad. They both loved the creative aspect of setting up for the ball. Me? I just love the food. And the dancing. And seeing everyone all dressed up. Oh, who am I kidding? I love it all when I’m there, just maybe not so much the construction of it. I leave that up to Nick and his crew.”

  “The finished product sounds amazing,” Holly said dreamily, her chin in her hands.

  Just as she was about to get sad about having to miss it when she leaves. Joan gestures at her with a wooden spoon. “You know what you two should go do?”

  “What?” Nick asked.

  “Go try out that ice rink,” Joan answered, wagging her brows.

  The movie crew had built a beautiful ice rink in the parking lot of the high school to use for a few key scenes in the movie. Apparently, a few of the nicer producers had been cornered by Robin and the mayor earlier that day and were convinced to let the townspeople use it for one night now that the scenes were finished. Since it was asked for ‘in the name of Christmas spirit’ and the crew wasn’t looking forward to tearing it down anyway, the producers had agreed.

  Holly looked at Nick, gauging his reaction to his mom playing matchmaker with them once again. He looked a little hesitant, for reasons she didn’t blame him for, but eventually, he smiled at her. “We could do that. That is, if you want.”

  “Who me? A real-life ice-skating date in the perfect Christmas town? Nah, I’ll pass,” Holly replied, already hopping off her chair and heading for the door. When he wasn’t following her, she turned. “Hello? Just kidding. Let’s go!”

  12

  Nick

  “So, is this one of those scenes where you’re clumsy on skates and I offer to teach you and then you fall, and I catch you, and we kiss?” Nick asked as he laced up his ice skates.

  Holly narrowed her eyes. “Did you sneak on set and watch us film our scenes?”

  “No, but is that what the scene was about?”

  “Maybe.”

  Nick shook his head. “Christmas movies are so cheesy. My mom loves them, but I feel like if you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all.”

  “They’re cheesy in the best way,” Holly said with a sigh. “We all know this, and we still love them. When was the last time you curled up on the sofa with a cozy blanket, hot cocoa, and a romantic Christmas movie? The whole thing, not just bits and pieces when your mom watches them.”

  “Hmm,” Nick scratched his chin and looked up. “That would be ... never.”

  “Oh, we’re fixing that for sure. Tonight, even. It’s happening.”

  Nick reached out and tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear, grateful that he felt comfortable enough to joke with her about it. “It’s a date.”

  The way her eyes lit up slightly at the word ‘date’ should have made him nervous, but instead, he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. When he pulled back, he was shocked by the happiness he felt just being with her in this way. Like a new couple, on a cheesy ice-skating date. He was happy alright, but he could feel the nerves hovering around the edges of his consciousness. He was falling for her, and she was going to leave him.

  He held out his gloved hand. “Ready to get out there?”

  “Yes,” she replied, putting her hand in his.

  They made their way through the crowd of Snow Hill residents who’d come out for their one night of skating thanks to the movie production. Nick had heard rumors t
hat the mayor wanted to start construction on a more permanent rink for the town and he planned to see if he could get involved with the project. Yes, the inn was his main priority, but he enjoyed being part of the town’s various projects. It’s something his dad had always done, too.

  Out on the rink, Nick was surprised to find that Holly was a decent skater. “I didn’t expect you to be so good at this, growing up in Southern California.”

  Holly winked at him. “Roller skating at the beach isn’t a far leap from ice-skating. Plus, we did so many takes out here the last few days I feel like I could compete in the Olympics by now.”

  Not two seconds after she said it, she stumbled slightly, and Nick caught her arm. “Don’t quit your day job.”

  “Ha ha,” she replied with an eye roll. Then she looked at him nervously. “Speaking of my day job ... should we talk about this whole thing? Next steps, wise, I mean.”

  He swallowed and looked away, focusing on skating with the flow of the crowd. He really hadn’t wanted to think about the next steps, let alone talk about them. But he knew they needed to at some point. Julia had made promises right from the beginning about making their relationship work. She’d promised she just wanted to fulfill her commitment to the movie that was supposed to start in January and then she’d come right back, and they’d make a life together there in Snow Hill. No more acting, no more Hollywood.

  Julia’s career had been tumultuous up until that point, so he didn’t have any reason to believe it would be hard for her to leave it. She’d said all the right things, even at the end when he should have known she was done with him.

  Talking about it with Holly now was going to be hard. He knew where he belonged. In this town, running his inn. If she promised she’d stay, he wasn’t sure if he could believe her. And if she didn’t, he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to break the connection between them.