Sugarplum: A Holiday Romance

by Angela Blake

  “Fuck, that’s a lot of people,” Julie noted as soon as they went through the doors. There were at least two hundred people already there.

  Chace noticed too and he tapped her shoulder to point out Sofia and Victor. They were up at the main table alongside Jessica and Talbert. A lot of the school council members back when they were in high school were all there. Both Chace and Julie tried to slip in unnoticed but Talbert saw them and called them out. With a sigh of grief, both Chace and Julie headed towards their table.

  Talbert, a tall lanky man with thick glasses and a dark blonde goatee, had them seated. “Are you guys ready for your big dance?”

  “Huh? Uhm, yeah, why?” Julie asked.

  Victor then explained. “You guys are the second to perform. We got Mike singing with his rock band and then Jessica is going to give a big speech. After that but before we all start eating it’ll be you guys on the center dance floor, okay?”

  Julie and Chace looked at each other, weighed their options, then looked back at Victor.

  “Sure,” Chace said. “It’s been a fun ride getting here, it’ll be a fun ride to do this performance.”

  “Man, are you high? What the heck are you talking about?” Sofia asked.

  Julie explained after taking a quick sip of water. “You guys don’t know this but he and I have been together for years. We broke up and we just got back together when we had that meeting at the Flaming Margarita. It’s been one heck of a ride for us.”

  Everybody at the table applauded. Julie couldn’t help but stare at Chace and they exchanged glances of pride and achievement.

  “I told you this could work, Jules,” Chace whispered into Julie’s ear.

  Julie nodded and patted him on the shoulder. “Let’s go slay ‘em, champ.”

  She may have been broken before. She knew she screwed everything up when she cheated on him all those years ago. If it wasn’t for Melissa standing by her side and Ned helping out in every little way possible, she knew she wouldn’t have made it. She would have completely lost her mind.

  The first half of the party was pretty much the standard affair. Mike and some of his friends – not all of which were their batch mates – performed a modern version of a Led Zeppelin song. They were then followed by Jessica who gave a big speech about staying in touch through the years and how they all hoped these reunion parties could be organized every other year. She revealed she wanted to make sure they could always keep track of everyone in the batch.

  It was after her speech that Julie and Chace got called for their performance.

  “Let’s show them how it’s done,” Chace stated with confidence as he got up from his seat and reached out for her hand. “I know we’ve got this.”

  Julie gave back a smile. In the back of her head she was still a little bit nervous and she knew there was a lot riding on this dance. This dance could showcase to the rest of their friends and batch mates that they were the right people for each other, that this relationship was good. It would also eliminate the preconception that they were two of the most forgettable people in their batch. This would give them a moment to shine.

  The lights dimmed and the music began to play.

  Chace was the first to move and he dashed towards Julie with such precision and style that the audience applauded them within the first few moments of their dance. Julie responded in kind, swaying and tapping her feet in rhythm to the beat until they finally clashed in the center of the room. Their bodies melded into one and their hands roamed each other’s bodies before they eventually collided in a deadly lock.

  The song hit its first chorus and this was where their first major move took place. Right as the beat and melody rose into a crescendo, Chace used his right hand to grab her by her left hand and they went in separate directions. As soon as their arms went straight and lock, he tugged hard and Julie twirled into his arms and he passed her to his left side. Using his left arm and hand he grabbed her from the back and let her lean as far down as possible. As he did, Julie was surprised to see him come down and land a kiss right on her lips.

  Another round of applause exploded all around them. Chace grabbed her again and twirled her to her feet. The beat simplified over the course of these actions, mellowing back down the second verse, giving room for them to execute the more basic move sets of Cha-cha.

  “Everyone’s looking at us,” Julie whispered as soon as she inched close enough for him to hear her.

  “That’s exactly the point,” he told her. “This is their first time to see us this way. From our perspective, this is our second chance so let’s relish the moment and show them we’ve got more than just the basics.”

  That was a challenge Julie was more than willing to accept. They made better use of the space available to them and it didn’t take long for Chace and Julie to conquer every corner of the dance floor. Yet even then they still had another surprise up their sleeve.

  Very quickly the music heightened as the song gracefully neared its conclusion. Just as the music shifted in beat and style to the bridge, Chace let go of Julie. She twirled a few feet off to the distance but then halted and made a run towards Chace. With arms wide open he grabbed her, right on the beat, and then twirled her above his head before placing her back down on the floor. From there it as simple as executing the basic moves until the song ended and the lights came back on.

  First there was an applaud from one person and then another until the whole room roared with the cheers from their batch mates. Julie knew that their performance was not really ground-breaking but they did put a lot of time and effort into it. Seeing people enjoy it as much as they did sparked something inside of her and before she could stop herself she pulled Chace in and gave him a kiss on the lips. As their lips clashed she let him take over. It took so much strength just to pull away before they’d get carried away.

  There they stood, triumphant like there was nothing else important in the world at that moment. This was something they could claim entirely on their own and so they did.

  “Thank you,” Julie told Chace. She held his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Thank you for everything. Thank you for giving me this second chance to make it right.”

  He shook his head and replied. “No, let me thank you for giving this a second chance. I really thought we were never getting back together.”

  “I guess I can just say we really click every time you see me smacking some pervert in the face,” Julie joked. She then led him out of the center stage and they returned to their seats. A lot of their batch mates congratulated them and praised them for their performance. Julie soaked it all in with pride and a deep sense of joy and satisfaction. Just a few weeks ago she never even thought she’d be here let alone dancing and having a renewed relationship with Chace.

  Chace took a sip of his drink and then pulled his chair closer to hers. “You really do know how to sink a punch into a guy’s face, that’s for sure. Now I’ll never piss you off.”

  “You never know, I could be Jigsaw’s newest apprentice and if you ever ignore me again I’ll put you in a trap and have my creepy puppet ride a bicycle over to you while you wake up and taunt you,” she teased. “Next thing you know your head is blowing off or you’ll have to saw your leg off to escape inevitable death.”

  “Remind me never to let you watch too many horror movies ever again.”

  Julie laughed, took a bite off some chocolate cake, and then turned back to him. “Too late – Melissa just bought the blu-ray for the Babadook. Have you seen it yet?”

  “No, is it any good?” Chace wasn’t really all that into horror movies. He preferred crime drama and thrillers over straight-up horror flicks.

  Julie shrugged in response. “I don’t know. People say it’s more of a psychological thriller than a horror movie so I think you might like it. Stay over with us tonight so we can all watch it together.”

  “I shall judge it with all my impure angst.” Chace said dryly.

&nbs
p; “Then we have a master plan,” Julie said. “If Ned and Melissa start making out while we’re watching that’ll be our cue to ditch the movie and do our own thing.”

  Chace patted her hand and held it tightly. “Jules, I love you. I know it sounds silly after all we’ve been through these past few days but I really do fucking love you. This has got to be the best Christmas of my life. I know it sounds cheesy and it probably is but I have to say that Christmas is never going to be same unless I spend it with you.”

  Julie felt her heart melt and she couldn’t help but shed a tear. “Chace, Merry Christmas. I love you.”

  “Merry Christmas too,” he replied as he lifted a hand to brush away her tears. He then grinned and told her, “I already got my Christmas gift but would it be out of place for me to ask for another?”

  Julie laughed but the question alone already sparked a desire in her. She reached down below the table and gently reached for his leg. Slowly she let her fingers creep up his thigh until she eventually reached between his legs and got a firm hold of his cock, right through his trousers.

  “Of course you can ask for another,” she teased, her tongue slightly poking out of the corner of her lips. “I love it when you ask for another.”

  “Then let me have another and another and then another,” Chace played. He finally understood the problem. She only cheated on him because she needed his attention and that simple fact didn’t sink in until recently. “I can’t believe how I managed to not make you feel wanted because the truth of the matter is I am obsessed with you, Julie. I fantasize about you all day and I want to fucking ravage you all night. Oh, speaking of obsession, I was a little obsessed about the gift you gave me so I went out and got you something too. Hold on, it’s in my little bag here.”

  Julie tapped him on the shoulder. “You got me a gift? You scheming bastard.”

  “I learned from the best,” he replied as he opened a small brown bag and then pulled out a tiny box. He gave it to her and said, “Merry Christmas.”

  Julie took the box and held onto it very tightly. It couldn’t be an engagement ring, right? She knew better than to expect something like that. They just got back together and even if they’d already addressed the issues that broke them apart last time it didn’t automatically mean they were on a level comfortable enough to warrant getting married.

  “This cannot possibly be a ring,” Julie tried to convince herself.

  Chace managed to hear her and simply teased her further. “What’s wrong if it isn’t? Are you expecting a ring?”

  “Do I expect one right after just getting back with you? Of course not.”

  “So what are you waiting for?”

  She opened the box and inside was a gorgeous white-gold ring topped with small diamonds on its side and a big one in the center, held by a gorgeous casing. Julie looked up at Chace and didn’t even realize that tears were flowing down her cheeks.

  “Is this w-what I think it is?” she asked.

  Chace nodded and suddenly got down on his knees. He looked around and to his surprise everyone just now realized what was going on and they all had their attention turned to him and Julie.

  “Julie Evans, the love of my life and the woman I’ve crazed on for years,” Chace started. His voice was quaking a little but even then he kept on pushing forward. “I know we’ve had a lot of problems and they’ve taken years to address. I know we’re not perfect but that’s okay: you and I fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, complementing each other and that’s how we’ve gone from two imperfect individuals into one perfect couple. Julie Evans, I love you and here I ask: will you marry me?”

  Julie looked around in shock and for a moment she had to just keep silent, cover her mouth and allow herself to just cry from the sheer joy of the moment. After a good moment or two later she started nodding and told Chace, “I do. God damn it, I do!”

  Chace felt a great weight lift from his chest and he got back up to embrace Julie. They kissed and kept themselves in a tight hug. Julie didn’t want to let him go. Chace wasn’t going to let her go even if she wanted. It wasn’t until they remembered they had their whole batch watching before they let go of their hug and got back into their seats.

  He aided Julie in sliding the ring onto her finger. She wore it proudly on her left hand’s ring finger and Julie took a long moment to just admire how it looked on her. It was the most beautiful ring she ever had and she immediately felt that it must have cost Chace a fortune.

  “Thank you,” Chace whispered into her ear when things were settling down and the party moved on to the next main event. Their batch mates were now settling back and watching what was going on in the center stage. “I really had no backup plan in case you said no.”

  Julie looked at him with her jaw dropped and her eyes wide open with surprise. “Are you serious? You’re very lucky I said yes. I mean, seriously, how can I say anything but yes after realizing just how freaking expensive this is and because you enjoyed my Christmas gift more than I expected? I can still feel some sores you know?”

  Chace giggled and shifted a little in his seat. “How can I not enjoy your gift for me? You’re absolutely delicious.”

  Julie blushed and looked at him with squinted eyes. “You know you can have more, right?”

  “I’m definitely having more,” Chace answered and she could feel the lust emanating in his voice. “I will give you tonight to rest… maybe. If the movie sucks then guess what – I’m having you as a midnight snack instead. It’ll be like having cookies and milk for Christmas Eve except my meal moans and just keeps on giving.”

  They both laughed and Julie felt truly happy for the first time. It had been a rocky journey the past few years and this last week was the culmination of all their struggles.

  “I have to keep on giving, we missed out on a few Christmas celebrations now,” she pointed out.

  “Time to make up for lost time,” he added in. “How about we start that party now? Let’s get the heck out of here.”

  “And leave all this behind? What would they say?”

  Chace shrugged it off as it meant nothing to him. “They’ll get it. I just proposed, you said yes, they know our honeymoon comes before the wedding.”

  Julie laughed again and she finally relented. She got up, slid her arm through his, and together they walked out of the reception hall, never paying attention to the stares and giggles as they passed by.

  Chace took his coat off and wrapped it around her shoulders as they walked into the winter cold. It was freezing out there, with the snowfall getting stronger and the temperature dropping by the second, but they were fortunately not too far from the car. Once they were inside and comfortable, Chace gave her another kiss and then another before he started the engine and drove them back home.

  Epilogue

  Julie and Chace Matthews spent their Christmas together after years of being apart. Melissa and Ned, to their surprise, got married before they did. The day after Christmas the couple suddenly left and only returned a few days later to reveal they had a private wedding in Las Vegas.

  The only downside to that was that Melissa was moving out of the apartment. She was moving into Ned’s humble home which wasn’t far but it did mean Julie would be all alone. To fix this, Julie moved in with Chace right around New Year’s Eve. While everyone was celebrating with fireworks and food, Chace and Julie were in the bedroom having wild sex like rabbits.

  It was the day after that they finally got a chance to relax a moment and they found themselves in the living room having donuts and coffee. Julie was wearing a pair of pink shorts and a pink tank top while Chace was in his shorts and black shirt.

  “Hey, I’ve been thinking,” Chace started. “After the wedding, would you like to move out? Maybe we should buy a house. You know, like our own house?”

  “You know we’re spending thousands of dollars for the wedding,” Julie pointed out. She looked up from her laptop for a moment and f
ollowed up with a question. “But a house would be nice.”

  Chace agreed. “It could be our first major investment as a married couple. I have some savings we can start it off with.”

  “I have more savings than you,” Julie reminded him and she had a big, wicked smile when she did. “When do you want to go look at houses? Oh, oh, we should go right after we get back from our honeymoon.”

  “We can get a place close to Melissa’s if you want,” Chace suggested. “I know it’s a little too quiet without her. She’s like a burning comet that just lights the place up whenever she’s around.”

  Julie nodded in agreement. “You can say that again. I mean, life isn’t boring when it’s just us and our other friends but Melissa is my best friend for a reason, you know? She’s like this undying ball of fire that always lightens up the place. She’s so energetic. Also, she’s one of the reasons why we’re even back together. She’s the one who brought you in when we were at the bar getting into an argument with that dolt, Griffin.”

  “Yeah, he was such an asshole, wasn’t he?” Chace reminisced with a grin. “You showed him though. Every time there’s an asshole around you know how to smack ‘em good with a punch or two.”

  Julie put her hands on her hips. “I blame Melissa. She never allowed someone to bully her or be rude to her. I got that habit of fighting back from her.”

  “Well it suits you,” Chace noted. “You’re a little too shy at times so having that spark in you really lets me see the other side of you.”

  “Uh-huh, the side that nearly broke you apart last time,” Julie said with a melancholic note. “I know I’ve said sorry a thousand times but I really need to say it again. Cheating is cheating no matter the reason and I find it a miracle that you’re here with me despite all I did.”

  “It did hurt, it really did,” Chace explained. He stared out into the void, never really focusing on anything as if his gaze was affixed on a memory more than an object in the room. “I never felt so betrayed than I did then yet even when I was so mad and frustrated I couldn’t help but miss you and long for you. I still loved you and maybe that was why it hurt even more. But the truth was there and the truth was that I needed you. I wanted you. If I had to suck in the pain and do what I could to make it all work, I’d do it.”