“No, she complimented me,” Nate corrected.
“Yes, but she thought she was complimenting me. What do you want to name it?”
Nate sat down and crossed his legs. He pulled the cap off the marker with his teeth and started to write on the card. When he was done, he held it up and I read it out loud. “Counter-Christmas?”
He chuckled. “I couldn’t call it The Anti-Christmas Tree. Everyone would know it was yours.”
The tarp crinkled again as it dropped to the floor. The committee was pulling down all the privacy screens. A handful of volunteers scurried around and folded them up. It was the first time we got a chance to see the competition.
“Wow,” I said when my eyes fell on Sebastian’s tree. It swirled from bottom to top in a rainbow pattern.
Nate gloated, holding out his hand. “Looks like you owe me ten bucks.”
“I’m not paying you squat.” I smacked his hand away and stubbornly folded my arms. “That tree will be hard to beat.”
“Ours is better,” Nate said, though I could hear a hint of disappointment in his voice. The tree we did was good, but Sebastian’s was spectacular.
Kathy walked up on the stage and called out to the contestants. “Can I have everyone bring their excess supplies up here and set them behind the curtain? When you’re finished, hang out on the stage for a bit while we open the doors. Don’t want you standing by your tree when the judges come in.” Nate and I grabbed our bins and followed the others to stash our stuff.
Garland and Evan strolled in around seven thirty. The first thing Garland did when he saw me was put his fingers to his temple like he was trying to read my mind. “I’m sensing that yours is either the tree with every holiday except Christmas or the tree with all the candy bars.”
I laughed. Turns out I wasn’t the only one in Rudolph who had a deep love for chocolate. When I saw that tree, I was so relieved we hadn’t picked a candy theme. “Yes, ours is the Counter-Christmas Tree.”
“I think you should have called it Christmas for Haters.”
“I already told you, I don’t hate Christmas.” I glanced at Evan, who was sporting an amused smile. He pulled a Kleenex from his pocket and dabbed at his nose.
“It’s the best one here,” he said.
“You’re just saying that.”
“No, I mean it.” He sounded stuffy.
“Are you feeling okay?”
His smile flattened. “I think I might be getting a cold.”
“That’s a real bummer, man,” Nate interjected, his voice completely disingenuous. “You probably won’t feel up to joining us at Kelly’s shindig tonight.”
“I’ll be fine,” Evan replied in a clipped tone.
Eight o’ clock came, and Kathy took her spot on the stage. She fussed with that useless piece-of-junk microphone forever. I wanted to go up there and bean her with it. “Sorry for the delay, everyone.” She tapped the mic a few times. “I think we finally have this thing fixed. Tonight’s honorable mention was the closest call we’ve had in pageant history. It came down to the audience ballots, and the winner took the prize by only two votes.”
My body stiffened with anticipation. I felt like a confetti cannon, fuse lit and ready to explode. Kathy asked for a drum roll. “Oh my gosh. Will she just announce it already?”
“Sounds like someone actually cares,” Garland teased.
“And the winner is…” I crossed my fingers. Kathy spoke, but nothing came out.
“Gah!” I shouted. “That woman is killing me.”
She pulled the mic from her face, tapped it, then turned toward the sound guy. It took a minute, but the mic started working again, right as she grumbled, “Blasted microphone.” Everyone snickered, and Kathy got red enough to see her blushing from the back of the room. “The winner is Christmas Kaleidoscope,” she announced quickly, shifting the focus from her gaffe.
Nate’s face crumpled, and my heart sank. Garland slapped him on the back. “That’s total junk, dude. Yours was the best.”
“Yeah,” Evan added. “I really thought you guys would win.” His sympathy was genuine, although it was directed at me.
“Who’s the creator of that amazing artwork?” Kathy asked, scanning the crowd. Sebastian was already making his way to the stage, proceeded by so many hoots and hollers that they could have been his very own walk-up music.
“I knew it’d be Wickham.” Nate went from disappointed to depressed.
“Why am I not surprised?” Kathy chuckled as Sebastian made his way up the stairs. “It’s none other than our reigning Yuletide King!” The audience went wild.
Sebastian reveled in his win, grinning like a pompous idiot. The noise only ceased when he told everyone to calm down. He took the mic from Kathy. “Thank you, thank you. It’s a huge honor to have the best tree here. However, mine couldn’t be the best if it weren’t for my competition. I don’t know about you guys, but I’d like to know who I beat by only two votes.”
The people cheered until Mrs. Newport gave in. “Settle down, ladies and gentlemen.” She shushed the audience. “Normally I wouldn’t tell you, but since the vote was so close… The runner up was Counter-Christmas. Will the artist please raise their hand?”
Nate grabbed my arm and shot it in the air. “Stop,” I hissed, but he didn’t listen.
The spotlight moved off Kathy and onto me. “My, my. It seems Miss Jensen has caught a case of Christmas spirit. How about a round of applause for Chrissy?” The room went equally crazy for Nate’s tree. After all, he did only lose by two votes. “Looks like we have a real competition here.”
Sebastian smirked at me in a twisted bugs-creeping-up-your-spine kind of way. Nate wasn’t as alarmed as I was. He nodded his head at Sebastian, who returned the gesture. Challenge accepted. Sebastian was conceited, but he wasn’t a fool. He knew Nate was the mastermind in our operation.
“Bring it on, Wickham.” Nate spoke to no one in particular, but saying it aloud was enough. The gauntlet had officially been thrown.
We didn’t stick around very long after that because I wanted to change before going out. All the kids from school would be at Kelly’s house, plus some from neighboring towns. It was a big deal. So big, that Kelly always used my attendance as a bragging point. She claimed that if she could get Chrissy Jensen to come, the party must be awesome. Minus the whole Christmas part, it usually was.
Evan knocked on my door just after nine thirty. “You ready to go?” he asked, eyes roaming over my little black dress. It was completely inappropriate for the weather, and I’d freeze my butt off when I got outside. Not to mention that it was uncomfortable as all get-out. But it was worth the sacrifice. I looked hot.
“Almost,” I replied while sweeping my hair into a messy knot on the top of my head. He coughed into his hand. “Seriously, are you okay? You don’t sound so good.”
“It’s a tiny cold. No big deal,” he insisted, but he looked worse than he was letting on. “I can’t stay home. Not when you’ve repeatedly told me how great this party will be.”
I smiled before blotting my lipstick. “You won’t regret coming. I could have the flu, and I’d probably still go.”
“Hurry up, Chrissy!” Garland shouted from downstairs.
“Coming!” I yelled back. Evan covered his ears. I winced. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay, I just have a bit of a headache.”
“Do you want me to get you something for it?”
“Chrissy, I’m fine.” He dismissed me and offered his elbow. “Really.”
I let Evan escort me down to the foyer, where Garland was waiting impatiently. Nate walked out from the kitchen with a fistful of cookies. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me. His eyes grew wide and he gawked, mouth slightly open. Then he gave me the same body scan that Evan had. The way he looked me up and down made me fidget.
He cleared his throat. “You can’t wear that. You’ll freeze. Go change.”
“I don’t care,
” I replied firmly. “I’m wearing it. End of story.” Nate grimaced.
Evan took my long dress coat from the hook and held it out for me. “Thanks,” I said, sliding into the sleeves. He smoothed out some invisible wrinkles and conveniently left his hand on the small of my back. Nate shoved another cookie in his mouth, crunching it obnoxiously.
The party was in full swing when we arrived. The music was loud, and the main room was hot, filled with bodies bouncing to the beat. The entire space was lit only by strands of Christmas lights, creating a romantic vibe. There were pops of green, red, and gold all over. Fresh evergreen swags adorned the banister. Their scent mixed with the pleasant aroma of spiced apple cider, which was drifting from the table of food. Mistletoe hung in every archway, just as my brother had predicted.
Kelly’s parents owned a catering business, so the spread of hors d’oeuvres was phenomenal. Garland made a beeline for the food. “Come on,” he said to Evan. “You have to try the cheese dip. It’s legendary.” Evan looked at me as if he didn’t want to go, but Garland tugged on his arm. Evan followed, reluctantly leaving me behind.
“Hey, Nate!” Kelly called from the middle of the dance floor. She waved him over with a seductive smile.
“See?” I nudged him. “You could get any girl you want. You only need to pick one.”
“I already have, but I don’t think she reciprocates my feelings.” He watched me carefully, waiting for a response.
What was I supposed to say? This was getting really weird. The looks, the comments, he was all over the place this week. Was he talking about Kelly right now, or was he talking about me? Because it sounded like he was talking about me. And that was crazy.
I took too long to reply. He frowned before heading to the center of the room, where Kelly wrapped her arms around his neck and threw herself up against him. It was hard to see Nate with any girl, but Kelly made it particularly stressful. She was beautiful. I couldn’t compete with her long legs and ample bosom. If they ever started dating, he’d never hang out with me again. I knew that was hypocritical. Nate clearly had the same problem with me liking Evan. But that was different. Evan didn’t live here.
Garland floated through the room all night, dragging Evan around like a shiny new toy. His own personal chick magnet. It was very effective. I never saw them without a pack of girls hovering close by. Evan caught my eye when there was a lull in his stream of admirers. I started to walk over, but Grace Milburn cut me off. He gave me an apologetic smile.
The music switched to a slow song, and I felt a tap on my shoulder. “May I have this dance?” Nate asked, grabbing my hand before I got the chance to respond. He twirled me under his arm and pulled me close. “Sorry I was grouchy when we came in. Are you having fun?”
“Yeah,” I replied blandly.
He peered down. “That wasn’t very convincing.” I sighed, slumping against him. He wrapped both of his arms around me. If he hadn’t been swaying back and forth, it’d have felt more like we were hugging than dancing. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I dodged his question. After his reaction earlier, I didn’t think he’d want the truth.
Nate wasn’t having it. “You’re full of crap. Now spill.”
“Fine. I know it’s super shallow, but I got all dressed up tonight for nothing. Nobody’s even noticed.”
“Trust me.” He chuckled. “I’ve seen plenty of guys noticing you.”
“That’s not what I meant.” I glanced at Evan.
Nate’s face soured. “I know what you meant. He’s been noticing you so much I’m about to go over there and punch him in the face.”
I laughed. “Please don’t.”
“I make no promises.” He held me tighter, then slowly ran one hand up and my back until his fingers twined in the wispy hairs that had fallen from my bun. The move wasn’t anywhere close to feeling friendly. Especially when he leaned down and his lips grazed my ear. “And for the record, I noticed too. You look beautiful.”
“Thanks,” I replied hoarsely. My heart sped up. My stomach fluttered. Goose bumps covered my arms, and I had to fight off a shiver. Something freaky was happening.
The slow song ended, and another fast one pumped through the speakers. Nate let go of me when a familiar voice spoke from behind. I turned to see Evan, who was looking more flushed than he should. “Garland’s taking me back to your place. My head is pounding.” He sniffled.
I laid a hand on his arm. It felt abnormally warm, but maybe it was the heat from the room. “Okay, just give me a second to get my coat.”
Nate’s hand slipped out, snatching mine possessively. I flinched in surprise, which drew Evan’s attention downward. He looked at our locked hands, and his lips smashed into a tight line. I tried to wiggle out of Nate’s grip, but there’d be no escape without making a scene.
Evan shook his head. “No, I want you to stay and have fun. I’ll probably end up falling asleep anyway. Garland’s going to come back here after he drops me off.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” He gave me a haggard smile. “But you owe me a dance tomorrow.”
I smiled back. “You got it.”
Evan left me standing there while Nate marked his territory like a dog peeing on a fire hydrant. I yanked my hand free. “What is wrong with you?”
His expression was sheepish. “I didn’t want you to leave.”
That oddly romantic moment we’d shared was gone. “You’re out of control,” I barked. “Ugh!” I stormed my way into the throng of dancers.
“Chrissy, wait!” Nate called over the music, but I didn’t stop until I reached the appetizers. I grabbed a chocolate-covered strawberry and shoved it in my mouth, thinking maybe the chocolate would calm me down. But the second Nate reached me, my blood started bubbling.
“Leave me alone.” I glowered at him.
“No.”
“I’m serious. Go away.”
He folded his arms over his chest. “I’m serious, too. No.”
My hands clenched into fists. “You want to do this right here? Right now? In front of all these people?” Nate bit his lip, suddenly realizing we had an audience. “Fine. Let’s go. You’ve been a complete meathead the last few days. I don’t know why you’ve chosen now to be envious of a guy I like, but you need to stop, because I’m getting irritated.”
Nate glanced at the curious onlookers. Instead of answering, he spun me around, put his hands on my shoulders, and directed me down the hall. He stopped at an office and gently pushed me inside, shutting the door behind him. Then his temper flared to match mine. “You don’t really like him. You like looking at him. You like the idea of him.”
“How would you know?” I shot off, enraged.
“I just do.” He growled.
“You have no right to be angry about this. We’re not together. You’re acting like a jealous boyfriend.” I waited for a denial, but none came.
Nate crossed the room in three giant steps and took my face into his hands. He pressed our lips together, sweeping me into a whirlwind of shock and confusion. Instinctively, my fingers reached for his and a powerful jolt shot through my body. I kissed him back. It felt strange and wrong, yet amazing and right at the same time. My head swirled until my knees got weak and I thought I might fall.
The kiss was over almost as quickly as it started. He pulled back, and my eyes flew open. “I’m so sorry,” he fumbled, “I—I don’t know what happened.” He looked scared when my fingers touched my lips. I was trying to process.
“You kissed me,” I blurted. The recap was unnecessary, but it was all that came to mind.
“I didn’t mean to.”
He steepled his hands over his mouth, then squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. The action hit me like a punch to the gut. That might have been the most emotion-packed five seconds of my life. Nobody had ever kissed me with that much intensity and passion, but his face was full of regret.
“Then why did you do it?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” Nate thrust his fingers into his hair and rambled while he paced the floor. “I mean, I do know. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. Like, a really long time. You’d probably be disturbed if you knew how often I thought about it... But I never planned to act on it. I swear.”
He collapsed into an armchair and buried his head in his hands. My heart broke a little. Sure, it’d been a dumb move, but not dumb enough to ruin our friendship. I walked over and sat on his lap, forcing him to look at me. “Nate,” I started. I was about to say something along the lines of it’s okay or don’t worry about it, but he cut me off.
“I can’t do this anymore, Chrissy. I’ve been holding back for so long, but I won’t lose you. Not to Evan. Not to anyone.”
Something uncontrollable came over me, and suddenly I was kissing him.
He didn’t hesitate to react. This kiss was desperate, as if it might be his only chance to get things right. His hands slid along my arms and shoulders, gliding up to rest on my neck. I felt the sprinkling of glitter snowing down on my skin. I felt a warm light engulf my body. I was sure the angelic choir would appear at any moment. The things I’d expected to feel when Evan kissed me were occurring right now—with Nate, of all people.
How could I feel so much for someone I’d never considered dating? Sure, I was attracted to him. I’d even had little crushes on him over the years. But those feelings were always fleeting, because first and foremost, he was my best friend. This moment, this kiss, woke something inside. Something dormant but waiting close to the surface. I was seeing Nate in a way I’d never seen him before.
I broke away and leaned my forehead against his. We were quite for a minute. Eventually I asked, “Are you still sorry?”
His lips brushed back and forth across mine a few times. “I wasn’t actually sorry to begin with,” he whispered.
This whole situation was surreal. Nate was kissing me again, and I didn’t want him to stop. A wiser person would be thinking about tomorrow and hit the brakes. Common sense says that there are only two outcomes when you kiss your best friend: you end up together or you’re driven apart. I really hoped this led to a happy ending.
The Trouble With Christmas Page 7
