American Christmas (Dreamers)

by Adriana Herrera

“Sorry, damn.” Nesto looked back to us and pointed a finger at Ari. “But they recommended one that’s happening in Buffalo this summer, and guess who’s registered for the week-long Champions Elite soccer clinic?”

  I squealed then. I popped off the armchair to give Ari room to stand and saw that he was still sitting, looking stunned.

  “The Buffalo Champions clinics are super hard to get into. I didn’t even think to apply for them. They’re so competitive,” Ari explained. Then he frowned, directing a pointed look to Nesto. “But wait, did I get in as like a favor? Because—”

  Nesto shook his head and grinned, having clearly expected this reaction. “I sent them that little clip of you doing that crazy kick in the air flip thing, and they basically wanted to give you a full scholarship.” He added an eye roll for good measure, and the clapped my boyfriend on the shoulder. “You play too much, Ari.”

  Ari’s expression eased at Nesto’s words and a small smile started lifting his lips.

  “Ari, oh my god!” I threw myself at him, kissed him on the mouth, and I could feel a grin that matched mine. He stood up looking a little lost, like he had no idea what to do next. And I couldn’t blame him. This was too much kindness. It was hard to figure out exactly what to do with all of it. Before I could open my mouth to say so, my sister came over and hugged us both.

  “Don’t you two even think it. You deserve this and more.” Her face was serious and I knew there was nothing we could say to make her take back what they’d done.

  Ari made a noise of protest. “But Maiah, it’s not right for you all to be constantly getting us out of trouble. We’re not kids anymore. I don’t want to burden you all the time.”

  My sister shook her head and gave my boyfriend a look I recognized. It was the same one she gave me on occasion, when she thought I was being extremely hardheaded. “How could you ever be a burden? You two are the most responsible twenty-four-year-olds in all of Ithaca. You’ve both been working too hard and there are a lot of reasons to celebrate. So we’re celebrating you. It would be extremely rude not to accept our gifts, when we managed to mobilize all this on Christmas Day.”

  She was mostly joking and she was also right, and the only thing left to do was thank them for their generosity and let ourselves enjoy their gifts. I leaned in close and felt the trembling in Ari’s body. It was from emotion, I knew that. Still, if I let him get all in his head about how he was a burden he’d never get out of it. So I leaned in until I was close enough to whisper. “If this would only be a gift for me you would’ve been okay with it, babe. So let them do for you what you’d be glad to see them do for me.”

  He inhaled sharply and then sagged in my arms. He laughed, and kissed my cheek, before saying, “Okay.” He glanced up at the rest of our friends and family over my shoulder, because I really was a lot shorter than him and said, “Thank you.”

  It was a funny thing to have a man this strong as a lover. Someone whose power was so visible, so obvious. And yet sometimes, I felt so protective of Ari. The urge to make space for him to be happy, almost visceral. I knew he would need a moment, to digest what had just happened. So after another round of hugs and thank-yous I proceeded to shoo our nearest and dearest out of our apartment as gently as possible. “We love you and will be probably crying soon because you’re the most generous people on earth, and we are so lucky to have you all. But we need privacy.”

  We got a range of smiles and nods, which were quickly followed by even more hugs and kisses and requests that we not take too long before coming up for the celebration. Right as they were going out into the hall I heard Nesto tell Jude, “I think Yin’s been hanging out way too much with Milo. He’s getting too good at bossing people around.” I bit back a smile and closed the door.

  * * *

  Once we had our place back to ourselves, Ari leaned on the door, his eyes still wide and a big smile tugging at his lips. “I guess we underestimated the reach Santa Claus has here in Ithaca.”

  I grinned at how happy he looked, and stood from where I’d been looking through the tickets and reservations we’d been handed. Ari extended his hand in a beckoning motion and I made my way to him. I got to where he was and had to smile at the way his eyes crinkled from how big his smile was. He was happy, even if a little overwhelmed.

  “Thanks for clearing the place out. I needed a little bit of silence to process all of this.” He looked down at the paper in my hand, where I could see the FIFA logo, and some other branding I recognized from conversations with Ari about his favorite teams and players. Right under that paper was the printout for our hotel reservation.

  I placed them on the kitchen counter, and wrapped my arms around his neck. Feeling relaxed for the first time since the gifts were opened.

  “I can’t believe they just barged in here.” I clicked my tongue, looking around at our messy apartment, then gestured to the still unmade bed. Needing to just be with Ari again. “Let’s get in bed, my love. We can look at the gifts our people gave us and then go and celebrate with them.”

  “They really want us to have this, don’t they?” Ari’s voice was full of wonder.

  “They do,” I assured him, and it was the simple truth.

  Once we were under the covers and had read every word of the handful of papers that held all the things we had dreamed for each other this Christmas, I leaned over to kiss him. “New Year’s Eve in New York City. We’re fancy and have fancier friends, Aristide.” He gave me a reluctant grin, but I could tell he was getting excited.

  “But what will you do when I’m at the clinic?”

  I rolled my eyes at the question. “Take time off to come with you, duh. Remember we have some family friends in Buffalo. I can visit with them and then go watch you play in tiny shorts.” I couldn’t resist and leaned down to kiss him. He opened for me almost instinctively and his tongue slid in like it always did, hungry and ready to swallow me whole. My need for Ari was always just below the surface, and there was never a time I reached for him I didn’t feel that same desire in him.

  “I love you, bébé,” he gasped in between kisses, as I rushed to take off all our clothes.

  “And I love you, and if you help me get us naked, I’ll show you just how much.”

  He laughed while we both tugged and pulled at clothes. “They’re waiting for us.”

  I shook my head as I threw my pajamas to the floor. “They said we needed time off. We’re getting off.” That last part I got out while sucking on his neck.

  “I don’t think that’s what they meant, but let’s go with your version.” He laughed and I felt the happy tremors of that sound go straight to my heart.

  EPILOGUE

  Ari

  New Year’s Eve

  “Wow.”

  Yin was usually a lot more talkative than that, but he had good reason to be speechless. This place was, in one word, breathtaking. We’d been in New York City for a couple of days now, and the trip so far had been everything and more than we could’ve asked for. The hotel reservation that Easton supposedly didn’t need had been at none other than the Peninsula—where Tom and Milo were hosting a New Year’s Eve party. It was on brand for them, doubling as a fundraiser for organizations doing the work of racial justice.

  It was a formal affair, apparently a throwback to the party where they had met. I was not even going to front like I had ever been anywhere this fancy. At least Patrice and Easton had given us the heads-up on bringing our suits.

  “Babe, look at that.” Yin pointed to the dance floor where a band dressed in tuxedos were playing what sounded to me like salsa as couples danced.

  “You made it.” We both looked up and saw Milo walking toward us. He was wearing a very dark green velvet suit and right next to him was his husband, Tom. He was wearing a regular tux that I was sure could pay for half of a college semester. Still they were not the type to flaunt. For a millionaire Tom w
as as down to earth as one could be and Milo, well, he was one of us.

  “Look at you two. Is the hotel room okay?”

  Yin, who basically worshipped the ground Milo walked on, nodded as we all hugged.

  “Yes, the room is great. You guys didn’t need to get us that upgrade.”

  Milo flicked his hands and looked up at Tom. “We were happy to. The hotel usually comps rooms when you throw a party, and we’re going home tonight.” He leaned into Tom, his eyes blazing with something that I could certainly recognize. It was the same thing I saw in Yin’s. As if he could read my mind, my boyfriend pressed a little closer, a shiver coursing through him as I wrapped an arm around his waist.

  “How was the show?” Tom asked, his arms tucking Milo to his side as he looked at us. He looked so content. So thoroughly happy. In the past, seeing someone like that, getting to openly have what I yearned for would’ve elicited a pang of longing. But now here with Yin, with my person, at my side, all I felt was understanding.

  I tuned back in to the conversation to hear Yin gushing about Hamilton. “We were so close to the stage. My expectations were sky-high, but if anything the show was even better, right, babe?” He looked up at me, and I nodded to confirm.

  “It was amazing,” I said, not able to hide my enthusiasm.

  Tom grinned, and looked around the room again. “We’re happy you were able to stay for the party. It should be a good night.”

  “We’re looking forward to ringing in the New Year with you,” Yin exclaimed, eyes shining with excitement. There had been a rumor that Tom was friends with some Dominican pop stars, so Yin had been on high alert and prepared for the potential major Instagram moment. Although if Cardi B actually showed up, I feared my boyfriend might pass out, or cry, or both.

  “We’re glad you’re here,” Milo said, and signaled to one of the glass doors that were scattered all around the room. “The outdoor bar is fully covered, and very well heated. It’s empty now since people probably won’t start coming in for a bit longer. They have snacks too, if you want to get a drink.”

  Tom leaned down to give his husband a kiss and we took that as our cue to go look around. We were on the rooftop so the view probably was spectacular. It was a circular structure and the walls that encircled the bar were mostly glass. From inside we could see some of Central Park and the lights of the city. I tugged on Yin’s hand and walked over to the door leading outside.

  “We can get you a fauxtini.”

  “You’re not cute.” He did not sound like he meant that at all.

  The outdoor bar was even cooler than the one inside. It was enclosed in a glass dome. When we turned our heads up, it was like looking at the New York City skyline from inside a diamond.

  We got our drinks quickly and I took a moment to look around. I noticed what looked like a gazebo and pointed at it. “Is that a garden?”

  The bartender tipped his chin in the direction of a little door on one of the sides of the dome. “Yeah. It’s heated and there are some benches and everything.”

  Yin’s face lit up at that, “Ooh that sounds very Cinderella for New Year’s!” I smiled at how hard he was cheesing.

  The bartender nodded in the direction I’d pointed. “You should go and see it before it gets busy.”

  “Let’s go, babe.” Yin was practically jumping by that point.

  It was cold, but the space heaters did their work and I felt warm even though we were outside and so high up. As we walked we were ensconced by two rows of evergreens on both sides of the path, and a clear canopy on top that let us see the night sky. It felt strange to feel this close to nature when we were on the thirty-seventh floor, and in the middle of Manhattan. But I went with it. I shed my usual apprehension of good moments turning bad. I tried to take my own advice and let myself enjoy the moment I was living in.

  When we got to the gazebo I took a seat and Yin sat next to me, but I brought him up to sit on my lap. He was unusually quiet. Unlike me, Yin did not hold back his excitement in moments like this. If things were fancy he made a point of partaking in everything. But he was subdued, like he was also taking the time to soak all of this goodness in.

  “I love you,” I said as I pressed a kiss to his mouth. “I know we’re young and have lots of big decisions to make over the next year, but I feel ready for all of it.” Yin sighed and kissed me back, but didn’t speak, waiting for me to finish saying the things that had been on both our minds. “Nursing school and law school in the fall. A new city—

  “Together,” he reminded me.

  I smiled at his unusually no-nonsense tone. “Together, always. And that’s the only thing I know for sure. That the dreams we had for ourselves before we met, we can now go after together.”

  His mouth slid down my jaw to my neck and he pressed those lips that could still make me shiver to a pulse point on my throat. I knew about the function of that body part, because one of Yin’s favorite things was to turn dirty talk into an anatomy lesson. He spoke into the night, his voice shoring me up. “It’s going to be hard, but we have each other. Syracuse will just be another chapter in our story, and when we need help, we’ll ask for it. Our people will be there for us.” I moved my head up and down, and hummed in agreement, feeling thoroughly safe in that truth as Yin continued laying our future. “And when we’re done, we’ll come back home.”

  We pressed in closer, into the warmth of this little corner we were hiding in, so high up it almost felt like we could touch the stars. I leaned in to press a soft kiss to his mouth before saying the one thing that felt like the beginning and end of all my truths. “Home...is you.”

  * * *

  Reviews are an invaluable tool when it comes to spreading the word about great reads. Please consider leaving an honest review for this or any of Carina Press’s other titles that you’ve read on your favorite retailer or review site.

  To purchase and read more books by Adriana Herrera, please visit her website at https://adrianaherreraromance.com/books/

  Acknowledgments

  I have been with these Dreamers so long now, that I wonder if I will ever really let them go. Yin and Ari’s story was one that I hoped I could write, and I’m so grateful I got to visit my crew in Ithaca one more time.

  As always there are so many people that walk along with me as I write these stories.

  To my readers, thank you for lifting me up, for reaching out and for loving these characters as much as you have.

  Kerri Buckley, my editor, for always riding with me. We really do make a great team.

  The Carina PR and Marketing team, for all you do to get my stories out there and your constant support.

  My writing community. I am blessed to have the support and love from fierce, talented women. Your friendship makes me a better writer and person.

  Always to my partner and my girl who are my biggest supporters, and as big Hamilton fans as I am.

  To my Ithaca crew, this story brought me back to the warmth of the friends I made there. I miss you all every day.

  About the Author

  Adriana was born and raised in the Caribbean, but for the last fifteen years has let her job (and her spouse) take her all over the world. She loves writing stories about people who look and sound like her people getting unapologetic happy endings.

  When she’s not dreaming up love stories, planning logistically complex vacations with her family or hunting for discount Broadway tickets, she’s a social worker in New York City, working with survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

  You can find her on:

  Instagram: www.Instagram.com/ladriana_herrera

  Facebook: www.Facebook.com/laura.adriana.94801

  Twitter: www.Twitter.com/ladrianaherrera

  Website: adrianaherreraromance.com

  And don’t miss the first book in a brand-new series from Adriana Herrera.
/>
  Here to Stay is available now!

  Starting over is more about who you’re with than where you live...

  Chapter One

  Julia

  If you assumed that being a grown-ass woman who paid her bills and lived ten states away from my Dominican mother meant she would not be all up in my business, you’d be wrong.

  “Mami, I gotta go. I need to go and see my boss. It’s important.” My stomach dipped, remembering how pressed my boss had sounded on the phone. Gail, who was usually cool as a cucumber, was pretty flustered when she’d asked to see me. Not that I blamed her. Things around here were getting more stressful by the minute. My new job, on paper, was a dream.

  Program director for the Sturm Foundation. Not only did I get to do the work I was passionate about, but I was also employed by one of the most iconic high-end department stores in the world. There was also that seriously impressive employee discount.

  Sample sales and meaningful work... I was living the dream.

  Except as soon as I got to Dallas, the boyfriend I moved across the country for dumped me for his side-chick. And now six months later when I finally felt like I was settling in, things had taken a not-so-great turn at work. So arriving late to an important meeting with my boss was not the best move I’d ever made, and yet here I was in a hallway making a personal call. Because my family was my Kryptonite and they knew it.

  “Okay, pero abuelita wants to say hi.” My mother was aware things at my job were stressful, but that did not keep her from laying on the guilt. “You know she gets worried about you down there by yourself.” You’d think instead of Dallas I’d relocated to the moon. I hoped my mother didn’t start with the guilt trip and demands to come back home. I was not in the mood and it was not the time.

  I looked around the empty hallway to check if anyone was around and nodded like my mother could see me. “Fine, Mami, but just one minute.” Sturm’s headquarters was in a downtown Dallas building built in 1914. It was gorgeous inside and out like only vintage architecture could be, but the halls were narrow and the ceilings low, so it wasn’t like I could go unnoticed while lurking in a corner. I wasn’t trying to get myself on the radar of anyone who could fire me, especially now that we seemed to be in a Code Red at the foundation. After just a couple of months into my new position, the higher-ups at Sturm’s had announced that the fashion empire was preparing to go public after almost sixty years as a private company. They’d hired a firm to help them in the process and in the last week they had deployed a team of men and women that had been power walking through the hallways looking like a wolf pack hunting for prey. They were very easy to spot in their dark and boring suits, a striking contrast to the Sturm’s workforce, who, no matter what shape or size, always looked runway ready.