Page 4 of Under The Meh-stletoe

"Do you think that he's crankyandstubborn? Will he stay if he can't make it happen, do you think?"

Ren cut a glance at me. "Why, are you interested?"

"What? No." I shook my head. "He looks good, but I'm done with grumps."

She laughed. "You like grumps. You're great with grumps. They love you. And you won't be able to help yourself. You'll try to make him laugh and think it's a personal win."

"Uh-uh. I'm so done. Vincent was my last."

I sipped from my tea and hoped Ren would drop it. She didn't.

"Vincent wasn't simply grumpy. He was flakey."

"True. It doesn't mean I'm on the lookout for someone else."

"I don't know. It could be a Christmas miracle."

I laughed. "Please. Do not. If you think Daniel is a Christmas romance hero, you're welcome to him."

"Me? I don't like grumps, and I can hardly seduce him in my current state."

"You could seduce anyone you liked at any point—"

"And I might do that one day, but not Daniel. So if you wanted to see where that could go…"

"Stop. I want to be single for a season at least. Okay? And I'll be too busy organizing all these Christmas events to seduce anyone. I asked because of the future of the town, not because of him. Now let me do my best to get into the Christmas spirit. I'm going to need all the help I can get."

November 17

Daniel

Aweekafterthefirst committee meeting, I entered the community hall we used as planning headquarters, a frown knotting my eyebrows. Boxes of past years’ decorations littered the place, while the committee inspected every piece of tinsel and fake branch of mistletoe.

The frown stayed firmly in place as I sat at the table with my clipboard in hand. Biting my tongue didn’t come naturally to me. If I thought something and believed I was right, I said it. Despite my natural tendencies to speak my mind, when I was told to be the Town’s liaison for the community party committee, I kept my opposition to the role in the privacy of my mind. For one reason and one reason only— it would serve my goal to keep the community Christmas party going. No matter how much I despised the season, protecting the celebrations meant guarding the small-town spirit.

From my chair, I surveyed the group and checked off items on my list. Finalize committee set up— check. Determine decorating team— check. I’d sent the email an hour before. Choose a committee president— check.

I pursed my lips and searched for Ale from my vintage point. Being familiar with Renata didn’t prepare me for the shock of a very similar face surrounded by fun-colored hair, and an alluring body dressed in way cooler clothes. Glasses that made her eyes stand out in the prettiest way, and curves that demanded attention and promised handfuls of soft flesh everywhere. Really inconvenient, to notice the reaction that such simple changes caused in me.

It couldn’t matter. I had to be neutral. Even if her long, sharp, dark green nails promised to beckon me and take me to my knees.

Impartiality had to be my middle name.

"Alejandra," I called. "Can we talk for a sec?"

My conflicted thoughts must have shown on my face, because Alejandra squinted at me as if questioning my intentions. I raised an eyebrow, daring. That's what I would have done with anybody else. Ale wouldn't get preferential treatment.

She'd been checking a string of LED lights for failing bulbs, and she left it on top of a box.

She leaned against the table, the generous line of her hip against it. "Yeah? Everything okay?"

"Not going to be okay until New Year’s Eve in my opinion, but since I can’t skip Christmas, it's pointless to go there." I let my voice drip with the scorn I felt for the holidays. "I still need to check-in about a few things with the committee’s president."

Humor shone in her eyes, and her lips curled in a tiny, mostly hidden smile.

"That wasn't funny. Why are you smiling?" I asked.

"I'm not smiling. See?" She frowned, but the upward tilt of her lips intensified. "I'm very serious."