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Brent grabs a dinner tray from next to the couch and sets it up.
“There, put your mug on there. That way when you don’t have it in your hands, you can set it on the tray. Better?”
“Thank you. Sorry I’m such a pain. My ex was very particular about the way things should be and never allowed drinks on the couch.”
“What if you had a movie night or something?”
Well, this is embarrassing. “Um, we didn’t really do that. We went out most nights and when we were home, he was usually busy doing work or creating content for social media.”
“Wow. Okay, well, here at my house, you can have drinks on the couch, we love movie nights, and I don’t even have social media so no creating content,” he teases.
Before that fateful day, when I saw the tabloid cover, I always thought of myself as confident and high-maintenance. I judged people by their clothing labels, never left my penthouse without a full face of makeup, and wouldn’t be caught dead in a town like this. But, somehow, I fit in perfectly into this little town.
“Okay, now that we have the hot chocolate debacle fixed, what movie should we watch?” he asks, glancing my way.
“Do you have a favorite?”
“How aboutElf? Nora and I love that movie. Have you seen it?”
“I loveElf! I watch it every year.”
As soon as Brent saysElf, I can’t help but smile. It’s my favorite Christmas movie. I mean who doesn’t love Will Ferrell dressed in an elf costume? It’s one I watch every year.
But I’ve never had someone to watch it with.
“Did your fiancé… I meanex-fiancé… watch it with you?” he asks.
“Nah I watched it by myself. I liked it that way.” That’s a lie, but I’m not going to tell him that.
“If you say so.” He eyes me suspiciously but doesn’t press the issue. “Do you want some popcorn before I start?”
“Sure, popcorn sounds delicious. That’s so nice of you Brent.”
“It’s my pleasure,” he says, getting up from the couch and taking a fake bow before heading to the kitchen.
I can’t help but stare at him as he walks into the kitchen in his gray sweatpants. He clearly works out and it shows. Honestly, if it were up to me, Gray Sweatpants Day would be a national holiday starring Brent Harrison.
As soon as the popping begins, he turns around and his gaze finds mine. We lock eyes and stay that way for a minute too long, and I can feel the heat in that stare before I look away and break the moment.
Beep beep beep.
He puts the popcorn in a bowl and when he sits back down, so close his thigh rests against mine. And I like it.
No, I take that back, Iloveit.
“Okay, let’s do this.” he says, pressing play.
I try to focus on the screen and not on the way his leg feels up against mine.
The room has such a vibe. There are no lights on, just the roaring fireplace, TV, and the Christmas tree. I’m feeling much more relaxed and so cozy, two things I definitely expect after seeing Drew with his new fiancée.
“Can you pause it really quick? I need to use the bathroom,” I say. My nerves are starting to get the best of me, and I need a minute.
“Down the hall on the left is the bathroom. Do you mind popping your head into Nora’s room and just to make sure she is still asleep?”
“No problem. Be right back.”
I make my way down the hall and find the bathroom. Closing the door behind me, I lean against it and take a deep breath.
