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He shook his head with mock insult. “That’s just wrong.”
“You get used to it. We’re not that far from the mountains if we want to go to the snow, but honestly, snow is not something most people from Los Angeles crave. Even at Christmas. But then, again,” I looked around at the bustling winter wonderland. “I think if more of them could’ve seen this, they’d change their mind.”
I felt Ondrej’s heavy gaze on me. I looked up to meet his eyes, and he quickly turned away.
“I think we needsvarák,” he said abruptly.
“I won’t even try to repeat what you just said, but what’s that? More heart-stopping pastries?”
He grinned. “It is a hot wine with spices. You can’t really survive the Czech winter without it.”
“Now you’re speaking my language. Sign me up.”
* * *
As our cups of steamingsvarákwarmed our fingers and souls, we moved through the market in silence. It was easy to forget my real purpose here in Prague and part of me wanted to simply be a lone woman on holiday, fueled by wanderlust and dreams. He was just the handsome broody local. And we would share hot wine and stories late into the night, and in the morning, I would move on to my next adventure.
But it wasn’t like that, and business lay between us. Business that was going stop us from being friendly, let alone anything more.
Not that I wanted anything more…
But those were thoughts for another time. I drank more wine.
“Ahh, look. Over there,” Ondrej pointed through the market. “See how the light hits the spires there? Normally, they look gold, but right now, I think they look like diamonds.”
I followed his gaze and felt my heart skip at the impossible beauty. Was it my imagination, or was he standing very close?
Suddenly, a few cheers and applause broke out. I snapped around and looked up at Ondrej. Our eyes followed the sound to a small crowd bundled in all manner of wool and puff. They were pointing above us. Our eyes followed, and we realized we had unknowingly stepped beneath a sprig of mistletoe hanging from an archway.
The crowd’s cheer and claps intensified, their smiles wide beneath woolen hats in the soft glow of the market lights.
“Jmelí! Mistletoe!” one of them called out, and a chorus of playful chants followed.
A flush of embarrassment flooded my cheeks. Ondrej, usually so composed, looked equally uncomfortable. At first, he had a deer in the headlights look in his eyes. Then he shot me a sheepish grin, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement.
"Well, this is a tradition," he said, his voice a mix of embarrassment and humor. “I’ll be quick.”
I laughed nervously as inappropriate jokes threatened to escape my mouth. Ondrej leaned down toward my cheek. I nervously stepped back, and my foot caught on a small stack of beautifully wrapped gift boxes at a nearby stall. I spun around, and time seemed to slow as I watched the stack wobble precariously before toppling over in a cascade of festive chaos.
The boxes clattered to the ground, their contents spilling out like a treasure trove. I yelped to get out of the way, my hand flying up and catching Ondrej square in the jaw. He yelped in turn and snapped back, whacking his head against a wooden beam. Just to add a topper to the cake, a hanging lantern shook loose from the beam and struck him in the head before shattering against the icy ground.
A chorus of gasps and laughter erupted from the onlookers. I stood frozen and completely mortified amidst the festive wreckage.
“Oh my god, are you ok?” I asked, horrified, as Ondrej rubbed both his jaw and head.
He flashed me a look, then a half smile. “Seeing a few stars, but I’ll live. Unlike those boxes.”
I eyed my collateral damage and covered my mouth. “I, um—”
A short, portly man with a black beard and rosy cheeks stepped out from behind his stall in shock as he observed the damage. His head shot up with a raging glare. He opened his mouth, I assume to tell me where to go, when his eyes locked on Ondrej.
“Ondrej?Co se stalo?”
“It was an accident, Josef,” Ondrej said in English. He gently touched my arm. “Unfortunate mistletoe mishap.”
Josef eyed me warily, then smiled lightly. “Is ok. Happens. No harms! Ondrej is good guy.”
I exhaled. “I’m so sorry. Here, let me help you.” I leaned down to collect the strewn-about contents and restack the boxes.
