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“Shit, I’m going to be late reopening the booth.” Nick curses when he notices the time.
We both get up and I indulge in brushing loose snow off his ass for him. Nick grins at me. Hopefully, the cold is enough to keep him from being too disappointed that this isn’t going any further than making out in the snow.
It’s a thrill to touch him with impunity. I’m used to dates pushing for more if I give an inch. In contrast, Nick has been nothing but respectful of my boundaries. It’s a welcome change from the sort of expectations I’ve encountered from most of my past dating attempts. I’m trying to ignore the fact that all this romantic sweetness comes with an expiry and just enjoy the time we have together, but it’s hard not to wish this was real.
“Me too. Let’s grab the tree and Marcus will have it delivered to your mom’s place tonight.”
“Are you getting me special treatment? He can’t possibly offer same-day delivery for every tree?”
“Friends and family deal. It’s fine.” I finish shaking the last remnants of snow from our tree to make transporting it easier. Nick helps me to shake the snow off the tarp and arrange it next to the tree again. We make an efficient team, lining it up for the tree to land on once more. “He’s already bringing one into town tonight for Eliza’s party. Your mom’s place isn’t far out of his way.”
“You’re sure?” Nick bites his lip adorably.
“Positive.” I hip check him playfully and he gives me a return shove.
I pull on the thick gloves Marcus gave us to protect my hands in case the saw slips. Then I set its teeth against the bark at the base of the trunk. Even with the manual blade, it’s only the work of a moment to cut through the narrow trunk. We work together to guide the tree down to the tarp to haul back to the parking lot.
“Fine, you can have it delivered later,” Nick concedes, then he flashes me a hopeful smile. “But you aren’t getting out of helping us trim the tree that easily; come over tonight?”
“Yeah, I’d, uh, like that. A lot.” I stare at him a little too long, wondering if this man can read my mind. Or if he shares the same romantic notions that I have about the perfect holiday season with my dream date. It’s just my luck that the perfect guy exists, but I can only have him for a week. No sense dwelling on that. “Come on. We should get back.”
I take the excuse to twine our fingers again, and we walk back to the car, close enough that our shoulders bump with every other step. It’s getting harder and harder to remember this isn’t real, but damn, Nick is good at making all my romantic imaginings come true. Like my own personal Saint Nick, granting every Christmas wish I’ve ever made.
Chapter 8
Carl—December 20th
EventhoughImadeplans with Nick, I have a weird moment of expecting Tina to be the one to greet me at her front door when I arrive. I’ve been here a few times in the past for team building dinners, fiber crafting nights, and the occasional visit. Last night, it was a relief to see Tina just as vivacious as ever only a few weeks out from her surgery.
Too many of our clients at Days of Grace, my nonprofit eldercare and drop-in center, have gotten similar procedures and came out the other side seeming frailer for it. I’m glad Tina seems to be recovering well. And even gladder when her son opens the door and takes my breath away with his gorgeous smile.
I’m freshly showered, having come straight here from my standing gym date with Saint. The sight of Nick standing in Tina’s door still hits me with the urge to check that I don’t have armpit stank. It’s absurd how much I like this guy already.
Nick opens his arms for a hug that I walk right into. His arms around me are pure comfort. I tip my face up toward him for a kiss and he gives it, soft and sweet, hands rubbing my arms before we step apart.
“Hey, babe. Glad to see me?” I ask.
“Always. You’ve got impeccable timing. I just finished wrestling our beast of a tree into the stand. I didn’t realize it would be so much work to get it level, or I might have waited for you.”
“Ah, you should have! I’d have helped with that. Saint held mine up while I adjusted it for my tree,” I admit. Then I flush with the familiar rising tide of anxiety at mentioning my best friend to a date. People get weird about how close we still are. Especially once they know about our relationship history.
“Next time I will.” Nick grins at me. I guess he doesn’t mind—which makes sense with him leaving in a week. “Mom’s friends came to take her for a coffee so we can surprise her with the finished tree. I swear the darn thing looks three times bigger now that it’s inside.”
“Not too big, I hope?” I chuckle as I follow him into the living room. “Things always seem bigger once you get them inside.” I choke on the last word when Nick glances back at me and winks.
I have to play the phrase back to realize why he’s making that knowing face. Oh. Right. Does he think I’m making a veiled comment about his dick feeling bigger in my ass?
Do I want that with him? Eh. Would I consider it if that was the only way to keep being the focus of his dazzling smile and sweet kisses?Maaaybe?I should have learned my lesson about those sorts of compromises by now, but—well, the heart wants what it wants. And sometimes sex is nice. Not all the time, but I could see it being fun with Nick, considering how much heart he’s put into everything else we’ve done together so far. If he could be content with my low sex drive, I could see it being nice.
The temptation to ignore my boundaries won’t be an issue with Nick, because this is temporary. Tonight is more of the lovely wish fulfillment we agreed to. Trimming the tree with a boyfriend—check.
Christmas carols are playing from a speaker on Tina’s mantel, a cozy fire is blazing on the hearth, albeit one of those decorative propane ones with fake logs. Nick has coils and coils of Christmas lights and overflowing boxes of ornaments spread across every surface of Tina’s living room, like a holiday store exploded in here.
The decorations are all totally Tina’s style, kitschy and cute, perfect for a cozy family holiday celebration. And the tree is even more quintessentially perfect, standing here in the warm living room with a gorgeous man smiling as he invites me to help him deck his halls.
“These are all good to go.” Nick picks up a strand of glowing lights and unplugs it to check whether the next coil works. He must have been testing the strands when I arrived. He brings the first coil over to the ladder next to the tree and starts winding the lights around the tree from the top down. “That’s the last of them, so it looks like we’ve got plenty to work with.”
“Excellent.” I rub my hands together. “Let’s light her up!”
