AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 31
December 31
Blaire
Growing up with my dad as mayor, it gave me a behind the scenes look at a lot of different town happenings and traditions, but the one thing that had remained a mystery in my childhood was the Gingerbread Ball. Held every year on New Year’s Eve, the twenty-one and over conclusion to the Christmas festival was shrouded in glamour and mystery to my childhood eyes—though I did make a killing babysitting on New Year’s Eve as a teenager for parents who wanted to attend the party. This year, we had transformed the community center into something unrecognizable, but the cloud of anxiety over how my overture to Winterberry Glen would play out dimmed some of the glamour the decorating committee and I had worked hard to create in the usually bland space.
I made my way through the door about an hour after the party had officially started, having not been able to get away much before go time to get home, shower, and change. As my eyes adjusted to the darkened room and I took in the room full of people, I noticed a lot of familiar faces from Holly Ridge, but almost as many unfamiliar faces from Winterberry Glen. Before I could stop myself, I started searching the crowd for one face in particular, one that was burned into my mind’s eye.
“He’s not here yet,” Charlotte announced, coming to stand beside me and handing me a glass of champagne, which I gladly accepted, taking a swig to calm my nerves.
“But a lot of people from Winterberry Glen are here, which is good news,” she continued. “I mean, the room could definitely use some mingling exercises,” using her chin to point at the groups of townsfolk who had separated themselves into clumps of their own, “but at least the room isn’t split down the middle?”
I nodded.
“Yeah, I’m glad they at least decided to accept the invitation, but I wonder how we could get people to mix it up without making them feel like they’re at the first day of summer camp. It is a party, after all.”
“Did someone say mix it up and party?”
A handsome man who looked vaguely familiar appeared on Charlotte’s other side, his dark blond hair doing that intentionally messy look only men’s hair could do and his hazel eyes twinkling with what I could only call mischief.
“I’m Austin, the better looking half of Cole and Austin, best friends since grade school. Thanks for extending the invite to our town for this shindig, Blaire. Are you and your friend here noticing the clumping problem this party has as well?”
His familiar face made sense now. I recognized him from a picture Cole had on his desk in his office. I remember staring at it when Cole was being insufferable last spring, wondering how the stick-in-the-mud behind the desk ever left it long enough to attend a baseball game. Now I understood the dynamics of their friendship. With just one sentence, I could tell Austin was one of those people it was almost impossible to say no to.
Charlotte held out her champagne glass to clink Austin’s beer bottle.
“Her best friend’s name is Charlotte, and yes, I was just saying that there seems to be some mingling resistance running through the crowd.”
“Well, Charlotte, I think one way to combat that is for you and I to hit the dance floor, see if we can’t lead by example. It’s our duty as the best friends to these two power players, don’t you think?”
Charlotte glanced over at me like she was uncertain about leaving me alone, which pulled my attention off the door, where I was watching to see if anyone else had joined us. A beat too late, I just laughed at her and waved my hand, gesturing them toward the dance floor at the front of the room. “Go, have fun, encourage some inter-town mingling. I need to work the room and get ready to officially welcome everyone soon too.”
My eyes met Austin’s and I saw something like compassion take over the mischief in his eyes.
“I told him he’d be an idiot not to be here. And his favorite color is red, so he’ll be doubly rewarded when he listens to me.”
With that, Austin put his hand on the small of Charlotte’s back and steered her toward the dance floor. Glancing down at my red party dress, I smiled slightly to myself, glad that I had gone a bit out of my comfort zone to wear the dress Gretchen and I had picked out of her closet last night when I realized I didn’t want to wear anything I had of my own.
I made my rounds, full of mixed emotions, to see so many of my neighbors and friends in one room on what could be the last Gingerbread Ball in Holly Ridge. I also recognized some of the Winterberry Glen faces, including Mrs. Krazinsky back in the community center without her service dog. Apparently, she anticipated feeling much calmer this go around than she did at the town hall meeting last spring. I spotted Louise and her husband from the Old Coach Inn standing near the DJ booth, enjoying a cocktail and swaying to the music. I was glad they had taken me up on the comped tickets I sent over after the snowstorm.
I stopped and made small talk, but I couldn’t tell you anything that was said, between keeping an eye on the door for Cole, yelling at myself internally for keeping an eye on the door, and going over the remarks I needed to make soon, I was just a bit preoccupied. It seemed like maybe Cole wasn’t going to come after all.
I walked past the dance floor, where it appeared Charlotte and Austin had been somewhat successful in getting folks to break with their packs and join them. Charlotte was talking with someone I recognized from the government center in Winterberry Glen and Austin was charming Ethel, probably earning himself a free pie in the process.
I looked at my watch and realized I couldn’t put off addressing the crowd any longer, so I went up to the DJ and nodded at him, letting him know I was ready to use the mic when the current song ended.
The song trailed off softly and I took a deep breath, realizing this may be the last time I’d get to address the crowd as the Holly Ridge festival planner.
“Hi everyone, and welcome to the Gingerbread Ball! Even though the main stretch of the festival is over, and we have to wait another year for Christmas to come around again, this has always been one of my favorite events of the whole celebration and I’m so glad to see you all here tonight. I especially want to welcome our neighbors from Winterberry Glen for changing their plans somewhat last minute and joining us here tonight.
“The reindeer in the room that no one is talking about is whether or not there will be a Holly Ridge this time next year. We won’t likely know that for sure for a little longer yet, but what I realized with some help over the past few weeks is that it’s a mistake for our towns not to form a partnership, whether it’s forced by a change in city limits or not. Christmas is all about coming together with your neighbors to celebrate and share in the good things in life and to give back to your community. I think our community will be stronger if we embrace all our neighbors.
“I know I haven’t been alive as long as this feud has been going on, and just because some festival planner says so doesn’t mean all those bad feelings will disappear overnight, but I do know that this year’s festival was better because someone from Winterberry Glen was involved in the planning. I believe in the power of the Christmas spirit, so I don’t think there’s any better time to embrace a new path forward than at the start of a new year.”
For the second time in just a few weeks, my eyes suddenly caught Cole’s from the back of the room. I couldn’t take the time to parse all the emotions that were pouring out of those brown eyes and not lose it on this stage in front of all these people, but a warmth bubbled up inside of me just knowing he was there.
“It will be midnight before we know it, so be sure to grab a drink to raise a glass to the new year. I hope we’ll toast to a new future for our towns and a wonderful year ahead. Thank you all for a fantastic festival. It has been a life-fulfilling dream having the chance to plan something for all of you to enjoy.”
