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The Christmas Party...
What do you get for Christmas for your best friend who has everything? A date with her forever-crush, right? Aaron and Patrice have been best friends since high school. This year, instead of a bottle of perfume or a new scarf, he has the supreme surprise in store for her – movie star and high school chum, Damian Wood.
Aaron’s bringing him to Patrice’s
Christmas party expressly to meet her. Never mind Aaron had once crushed on her.
Putting aside your own feelings to make someone else happy is a sign of true
friendship, isn’t it?
Little does he know Patrice has
cooked up a mighty big surprise for him, too. All is revealed at the Christmas
party, where things may not be what they seem in this sweet rom-com, feel-good short
story.
Here's an excerpt:
An
apartment on the West Side of Manhattan
Aaron North had the best
Christmas present humanly possible for his best friend, Patrice Linden. Signed
and sealed—the only thing missing was a bow. He’d be bringing Damian Wood to
her annual Christmas Eve party.
Damian was a star of
stage, screen, and Patrice’s dreams since they were fifteen. Aaron and Damian
had kept up a sort of friendship since they attended McHugh High School. The
actor had been in town to audition for Broadway, and while they were at lunch
together, Aaron had brought up Patrice.
“The flat-chested girl
with the skinny legs?” Damian sipped his latte.
“She’s changed.” Aaron
had whipped out a picture and slid it across the table. Damian choked.
“Holy shit! This is
Patrice Linden?”
“Yep. She’s having a
Christmas Eve party, and I want to bring you. As her date. You’re her biggest
wet dream.”
“Me?”
Aaron nodded. “Come
on. You’re not dating anyone now, are you?”
“Well. Let me check my
schedule. I’ll text you tomorrow.”
Damian had agreed. Aaron
couldn’t stop smiling.
Every year Patrice would
rope him into helping out with planning and decorating. He’d be doing the tree
with her this year. And ordering the liquor too.
His girlfriend, Crystal,
had stopped over after work. They ordered a pizza and watched a movie. Now,
he’d press her into service too.
“I need to order the champagne,
wine, and vodka. Call these liquor stores, Crystal. Get prices and delivery
schedules, okay? We need the booze there by noon on Christmas Eve.”
“Okay.” She perused the
list. “This is a lot of work for one lousy party.”
“It’s going to be a great
party. The most monumental party in the world.”
“Just a Christmas party.”
“Not just a Christmas
party. A liberation. You’ll see.”
She sidled up to him. “Are
we getting engaged at Christmas?”
Aaron avoided her
question. “Go on, get started.”
“Don’t get your knickers
in a twist.” She picked up her phone and plopped down in the kitchen. His phone
rang. It was his father.
“Dad?”
“Your text said you’re
inviting me to a Christmas party?” he Christmas party. I want you to be
a witness.”
“Witness to what?”
“Them meeting at the party.
Then it’ll be over.” Aaron cradled his cell phone while he pulled a beer from
the fridge.
“Over for who? Her? Or
you?”
“She’ll have the man of
her dreams.” He popped the top.
“Come on, Aaron. I know
you’ve had the hots for this chick for like fifteen years.”
“You’re crazy. We’re just
friends. She’s always wanted to be with Damian. And now she’ll get her chance.
He’s finished with his last…can I say relationship? No, probably not. With his
last whatever. And when I told him about Patrice and showed him her picture, he
went nuts. I couldn’t believe he actually remembered her from high school.”
“So she wants to be with
him, and he wants to be with her?”
“Sort of. She’ll finally
get her chance.”
“For a smart man,
sometimes you can be so stupid.”
“What?” Aaron reached
into the cabinet and snatched a bag of potato chips.
“When are you going to
make your play?”
“Never. I have Crystal.”
“I hope you’re not going
to propose to her.”
“She expects it.” He
grabbed a handful of chips and put them on a paper towel.
“On Christmas? Why don’t
you just put coal in my stocking?”
“She’s not that bad.”
“Yes, she is, and she
hates me.”
“She doesn’t hate you.” He
munched on a chip.
“Are we talking about the
same girl? The one with the big boobs?”
“Dad!”
“You’re throwing away
your chance for happiness.”
Aaron paused before he
said, “Patrice wants Damian.”
“Did she say so?”
“She spent five years
talking about Damian Wood, constantly, like he’s some kind of god. I got the
message.”
“And now?” his dad asked.
“Okay, maybe not so much
now.”
“At all now?”
“Well, no. But I know how
she feels. She’s marking time with other guys.”
“How do you know?”
He took another sip of
his beer before answering, “Said she’s waiting for the right one. She means
Damian.”
“You’re an idiot. I can’t
talk to you. Go ahead. Throw happiness down the toilet. But don’t come crying
to me. I’ve gotta go. Neighbor lady is bringing a casserole.”
Aaron snickered. “Hot and
cold running women. Mom would be ashamed.”
“Mom would be thrilled. Of course, I’d rather it was her, but she’s gone. Go ahead. Be a fool. Just don’t tell me about it.”
The phone went dead.
Get it on Amazon now. Coming soon to Kobo and Google Play.
AMAZON
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R67NZQ5/
APPLE BOOKS
https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1546092528
