Page 73 of Holiday Hostilities

She reaches into the box and extracts a piece of paper, which she hands to Reagan.

“Congratulations!” Reagan yells. “You’ve won a—drumroll please—life drawing class, with Jake Griswold as your model!”

The lady shrieks in delight.

“What?” Jake demands, his face aghast.

Reagan holds the mic away from her mouth for a moment. “Payback for you guys vetoing my sexy charity calendar idea last year,” she says with a smirk before speaking back into the mic. “Don’t worry, you’ll be provided with a tasteful sprig of holly for your private bits. Remember, it’s all for a great cause!”

Jake looks vaguely murdery, Aaron is shaking with silent laughter beside me, and Sofia is practically convulsing in her chair, wiping tears from her eyes as she looks up at her enraged boyfriend.

Reagan moves down the line: Bonnie Lieberman wins a couple’s massage and spa day with Triple J, while Dallas’s elderly suitor picks out a festive couple’s yoga class. Dallas, to his credit, gives the old lady a high-five and a big grin.

By the time Reagan reaches me, my palms are sweaty. I rub them together to avoid accidentally rubbing them on my dress.

“Olivia, you’re up!” She winks at me.

I dig my hand in the box, and then pass the paper to Reagan.

“Your prize is a… ooh, you win a festive private skating lesson from Aaron Marino!”

I let out a shaky breath, thanking my lucky stars that I didn’t choose something that involved nudity. And that I can already skate, although I haven’t done it in ages.

Everyone is cheering and applauding as Reagan finishes her speech, revealing the amount that’s been raised so far and encouraging people to keep their donations coming.

I glance up at Aaron. “What constitutes a festive skating lesson?”

“I don’t know, maybe some Christmas lights and music in the background.” His eyes gleam. “Or maybe I’ll wear my elf costume.”

“That’s hot.”

“The tights really show off my glutes.”

“Wow, even hotter.” I laugh, but I’m blushing at the thought of that admittedly fantastic behind of his in a pair of tights.

“Like I said, get ready for the best date of your life,” he says, confident as can be.

“We’ll see about that.” I smirk at him.

His eyes find mine. “We definitely will.”

28

OLIVIA

The dance floor is crowded and the atmosphere at the gala has done a sweeping one-eighty from upmarket and classy to a full-on party. It’s late and a lot of the older benefactors have taken their leave. Now, the drinks are flowing, the lights are dimmed, and the classy piano playing has turned into a full DJ setup spewing raunchy pop songs.

It’s the Christmas party of the year. Of thedecade.

And I’m… enjoying myself. Immensely.

Turns out, Christmas ain’t so bad when it involves bidding on a sexy hockey player and sipping just enough vintage champagne to feel a little giggly. But not too much, because I have a flight tomorrow.

“I can’t believe you organized this!” I yell over the music to Reagan, who’s bouncing up and down next to me on the dance floor, her face as pink as her dress. “You absolutely killed it.”

“I know!” she yells back. “It’s my biggest achievement yet. All the videos I’ve been posting throughout the night are blowing up like crazy.” She clicks her tongue and smiles evilly. “Aaron’s Army is currently very jealous of you, Miss Griswold.”

Ha.I wonder how jealous they’d be if they knew that I’m currently living in his bedroom and have applied cold compresses to his bare chest at night.

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