Page 20 of The Holiday Fail

Henry and Peter were ecstatic about all the new food I was feeding them. They’d told me that at least a few dozen times in the couple of weeks I’d been here.

Levi was still running around so I didn’t see him much within the last week. He would come by the kitchen to grab food, but he never really had time to stop to enjoy it. It was completely different from the vibe of everyone else here, and it made me wonderwhyhe was so busy all the time.

We hadn’t really talked much since the night we went out to the bar, nor had we made plans to go on the practice date I’d mentioned. Which a part of me was disappointed about, but another part of me said this was for the better.

Offering to help him date in the first place was a foolish idea. It wasn’t like I was an expert on dating. All the relationships I’d had consisted of quick hookups behind seedy bars or one-off dates that felt too troublesome to continue.

But I was a man, and while I might not be attracted to other men, I had a general inkling of what men like. Maybe that would be useful in helping him because Ididwant to help him.

Which was why later that night when I saw Levi wasactuallyhome at a reasonable time, I sat beside him on the couch. “Hey.”

“Hey,” he replied, lifting the blanket covering his legs to make space for me. I hesitated, not really used to sharing blankets with a friend. But maybe this was just something they did here, and who was I to question that?

So I thanked him and scooted close, letting the blanket warmed from his heat fall over my legs.

It was…cozy. And not all entirely bad.

Levi smiled and returned his eyes to the TV. He had Tim Burton’sThe Nightmare Before Christmason. “Watching Christmas movies before Halloween? That’s diabolical.”

Levi did a slow turn as his eyes narrowed on me. “Christmas movie? Oh, don’t tell me you’re one ofthosepeople. This is obviously a Halloween movie, and what better time to watch it than at the start of October?”

There was a lot to unpack in that statement. First,he was completely wrong about the genre of the movie. And second,it was October already?

That meant it was almost a month since I started working here. I hadn’t even noticed all that time had passed, which was a rarity for me. I was usually always conscious of the passage of time, worrying that I wasn’t making the most out of it.

Now that Levi mentioned it, the familiar slow rise of panic drummed under my skin. I was behind in life, and completely not where I wanted to be. My peers were out there winning awards or starting businesses that wouldthenwin them even more awards. And where was I?

It had been almost a month since I’d arrived here, and what had I accomplished? Nothing nearly close to the goals I’d planned for myself.

Ineededto make my mark here. I needed the ravingrecommendations so that when I returned to New York, I could show everyone that I could make something of myself.

I wasn’t a waste of space…

“Hey.” A warm touch fell on my arm, drawing my focus. “Are you okay?”

The teasing smile on Levi’s face was replaced with concern as he watched me. His hands did slow strokes against my skin that did something to calm the anxiety that always came with comparing myself with the timeline of others.

Another minute under his touch, and I couldbreatheagain. All the while, Levi gave me the time I needed to gather myself. He didn’t push for an answer; just stayed there with his hand moving in a slow, rhythmical beat that guided my heartbeat.

“Yeah,” I replied, surprising myself by how true the answer was. I was able to believe that I’d be okay.

I sank deeper into the couch, relaxing again under his touch. I didn’t move my arm, and it didn’t seem like he’d planned to stop his soft actions either.

“So, you’re obviously wrong about the movie. It’s definitely a Christmas film,” I said, continuing our earlier conversation.

Levi was silent for a second, and I was worried he’d push for answers. Thankfully, he dropped it.

“Are we watching the same thing? Just look at it. There are skeletons and zombies, hell, their dog is a freaking ghost.”

Grinning, he snatched the bowl of popcorn from the coffee table and settled it in the space between us to share. He grabbed a handful and shoved it into his mouth before eyeing me and nudging the bowl as if telling me to join him.

I laughed and took his hint, making myself completely comfortable. “The word Christmas isinthe title. It’s obviously a Christmas film,” I insisted, which led to us arguing about which one of us was right as we watched the movie.

By the end of it, neither of us had conceded their point, but I felt light and happy. I had fun spending time with him.

As the credits rolled, Levi turned to me. “That was totally a Halloween movie,” he said cheekily.

I rolled my eyes and threw the last piece of popcorn at him, but the man had fast reflexes and caught the popcorn in his mouth. “Yum,” he exclaimed. My gaze moved to his mouth as I watched him chew. The action pushed his Cupid’s bow deeper, drawing me in until I was full-on staring at his lips.

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