Page 44 of Holiday Hoax

I’m going to surprise her when she gets home tonight by taking her shopping for one. I don’t have any decorations either, so I’ve googled the best place to buy those as well. I have a list of everything we need ready to go.

She walks in after work with her cheeks a windblown pink and snowflakes dotting her hair. She walks right to me before even taking her coat off, wrapping her arms around me and pressing a kiss to my lips. Her nose is cold against mine as I nuzzle her and the kiss breaks.

“Hi,” she says with the smile that’s been driving me mad since the first time I ever saw it.

“Hi, how was work?”

“So busy. But I sold a few small pieces.”

“That’s great. Go change into something comfortable and casual. I have a surprise for you.”

Her eyes light up. “I love surprises.”

“Good.” I smack her butt to send her on her way.

She materializes five minutes later wearing a pair of jeans and a sweater, along with a pair of fur-trimmed boots and a scarf. I grab a stocking cap and put it on her head.

“Where are we going?” she asks as she puts her coat on.

“I’m not going to tell you just yet.”

“Are we driving?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” She practically hops to the elevator in excitement. It’s the cutest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.

Her giddiness bleeds into me, making me feel unencumbered by the daily grind I’m used to living twenty-four seven every day of my life. Her very existence in my life makes everything feelbrighter and warmer. I didn’t realize what I was missing, how dull my life had become, until she was here.

With every little revelation my attachment to her grows. The thought of her going home makes me ill. But even if I’m not afraid of my growing feelings for her, she might be scared of hers for me. She’s so young. I have to steel myself for the inevitable heartache if she decides after the holidays to move on without me.

My stomach sours just thinking of the possibility, so I force thoughts of the future out of my mind. Tonight is about having fun, living in the moment and embracing whimsy. As I pull up to an old warehouse, her eyes light up at the sight of Christmas lights strung from a series of poles illuminating dozens of Christmas trees ready to be claimed.

Families with young children mill around, checking each tree to find the perfect fit for their homes. An older couple walks hand in hand in front of us, the woman helping support the man as he shuffles down the slushy path. Snow continues to fall softly adding magic to the ambiance of the night.

“I think the trees are sorted by height,” Mia says as she looks around. “How tall are we getting?”

We.

I’m like a teenage girl with a crush every time she groups us together as a couple. Internally rolling my eyes at myself, I look around and zero in on a group of ten- to twelve-foot trees. This is the first year I’ve put up a tree in my penthouse, and I feel like I could get away with a tall one.

“How about one of these?” I lead her over to where my eye was drawn.

“Yes,” she agrees excitedly. “I’ve always wanted a huge, real tree. I know they’re a pain because you have to keep them watered, and they lose needles, but it’s going to smell so good.”

We spend a few minutes picking the perfect one and grab the tag. She wraps her arms around my waist and tilts her head up for a kiss as we wait in line. I cup her cheek and press a gentle kiss to her lips, running my nose along hers when we break apart.

“Do you have ornaments and lights for the tree?” she asks.

“That’s our next stop.”

“You planned the perfect date.”

I hope I can keep that happy sparkle in her eyes forever.

After an hour of shopping at a store entirely themed for Christmas and stopping for dinner, I get an alert that the tree is on its way to my apartment. We just get all the bags of decorations upstairs when I get a call that the tree is downstairs. I go down to help them maneuver it onto the freight elevator and enter the security code for my apartment.

Luckily, tree delivery also includes set up, and it takes them only about fifteen minutes to get everything perfect. I would have been lucky to get it done in triple that amount of time, even with Mia’s help. The tree is over twice her height, so there’s not much she could have done.

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