Page 7 of Fake It 'Til You Sleigh It

Nailed it.Yeah, I’m basically a life coach.

Chase looks worse now. I pretend like that was helpful and spin towards Tiffany, the blonde makeup goddess who dives right back in, doing her thing on my face.

She smooths foundation over my defined features and dabs a little concealer under my eyes.Let’s be real—it’s not like I need it. I wake up this handsome.

“So, Tiff, any wild holiday plans?”

“You know I do. Get this. Flights out of LA are so cheap…”

As Tiffany launches into the story of her upcoming Vegas girls’ trip, I sneak a glance at Chase from the corner of my eye. Her shoulders drop a fraction, which I take as a good sign. She settles into the makeup chair next to mine and starts breathing again.

“Hot damn, Ethan,” Tiffany purrs, giving my jawline one last stroke. “This red suit is sinful. You look like a snack.”

“Thanks!” I say, letting my famous panty-dropping smile linger—the same one that launched a thousand housewife fantasies.

“What’s your deal? I’m guessing a sexy holiday vacay.” Tiffany pries.

“Nah, I’m counting down the hours until I head home for Christmas. My family goes all out—the tree literally sags with ornaments, the gingerbread house showdowns are intense, and get this—my dad dresses up as a retired Santa, complete with flip-flops, a red bathrobe, and a hat that saysoff duty.”

“Aww, that’s adorable,” Tiffany coos. “Your parents gotta be so proud. Their son being the King of Christmas and all.”

“Oh, without a doubt. My mama’s more obsessed about Christmas than Santa himself.”

Tiffany’s assistant, Kate, a bubbly girl with pink hair, starts to apply makeup on Chase. With a bright smile, she asks, “What about you? Any fun holiday plans?”

“Christmas vacation? Hard pass,” Chase says, her voice flatter than my abs(which, for the record, are spectacular).

Both makeup artists gasp.

“I do the same thing every year,” she continues, dripping with the disdain of a teenager forced to hang out with their parents. “I rent a cabin in Lake Tahoe where I can focus on writing my next script. No family, no drama. Just me. Alone. Preferably buried under ten feet of snow.”

Okay, pooh-poohing Christmas I can not condone.Time to poke the Chase-bear again.“Really? No family to order around like minions on Christmas Day? I’m sure you have some secret holiday tradition… Maybe watchingIt’s a Wonderful Lifeand rooting for Mr. Potter?”

Chase’s death glare could make Satan himself piss his pants.Worth it. So fucking worth it.

Tiffany puts the finishing touches on my hair. She grins at me in the mirror. “You’re perfect,” she says, then adds with a giggle, “Not that you weren’t perfect before. You’re even more perfect-er.”

Kate examines her blush palette before selecting a soft-pink shade. I can’t help but enjoy the sight of Chase looking utterly miserable in the hot seat.

“I love your cheekbones,” Kate gushes. “I’d throw away my favorite vibrator for bone structure like that.”

“I’m flattered,” says Chase coldly, distancing the compliment. “Keep it natural,” she instructs. “No red lips. I’m a director, not an actor.”

“No warm colors, please,” I stage whisper to Kate. “She likes to keep her face inEbenezer Scrooge mode. And God help us if she ever smiles. You best run for your life—it’s a sign of the apocalypse.”

“I have no desire to participate in this absurd interview,” Chase grumbles. “If your co-star wasn’t knocked up, I wouldn’t be here.”

I smirk. “Don’t blame a baby for your stage fright.”

She narrows her eyes. “Ethan, I need you to be irresistible out there. We need new subscribers as badly as we need oxygen. That’s our top priority. Do something big, I mean it.”

I waggle my eyebrows. “Sure thing, boss. Should I give the host a lap dance?”

“Yes, if that’ll bring in more viewers,” Chase says without missing a beat.

“Relax, I’ve got this shit handled. Let me work my magic. After all, I’m the King of Christmas.”

***

---