Page 51 of The Boyfriend Swap

Will cleared his throat. “My contribution is ‘I Want An Alien for Christmas’ by Fountains of Wayne.” He seemed to hold his breath awaiting the family’s response.

At first, no one said anything, and I wasn’t sure how my father was going to handle it. This was his stage and the rest of us were just players, but after a moment, he clapped Will on his back. “Well, I’ll be damned. You did it. No guest to the Lane family Christmas has contributed an original song in this decade until now.”

Will’s mouth dropped open. “Really?”

My dad slowly shook his head. “Not really.” Pointing at me, he said, “But you were close. Your girlfriend already chose the same song.”

When everyone glanced my way, I shrugged. “Sorry.”

“At least we know he didn’t cheat,” Jordy said.

“It was a great effort, Will. Better luck next year,” my mom said before refilling his glass.

Will walked over to me and smiled softly. “I can’t believe we both chose the same song.” He’d been companionable to me all day, appearing to have recovered from whatever had plagued him the night before. Unless it was part of his performance. He could probably give Perry a run for his money in terms of staying in character.

“Great minds,” I said. “Although you did better than most. Typically, guests—even repeat ones—pick songs we’ve included many times before. They don’t even try. Not only did you make an honest effort, but you would have won if I didn’t get to my dad first.”

“You’re saying it’s all your fault then?” Will teased, his hazel eyes twinkling. “Maybe I should hold back your present.”

“A gift? For me?” I hopped on my toes as excitement danced under my skin. I wasn’t expecting anything from Will. His mere participation in this farce already went above and beyond.

“Yes, a gift. For you,” he said, mimicking the eager tone of my voice. “Do you want it now?”

Nodding, I said, “I’ll give you mine now too.” I reached under the tree to where I’d left his gifts the night before and placed them on the floor by my feet. I wondered if he bought my gift at the mall when we’d separated, like I had for him.

Handing me a small box wrapped in mauve-colored paper and tied with a white ribbon, he said, “Merry Chrismukkah, Snow.”

I gasped. “You bought me something from Pandora?” A minute ago, I’d been pleased with what I’d chosen for him but not so much anymore. I tentatively removed the box from his hand.

“I noticed your bracelet. Sidney has the same…” Will’s face turned red as he realized his faux pas, and he coughed. He glanced at my family before turning back to me. “Pandora is the only commercial you don’t fast forward. I figured you were trying to tell me something.” He raised his eyebrows, clueing me into his lie to cover up his almost mistake. “Open it.”

Of course, we’d never watched television together, and my eyes widened in awe at how fast he thought on his feet. I did as he asked. With shaky hands, I slid the ribbon off the box, ripped through the paper, and removed the lid. My heart jumped into my throat. It was a sterling silver tiara charm with “Snow White” engraved on the ball. When I lifted my gaze from the box, I felt Will’s eyes boring into mine and swallowed hard. “This is amazing. Thank you.” Since my family was watching, I knew limiting my gratitude to a verbal expression would seem weird. I stood on my tippy toes and placed a soft kiss on his mouth. I allowed my lips to linger a few seconds like a real girlfriend would before drawing back. Will’s face had reddened, and I felt the heat of his blush down to my toes.

“Apparently, Snow Whitedoeswear a crown,” he said, breaking the awkwardness.

I chuckled and held the charm up for the others to see. “Isn’t this great? You guys remember my nickname from school, right?” My family responded with collective approval of the gift choice.

“My turn,” Will said, bending down to pick up the two packages I’d purchased for him.

I chewed on my fingernails knowing how lame my gifts were compared to his.

When he opened the first one—Off Track Planet’sTravel Guide for the Young, Sexy, and Broke, I joked, “Two out of three ain’t bad.” The gift was inspired by our conversation at the mall about what Will liked to do in his free time. He was young and sexy, and even lawyers appreciated a good bargain.

“Maybe you guys can plan a vacation together,” my mom suggested.

“Great idea, Mrs. Lane,” Will said. “I love it, Snow. Thanks so much.”

Sensing his internal conflict over whether to kiss me again, I pushed the other gift toward him before he had a chance. “Next one.”

His eyes twinkled as he removed the trucker hat from the box and read the inscription. “This is awesome,” he said, placing the cap on his head. He repeated the words on the cap: “I’ve Got Rhythm.”

“You sure do,” my mom agreed.

“I almost bought you a t-shirt with the quote, ‘I sing way too much for someone who can’t sing,’ but I liked this better,” I confessed.

“Me too,” Will said. Pulling me into a hug, he mumbled, “Thanks, Snow” into my hair.

I’d debated buying Will Christmas presents because I feared it might make him uncomfortable, but I took the risk because I wanted to do something nice for him. Racing against the clock to find the perfect gifts with the hour we had apart brought me joy, as did the expression of happiness on his face when he opened them. I knew I wouldn’t experience the same pleasure giving Perry the gifts waiting for him at home—a royal blue cashmere sweater and tickets to seeFinding Neverlandon Broadway (again).

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