Page 74 of Mistletoe, Mayhem & Mr. Grump
Holden moves toward the door, pausing to look back. "I'll see you tomorrow. Save me a dance?"
"Malcolm already called dibs," I inform him.
"Then I'll have to fight him for it," he says simply.
"You can't fight Malcolm. He does CrossFit," Finn warns.
"He does CrossFit incorrectly," Holden says. "I've seen his Instagram. His form is terrible."
"You've stalked his Instagram?" I ask.
"I research my competition," he corrects. "Hisyachtphotos are all taken at the same angle to hide that it's actually pretty small."
"His yacht is small?" Teddy gasps, and June leans forward with interest.
"Tiny. It's basically a glorified fishing boat with pretensions," Holden confirms.
This changes everything. Well, not everything, but the committee looks offended by this revelation.
"He lied about his yacht size?" Mrs. Patterson asks, scandalized.
"The yacht that's literally named 'Better Without You'?" June asks.
"Should be called 'Compensating For Something,'" Giuseppe suggests.
Holden leaves with a small smile, and the committee immediately explodes into discussion about yacht sizes, Malcolm's CrossFit form, and the implications of boat-related fraud.
"This doesn't change anything," I announce to the room.
"It changes the yacht situation," Teddy points out.
"The yacht was never the issue!" I protest.
"The yacht is always an issue," Delia says mysteriously.
My phone buzzes with a text.
Holden: My suit is from 2024. Is that suitable? Get it? LOL
Despite everything, I smile. Then I catch myself smiling and scowl instead.
Another text.
Holden:I saw that smile.
I look at my window and realize I'm standing directly in front of it, backlit by tons of candles like some kind of conflicted lighthouse.
"STOP HAVING A DIFFERENT FACE FOR ME," I shout through the glass.
"I CAN'T HELP IT," he shouts back. "YOU MAKE MY FACE DO THINGS."
"That's the worst declaration of love ever," Finn observes.
"It's actually kind of sweet," Mrs. Patterson argues.
"Ten points for originality," Delia announces, making a note.
Tomorrow is the gala. Malcolm will be there with his Instagram yogini and his tiny yacht stories. Holden will be there in a suit from 2024, freshly disowned and renamed. The committee will be watching and scoring everything.
