Page 18 of Santa Daddies
“Well, I thought you might ask me to be your plus one when Jett,la petite tête,got axed, but then my mother called, and surprise, they’re coming to stay with me for Christmas. Theircruise leaves from Port of Vancouver.” She gives my outfit a thumbs-up as I open the door and spin for her.
“How long are they going to be here? And can your tiny apartment hold that much hostility? And are they still trying to get you to marry that guy?”
She snorts, wedging herself into the change room with me. “Raj? Yeah, and he’s nice, has a great job, and he’s handsome, but he’s not my type.” She tosses off her shirt to try on a cashmere sweater in a sunflower-yellow color that matches her brown skin perfectly.
“Because your type isn’t the kind of man that lets his parents set him up?”
She turned to the mirror, examining herself in the sweater, and then her reflection grins at me.
“Exactly!”
“Did I tell you it was David’s best friend that gifted him the use of the venue?”
“Yes, and because I did some research, I know it’s a five-star resort with amazing ratings on Trip Advisor.”
“We’re not staying in the main chalet though. We’re staying in his private chalet.”
“Ooh, right! Charlotte showed you the pics that David sent her, right?”
I nodded.
“Tell me everything.”
“Then prepare to be super jelly because oh, my, it’s two stories with ten bedrooms — all with ensuites, fireplaces, and balconies with views of the mountains or the lake. There’s a huge eat-in kitchen, a great room, a theatre room, library and a games room. Not to mention the huge indoor pool and gym and the outdoor twenty-person hot tub complete with mountain backdrop and firepits. It’s going to be amazing.”
“God, I wonder what that costs?” she said as she stepped out of the changing room in her own clothes and I followed in my next outfit.
“I don’t know what it would cost a regular person, but he owns the resort so…”
“How do I get a rich best friend like that?” she asked, her right eyebrow arching as if it was my fault I wasn’t rich.
“I guess you’ll just have to be happy with a best friend, rich-adjacent, once removed.”
She laughed loudly, looked me up and down, and nodded in approval of the outfit. “But is he single?”
“Who?”
“The generous benefactor of David’s wedding?”
“I believe he is,” I said as I went back into the change room to get back into my clothes and sort through the try-on pile.
“Dibs!”
I tossed an ugly sweater over the top of the dressing room door. “On this?”
“Ew no. On David’s best friend. I know you’re looking even though it’s only been a few weeks so I’m staking my claim now.”
“You’re dibsing a man you’ve never met and probably won’t ever meet?”
“Damn right I am.”
“And if he’s ugly as fudge?”
“He’s all yours.” She laughed as I exited the room and we both headed to the checkout.
Ten minutes later we were sitting in one of the trendy little coffee shops downtown, sipping hot cocoa, listening to Christmas music play over the speakers, and talking about Santa Daddy again.
“I still can’t believe you finally got your Santa Claus fantasy fulfilled,” she whispered before taking a sip of her hot chocolate.
