Page 13 of Wintertime Heat (Holiday 1)

One that Scarlett supported wholeheartedly.

“I don’t know why you changed your mind about doing this, but I’m so proud of you!” Scarlett hugs me and dances away.

I watch her leave the room. Unlike me, my best friend was completely secure in her sexuality. She had no problem with juggling multiple partners at the same time or going through long stretches without a man in her life.

I, on the other hand, couldn’t do that.

I stare at my reflection in the hallway mirror. Lifting a few strands of my hair, I watch them fall back down. I wasn’t ugly by any means. But I was more reserved. I wasn’t the type of person who would sleep with a guy on the fifth date. Tim and I had dated for three months before we slept together.

Of course, the reason he had been so relaxed about the whole thing was because he had had two girls on the side.

There was no bitterness in my thoughts, as I tie my hair up in a ponytail. I hadn’t felt a very deep connection to Tim. He had been funny and smart, but we didn’t have much in common.

No, I wanted to build a deeper connection with someone.

I wanted passion, romance.

I sigh, heavily. I wanted to be swept-off my feet.

Leaning on the balls of my feet, I look at the soft snow outside. Christmas was nearly here. This was the season for romance.

“Do you think if I wrote to Santa, he would gift me a boyfriend this Christmas?” I muse loudly.

Scarlett, who had just walked back into the room, chugging some eggnog, grins, “Honey, tell him to send me two.”

I chuckle at that and then look at her, “Do you think I should dress slutty for this date? Like, I don’t want him to think I’m too easy, but I also want him to think that I would be up for a little action in the sheets.”

Scarlett flops onto the couch, “Maybe, flash your cleavage a little. You’ve got some nice boobs. Use them. Maybe – You know what, let me worry about your wardrobe. He hasn’t even decided the place yet.”

“The place?” I ask, clearly surprised. “Can’t we just meet up anywhere?”

My friend grins, “You do realize Travis has a little crush on you? He wants to pick you up, take you out, the whole deal.”

I bite my lower lip, blushing, “You really think he likes me?”

>

Scarlett waves her hand, airily, “Definitely. He got really excited when I told him you said yes.”

I grin at myself in the mirror.

This might not be the worst date, after all.

My mood was great the next day, as I hum throughout the class. My students must have caught on to my mood, because they kept grinning.

“Miss Johnson!”

I sigh at the familiar voice. Pasting a forced smile on my face, I turn around, “Mr. Davis.”

“I heard you often stay late to work on some class projects,” Collin looks down his nose at me, and not for the last time, I wish Scarlett was here to knock this man down a peg or two.

I cross my arms over my chest, “Since when is that a crime?”

He looks slightly startled at my defensive stance, and blink, “Well, I didn’t say it was. I only asked because there is some paperwork left that you have to go through and I wanted to know if you could do that when you were done. I usually stay late.”

Feeling a little lame, I lower my arms, and nod, “Uh, yeah. I could do that.”

Eyeing me like one would eye a dangerous, unpredictable animal, Collin backs away, and I kind of feel bad.

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