Chapter Three #2
“At least I didn’t screw up and forget to order the catering,” Nicky said. That was just one of the many things that he needed to double-check on.
“Hey!” Liam slammed his hand down on the table. “You didn’t screw up anything!”
Nicky winced. He hated getting down on himself.
He shook his head. “You’re right. The office is closed for the next two weeks except for a few calls that might come in.
I have plenty of time to decorate, buy and wrap the gifts, and make sure Christmas is perfect.
” It was his first year hosting. Nicky was going to make it the best Christmas ever.
“It’ll be perfect because we’ll all be together,” Jude said. “Do not stress yourself out over this.”
Stress? Him? Yeah, he was totally going to stress but Christmas had to be perfect.
They were starting a new tradition. One that Nicky hoped would continue year after year.
“Us three, Law, Angelo, Josh, and now Freddie,” Nicky ticked the names off on his fingers.
He wanted to make sure there would be plenty of food.
“We should invite the chef!” Liam said suddenly. “He’s new to town. What if he’s all alone?”
“And I suppose you got his number last night?” Nicky asked.
“Of course!” Liam grinned.
“Okay,” Nicky agreed. Like he would ever complain about adding another friend. And his house was big enough to hold them all and their Christmas celebration. “I better get home and finish my planning.”
Liam glanced from Nicky to Jude and back. “Yeah, you do that.”
There was something mischievous in his bestie’s eyes.
“What?” Nicky asked. He didn’t trust that look at all. Not that he really had the time to question Liam when there were a thousand things to do.
“Nothing.” Liam grinned. “Nothing at all.”
Nicky looked over at Jude. “Your boy is a pain in the ass.”
Jude snorted. “I wonder where he gets it from? He’s much better behaved when it’s just us.”
“I don’t believe that for a second,” Nicky argued. “You just let him get away with more.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” Jude allowed.
Nicky giggled. He was already feeling much better with visions of sugarplums, garland, and candy canes in his head. It was time to be the Christmas elf he was meant to be.
* * * * *
Law
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
Liam huffed as he carried his bags up the stairs. “He knows we’re here. I had to put the code in the gate, and it alerted him.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” Law said. He hefted the box to his other arm. “He might want to be alone.”
“Who wants to be alone?” Liam argued. “And he was alone. Now he’s back and we have to make sure that all his twinkling dreams come true.”
Twinkling dreams? Law was certain that Liam was really stretching the truth here.
Not that it had taken much convincing on Liam’s part for Law to tag along.
According to Liam, Christmas was Nicky’s favorite holiday and Nicky was sad that he hadn’t decorated yet.
Decorating wasn’t really Law’s thing, but he was happy to help.
Liam was determined to make things right for his best friend. Law wanted to hear the sweet giggles of the boys as he’d been gifted with the previous evening.
Jude sighed. “It’ll be better if you just went along with the plan.”
He was there, wasn’t he? Law just didn’t understand if Nicky was going to be decorating why they’d had to shop for an hour and a half before they could help.
Wouldn’t Nicky have everything he needed already?
Or had Liam just wanted to do some Christmas shopping. Law grunted in reply to Jude’s comment.
“Besides, the whining if we don’t get this done will be ten times worse,” Jude stated.
“Daddy!” Liam huffed and stomped his foot. “Bad!”
Jude snorted. “I’m sorry, boy.”
Law stared at his friend like he’d lost his mind. “Who’s the Daddy here?”
Jude managed to flip him off even though his hands were full of bags as well.
The front door opened before they finished climbing up the steps.
Law had researched the best of neighborhoods when he’d first moved back to town.
He’d wanted to be close to Jude but still in more of the city center than on the beach.
The beach had always been Jude and Sam’s thing.
Law much preferred to be able to walk down the street and grab a coffee or whatever he needed.
Not that the gated community they were currently in was like Law’s block in any way. Law enjoyed the closeness of his neighbors, the neighborhood shops, and getting to know the people around him. Nicky’s gated community was too exclusive to him.
The houses were big and expensive, giving a cold or barely lived-in feel. The yards were too pristine for the middle of winter. The lights hung for the holiday too standard. No personality. No uniqueness. Nothing like the special boy staring at them in confusion.
“What are you doing here?” Nicky asked while stepping out onto the porch.
“Merry Christmas!” Liam shouted.
Nicky rolled his eyes. “You’re a few weeks early.”
The cutie was dressed in green leggings and a long green tunic, with a red belt tying the outfit together. He was a fucking adorable elf. Law nearly dropped the box.
“But we brought prezzies!” Liam danced in place.
That got Nicky’s attention. “What?” He rushed forward to grab the bags that Liam carried. “What did you bring me?”
“Can we go inside?” Jude asked. “This is getting heavy.”
Nicky lifted his head from where he was rifling through one of the bags. “Huh?”
Law laughed. “We have more for you.”
Nicky pulled the red and silver garland from the bag and wrapped it around his neck. “I already have decorations.”
“These are special ones!” Liam claimed. Which was the exact same thing he’d said when he’d insisted they needed to do a little shopping before going to Nicky’s.
“Come on.” Nicky waved them in even as he continued going through the bag and pulled out antlers to place on his head.
“You can’t be a reindeer and elf,” Liam said as he followed behind him.
Jude and Law brought up the rear. Since Law was the last one in the house, he closed and locked the door behind them. Boxes were stacked in the long entry with several of them open with several items spilling out.
Decorating had apparently already started.
“I can be anything I want,” Nicky said loudly. “I’m a half elf half reindeer shifter.”
“That’s not even something I would write,” Liam said. There was a pause. “Actually, I kind of like that. Tell me more.”
Nicky giggled before launching into an epic tale about the north pole and his reindeer shifter father and elf mother.
Law added his box with the others in the hall before taking the time to glance around him.
The house was massive with marble flooring and carpets along the hall.
From the outside, it appeared like a typical mini mansion, which didn’t fit Law’s opinion of Nicky’s style in any way.
He had been wrong. While the house was as big as Law suspected, there was nothing cold about the space or any rooms that he passed.
All around, color looked like it had exploded. In the art hung on walls, cheery decorations placed on tables or in cabinets. And that was before the Christmas items that were placed around.
Law grinned.
Nicky was just as he appeared. With Law’s attraction to the boy being so new, it was a pleasure to realize that he hadn’t been wrong about Nicky. Nicky might have money, Law couldn’t fault him for that, but the boy was still what he showed to the world.
Entering what must be used as the main living room had Law stopping at the threshold.
Nicky was placing a Santa hat on Liam’s head as Liam pouted back at him.
The story of his ancestry was over finally.
Although Law was impressed with Nicky’s imagination.
Maybe he should try his hand at writing like Liam.
Well, no, thinking better about it, being in advertising and marketing did take creativity.
And Nicky was obviously incredibly good at his profession.
“But I wanted to be the reindeer,” Liam complained.
“You get to be the big jolly man in charge,” Nicky told him.
Jude snatched the Santa hat from Liam’s head. “I should be the one in charge.”
Nicky wiggled in place as he peered up at Jude. “That doesn’t seem right.” He jumped and grabbed the Santa hat then raced for Law.
Law watched as Nicky skidded to a stop in front of him and wiggled his fingers.
“Bend, please,” Nicky told him when Law didn’t move.
He made sure that his sigh was loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room as he leaned forward. Law really was a lot taller than Nicky.
Nicky placed the hat carefully on his head and squealed. “You be Santa!”
“Yay,” Law deadpanned even though he was secretly pleased.
“Good Santa!” Nicky patted his chest as Law straightened.
“That’s not fair!” Liam screeched.
“Wait!” Nicky demanded. He ran toward a box in front of the couch and started to rifle through it.
Jude caught his eye and grinned. Law probably looked ridiculous in a pair of dark jeans, a black sweater, boots, and the damn Santa hat.
“Found them!” Nicky whooped as he waved something around in his hand.
“What?” Liam asked.
Nicky leaped over a box, nearly tumbling down before catching himself and returning to Liam and Jude. He swept Liam’s bangs back with a headband and turned toward Jude.
“No,” Jude said.
“Frosty!” Nicky replied.
“Absolutely not,” Jude responded.
Nicky pushed his bottom lip out. “But Frosty! We don’t have a Frosty!”
“Liam can be Frosty,” Jude argued.
“I cookies!” Liam said as he flicked the wire holding up the gingerbread men cookies on the headband.
“Yeah, he’s cookies!” Nicky jumped up and down. “You Frosty!”
“Why can’t I be Santa?” Jude questioned.
Oh, hell no! Law would much rather be Santa than Frosty. “He said I was Santa,” Law reminded his friend.
“Law and I are going to help put up all your decorations,” Law told Nicky. “Isn’t that nice of us?”