Chapter Seven
Kristina spent the next four nights at the hotel after her shift at the department store, studying for her last remaining finals, taking advantage of free meals, and, though she only admitted it to Mike, enjoying her mother’s company.
On the fifth day, campus police informed them that Jim had left for Florida. That called for a celebration.
Mike found a few cheap Christmas decorations, a tin of butter cookies, and Kristina’s favorite: a carton of eggnog.
He also swung by a print shop.
“What is this?” Celeste said when he handed her the rolled-up print, tied with a ribbon.
“A Christmas gift,” he said. “For you.”
“You’re a few days early.” It couldn’t have been a complaint; she was eagerly untying it.
“What is it?” Kristina asked him while watching her mom.
“Something your mother will appreciate,” he answered quietly. “We’ve spent a lot of time talking about Christmas wishes.”
Kristina tossed him one of her signature grins. “I think you two have enjoyed your holiday, despite having to come up here and sort out my mess.”
Mike gave her an affectionate, fatherly hug. He’d told her again and again the past five days that she’d been anything but a nuisance. Eventually she would believe it.
Celeste unrolled the print. She sucked in a quick, sharp breath before bursting with laughter. “Where did you get this?” She managed to formulate the question between laughs.
“I had it made up. I couldn’t think of anything you’d want more.”
She couldn’t seem to stop laughing, which was exactly the response he’d been hoping for.
“What is it?” Kristina stepped around her mom, getting her first look at his offering. “Is that Snoop Dogg?”
Mike nodded.
Celeste quickly rolled the print up again and crossed to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He swore his pulse jumped straight there as well, pounding hard into his head.
“This has been the best Christmas,” she said, smiling at him. “The best.”
“All this over a poster?” Kristina snatched a cookie from the tin. “Old people get excited about the weirdest things.”
Celeste didn’t let go, didn’t back away. She simply kept watching him with what looked like very real happiness. “You know this means I win, right?”
At the moment, Mike was pretty convinced he had won. She was hugging him, smiling at him, being more affectionate than he ever remembered her being.
“We both agreed to count the Grinch movie viewing even though it was sort of called off. I have my Snoop Dogg souvenir, and I have a pair of vintage jeans at home that I found on Etsy. Once I show you that, I’ve checked off my entire Holiday Bucket List. I win.”
“Well, then.” He settled his arms comfortably around her, fully aware of the fact that she hadn’t at all pulled away. “It seems like I owe you something off your Christmas present wish list. What’s it to be?”
She didn’t hesitate even a moment. “I want you to ask me on another date.”
That was not remotely what he’d expected her to say. “Really?”
She nodded. “Our last one started out very promising. I’d like to try again.”
“Done.” He’d ask her out a hundred more times without question.
“And—”
“And?” He chuckled at the grin that accompanied her tagging on of another request.
“— I want us to go roller skating and search the thrift stores for an old PlayStation 2.”
“You want me to finish my bucket list?” he asked.
“I want to know more about the you that you were before I met you. Your Holiday Bucket List is part of that.”
This was more than promising. This was downright amazing.
“Again,” he said, “done.”
“And—” She laughed before he could. “Lastly, I want to know what on your wish list you would have chosen if you’d won.”
He must have turned beet red in that moment. He knew exactly what he’d wanted to ask for, but had assumed he wouldn’t go through with it even if he’d won their bet.
“What is it?” Celeste’s amazed and amused tone told him he had blushed just as embarrassingly deeply as he’d feared.
Her arms were still draped around his neck. She was still standing close to him, looking at him with something very closely resembling love. Maybe his wish list topper wasn’t such a stretch after all.
“The top of my list has looked the same for seven years, Celeste,” he said. “It hasn’t changed. I just never figured it would ever work out.”
He saw her eyes turn a little uncertain. “You didn’t think what would ever work out?”
“I’ve wanted to kiss you.”
Rather than running away in horror, something Mike had imagined often over the past seven years, Celeste smiled slowly, coyly. “Kristina might freak out, but I certainly have no objections.”
For a moment, he was too shocked to say or do anything. But only for a moment.
He pulled her in ever closer and kissed her with seven years of longing and hoping and loving. He kissed her deeply, and he kissed her well.
“Don’t stop on my account.” Kristina pulled out her phone. “I’ll just be over here pretending to ignore you.”
“And we’ll be over here,” Celeste said, “actually ignoring you.”
That was invitation enough. He kissed her again. And again.
Until Kristina started giggling. “Sorry,” she said. “It’s great, you two deciding to give this a go. It’s a little weird, too, though.”
Mike kept an arm around Celeste as they sat on the sofa. “It’s a shame she’ll be away at college for all those dates we’re going on.”
“A real shame.” Celeste set her head on his shoulder. “I have warned you about my terrible dating track record, haven’t I?”
He nodded. “That track record, my dear, is about to be laid to rest. For good.”