17. Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen
“There’s a little extra Christmas cheer in this batch,” Alice announced, pinching her mouth after a sip of the Mistletoe Margaritas Paige had concocted. “Wowza!” Her head snapped back as she licked the sugar granules from her lips.
“I made them strong,” Paige answered in a singsong. She shimmied her shoulders, raising her glass. “It’s our Yappy Hour Christmas party. Time to live it up!” She winked. Both Alice and Gigi giggled before they all took sips of the sweetly sour drink garnished with cranberries, a sprig of rosemary, and a sugared glass rim.
It was the last Friday before Christmas, and the girls were celebrating with a slumber party at Alice’s apartment. All cozied up in her living room, they were sipping margaritas and sporting Christmas pajamas. A perfectly predictable Christmas romance movie played on the TV, and their tummies were full of Italian Penicillin and home-baked bread. Before work, Gigi had whipped up the soup and it had simmered all day in her new Crock-Pot—the one Harris had surprised her with.
She smiled through another sip, remembering how she’d discovered the package that’d been waiting in her apartment building’s mailroom. The card that came with it said, Even though we got cheated out of winning the trivia game, I still thought you deserved a Crock-Pot. Sincerely Chapped, Harris.
Her heart warmed at the thoughtful gesture. It was a thousand times better than flowers.
“Okay, time for you guys to open your presents from me.” Alice bounced in the recliner. The throw blanket slid from her crossed legs to the floor. Behind her, Mister Tuxedo stretched, rousing from his nap on the back of the chair. Sensing excitement, he sauntered down to the armrest, crawled across Alice’s lap, and jumped to the coffee table. There, he collapsed and rubbed his face against a wrapped present.
“You are such a ham.” Gigi reached over and scratched him on his white belly and chest. Tux purred, his eyes closing. “I think you’d really like Rudy. You need to convince your momma that you need a little brother.” Gigi quirked a brow at Alice, waiting for her reaction.
“If Harris isn’t going to keep Rudy, I think you need to adopt him. I’ll be his godmother.” Alice stood to gather the presents. “Then we can plan playdates for the boys. And Rudy can come for Yappy Hour.”
“Wouldn’t that be perfect?” Gigi sighed. “Except my apartment doesn’t allow pets.”
“Do they allow children?” Paige asked.
Gigi nodded. “Of course.”
“Then call him your furry son.” Paige shrugged. “Besides, I bet he’s better behaved than most children.”
Gigi laughed, rattling the ice in her drink. “He might be.”
“Or, get a note from a therapist and Rudy can be your emotional support cat, just like Mister Tuxedo. Then your landlord can’t say no. I can take Tux anywhere. You know how he loves to go for walks in his front pack. Honestly, he always makes me feel better, in any situation.” Alice patted Tux before handing Gigi a perfectly wrapped present with sharp corners, neatly tucked ends, and a bow that Martha Stewart would approve of.
“Thank you,” Gigi said, referencing both the gift and the suggestion. “I mean, that’s not a bad idea. Rudy increases my serotonin levels every time I see him and get cuddles.”
“It’s a great idea,” Alice replied matter-of-factly.
“You should do it.” Paige leaned back in her seat after accepting Alice’s present. “By the way, why doesn’t Harris want to keep him?”
Gigi paused, knowing that Harris clearly loved Rudy. She could see it. His face lit up around the little furball, and he was an amazing cat-dad. “He said he works too much. Wants Rudy to go to a home where he gets all the attention he deserves.”
“Well, that’s . . . noble,” Paige concluded.
“It is,” Gigi said. “But he’s been doing a great job fostering him. Rudy isn’t deprived of attention.”
“Maybe he’ll change his mind?” Alice sat back down as Tux leaped from the coffee table. He slunk to the base of the pink-frosted artificial tree in the corner of the living room and whacked one of the low-hanging bulbs. “Tuxy, you better not even think about climbing the tree again,” she scolded in a tender tone. Tux flattened his ears like that’s exactly what he’d been planning to do. Alice smirked at him before turning her attention back to her friends. “Okay, open them!”
Gigi and Paige unraveled the perfect bows.
“It pains me to undo your wrapping. It’s such a masterpiece,” Gigi said, ripping into the shiny paper. Alice crinkled her nose in delight.
Each year, the three of them exchanged gifts, but the presents had to be handmade, not bought. This year, Gigi spent an entire evening baking specialty desserts. She’d filled two boxes to the brim with cannoli, biscotti, and amaretti cookies, and both Paige and Alice had squealed when they pried open the lids. Paige had given Alice and Gigi advanced copies of her next book, which would release after the New Year. Each was signed with personal messages, and she’d also framed pictures of the three of them from their girls’ trip to Mexico earlier that year. Paige cheated a little by not making the frames herself, but Alice and Gigi gave her a pass. That was as close to handmade as Paige got.
Alice’s gifts were the last to open. Opening the box and tugging out white tissue paper, Gigi discovered Alice’s beautiful knitting.
“Oh, wow! These are adorable!” Gigi exclaimed, holding up two pairs of fuzzy socks for Paige to see. One pair was striped red and green with tiny pom-poms around the cuffs. The other was covered in kittens. “Look at these details!” Gigi put on the striped socks and wiggled her toes, delighting in the softness and shaking pom-poms. “I’m going to wear these every day!”
“I’m so glad you like them.” Alice beamed, squeezing her hands together. “There’s one more thing in there.”
Gigi dug around in the box to pull out a hand-knit cat toy in the shape of Santa, complete with gold bells. “For Rudy?” Gigi gaped.
“For Rudy,” Alice confirmed.
Gigi jumped up and hugged Alice. “Thank you. I love them. You are so thoughtful,” she whispered.
“You are very welcome.” Alice hugged her back. “Now it’s your turn, Paige.”
Paige’s eyes widened as she opened her present to find a lilac knitted beanie, as well as a matching set of fingerless gloves. “Alice, these are incredible!” She pulled the beanie over her black hair and slid on the gloves, wiggling her exposed fingertips. “These are perfect for staying cozy and still being able to type and write. How did you find the time to make all of this?”
Alice blushed, shrugging modestly. “I love knitting, and I always make time for my favorite people.”
The three friends hugged and clinked their margarita glasses together, toasting to their friendship and a very Merry Christmas. Smiling at her friends, a wave of gratitude washed over Gigi. She was beyond blessed to have two best friends who felt like sisters, and she’d never take that for granted. Her heart was full as they chatted the evening away, talking and laughing about everything under the sun.
As they were belly laughing through Paige’s rendition of her last blind date, courtesy of GambleOnLove, Gigi’s phone buzzed on the coffee table. She glanced at the screen, her heart skipping a beat. “It’s Harris,” she said, surprised.
Paige and Alice exchanged amused glances.
“Ooooh, Harris!” Alice teased, waggling her eyebrows. “What’s he calling for so late? Wanting to meet you under the mistletoe?”
“Pick up and put him on speaker.” Paige leaned forward with interest. “I’m going to give him an earful about his app matching me up with the vegan guy from the suburbs who spends every waking minute tending to his indoor hydroponic garden.” She raised a brow, ready to give him a piece of her mind.
Gigi smirked, but her cheeks flushed as she picked up the phone, pressing it to her ear. “Hello? Harris?” He knew she was with Paige and Alice tonight, so she wasn’t sure why he’d be calling. Maybe he just wanted to wish her a good night.
But when Harris spoke, that sweet thought vanished from her mind.
“Gigi, I’m so sorry to call you this late.” His tone was tight and panicked, sending a chill through Gigi. “Rudy is missing, and I don’t know what to do.”