by Mary Smith
Lost cat. Study group meets every Tuesday. Dishwasher needed. Roommate wanted.
“What are you looking at?” Spencer nodded at the bulletin board. “You looking to join a study group?”
“No—”
“Huh. What’s this?” Spencer pointed at a handwritten flyer and pulled it off the community board. “This totally sounds like you, Z.”
“What does?” Zane continued to scan the bulletin board.
“Searching for a fellow Christmas enthusiast.”
Zane assumed his cousin was joking because who would put up a flyer like that? He stared at the paper in Spencer’s hand, and it stated exactly what his cousin read.
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking about emailing this person?” Spencer asked.
Zane shrugged. “Maybe.”
Spencer squinted like he was deep in thought. “I was kidding, and it sounds strange, but now I definitely think you should respond.”
Zane followed Spencer to a table.
“Wait, you think that I should do this?” Zane asked, curious as to why his cousin suddenly changed his tune.
“I normally don’t go for things like this, but it’s not like she invited you into her basement, yet. And on the off chance that she does, then I’d for sure bolt.”
Zane shook his head, unsure if his cousin was serious or not.
“You’re way too excited about this, which makes me think this is a bad idea. Or I’m being punked.”
Spencer didn’t answer. He was busy looking at his phone, typing away.
“What are you doing?” Zane tried to look at his cousin’s phone screen.
Spencer held up a finger, the universal sign for hold on. Once Spencer finished typing, he looked up at Zane and had the biggest grin on his face, which worried Zane.
“What?”
“Looks like you just might get the Christmas you are always talking about. I just responded to Lily for you. Be sure to check your email for a reply.”
“You what?” Zane blurted out. “You mean for yourself since she’ll be replying to you. Right?”
“Sorry to say, cuz, I hacked your email eons ago,” Spencer said without any remorse.
“What?” Zane felt like a broken record, but he really didn’t know what else to say.
“Relax, Z. I don’t read your mail…” Then he added, “Much. But it’s not like you get anything earth-shattering.”
His cousin wasn’t wrong. While he’d been home, he hadn’t done much of anything exciting. His online course load was heavy and most of his time was spent studying. The last time he had a girlfriend was last year at this time, and she wasn’t a Christmas fan. That relationship was doomed from the start.
Spencer was still grinning like a fool.
Zane didn’t want to believe his cousin would do that to him. But his gut told him otherwise. “You didn’t really, did you?”
“Why not? You’re the big Christmas guy. The ad was literally screaming your name.”
Sure, Zane had thought about responding, so he couldn’t be too mad at his cousin. Yet all the same, now he didn’t have a choice.
“Cuz, you could use some time away from your laptop and meet some new people in the process.”
He looked from Spencer to the flyer that now sat on the table.
Searching for a fellow Christmas enthusiast to join me on an ultimate Christmas adventure. Please contact Lily.
He’d been wanting to do it big at Christmastime for a few years now, he just needed someone to do it with. This seemed like a good opportunity. And with a little push from his cousin, all he had to do now was wait for a response.
Chapter Three
Lily
For the past two weeks, Lily kept her nose in the books. She barely slept. Her hands hurt from all the typing and writing she’d been doing, and her head hurt the worse. Thankfully, finals were now over and winter break could begin.
She and Harley were relaxing in the living room. Harley sipped on a glass of wine as Lily had a big mug of hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows and a gingerbread cookie in the other hand.
“What are you going to do?” Harley asked.
“Well, no one answered my ad, so I guess I’ll just sell the tickets.” Her eyes glanced down at the coffee table that housed all the tickets for her Christmas adventure. It actually pained her to think about someone else having all the fun, and it wasn’t going to be her.
“I’m not sorry,” her roommate quickly said.
“I know I can be over the top.”
Furrowing her brow, she pointed at the Christmas tree in the corner of the room. “The tree in the Rockefeller Center isn’t even this big.”
Lily rolled her eyes. “You’re being a bit dramatic. It’s just full.”
“Of thirty pounds of lights, fifty pounds of garland, and seventy pounds of ornaments. It’s a fire hazard more than a decoration,” Harley quipped.
“I think it’s beautiful.” Lily stared proudly at her creation. Thanks to several YouTube videos she was able to make her tree look like the perfect Pinterest pin.
Harley didn’t comment any further, although, Lily knew she had a few more remarks stirring in her head.
“I’m going to bed,” she announced to Lily and left the room.
“Goodnight,” Lily called after her and went back to her Christmas movie.
Lily tried her best to stay in the holiday spirit, but she felt down. This Christmas adventure would have been the best of it all. Sighing, she picked up her phone and tapped her email app. Scrolling through the normal college updates and such something dawned on her. Her spam folder alerted her of two emails. Hitting the folder, one email was an advertisement to sell her books for cash. However, the other’s subject line caught her eye.
Fellow Christmas enthusiast.
She gasped, and her heart raced. Someone had answered her ad. Opening the email, she read the description of Zane Miller. A fellow student who loved Christmas as much as she did and wanted to join her on the adventure. Lily actually squealed with excitement. Now, she could go on this…wait…he was a guy. Her elation quickly fell. What if this was a trick? A ruse from some frat guy who saw the flyer at the café? She knew there were cruel people in the world, and this could be a joke.
Then again, what if this Zane guy loved Christmas? It could be possible. Right?
She knew there was only one way to find out. They had to meet. Lily knew it would have to be in a public place and in daylight. Again, she knew there were strange characters in the world, and she wanted to keep herself safe.
Replying to the email, she suggested they meet at a small diner in Georgetown tomorrow since the adventure started the next night. If they meshed then they’d go to Gaylord’s the following night and if not, then she’d stay home and watch TV and bake cookies.
After she hit send, her spirit seemed to perk up. Maybe this would be her holiday miracle. Like in the movies. Or this could be the turning point with a massive let down. Either way, she’d try her best not to feel let down. She tried keeping the philosophy if it was meant to be then it would be. Albeit, she didn’t follow it all the time.
She didn’t realize her hands were shaking. Being nervous was obviously understandable. This guy, a complete stranger, would be going with her to twelve events. Some relief came when she remembered they were all public places. Not thinking a reply would come quickly, Lily went back to her movie and gingerbread cookie.
As the movie ended, Lily picked up all her items and went to the kitchen to load up the dishwasher. Once in her room, she got ready for bed and tried not to get too excited when her phone alerted her of an email. Sitting on the side of her bed, she tapped the screen to see the email was from Zane. Almost wanting to burst out into “White Christmas”, she opened the email.
Lily,
Yes, I’m available tomorrow. I know where the diner is and can meet you there to discuss the Christmas adventure.
Zane
Lily silently cheered as if the
Christmas angels were guiding her to a memorable holiday. And it all started tomorrow.
Sitting in the diner, Lily kept touching the silverware ensuring they were lined up parallel to the napkin. Taking a sip of her water, she couldn’t remember the last time her mouth had been this dry. She felt as if this was a first date, but in truth, she knew this wasn’t a date at all. Just two strangers trying to see if they’re compatible to go on a Christmas adventure together. Lily bit down on her bottom lip trying to hold back her laughter at such a silly statement.
Every time someone came into the diner, she stared at them, trying to detect if it was Zane or not. She should have told him what she looked like, or better yet, he should have said what he looked like. Lily glanced down at her outfit. She wore an ivory sweater with a pair of fleece-lined red leggings. Inspecting her knee-high, black leather boots, she wanted to make sure they weren’t scuffed. She wanted everything to be perfect. As she was about to reach into her purse for a mirror, the bell hanging above the door jingled. Her eyes darted toward the door, and she froze. A tall male walked in. She figured he had to be at least six feet four. He wasn’t overly muscular but obviously worked out. His dark brown hair was styled in a high fashion cut, matching his leather coat. Still staring at him, she watched as his eyes bounced around the diner, and she hoped he was Zane.
When their eyes met, she noticed his eyes were the same color as his hair. His square jaw and full lips greeted her with a small smile. She sat taller as he strolled over to her.
“Lily?” he asked in a deep tone.
“I’ll assume your Zane,” she managed to say, holding out her hand.
“I am.” He shook it and then sat across from her in the booth. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same.” She smiled, studying his handsome face.
When the waitress came over, he ordered a coffee, and then they fell silent for several seconds.
“So, you won this…adventure?”
“Yes,” she answered and started rubbing her palms nervously. “It was at a Black Friday event. I begged my roommate to go, but apparently, I’ve dragged her to enough Christmas outings that I’ve turned her into Scrooge.”
“You like Christmas a lot, huh?”
She thought there might have been a hint of laughter in his question, but it didn’t feel as if he was teasing her. “I love it and I may go a bit overboard, but it’s the one time of the year I splurge on anything. Plus, I have numerous fond memories of the holiday.”
He nodded. “I understand.”
The waitress returned with his coffee when Lily asked, “Why did you answer my ad?”
He dumped at least four tablespoons of sugar into the cup and swirled his spoon to mix it together before he finally answered her. “Actually, my cousin answered the ad for me.”
“Oh.” This statement shocked Lily.
“He wants me to get out more. I’m…a bit of a hermit lately,” he told her truthfully. “I really like Christmas. Like you, I have a lot of great memories. However, at the same time, it’s sad.”
“Why is it sad?” she questioned him, wanting to know more about him.
“My parents have both passed on. Christmas was—kind of—our favorite holiday.” He stared down at his coffee mug.
Lily’s heart broke for him.
“Anyway, my cousin thought I’d have a good time on this adventure.” He raised his head with the same smile he greeted her with.
Studying his face for several seconds, Lily always prided herself on having great intuition. She listened to her gut, and today it said this guy was okay. Although, she did get the impression he was a bit introverted, or maybe shy. Either way, she didn’t have any weird strange alarms going off about him.
“Well then tomorrow night, we’ll meet at Gaylord’s.” She beamed with excitement.
Lily must have checked her makeup and hair a hundred times on her phone camera. Tonight, she wore a pair of skinny jeans, gray Ugg’s, a long sleeve purple flannel shirt, and a gray puffy coat. The wind whipped in the night air and her hands were buried deep in her pockets. She and Zane didn’t talk for long yesterday at the diner, mainly because she wanted to save some conversations for this evening.
“Why are you waiting out here?”
Spinning to the sound of Zane’s voice, she caught herself on her heel and almost fell over. However, Zane caught her arm, ensuring she’d remain upright.
“Thanks,” she breathed and stared up at him. Lily didn’t think of herself as short, but she was at least several inches shorter than Zane. “And to answer your question, I wanted us to go in together.”
“Okay.” He shrugged, finally dropping his hand. “Let’s go.”
Nodding, she led the way into Gaylord’s National Resort. She’d stared at the massively large tree that highlighted the entire resort. The twinkling lights made her smile.
As they strolled in, she observed that it wasn’t as loud as normal. She did notice there were a lot of people with the same excited expression she held. One of the first exhibits she saw was Charlie Brown. This made her practically giddy. A Charlie Brown’s Christmas special always made her feel this way.
They walked in further, following the crowd, and began to see more large statues of the characters.
“Would you mind taking a picture of me?” She held up her phone to Zane.
“No problem.”
She almost skipped over to where Snoopy’s delightful face stood and struck a pose as Zane took the shot.
“Thank you.” Lily beamed, taking her phone back.
“Do you love Charlie Brown or is it Snoopy who stole your heart?” Zane teased.
“Actually, both. And you can’t tell me you don’t love their Christmas special?” She gave him a pointed but friendly glare.
“I cannot lie.” He held up his hands defensively. “I may own the DVD.”
Lily faked a gasp, covering her mouth with her hand. “No. Not the DVD. I knew you had a dark side,” she teased.
Zane chuckled, and it made her cheeks heat up despite the cool temperatures. “I will admit Frosty and the Grinch will always be my go-to’s.”
“Don’t tell Charlie.” She leaned close to him. “Mine too.” They continued their stroll then Lily asked, “Wait, the cartoon Grinch or Jim Carrey’s Grinch?”
He stopped as they reached the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer exhibit. “Well, I can’t distinctively choose between either of them. Each has its own highs and lows.”
“I agree.” She stared at the statues of Rudolph, Hermie, Cornelius, and of course Bumble. She could practically hear their voices in her head. Her mother always watched this one with her. Memories of them sitting on the couch cuddled up tight and eating popcorn almost brought a tear of happiness to Lily’s eyes.
“Which Rankin/Bass show do you love the most?” Zane’s question brought her back to reality.
“I’d say Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.”
“Really? Why?” he asked as they moved down the walk toward another exhibit.
“I’m a sucker for romance. Hearing about Kris Kringle and Miss Jessica’s story makes me think of love.” Lily shocked herself with her truthful confession.
“Aren’t all Rankin/Bass shows love stories?” he quipped back.
“What do you mean?” She halted her movement to hear his argument.
“Well, think of Rudolph or Hermie or even Cornelius. Rudolph and Hermie both left the North Pole to find love, respect, and happiness. Cornelius searched for his love…gold.” He pointed out. “They too are love stories.”
Tilting her head, she studied his face for several seconds. “I never thought of it in such a way. Nonetheless, I mean more of a literal sense and not figuratively.”
“As do I. There are numerous definitions of love.” He turned back to the Rudolph exhibit. “They all searched for love. Not physical love. Just to be loved.”
Lily caught the sad tone in his words, and she realized this conversation didn’t deal with just a Ranki
n/Bass claymation. “I suppose you’re correct.”
Turning back to her, he again gave her the small smile he first greeted her with at the diner. “Ready to move on?”
She nodded, and this time let him lead them to the Frosty the Snowman exhibit. “Is this a love story?”
This time, he gave the friendly glare. “This is the embodiment of a love story. He sacrificed himself for the young Karen. How many snowmen do you know are going to stay in a greenhouse?”
“Correction,” Lily called him out. “He was locked in the greenhouse.”
“He had a magic hat. Do you not think he could have gotten out if he wanted to?” He raised one sexy eyebrow challenging her to question him.
“Point well made,” Lily conceded.
This time, Zane flashed a true smile, which only made him hotter, and they continued on. Lily’s heart continually fluttered thinking of how she never debated Christmas shows in such a manner but was enjoying every second of it.
“What are you studying in college?” Lily asked after a moment of silence.
“Biomedical engineering,” he responded. “You?”
“Wow.” She shouldn’t have been surprised since he seemed extremely intelligent. “I’m a political science major. I’ll be going to law school when I graduate.”
“Impressive. Are you off to save the world or just be a politician?”
Lily vigorously shook her head. “No, not a politician. My parents are business lawyers, and I thought of joining them. However, I tend to find more satisfaction with family and juvenile law.”
“Isn’t that divorces and child custody?” He furrowed his brow.
“Yes, but also adoptions and protecting children from abuse,” she added. “I want to save the world.”
“I believe you,” he commented and then walked onto the next set of statues.
When they were finally finished looking at all the exhibits, she had learned he lived with his cousin Spencer, loved to watch cooking videos but didn’t cook much, and loved chocolate chip cookies more than anything. She had told him her parents were in New York City where she was born and raised, loved living in Washington, D.C., and confessed she liked watching cat/dog videos in her spare time.