The Twelve Dates of Christmas

by Andi James

  Well, Aiden felt like an asshole. “Oh my god, is everyone okay?”

  Drew chuckled, and Aiden’s eyes were drawn to a tiny dimple on the left side of his face. “Yes. It was an older woman and a teenager. Just a fender bender, but both were very anxious about the whole thing.”

  “It was very kind of you to stop and help. It sounds like you were a lifesaver.”

  Drew grinned. “I just kind of got everyone to take a few deep breaths. Being in an accident is stressful and scary.” Drew moved a bit closer. “But, I have to admit, I did leave pretty quickly once the police arrived… and I may have run here from there.”

  “Really? Why?”

  Drew chuckled. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for a week, Aiden.”

  Aiden wasn’t sure why the concept of someone wanting to see him surprised him as much as it did, but he was taken aback.

  “I know I’m terribly late, and I don’t deserve this, but I’d still love to have dinner with you, if you can forgive me.”

  Aiden encouraged his brain to catch up with the situation. Five minutes earlier, he’d thought he’d been stood up yet again and was fairly certain he wouldn’t ever find someone to go with him to his company holiday party. Now, someone genuinely wanted to spend time with him, and he was hesitating?

  “I absolutely understand if it’s not something you’re interested in at this point.”

  Aiden appreciated not being pressured. It seemed like Drew was too good to be true. And yet… Aiden couldn’t help but wonder what Liam had been about to ask him.

  “You should do it, Aiden.” Liam’s voice came from the other side of the bar.

  Had he been standing there the whole time?

  “Um.” Aiden looked from Drew to Liam and back again. “Okay. Sure.”

  Drew’s smile was wide. “Great.”

  Liam smiled at Aiden, then looked up at Drew. “I’ll have someone come right over to take your orders.”

  Drew nodded. “Thanks.” He turned his attention to Aiden. “But I was actually thinking maybe we could go somewhere a little quieter?”

  Aiden furrowed his brow. What was happening now?

  “I love this bar,” Drew said, looking around. “I’m actually here a few times a month, but I was hoping we could talk, and this place is way too fun to allow quiet, boring conversation.” He turned back to Aiden. “I actually have a reservation at a place on the next block, if you like Greek food.”

  Aiden loved Greek food, and the idea that someone had actually made plans for him, rather than following Chelsea’s instructions, made him smile.

  A for effort, Drew.

  Aiden gave another quick glance at Liam. He nodded encouragingly, which surprised Aiden, though he didn’t know why.

  “I’d like that,” Aiden told Drew and stood from his stool. He shrugged into his coat and wound his scarf around his neck.

  Before he turned to leave, Aiden looked at Liam once more and was rewarded with one of his bright smiles. It was dark, so he couldn’t say for sure, but Aiden didn’t think it quite met his eyes.

  About an hour later, Aiden was enjoying one of the best nights he’d had in a while. Since they were late, the restaurant had given away their table and were fully booked for the rest of the night. Aiden didn’t want to admit how disappointed he’d been. He and Chelsea had been talking about trying the new restaurant for weeks. Somehow, though, Drew managed to convince the host to serve them in the tiny seating area normally used by people waiting for their tables. It was awkward and hilarious as they both sat on the floor around a small coffee table.

  After they’d ordered, Drew had asked Aiden more about himself, and after talking nonstop about his job, Chelsea, his love of children’s cereal, and about a million other things, Aiden realized that no one had seemed that interested in him in… maybe ever. Drew listened intently and asked follow-up questions, adding his own little insights and comments. The conversation had been so easy.

  “So, what’s up with this holiday party?”

  Aiden stifled a groan. He’d forgotten Chelsea had asked everyone about their availability for Christmas Eve, in case they weren’t totally awful. He tried to shrug casually. “It’s just something I have to go to for work.”

  “And you don’t want to go alone?”

  “Well, that wouldn’t be ideal.” Aiden sighed. “My ex will be there…”

  Drew held up a hand. “Say no more. I understand that completely.”

  They were interrupted by their server bringing them many plates and doing her best to fit them all on the tiny surface.

  After they’d been served, Aiden turned the tables, asking Drew about his life, and Aiden was surprised to realize he was genuinely interested in the answers.

  Drew told him about his work as a civil engineer but how his real passion was for volunteering. “I’ve been a Big Brother for about six years now.”

  “Wow.” Aiden didn’t try to hide how impressed he was. “That has to be enormously fulfilling.”

  Drew chuckled. “It’s humbling, that’s for sure. These kids are so insightful and perceptive and honest. They’re teaching me things every day.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, two weeks ago they taught me the term ‘that’s lit.’” He paused, taking a sip from his water. “Then last week, they taught me that I’m never allowed to use the term ‘that’s lit.’”

  Aiden snorted. “That’s fair. You’re never too old to stop learning.” He took a sip of his coffee. “A few weeks ago, Liam kind of opened my eyes to the idea that being an adult is more than just doing the things you feel like you should do.” Aiden chuckled. “I’m still kind of processing that.”

  Drew grinned. “Well, Liam sounds very wise.”

  “That’s what I told him!”

  After they’d polished off way too much baklava and Drew had taken care of the check, they bundled themselves into their coats and headed outside. The air was so cold it hurt Aiden’s lungs, but a sky full of tiny snowflakes more than made up for the temperature.

  They stood in front of the restaurant, and Aiden looked up at Drew, mind reeling with things he never thought he’d want to say.

  “I had a really good time,” was the sentiment he decided on. The idea of showing up at the party with Drew didn’t make Aiden cringe. He was such a sweetheart. “Maybe we could do this again sometime?”

  Drew looked at Aiden and smiled. “Aiden, I’m going to be totally honest with you. I had an amazing time tonight. You are funny and charming and gorgeous.”

  Aiden was somehow both obscenely flattered and wary at the same time. “I sense a ‘but’ coming…”

  “But,” Drew continued, his smile fading a bit, “it’s pretty clear you’re not over your ex.”

  That wasn’t what Aiden had been expecting to hear. Not long ago, Aiden probably would have agreed with him, but Aiden couldn’t remember the last time he’d thought of Justin in that wistful way.

  Drew must have guessed Aiden was about to protest because he chuckled. “You may not think so, but it was written all over your face. Your eyes sparkled when you talked about him… which was kind of a lot.”

  Drew’s smile widened, and Aiden’s stomach dropped. Was that really true?

  Drew placed a friendly hand on Aiden’s upper arm. “Aiden, I like you a lot, but maybe you should sort out your feelings for Liam before you really get back into the dating pool.”

  With that, Drew smiled and walked away, leaving a speechless Aiden in his wake.

  Chapter 10

  Aiden wasn't hearing a word Eli was saying. Sure, he'd tried to pay attention, and he'd managed to hold up his end of the conversation for a while. Eli was cute in that boy-next-door kind of way, and he seemed like a decent person. But as Eli droned on about his veterinarian practice, Aiden's mind drifted, and he let it.

  It had been two days since Aiden's date with Drew, and Aiden had spent almost the entirety of them thinking about Drew's comment. Aiden hadn't even r
ealized he'd talked about Liam all that much during their date, but for Drew to mention it… Aiden suspected Drew was seeing things that weren’t there. He didn’t need to sort out his feelings about Liam because there was nothing to sort out.

  Was Liam attractive? Was he funny in a sweet way Aiden found charming? Was he enterprising and driven and smart? Yes, but that didn’t mean Aiden was into him. Those were all fun qualities in a bartender, or a friend, and Aiden decided the fact that he mentioned Liam a few times while on his date with Drew only meant he respected and admired Liam as a person.

  Yes, he thought, staring as Liam hustled behind the bar, pouring beers and mixing drinks and showing off his handsome smile. We are friends.

  Aiden sighed. Every time his eyes met Liam's, he couldn’t help but smile. But when he tuned into to the conversation with Eli long enough to nod and feign interest, he had to stop himself from yawning.

  Aiden knew he wasn't being fair to Eli. Maybe there was a way to end the date early and save them both from the next hour of polite but disinterested conversation.

  Aiden considered his options. He could fake being sick, but that would mean he'd have to go home. And if he had his way, the night would end with Eli gone but Aiden still at the bar, hanging out with Liam between customers. He thought about going to the restroom and texting Chelsea, demanding she come up with some sort of emergency he needed to attend to, but that would have the same result.

  As it turned out, Eli saved him the trouble.

  Aiden startled when Eli abruptly hopped down from his stool.

  "Hey, um…" Eli gave him a tight smile and tossed some money on the bar. "I'm sure you're a nice guy, but it's obvious you’re not into this, so I’m out. Good luck with your work thing."

  "You don't have to—"

  Eli chuckled. "I think I do. You've been smiling and saying 'aww' for the past five minutes while I was talking about how hard it was to fire my last vet tech."

  Aiden didn't know what to say. Being called out like that made him feel some modicum of shame, but even so, the relief he experienced over Eli leaving far outweighed it.

  "Sorry," he offered. "It's not you—"

  "It's cool. See you around."

  Aiden closed his mouth, which he suspected had been hanging open the whole time, and watched Eli squeeze past tables full of customers and walk out the door.

  At least Aiden still had garlic cheese fries to keep him company.

  He turned back toward the bar and took a long drink of his beer. When he set his glass down, he found Liam leaning on the bar across from him.

  "Everything okay?"

  The concern in Liam's voice did funny things to Aiden's stomach. He tried to smile at Liam. "Yeah, it's fine. I guess it was my turn to be the bad half of the date for once."

  Aiden expected Liam to laugh and was surprised to see him frowning instead. "That doesn't seem like you. Are you sure you're okay?"

  Aiden waved a cheese fry in the air. "Do you know tonight was my eleventh date? In less than a month?" He stuffed the fry in his mouth. "Eleven dates. I'm not sure I can do any more. I think I need to face the idea that I'll be going to that holiday party alone."

  "So things didn't work out with that guy a couple of nights ago either?"

  "Ah, not so much." Aiden's cheeks got hot. "He was a nice guy, and I thought we'd had a good time. But when I asked to see him again, he said no."

  Liam's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

  Aiden studied his plate and gave a half-hearted shrug. "He thinks I'm hung up on someone else."

  Liam put his elbows on the bar and leaned closer. "Are you?"

  Aiden's gaze met Liam's, and for a second, he got lost in the picture in front of him. Liam was looking at him so intently Aiden hardly dared to breathe. He cleared his throat. "No.”

  Liam stood there studying him for another ten seconds before pushing himself off the bar and smiling. “I’m signing off from the bar area for the night. I have some things to take care of in my office.” He pointed to Aiden's pint glass. "Can I get you another before I go?"

  Aiden refused to admit that the thought of not spending the rest of the evening with Liam put a knot in his stomach. He decided to call it a night. "Nah, I'm gonna head home."

  A flash of something Aiden couldn't decipher appeared on Liam's face before he smiled. "Okay. Have a good night, Aiden."

  Aiden watched as Liam slipped away from the bar. He sat there, finishing his drink and dreading his cold walk home. He added a couple of twenties to the money Eli had left earlier, then grabbed his coat and slipped down the dark hall leading to the restroom. Several minutes later, he was walking out and wondering if he still had a frozen pizza at home.

  “Damn it!”

  Aiden turned to where the voice had come from and saw the door to Liam’s office was cracked, a sliver of light spilling into the hall. He briefly wondered if he should pop in and check on him, but Liam was an adult, and if he was working on financials or inventory or something, he had every right to swear.

  Aiden had almost passed by the door when he heard Liam again.

  “Son of a nutcracker!”

  Aiden laughed under his breath before knocking lightly and pushing the door open. “Did you just quote Buddy the elf?”

  Liam looked up at Aiden, surprised, before he chuckled. “Maybe? I wish he were here now. He’d have to be better than I am at this.” Liam gestured to the piles of shredded wrapping paper covering his desk.

  “Getting a head start on gift wrapping?”

  “Actually, no. Very, very late on gift wrapping.”

  By Aiden’s calculations, there were still several days until Christmas. He raised an eyebrow.

  “This year, the bar participated in the adopt-a-family program run by the local Helpful Hands center.”

  Aiden had heard of the program. Local individuals and groups adopted families for the holidays, purchasing items from wish lists to make sure everyone in the family had something to open on Christmas morning. He took in the items scattered around the area. Several pairs of mittens and scarves, some toys and children’s books, and a stack of gift cards.

  “Andrea said she’d handle the assembly, but she’s at her daughter’s recital right now, and I just got a text from our contact at Helpful Hands saying these need to be wrapped because they’re sending someone to pick them up tonight.” Liam sighed. “Admittedly, I’m not terribly good at this.”

  Aiden decided it was absolutely not adorable that Liam had managed to get a small silver gift bow stuck in his hair. “Want some help?”

  “Yes,” Liam said emphatically.

  Aiden laughed. “I didn’t expect such a fast response.”

  Liam grinned. “There’s no time for me to play the ‘oh, no, Aiden, I couldn’t impose’ game. Grab a chair and some scissors.”

  Aiden tossed his coat on a stack of boxes in the corner and moved a bottle of vodka and a Barbie from the only other seat in the small office. He held out the items to Liam. “Are we wrapping both of these or…?”

  “Is vodka not an appropriate gift for an eight-year-old?” Liam’s eyes sparkled.

  Aiden placed the bottle on the floor beside him and picked up a roll of blue paper covered in shimmery snowflakes. He slid the scissors quickly through it until he had a small section, and he began to wrap the doll. “Should I put name tags on these?”

  Liam put down the tape and consulted a well-loved sheet of paper on his desk. “Yes, the doll is for Rory.”

  Aiden picked up the tape and pulled off several small pieces, quickly adhering them to the package. He scrawled the name on a sticker and placed it on the gift before adding a blue bow.

  “Where should I…?” Aiden looked up to see Liam staring at him, mouth open. “What?”

  “How are you so good at that?”

  Aiden fought a grin. “Well, my undergraduate degree is pre-law, but I minored in Festive Gift Adornment.” He looked at the desk in front of Liam, a half-wrapped CD in the same state it
had been when Aiden had walked in. “You’re doing a great job.”

  Liam groaned. “I have a particular set of skills… but this is not one of them.”

  Aiden picked up the CD and finished wrapping it. “How about I wrap and you do the labels and bows?” He handed the gift to Liam, who gave him an appreciative smile.

  “I’m pretty sure I can handle that.”

  Aiden reached for another gift and some paper. “What made you decide to participate in the program?”

  “Several of my bartenders and servers have come to me from Helpful Hands.”

  “Really?” Aiden looked around, moving paper and gifts. “Have you seen the tape?”

  He spotted it at the exact second Liam said, “Oh, here it is.”

  They both reached for it, and Aiden felt the same tiny spark he always did when his skin touched Liam’s. He pulled back quickly, and Liam tore off several small pieces.

  “Yeah. They have a strong focus on helping people find employment. I’ve been working with them since I bought the bar.”

  Aiden took some tape from Liam. “That’s amazing, Liam.”

  Aiden loved his firm but couldn’t imagine any of the partners actively working with a nonprofit organization to give job opportunities to unemployed people in their community. Working with Helpful Hands was something Aiden knew he would look into when he made partner.

  “So, what are some of these skills you have, if they aren’t gift wrapping?” Aiden handed the wrapped gift to Liam who was ready with a name tag and bow.

  “Oh.” Liam chuckled. “I’m not sure you’re ready to be that impressed.”

  “Bring it on.”

  Liam leaned back in his chair. “Hmm… I can mix drinks.”

  Aiden dramatically rolled his eyes. “So could Tom Cruise. Next. And I’ve already seen your first-aid skills, and those are not as impressive as you think they are.”

  Liam’s eyes went to the spot he’d doctored, and Aiden conveniently ignored the memory of how it had felt to have Liam’s hands on him.

  “So, what else do you have?”

  Liam chuckled. “You are a hard man to please, Aiden. Though watching you go through eleven dates in a month should have told me that.”