Perfect Christmas: A Paper Dolls Novel

by Blythe Stone

“Okay,” Olivia said, more worried than she was letting on.

  She pushed back and set her chair up so she would be more comfortable.

  “Should we go in the pool house so no one walks out on the conversation?”

  I knew Nat and Layla were there but I knew Nat would be worried too when she found out the truth.

  “I dunno,” Olivia said. “This kind of explains why Vivi pushed Nat away and this isn’t the best way for Nat to find out.”

  “You’re right. What should we do?” I asked.

  Olivia took her phone up and dialed her. I think the suspense of it was too much for her to wait.

  “Hello?”

  “Vivi, hey,” Olivia said. “How are you?”

  “I think I'm the one who's supposed to be asking that,” Vivi laughed. “What took you so long?”

  “Oh, I'm not actually calling about that,” Olivia said, making me wonder.

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah,” Olivia said, too nervous to look over at me. “My mom just told me about your ex. Are you okay?”

  “Honestly, not really,” Vivi laughed.

  “Should we come get you?” I asked.

  I couldn’t help it. She sounded so sad.

  “No. No… I have to deal with this… Thanks though.”

  “It’s really shitty timing,” Olivia mumbled.

  “If you want to talk about it I can go and you two can chat,” I said.

  “What?” Vivi asked.

  “I just mean if you want to vent to Olivia I can go,” I said.

  “I like venting to you too,” Vivi said. “But no. I can’t right now. I’m sitting outside the college just remembering all this crap from before. It’s intense.”

  “I’m sorry,” Olivia said.

  “It’ll be okay,” Vivi said, probably talking to herself as much as us.

  “You should come visit us when you’re done,” Olivia said. “If not tonight then soon. We’re going to be staying at my parents for the break.”

  “Sounds good,” Vivi said. “I’ll visit. I promise. Are you two okay?”

  “We’re good, yeah,” Olivia said.

  “Avery?”

  “Yeah, I’m good. We were just worried about you,” I explained.

  I couldn’t imagine how she was feeling now. It was Christmas day and all she had going were sour memories and lost love. It made me nauseous.

  “Call us if you need anything. Seriously, anytime. We’ll be there no matter when,” I said.

  “I will,” Vivi laughed. “But really. You guys… It’s gonna be fine. I have a lawyer and everything. She can’t screw me again.”

  “Good, just keep us updated, okay,” I requested.

  “I will,” Vivi said. “Thanks for calling. I think I needed it.”

  “Welcome!” I said.

  “Talk to you soon,” Olivia said.

  “Good,” Vivi answered.

  There was silence and the line went dead.

  Olivia took in a deep breath and let it out. “That’s just… So sad,” she said, staring down at her phone.

  A creaking noise alerted us both to Nat and Layla coming out of the guest house to join us again.

  “Hey, guys! You look hot,” I said.

  Nat was wearing one of Olivia’s dresses and Layla must have brought her own clothes.

  “Thanks sweetie,” Nat said, coming over and sitting down by us. Layla sat down too. “You’re pretty hot yourself.”

  “Yeah, so Olivia tells me. I think I’m torturing her,” I teased.

  “Please don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” Olivia said.

  “She’s such a crab,” Natalie teased. Her spirits were up. Whatever had gone on with Layla it had positively affected my friend.

  “Sorry, baby,” I said, rolling my head so I could look at my baby.

  “I don’t think you’re a crab, more like a starfish,” I cooed.

  “Kay, yeah, I don’t even know what that means,” Olivia droned.

  “It means you’re my star and you can grow limbs back if they get cut off,” I joked.

  “What the actual fuck,” Natalie chuckled and pushed my shoulder to get me to stop.

  “Hey, that would be a good super power,” I protested.

  “I think I’d rather fly,” Layla said.

  “True, that’s a better one but I still think I’d rather be able to walk through walls,” I said.

  Olivia was pouting and I couldn’t help but brush my fingertips down her cheek. We often had times like this where I knew I was half annoying her and half making her want me.

  “What about you, Olivia? What power would you want?” Layla asked

  “It’s a difficult question,” Olivia said.

  “Olivia hates to make decisions,” Nat teased.

  Olivia took my hand and kissed the back of it. “I’d want to be able to change things, really change them.”

  “Physically or like go back in time and change them?” I asked.

  “No like… I’d want to just fix all the things that are wrong with society right now. Every country. To just blink and have it be done. Imprisonment. Exploitation. Sexism. Poverty… Gone.”

  “Should’ve guessed that,” Natalie laughed and got a little bit sad. “It’s a beautiful idea, Livia. And entirely why we’re in love with you.” She put her hand on Olivia’s arm and brushed her thumb back and forth a little.

  “I used to want stupid things,” Olivia confessed. “Like to exist inside a photograph. Not dead just slowed down. The millisecond it takes for a picture to snap. It wasn’t about immortality- just the stillness and that meaning inside- it fascinated me. Just like- to be the sun maybe. Or wander the desert just to see how long it would take for nature to beat me- so that I can at least know. Those are stupid fantasies though. And they’re not very appealing to most people.”

  “If you ever go to the desert alone, I’ll find you and drag you back home,” Natalie said rather peeved.

  “Yeah… Sorry,” Olivia muttered, embarrassed by her own quiet musings. She drank some of her coffee and offered Layla some when she refilled the cup.

  “Your wife is terribly strange,” Nat said to me.

  “Really? I think she’s just amazing and interesting. She’s on a different level of cool,” I effused.

  “Oh yes. The frigid level,” Nat teased. “Subzero.” She whistled the theme to The X Files to imply that Olivia was a frigid alien.

  Olivia suppressed a smirk. She opened her mouth to object but then closed it and just shook her head.

  “Don’t listen, Olivia. We both know how warm you are,” I smarmed.

  “It’s fine,” Olivia said, obviously pleased that Nat hinted at her bad attitude. They were weird that way. Always calling each other out.

  “Layla, I’m sorry you have to witness this,” I told her.

  She laughed and waved her hand to dismiss the notion.

  “It’s funny. I like the dynamic. It’s so obvious that you all love one another. It’s a rare kind of friendship and it’s a joy to see,” she replied.

  “Hmm, I don’t know about joy,” Nat teased her and rolled her eyes.

  Layla bumped her shoulder and gave her a soft smile.

  “There are different kinds of joy, you know,” Layla teased.

  “Well, before this gets dirty I suggest we find something to do until it’s time for dinner. The people in the kitchen are scary and apparently I’m not allowed to talk to them,” I gave Olivia an accusing look, “So, what do you think?”

  “Um. I think the people in kitchen have a job to do and we shouldn’t stare at them,” Olivia smiled, calling me out.

  “Were you staring at them?” Nat asked me, intrigued.

  “I was not staring at them! I just didn’t know who they were,” I explained.

  We argued about my interaction with the chefs until it was too ridiculous. Layla had to think we were huge dorks. I thought we were anyway. Except Nat, she was too cool for the both of us.

  We
ended up playing Cards Against Humanity, which I was really good at but Nat as usual was better. She’s always better. You can’t get mad at her though. She makes it impossible. Layla had fun. I was afraid we were going to freak her out with our senses of humor but she turned out to be dirtier than even me. Go figure.

  It all ended when Brian and Jake burst into the living room, making a dramatic entrance as was their way.

  Problem was, no one remembered to tell them that we had a celebrity among us.

  “OH MY GOD!” Jake cried.

  He pointed to Layla.

  “Tha- that’s Layla,” he said.

  “Close your mouth, Jake. It’s not polite to gawk at strangers,” I teased.

  “Jake… Please don't embarrass us, honey,” Brian begged.

  “Too late,” I said.

  Layla got up and went to Jake, holding out her hand.

  “It’s nice to meet you… Jake?” She asked.

  “Uh huh,” Jake fumbled. He couldn’t speak. “Uhhh.”

  “Obviously, Jacob is obsessed with you,” Brian explained. Out of the corner of his eye he looked over at Olivia nervously. Olivia laughed and shook her head, he was in his own boat.

  “You know I'm not sure I know anyone who isn't,” Olivia said. It was half to flatter but half to save her mortified friend.

  “You’re all too kind,” Layla said.

  Jake had taken her hand but he was holding it like she was the Queen of England and he was about to kiss her ring. She was gay celebrity royalty but she was also just a regular person who deserved a little time away from that world.

  “Jake, stop drooling over Layla and come sit with me,” I said.

  Brian made him let go of Layla’s hand and guided him over to me. I pulled him down to sit with me and sighed.

  “Cool it, bro,” I teased.

  “Shut it. You can’t tell me you didn’t freak out when you met her,” he complained.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I was super cool,” I lied.

  Layla smiled politely but I’m sure she was thinking other things. Jake was getting his shit back together beside me.

  “So, what brings you to the Holbrook family Christmas dinner?” He asked.

  “Natalie,” she said, smiling.

  She looked over and reached to touch Nat’s knee and kept her hand there. They gazed at one another with that new romance heat. It made me all warm and happy for them.

  “She's a little addicting,” Olivia smiled, staring over at Nat. That soft current of chemistry in the room just always seemed to be there.

  “Yes, I agree. After I left to go for that radio appearance I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I had to come back. My agent was very unhappy with me since I canceled some things to have a second date and it was totally worth it,” Layla explained.

  “What did you think about?” Olivia asked, playing coy.

  “Don't answer that,” Nat said, lovingly.

  “Why not? It's a valid question,” Olivia said territorially.

  “How beautiful she is, how witty she is, and how much I wish I’d kissed her at the end of the date,” Layla admitted.

  “You probably should've,” Olivia openly judged, drinking her coffee and keeping her eyes to herself.

  “I think I made up for it since then,” Layla said, giving us a sly smile when she turned from Nat.

  “Oh boy,” I said.

  I elbowed Jake. He was about to explode with some torrent of questions and I needed him to calm himself so we could maintain some semblance of cool.

  “So, I assume dinner will be ready soon,” I said.

  “Your parents showed up about the same time we did,” Jake told me.

  “I’ll go check,” Olivia said, getting up.

  I watched her go and wished I was with her, even though she would be right back. When I couldn’t see her anymore I looked back at Nat and Layla. They were closer now, cuddling up on the couch and looking super cute.

  Jake was trying not to stare at them by looking at the TV we had on for background noise. There was an episode of some flip show on Home and Garden. One of my favorite things to put on when I needed to study.

  My chest burned and I suddenly missed our life back at Stanford when we were together. We would sit on the same couch, touching in some way, and study or read together. I’d play with her hair absently or she would rub my neck. It was our time and space.

  I shook my head and looked over at Brian.

  “So, did you guys exchange gifts already?” I asked him.

  “We did. And it's a sore spot,” Brian said.

  “I got Brian some hair dye. It wasn't even his main present, it was an afterthought,” Jacob laughed. “He'd be hot as a silver fox. I don't care what anyone says.”

  “Oh, and it has nothing to do with your crush on Mr. Turkle,” Brian said, annoyed.

  “Babe. It doesn't,” Jacob laughed awkwardly. “That's not even sexual. I just like his mind. Why are you making this a thing?”

  “Right,” Brian said, a little bummed. I saw a lot of Olivia in him.

  “You guys, what were the main presents?” I asked.

  “Were going to New York,” Brian said, rolling his eyes. “Broadway. A whole week of plays.”

  “Don't pretend you're not excited,” Jacob said, pushing him. “He wants to see Jake Gyllenhaal in Sunday in the Park with George. And he has the gall to be upset with me about hair dye?! I can’t…”

  “It’s exceptionally deep,” Brian said.

  “And you're horny. Shut up,” Jacob accused.

  “I am not,” Brian said, bruised.

  “I am but that’s not new,” I joked.

  Diffusing their little tiff was starting to become a priority but I did love to sit back and watch them go at it.

  “Ahem,” I cleared my throat.

  Everyone was quiet for a second and I had no idea what to do. Hostessing wasn’t my thing. Olivia needed to get back like now.

  “You're so awkward,” Natalie laughed, pushing me lovingly. “Come on, let's go find your girl.”

  “Yeah, let’s do that,” I said.

  I let out a bit of laughter and got up, walking by everyone and heading for the door. We all made it across the pool area and into the main house where I found Olivia talking to my parents, hers, and Brian’s.

  I walked up to Mom and threw my arm around her shoulder.

  “Oh!” Mom jumped and when she realized it was me she hugged me. “You scared me half to death.”

  “Sorry,” I pouted.

  Dad turned around and patted my shoulder.

  “Don’t give your mother a heart attack,” he joked.

  “Never,” I promised.

  Greg stepped out of the knot of people and gave us a wave. Him again… I tried to buck up and be happy but his presence niggled at me. I thought I’d gotten past it by the end of dinner last night. Apparently, my brain wanted to bring it back.

  I stepped back and found Olivia, pulling her close.

  “Don’t ever leave me again,” I whispered.

  “You could've come with me,” she laughed under her breath. I felt her hand on mine, helping her to hold me.

  Her arms snuck around my back and I could tell she was smiling extra just because she had me close by.

  “Yeah, I could have and then I wouldn’t have made everything so damn awkward,” I said.

  We were a little apart from the main group but Nat and Layla stood with us. I could smell the food now and it was making me so hungry. I looked toward the dining room, wondering how long it would be before there was food on the table.

  All of the parents were close to the huge Christmas tree but Greg was introducing himself to Brian and Jake. Then, they walked over to us. Greg was definitely in the minority now. All the gay made me smile.

  I rubbed Olivia’s back and tried not to focus on how good everything smelled. I saw a flash behind us and turned to find one of the chefs, the man I’d first seen in the kitchen, nodding
to Liz.

  “Time for Christmas Dinner,” Liz said.

  Everyone started moving toward the dining room. We had only eaten in there a few times. It was just for formal occasions. The table was huge. We naturally separated by age with Greg in the middle on our side of the table.