The Problem With Mistletoe

by Kyle Baxter

  “Buddy, you’re not trouble.” Alex rubbed his back. “We all get overwhelmed sometimes, even me. When we do, we’ll go sit somewhere and chill, okay?”

  “Okay.” Eric wiped his eyes.

  “There is something important I have to tell you though. I need your help.” He looked him in the eye. “After Christmas, I do have to go back to New York.”

  The boy tensed but he nodded. Max nuzzled in close.

  “If I want to move back here, I have to go back and finish up my job and get all my stuff.” His voice dropped into a whisper. “I have a lot of stuff.”

  The boy thought for a moment, then nodded. “That makes sense.”

  “The catering company I work for?” He scratched Max behind the ears and the dog’s tail wagged. “They really need my help right now. And unfortunately, I’ll be there for New Year’s Eve.”

  Eric shrugged. “There’s one every year.”

  “Thank you.” Alex slapped his knee. “That’s what I said. But I need you to help keep an eye on Max.” The dog’s ears perked up. “And your dad. I need you to make sure they both eat good, and you have to walk them every day.”

  Eric’s face scrunched up. “I don’t walk my dad.”

  “No? Well, now you do. Walk Max, and your dad, every day. Preferably at the same time, okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Now, let’s go officially adopt Max and get him home.” He held out his hand and Eric took it, beaming.

  After the shelter they ran by the UPS store to pick up the last of the movie posters for the theater. He overnighted them from a vintage shop in New York City. No sooner did they walk back into his house than his phone rang.

  “Alex, dear, can you do me a favor?” Tandi Cooper’s voice was crisp and polished. “Rachel is arriving at 2:00 p.m., and I’m stuck in a meeting. Can you swing by the train station and pick her up?”

  “By train?” He almost dropped his phone.

  “With the weather, we figured it was safer than her renting a car and driving from Albany or Stewart.”

  “The nugget and I will be there to meet her.” Alex looked at the time on his phone. Less than an hour.

  Tandi’s voice turned warm. “I’m so glad you’re staying.”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “Word gets around.”

  “Good news travels fast,” she trilled. “I texted Zooey myself.”

  “You did not.”

  “No, but wouldn’t that be delicious?”

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  Freedom! ’90

  David stepped out of his meeting with a satisfied smile on his face. With that done and his son and the love of his life waiting for him at home, the future looked very bright.

  All that was left was the CYA Christmas party. Even there, everything seemed to be in order. He was actually looking forward to it.

  As he rounded the corner on the way to his usual work station, Zooey appeared at his elbow—because of course she did. She started to say something, but David beat her to the punch.

  He held out his hand. “Congratulations.”

  It brought her up short. She shook it. “What?”

  Giving her a wink, his voice went low. “I think you’re a shoo-in for the supervisor position.”

  A smile took over her face and her normal crafted professionalism fell. “I am? How do you know?”

  He followed her toward the nurses’ station. “I just came from a meeting with Doctor Horton,” he said, and she stopped cold. He gave her as cheesy a smile as he could muster.

  Her body stiffened. “I’m only looking out for myself. I have my own career to take care of.”

  “I can appreciate that. You could’ve told me. You could’ve been honest with me. I thought we were friends, and I’d have supported you. But you couldn’t. You lied and went behind my back and undercut me with Horton.”

  Her eyes hardened. “He told you that?”

  David’s eyes flitted over her features. “He didn’t have to. I figured it out on my own. But you just confirmed it.”

  Jutting out her chin, she stood her ground. No apology was forthcoming, and he realized he didn’t want one. He was done with her.

  “You may get the position. I don’t know,” he said. “But I removed my name from consideration.”

  “What?”

  Leaning against the wall, he put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “Don’t worry, you probably would’ve gotten it anyway. One thing is true: my focus is not on work at the moment. I need to spend time with my family.”

  “Smart move,” she said frostily.

  He felt sorry for her suddenly. Zooey thought that she’d won, but he was never competing with her. You can’t lose a game you aren’t playing. “Maybe, but I don’t think your reign will be a happy one.”

  “No?” she sneered.

  “This is still a small town in a lot of ways, and the medical community is even tighter. Everyone will know what you did here, if they don’t already.” He pointed both ways down the hall.

  Several nurses and a doctor near the nursing station were eyeing them while pretending to go about their routine. The custodian stopped mopping the hall and was pointedly eavesdropping. Bryan stood halfway down the hall, texting. He gave David a little wave and Zooey a cruel smile.

  “Word travels fast. I won’t even have to help it. But here, look.” He held up his phone. The home screen was the picture of him, Alex, and Eric at Suntory last week. “You tried to mess with my family, and I will never forget that. Best of luck in all your future endeavors.” He held out his hand again for her to shake, but she shrank back from him. “Have a super day.”

  With a spring in his step, he strode away.

  Arriving at home later, he found a full house. Alex texted he was picking up Rachel and her fiancée, Noah Calhoun. From the mudroom, he heard them in the kitchen. Eric was regaling them with everything that happened of late.

  Meeting him at the door, Alex helped him with his coat and David sat down on the small bench.

  Alex gave him a kiss and squatted in from of him. “How did it go?”

  “I’m unemployed.” David yanked off his boots.

  “Are you okay?” He put a hand on his knee. “What happened?”

  “It’s fine. I’m great. I gave my two weeks’ notice. Cleaned out my locker and everything.” He indicated the gym bag sitting on the floor behind them. “I’ll give away as many shifts as I can and use my sick and vacation days for the rest, but I’m done.

  “But don’t worry, I won’t be jobless long. I’ve already been invited to join a per diem nurse staffing group.” He held up his cellphone to display a recent text.

  “That was quick.” Alex scratched his chin. “Did you have this planned?”

  “No, but like I told Zooey, it’s a small town and news travels fast. We had a pretty public goodbye at the hospital.” David put a hand on the side of his lover’s face. He’s so handsome. “After our meeting, Dr. Horton called them and made an on-the-spot recommendation. He really didn’t want to accept my resignation. I didn’t get the supervisor position.”

  Alex’s face turned downcast. “I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I’ve been distracting you.”

  “No.” David got up and pulled him toward the kitchen. “Your coming home cleared my head and made me focus on what’s important: Eric, you, my mom, and the CYA.”

  “That’s a busy day.” Alex put an arm around his shoulder.

  “And I plan to have a busy night.” He playfully pinched Alex’s butt, making him yelp. “Now, let’s get everyone together. We’re going to the Christmas tree lot.”

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  Follow Your Arrow

  The Cooper Youth Association Christmas party bustled with excitement. Restored to its former glory and festively lit for the season, the theater sparkled.

  People milled about drinking. Volunteers and staff from Capili’s passed among them, offering cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. A group of Dickensian-dressed
carolers sang in a corner. They alternated numbers with a piano player on the second floor who offered up standards on a portable synthesizer.

  The number of attendees was more than double what they expected. Fortunately, Justin and Bonnie anticipated this. They talked to Insierto Deli and Lacey’s Bakery, and both offered their services. There was more than enough food.

  Alex moved through the lobby, tablet in hand, checking every detail and making tiny corrections when he could. He made frequent passes by the Make your own s’mores station. Both Eric and Brandi ate more than enough already. Briefly, he contemplated threatening the server with babysitting the kids during their sugar rush if he let them have any more.

  Delia from the CYA was holding court. She came dressed as a Christmas tree, wearing a green dress with tiny ornaments and flickering lights in a filigree over the ensemble. And big hair. She always had big hair.

  As the evening wound down, the larger part of the crowd slowly left. A woman cornered Alex at the hot chocolate fountain.

  “Mr. Capili? I’m Cara Sarafyan.” She held out her hand.

  Alex stared at her for half a beat before taking it. This was the mother of the boy who bullied Eric, the woman he saw at Stuyvesant school that day.

  “Hello?”

  “I’m so glad your mother-in-law invited me. Everything is fabulous.”

  His professional bearing clicked in. “Thank you for coming.” He remembered that Cara stepped up and helped look for Eric that terrible night last week.

  “How could I not? An event like this in the Old Quarter, and in this theater? The area needs more of . . . this.” She waved a hand around.

  He followed the trail of her hand. “Yes, that would be a good thing.”

  Taking a cup of cocoa, she stirred it with a peppermint candy cane. “I hear your mother started the charity?”

  “My aunt, but yes.”

  “This type of charity—helping at-risk LGBTQ kids—is so close to my heart,” she explained.

  “Why?” His eyebrow arched hard. How was that possible?

  She must have noticed his surprise. With a bob of her head, she set her cup on the table and took a breath. “It’s because of my uncle. His parents threw him out when he was young because he was gay.”

  Alex tried to hide his reaction. What does one say to that?

  “He had a hard life,” she continued. “Lived on the streets for a while, but he climbed out and made his way to New York City. He even danced on Broadway. I only knew him for a little while. He died of AIDS when I was very young.”

  “I’m sorry to hear it.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. “That was why I reacted so extremely at the school the other day. That my own son would treat someone like my uncle was treated . . .”

  Reaching over, he put a hand on her arm.

  “Thank you again.” Cara wiped her cheeks with a tissue and drifted off into the crowd.

  They should keep in touch with her. He wasn’t to the point of inviting her family over for dinner or anything, but he hoped her son would improve. They should also keep that impromptu phone tree going. It was a powerful community-building tool.

  Tandi found him at the hot chocolate fountain, lost in his thoughts. “I think you can take the time to enjoy the rest of the evening. You did a stellar job.”

  “Thank you. David keeps saying ‘spectacular’ and doing jazz hands, but I don’t get it.”

  Dipping a mug in the stream of hot chocolate from the fountain, he retrieved a cup for her and one for himself. After dropping in marshmallows, they clinked their glasses together.

  Across the room, David talked to his former boss Mark Horton and his wife.

  “She wants to meet you.” Alex pointed the woman out to Tandi. Glancing over, David shared a smile with him.

  Tandi saw the exchange. “I always liked it when I caught his father’s eye across the room at a party.”

  “He’s a good man.”

  “So are you, my dear.” Kissing Alex on the cheek, Tandi set her mug down and walked over to meet Mrs. Horton, freeing David from his duties as host. Alex met him by the Christmas tree.

  David stuck his finger in Alex’s mug of cocoa, then smeared a bit on his lips

  “What are you doing?” he asked, but David grabbed his hand before he could wipe it away and gave him a kiss.

  “Delicious,” David said, kissing him again. Holding up his hand, David signaled the carolers. They changed up the number they were performing and, with the pianist accompanying, sang “The Nearness Of You.”

  “Is this our song?” he asked as David pulled him into the center of the room and into a slow dance. Rachel took Noah’s hand and they fell into rhythm. Along with Kevin and Brandon, other couples joined them in drifting around the room.

  “Any song is our song if I’m with you.” David put his head against Alex’s.

  “That was good. That was really good.” He ran a hand over David’s back, sure he never felt so happy. Eric sat on the stairs nearby, watching them and smiling. Alex gave him a little wave.

  Climbing the steps, Brandi joined him.

  “We’re very lucky.” She bumped into him.

  Eric returned the bump. “Yes, we are. Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas, Eric.”

  #

  The event was a success. The charity Mama and Tandi started had a promising future. The latter’s law firm pledged a donation, as did Edgedale Medical Center and Mrs. Horton’s own company.

  The corporate support was nice, but Alex was happier with the community that showed up to the event. Almost every local business owner was there. But more importantly, so were lots of young people. From college kids to young professionals, they were attracted by the social media blitz and the opportunity to do some good in their own town.

  “Are you puffing out your chest?” David asked with a wry smile.

  He exhaled in indignation. “No.” But Alex found he was standing a little taller as he looked around the room. This is a good thing. He caught David’s sharp eye. “What?”

  “You’re proud of yourself.”

  His shoulders fell. “Maybe a little.”

  David pulled him into his strong arms. “It’s okay. You deserve it.”

  “We both do.” Alex swayed in his arms and they fell into a rhythm again.

  Mama sat in a big comfy chair, most of the night with Papa beside her, beaming. Old restaurant folk, they stayed and helped with the clean-up. Though David repeatedly urged her to get off her feet, she ignored him and did what she wanted, much to everyone’s exasperation.

  At the end it was only their makeshift family left: David, Eric, Alex, Mama, Papa, Tandi, Rachel, Noah, with Bonnie and Justin. David and Alex moved through the group, handing out glasses of sparkling wine and soda. Everyone made their way around the tree.

  David raised his glasses. “Thank you all for coming. You’ve helped make the night a huge success. Merry Christmas, everyone!”

  There were cheers all around. Bonnie clinked her glass to get everyone’s attention.

  “And here’s to Alex taking over the restaurant and staying in town,” she said, raising her Champagne flute. Everyone did likewise. There were more short toasts. Everyone was in a jolly mood.

  “I did have one caveat to taking over Capili’s.” Alex said to Bonnie as everyone milled around.

  “I haven’t heard. What is it?”

  Alex stepped over beside Mama. They both looked at Bonnie. “I am taking over ownership, but we’d like you to manage the restaurant.”

  Bonnie’s face exploded in delight. “Of course! Thank you.” Leaning over the chair, she hugged Mama.

  “We had to keep it in the family.” Mama patted her back.

  Papa also pulled her into an embrace. “We love you, dear. We’d never forget all you’ve done for us.”

  Justin gave her a big kiss. “I guess you’re my boss now.”

  She squeezed him tight and turned to Alex. “And what will you be do
ing?”

  Tandi stepped forward, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Alex has a plan.”

  “Something you two hatched?” David rolled his eyes. “Shocking.”

  “I’m reopening the theater.” Alex gestured to the building. “I think our town can support an art house/community theater now.”

  “You own it?” Papa asked in amazement. “How?”

  “We do.” He squeezed David’s hand. “I worked out a deal with the owner.”

  “Who’s the owner?” Justin asked.

  “I am,” Tandi admitted. “That’s why the charity got access to it so cheaply.”

  David gaped at his mother, then nudged Alex. “Did you know this?”

  “I did. The realtor let it slip.”

  “Alex did have one caveat to taking it over.” Tandi turned to Mama Capili.

  “Of course, another caveat,” David grumbled. “That’s my man.”

  “The attached building will now be the permanent home of the Cooper Youth Association.” Alex gestured over his shoulder past the stairs. “And David and I want to take an active hand in running it, if the board allows.”

  David knelt down by Mama’s chair and put a hand on hers. “If it’s okay with you.”

  She looked to Tandi and Bonnie, both on the current board, and they nodded. Tears rolling down her eyes, Mama stood and pulled Alex and David both into a big hug.

  “You two have made me so happy. I could not be prouder.”

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  All I Want for Christmas Is You (Reprise)

  Christmas Eve came and the boys were decorating the tree in David’s house per Cooper family tradition. The significance was not lost on anyone.

  The day before, they decorated one in Alex’s house. Eric insisted on it even though Alex all but moved in with them. Rachel and Noah were at Tandi’s condo uptown, helping her decorate her tree.

  Alex was following through with the plan and getting his house ready to rent. He thought Bonnie and Justin were interested. They would do well together there.

  The theater functioned as his office now and for the foreseeable future. One of the few good things his father imparted on him was a strong work ethic. He told him at some point you have to get up and get moving, go to work. Alex always felt more productive with an actual place of employment to go to.