“Won’t he just spit up on this?” I ask Jolie.
She pretends not to hear me.
Aiden smirks, and I look away. We are not in this together, buddy. You don’t get to appreciate my jokes.
With my mind not quite made up about how to handle Aiden, I decide to continue as planned. Keep him at bay. Keep my sanity and heart safely tucked away. Resist, resist, resist. I should have swiped black war paint underneath my eyes, or at the very least strapped a dagger to my thigh.
As promised, the drive is hilariously short. We pull out of our driveway, head down past five houses, and then hand off the keys of our SUV to a valet driver so we can be ushered up the front steps of the hotel toward a huge set of double doors. A uniformed man opens them just as we arrive at the top step, and mugs of spiced cider rest on the polished silver tray he holds outstretched for us. Little candy canes and cinnamon sticks adorn each one.
The place is absolutely packed.
There are people in full ball gowns. Others in jeans and intentionally distressed sweaters. A man sits at a piano playing Christmas carols as a large group gathers around him, singing along.
“I would have arrived earlier if I knew there would be this many people,” my sister says, sounding worried. “I’ll barely get a moment alone to chat with anyone.”
She’s worried about making a name for herself in the social scene, and I’m worried about procuring an alcoholic beverage. The spiced cider is virgin, and that just won’t cut it.
James chats with the host at the restaurant, and he tells us our table isn’t quite ready yet. I inform everyone I’ll be at the bar and beeline over like it’s the answer to all of my problems.
There’s a wait, but I don’t mind. I find an empty barstool and slide up onto it, perusing a cocktail list filled with festive offerings like Mistletoe Martinis and Santa Spritzes.
“Mind if I glance over that when you’re done?” the man to my left asks.
I look up and catch him smiling at me, pointing down to the cocktail list.
“Oh, sure. You can have it.”
I pass it over, and his smile widens. He’s handsome with thick brown hair and dark eyes. Older, but not too much. “Did you settle on something?”
“The White Christmas Sangria sounds good. Not too sweet, but still on theme for the night.”
He nods and flags down a passing bartender. “Could you get us two sangrias please?”
I lean in toward him, shaking my head. “You didn’t have to do that, really. I’m happy to get my own drink.”
He shrugs and turns halfway to face me. “No worries. It’s Christmas Eve—I’m feeling generous.”
I smile and thank him, and then I wonder what we’re supposed to do now. Talk? Yes, I remind myself. Talk. He’s handsome, and I’m single. This is what I’m supposed to be doing. All those nights lying awake, knowing Aiden was in New York City, out with his friends, picking up girls, forgetting about me…
Nothing has changed just because we’re together again for one week. In a few days, he’ll be back in New York and I’ll be right back where I was, hopelessly trying to move on from him.
“Are you from Vail?” I ask with a timid smile.
“Boulder, actually. We’re just here for the holidays.”
“We?”
“My family. Parents and siblings. They’re staying at my house here.”
“Fun. My sister has a place here too, but I’m actually from Austin.”
He nods. “Cool. I’m there a lot for work.”
“Oh yeah? It’s probably a nice change of pace in wintertime. No snow down there.”
He laughs. “Definitely no snow. Last time I went, I think it was still close to 90 degrees in November.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“Maddie?”
I turn to see my sister holding Ford on her hip, glancing between me and my new friend. “Our table is ready.”
“Oh, okay.” I look back to the guy, realizing we haven’t even introduced ourselves yet. “Sorry. I’m Maddie, by the way.”
“Nate,” he says, accepting my outstretched hand.
“Nate Giddings?” my sister chimes in.
He doesn’t look all that surprised that she apparently recognizes him.
“Sorry, I’m Maddie’s sister. Jolie Robertson. We’re neighbors.”
He thinks it over for a second then nods as if putting two and two together. “Oh right. You guys just bought a few months ago on Meadow Drive, right? The house to my left?”
“Yes!” She beams. “I’ve tried to stop by to introduce myself a few times, but your security is pretty tight.”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “Yeah, sorry. It’s a little overkill.”
I slide off my barstool, prepared to follow Jolie to our table, but it doesn’t seem like she’s in a hurry to leave Nate.
“I can’t believe I finally managed to meet you. I wish my husband were here.” She looks back to see if she can flag James down, but he’s not in our line of sight.