Ugly Sweater Weather

The guy looked game.

Until the woman raised her hand, pointing to her wedding band apologetically.

There was a chorus of disappointment for a second before drinks started to get made.

"Oh, we have another set!" Adie, the owner—a woman happily in middle age with long, mostly-gray braids, a generous figure, and numerous smile lines on her round face—said, wiggling her brows at us as we moved up to the counter. "Come on. I know you two aren't married," she added, knowing me already, and glancing down at Dea's hands on the counter. No ring to be found.

"No," I agreed, giving Adie a smile. "We're not. But, we can just buy the cookies," I said in a lower voice to Dea.

"Everyone is watching us," she said, glancing around.

"So what? We can buy the cookies."

"But, it's like, it's a thing, right? Part of the fun this time of year?" she asked, making my heartbeat trip and falter, realizing what she was suggesting. "And it's just a little kiss," she added, rolling her eyes. "No one said it had to get X-rated," she added, giving me a shrug.

"Sounds like a "Kiss me, idiot" to me," Adie claimed, smiling.

Now, I'd been cheesy enough to imagine a first kiss with Dea—a first many things, if I were being completely honest—but I also understood that this wasn't the time for that. Not the real kiss. The real first kiss.

But still.

It was an opportunity to prove some chemistry.

At the very least.

My hand rose, sliding along her jaw to frame the side of her face, angling it up a bit, watching as her face went from amused and carefree to something else entirely in the span of a blink.

That something else, it looked a hell of a lot like interest to me. And as I lowered down toward her, I was pretty damn certain that interest turned to something warmer still.

My lips pressed to hers, a little harder, a little more demanding than it maybe should have been, feeling the sharp indrawn breath from her at the contact, the way her body stiffened, her lips parted.

But I couldn't let myself revel in that, let it last.

No.

I had to pull away.

I had to leave her wanting more.

That was the point of all of this, after all.

To get her thinking and feeling.

Like I had been doing for so long.

So before I could even fully feel her lips under mine, I was pulling back, watching her eyelids flutter open.

I got one full second to analyze the blurriness to her eyes, the way her lips parted, the slight flush that was on her cheeks, before the sounds of whistles and claps met both our ears, making our gazes slide away, a little embarrassed.

"I think that calls for the special chocolate chunk," Adie declared, giving us a knowing look. "What can we get you to drink?"

Five minutes later, we were back on the street with the dogs, eating our cookies, falling into unusually awkward silence.

"These are amazing," Dea declared taking the final bite of hers.

They were, too. Best damn cookie of my life. I wasn't sure if that was because of the recipe or the way I'd gotten it.

"Okay," I said a moment later, tossing my cookie wrapper in the trash, grabbing the dog stroller. "Let's go be enchanted."

"Enchanted," Dea repeated, smiling. "I like that."

"It's a good word."

"It is," she agreed, falling into step beside me, her loyal Lockjaw trotting along at her side.

The Fifth Avenue window displays were an under-appreciated part of the holiday season. The storefronts went all out to transform their buildings into things of wonder.

One year, Saks transformed the front of their store into Disney's Frozen, and Bergdorf gave a nod to the City with windows for each of the biggest tourist attractions—the Met, Museum of Natural History, Botanical Gardens. Each year the stores seemed to try to outdo themselves, create something even more memorable than the year before.

It wasn't as well-known as the tree or the Rockettes, but it was equally worthy of a viewing. Preferably with some rich hot chocolate. And the woman of your dreams at your side.

"Wow," Dea said, sighing, shaking her head a little like she was struggling to take it all in.

I was missing the window displays, but I could feel a similar kind of wonder watching her look at them, her eyes reflecting the twinkle lights, her smile bright.

I saw all I needed to see.

"Yeah," I agreed, feeling that familiar tugging sensation in my chest.

"You know what?" Dea asked, glancing over at me.

"What?"

"I'm glad I am doing this with you," she told me, giving me a wobbly smile. "My mom wouldn't appreciate this for what it is. She would be thinking about the items inside that she would want to buy."

"That's probably true," I agreed. "And I'm happy to get to be a part of this."