Ghosts of Christmas (Steamy Bwwm Holiday Romance)

Emma raised her hand. “Tequila makes everything better.”

Holly raised her cup in the air. “To tequila!”

“To tequila!”

Even Park had chimed in.

“No.” I shook my head. “We need to make it to the club and at this rate we are going to need stretchers. No more tequila.”

Three women walked by and sneered at us. One muttered in an odd accent, “There are penises on her head. They must be Americans.”

“What did you say?” Holly yelled at them.

Please, keep walking.

They stopped and started speaking in French.

Holly jumped up from her seat. “Naw, bitch! Because you didn’t say that shit earlier in French so that means you wanted me to hear that.”

Shit. Bruce Lee Holly is here.

I rushed up and got between the women and Holly. “Okay. Just keep on going, ladies. Sorry for any disrespect. We’re just celebrating her wedding.”

Instead of leaving, they remained there. The woman said something in French.

Holly slung a piece of bread at her.

“Holly.” I kept her tiny self-back.

“Filthy Americans.” The woman walked off.

“Fuck you!” Emma yelled at her. “French food sucks!”

The woman flipped us off. Veronica slung a fork at her.

“No. No.” I shook my head and lost hold of Holly.

She raced her little ass over to them and that was the end of the night. The women jumped on Holly, and I found myself in a fight. I made it there, grabbed one of their heads, and dragged her into the ice floor. Veronica took the other. I spotted Park kicking the chick I had on the ground. Emma was on the last one, slapping her. I didn’t know how long the fight lasted. I just know that most of the restaurant rushed out of there.

In the end, the manager called the local police. We were dragged out, handcuffed, and sitting on the edge of the sidewalk, even the French women. There was a language barrier with the cops. None spoke English. I motioned for my phone. They uncuffed my hands and gave it to me.

“I can call someone?” I waved it in front of them.

They nodded.

“Thank you.” I dialed Saint.

He sounded tired. “Are you all in jail yet?”

“Almost.”

He cleared his throat. “What?”

“We’re handcuffed. I don’t think they want to take us in, but we may need someone to vouch for us or something.” I checked the manager near one of the cops, yelling and pointing at us. “The restaurant owner is pretty pissed.”

Saint sighed. “What’s the name of the place?”

“Ice.”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Give the phone to the cop.”

“Thank you, Saint.” I handed it to the officer next to me.

The cop spoke in a foreign language. It appeared Saint knew it. The cop’s expression relaxed. He hung up, gave me back the phone, and pointed at the curb.

I looked at Holly.

She was sleeping on Veronica’s lap. Thankfully, she didn’t have a black eye.

“What’s going on?” Veronica asked.

“Saint could communicate with them. He said something and now he’s on the way.”

Veronica shook her head. “I’m just glad we’re not in jail.”

“Me too, but it’s a tourist town. Places like this thrive off visitors. They’re probably used to drunken brawls between stupid Americans.”

Veronica grinned. “I can’t believe that happened.”

“Me either.”

“I don’t even know how that happened. I was just sitting at the table, reading my bible.”

“I know right.”

Veronica shook her head. “The devil is always busy.”

I chuckled as the cops put me back in handcuffs. “At least we have a story to tell Holly and Nikolas’s kids.”

Saint arrived ten minutes later and had a long conversation with the restaurant’s manager. Unfortunately, Saint brought others with him.

“Damn it.” Veronica frowned.

Trevor limped over. “A fight, Veronica?”

“I was reading my bible.”

He glared and helped her up. “It’s a good policy to not get in a drunken brawl while in another country.”

“Well at least in Finland the cops won’t shoot me down before talking.”

Trevor gestured for one of the cops to take the handcuffs off. “You’re in trouble.”

Veronica winked at him. “I hope trouble lasts all night.”

Anna and Emma’s father came along and then I spotted Emma’s husband. Nikolas was there too. With those big arms, Nikolas picked up Holly who was still knocked out.

I looked up at him. “Sorry.”

“At least this time she doesn’t have a black eye.”

“Sorry for that night, too.”

“And the dildo crown.”

I pointed at Veronica walking away. “Sorry. But you’ll have to forgive us.”

“Do I?”

“Marrying her means marrying all of us.”

“Aren’t I a lucky guy.” Sighing, Nikolas carried her away with the dildo crown still on her head.

The cops took the rest of our handcuffs off, even the French women.

Park stretched and yawned next to me. “Some night, boss.”

“Some night indeed.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “So. . .it’s clear that no work will get done. Anytime you want to head back home, let me know.”

Her eyes brightened. “Uh. . .well. . .I was thinking tomorrow evening, maybe.”