Out for the Holidays and Out for Gold (Out in College 8.5)

I was too stunned to respond at first. I swallowed the ball of emotion in my throat and hugged her. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”

She pulled away and patted my cheek. “Congratulations. You mentioned wine, yes?”

“Yes. I’ll get you a glass. Eat something. I’ll be right back.”

I caught myself singing along to Mariah Carey’s holiday classic as I slipped through the crowd. I slapped high fives with Colby and Sky and fist bumps with Elliot and Braden before sidling up to the narrow bar to help myself. I scanned the sea of smiling, friendly faces and felt a sense of peace, joy, and well-being I hadn’t in a while.

I grabbed a spoon, skirting the bar quickly to deliver my mom’s wine. I held my glass high and tapped it obnoxiously until I had everyone’s attention.

“Thank you all for being here tonight. A few years ago, I was at a crossroads of sorts. I was a senior in college, and I had no real sense of what came next. Everything I really wanted seemed impossible. And then I met Gabe.” I found him standing next to my parents, smiling at the sudden burst of applause. Damn, he took my breath away. My man, my heart.

“Gabe!” someone yelled.

“I’m going to tell you a secret—I didn’t like him at first.” I shrugged as everyone chuckled. “It’s true. We played on opposite teams for years, and he was fierce. Which funny enough, is a really amazing trait in a partner. You want someone who’s always got your back and who’ll go to battle for you if necessary. I literally would not be here today if it wasn’t for him. Thank you, Ebab. I love you.” I swallowed hard and continued, “Um…and I want to thank my parents, my awesome friends, and the community for embracing Bonne Terre. We have an exceptional staff, a progressive menu, and a ton of ideas we hope will help make a meaningful impact. We officially open Monday. We look forward to serving you often. Cheers and happy holidays.”

The bistro erupted in applause, whistles, and catcalls. I felt like a mini celebrity. And I couldn’t keep my smile from taking over my whole face as I made my way around the room.

Pinch me. Tonight was a dream come true. Scratch that. It was step one in a larger dream. I couldn’t wait to see what the future held.

Sometime after midnight, we had the place to ourselves again. Drew and the staff tidied up and swept before they left, the cleaning crew would be here in the morning, and we made plans to meet up in the afternoon to be sure we were ready for the grand opening.

“We should go home. You must be exhausted,” Gabe said, tugging my sleeve.

I nodded, then pushed away from the bar. I took a moment to appreciate the lights and the festive touches. And yeah, when Nat King Cole sang, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…” I thought my heart might actually burst.

“Wait. We have to dance. This is our song.”

Gabe snorted. “This is not our song.”

“It’s our holiday song.” I pulled him close and shuffle-stepped with him.

“Nah, we can do better. How about ‘Frosty the Snowman’ or ‘The Grinch’?”

“Solid choices, but this one is sweet and sappy, so it’s a winner.” I nuzzled his neck and breathed him in. “Speaking of sweet and sappy…what did you say to my mom?”

He pulled back slightly and kissed my nose. “I told her I love you.”

Oh. I didn’t expect that.

“You did?”

“Yeah. It occurred to me that they might not know that I’m here for good. Every holiday, every birthday, every random day in between.”

I smiled. “Wow.”

“It’s not a secret. Everyone knows I’m gonna marry you someday. But your mom needs words. I didn’t want to interfere, but I thought she should know you’re mine for always.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. Just be mine,” he whispered.

“I’m yours.” I beamed at him as I turned us in a circle. “So…you’re gonna marry me, eh?”

“Definitely.”

“Are you asking me tonight?”

“No. Tonight is yours, and I’m so proud of you. I don’t want you to share your accomplishment with our engagement. We’ll know when the time is right.”

“Wow, that sounds…mature. Did we grow up or something?”

Gabe made a funny face. “Allegedly. C’mon. Let’s go home.”

I sang along with Nat King Cole as I checked the locks. My mind teetered somewhere between exhaustion and my natural state of mulling over the day and planning the next one. But something stopped me.

This was a moment. Right here, right now. We’d turned a page and begun a new chapter…together. As I laced my fingers with Gabe’s and pulled the door shut, I couldn’t help thinking that this really was a magical time of year. And a perfect night to be out for the holidays.