Getting Kole for Christmas (8 page)

 
As if

  
Not in your wildest dreams

I twist the lid off the Sharpie as I read the last three:

  
Why not?

 
 
I’d love to

  
It would make my wildest dreams come true

I move toward him with the marker as the crowd – once at the other side of the yard – gathers closer. Whispering. Oohing. Ahhing.

I look at him, holding his gaze as his eyes sparkle and gleam and tempt me more than they ever have. I bring the marker to the center of the poster and put a giant checkmark in the fourth box down, next to
why not?

Our small crowd cheers. Kole’s lip twitches.

I move my hand down and make a check in the next box.
I’d love to.

This time they cheer even louder. I glance over at their smiling faces, touched to see my dad toss a triumphant fist in the air. I bring my attention back to Kole. His eyes drop to the sign, seeming to point out that last option on the board.

I smile. Bite my lip. And bring the marker back to the sign, checking that final, oh-so-true declaration.
It would make my wildest dreams come true.

“Kylie,” my sisters holler from the top of the stairs. “He’s here.”

I take a deep breath while walking toward my mirror in my new heels. I’ve had exactly five days to get used to them and I’m not doing half bad.

I smooth a hand over my gown as I check my reflection, telling myself that the moment is real. Kole is about to see me in this dress. Nervous excitement spills over me at the thought.

I march up the stairs, the added height making me feel extra tall in the narrow stairwell, and pass each of my sisters as I walk through the dining area. They’re lined up like little checkpoints along the way.

Trina’s first. “Perfect,” she says while inspecting my hair. She rests a hand on my shoulder and leans in. “Kole looks smoking hot, by the way,” she whispers.

I smile, stepping up to Tiff next. “If you went to school everyday looking like this,” she says, twisting the cap off her lip gloss. “I don’t think you’d have any friends.”

I laugh, tighten up my bottom lip while she applies, and then rub them together to get the top. I’m ready to move on to Melanie when Tiff snags my arm. “Kole is gorgeous, Kylie. You two are going to look perfect.”

“Thanks,” I say, proud of myself for taking the compliment. “You guys all look amazing. Thanks so much for your help tonight.”

Melanie tugs me into her and gives me a hug. Once she lets go she spins around and snatches a paper towel off the counter. “Blot,” she says, holding it out to me. “You’re going to have such an incredible time tonight.”

The flutters pick up in my belly. “I hope so. You’re going to too! Your first date – I can’t wait to hear about everything once we all get back.”

“Let’s have a campout in the family room tonight,” Melanie says. “We can tell each other about everything that happened on our dates.”

“Hey, we want to come too,” Tiff says.

My dad clears his throat from the other room. My eyes widen as I look at the  twins in horror. “Dad’s already in there with him?”

Trina nods.

“And Mom too?”

They both nod. “And Dad has already taken pictures of Kole all by himself by the front door,” Trina adds.

“You’re killing me. Coming,” I holler, a fresh urgency pushing me on.

Melanie scurries over to the fridge and pulls out the boutonniere I picked out for Kole. The other three will be pulled from the fridge soon, and placed on my sisters’ dates while the camera pops. For now, it’s my turn.

I let out a slow breath and round the corner in my non-wobbling heels.  My breathing stops at the sight of him. Stops! I’ve seen Kole dressed up in white shirts and khakis on game days at school during baseball season. Some days he even wears a tie. I didn’t think it could get better than that. But as my eyes run over the tall wonder dressed in black, white, and a tie that matches my dress, my ankles feel like they might give out completely.  

His eyes hold mine once I get to his face, but soon they drift down the length of me appreciatively. “You look incredible,” he says, his cheeks warming with color.

“So do you,” I gush.

He holds up a clear box that looks like the one in my hands, only bigger. “Can I put this on you?”

I nod.

“Wait, let me get some pictures,” my dad says.

Flashes pop as Kole slips the gorgeous ivory roses onto my wrist, their fragrance strong in the air. His fingers graze over my skin once he’s done, and a rash of goosebumps race up my arms. “It’s pretty,” I say. “And it smells good too.”

His eyes catch mine again, holding them for a blink. I can see him hedging, like he’s holding something back. “You smell nice too,” he whispers before his eyes dart over to my parents.

I grin. “Thanks.”

It takes me a while to pin on the boutonniere, but once I’m done we face the camera and let Dad snap away while my mom and sisters – who’ve snuck into the room – gush.

After a few quick goodbyes, we’re on our way. We go to dinner at some place I’ve never been to. Meg shares tales of what it’s like at her new school. Cassie – while dousing her hands in sanitizer – asks if we can have a new waiter because the one they gave us ‘looks a little red-nosed’ and ‘is probably fighting a cold.’

There are moments when it’s just me and Kole too, caught up in our own quiet conversation as the others talk. He tells me about his mom’s new promotion, and how it allows her to spend more time at home with him and Eli. “In fact,” he says, “she watched your mom make those snowflake things on the morning show, and she and Eli are making them tonight.”

I grin. “That’s wonderful!”

He nods while setting those dark, searching eyes on me like he’s trying to learn my secrets.

He flirts with me too. Running a finger along my wrist while we talk. When my arms break out in goose pumps he flashes a victorious grin.

I hope I’m not totally delusional because I’m almost positive Kole is feeling the same exact happy, twirly thing in his belly that I am.

I tell myself there’s only one way to find out: the mistletoe. The dangling sprigs beside the trophy case. If he takes me in through the east entrance where we’ll have to pass the case, I’ll know that he wants to recreate our almost kiss, minus the
almost
part, of course.

My breath comes out fast and shaky as we pull into the lot and I know it’s not from the cold; Kole has the heat in his SUV blasting so high he’s got his window cracked. “You warm enough?” he asks me.

I nod.

“Everybody warm enough back there?” he asks the group in back. When Chase says they’re dying of heat Kole shuts the air off completely and circles the lot.

We pass the west side of the building.

Move toward the east end.

My stomach does flips as I look at the eastside door. The one that leads straight to the blessed mistletoe that is hopefully still hanging in the hall.
Please, Tony Anchorman – keeper of the kiss-inducing plant – don’t let me down.

Kole eases into one of the slots but he doesn’t shut off the car. He doesn’t even put it in park. “Think I’ll park over there,” he says, accelerating once more.

My heart sinks as he directs us toward the south end of the lot. It’s the closest to the commons area, which is where the dance is being held so it makes perfect sense but I can’t help but worry that it’s a sign. A sign that he’s not as into me as I am to him. Maybe he only asked me to the dance because he thought it’d be fun to hang out again – all of us – as friends.

I ignore the sting of sadness this thought lends. Ignore ignore ignore. Tonight is going to be fun no matter what. I’ll enjoy this time with Meg and Cassie and Kole and his friends no matter what Kole’s intentions are.

“Stay there,” Kole says after shutting off the engine. Chase and Cassie are getting out behind me. Mike helps Meg out behind the driver’s seat.

I let out a slow breath as Kole walks in front of the car to open my door. The sight of him makes my promise to ignore the sadness a little difficult. It hurts just to look at him. I want him to want me the way I want him. And sometimes wanting doesn’t feel very good. Sometimes it just makes you ache.

After opening the door for me, Kole ducks into a gallant bow and offers his hand. “My lady.” His dark eyes meet mine as he eases into a grin.

Pow
! There goes the hurt – gone. Lost on a wave of flutters and delight. I smile, loving this whole flirting thing he’s got going on.

“Thank you,” I say. Boy am I ever grateful for people who go out in the freezing cold and scrape snow and ice off roads and parking lots. Kole rests a hand at the small of my back as he escorts me safely inside. The commons area has morphed into a dreamy space of dangling lights, hanging snowflakes, and sparkling décor. The little girl in me wants to squeal like my sisters. I love it!

I check the time, reminding myself that – in one hour – we need to meet my sisters and their dates at the photo station. Though they’re not the group we came with, we plan to get a picture of us girls with our dates for Mom and Dad. Turns out that Tiff and Trina don’t like the montage either, and hope to replace it with the group photo of us all in one shot. To say that I love this idea is an understatement.  

Mike and Meg head into the crowd and start dancing to the song overhead. Chase directs Cassie toward the punchbowl, though he should know better than to think she’d drink out of any open container in a room full of people who breathe.

When I glance over at Kole I see him looking up at the decorations as well.

“It’s pretty, huh?” I say.

He nods, though he doesn’t stop searching. When he cranes his neck to look back at the doorway, my curiosity strikes.

“Looking for anything in particular?”

His gaze is still set somewhere above the doors we just came through. “Nope. Just… checking things out.” He straightens his suit jacket but his cheeks are turning red.
Mistletoe?
Is it possible he’s looking for mistletoe? I remind myself of the conversation I had with Eli. Kole only regretted that kiss because he thought he offended me. He knows better now.

I let out another shaky breath, wondering how on earth I am going to get him to try again. I don’t want to wait clear until he drops me home because what if something goes wrong on the porch and the moment gets ruined? The night will be over and we won’t have another chance.  

“Would you like to dance?”

“Huh?” I look over at him.

He smiles and holds out that hand again. “Shall we?”

I am thee-luckiest girl here and I know it without a doubt. I force myself not to shrug. “Sure.” He leads me to a quiet corner as a new song kicks up. A slow song that I actually have on my play mix. I have cried Kole-tears to this song and now I’m here at the Christmas dance with him.

He keeps a grip on my hand and holds it up so we’re bent at the elbow. His other hand slides along my hip where he gives me a firm squeeze.

Goosebumps rush over my skin for the millionth time tonight. We’ve never really been this close, except during our botched moment by the trophy case. If there’s a way to define the word
bliss
with a moment, I think this is it. Having Kole against me like this feels so good.

He pulls me even closer and slides his cheek along mine. The feel of it is slightly rough, like fine-grain sandpaper.
Holy moly!
I have no idea why I love the feel of it so much; I just do. I want to run my palms along his jaw next but I resist for now.

We take slow, paced steps to the beat. Back. Forth. I can smell his cologne again. The intoxicating scent reminds me – once more – of our first kiss.

Charged energy vibrates between us like snapping, crackling static. Kole presses his cheek against mine and pulls in a deep breath that makes his chest bulge out and bump against me.

“Thanks for coming with me,” he says in a whisper. His warm breath flitters along my earlobe, making me shiver in the best way.

“Thanks for asking,” I say. I begin to worry that it sounds lame but stop myself; Kole isn’t the type to care.

The song is coming to my favorite part when Kole takes the slightest step back, stopping our movement as he faces me. The sparks grow hotter as he searches my face, and I can tell exactly what he has in mind. His gaze drops to my lips. I gulp, glancing up to his mouth in return.

At last he lowers his head, leaning in until his lips press ever so gently against mine.
Mmm.
I return the gentle press. Give in to the tantalizing tug. Immersing myself in his kiss. I let him speak to me through it – wordless promises of how he feels. Kole does like me – more than a friendship kind of like, and the knowledge makes me pull him even closer. I return the sentiment as I kiss him back, knowing I’ll be floating for days.

The song switches to a fast number, one that has the crowd jumping and bumping around us. We break off the kiss and pull back, eyeing one another beneath the dangling lights. Kole grins, darts in to sneak one more quick kiss, and then stretches his arm out to spin me around.

I laugh aloud, caught up in a moment I never want to end. I can feel my heart swelling, making room in Kole’s corner for every event from this perfect night.

I smile to myself as a thought comes to mind: Somehow – after all this time – the stars have aligned in just the right path. Sure, Christmas is coming up, and we’ll be exchanging gifts to celebrate the season, but better than any gift a simple package could contain, I got something my heart has desired for years. Somehow, by some blessed, enchanted wonder, I got Kole for Christmas.