Mistletoe Between Friends
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Authors: Samantha Chase
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Copyright © 2014, 2016 by Samantha Chase
Cover and internal design © 2016 by Sourcebooks, Inc.
Cover design by John Kicksee
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The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
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Mistletoe Between Friends
was originally self-published individually in ebook format in 2014.
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca Sourcebooks, Inc.
P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410
(630) 961-3900
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For my favorite U.S. Marine
Not a day goes by that I'm not in awe of you and completely proud of all you've accomplished in your life. Thank you for your help and for just being awesome.
Love you, Justin Ryan.
Semper Fi!
Staying up all night on the phone was nothing new for Lily Cavanaugh. If someone was in a crisis, she was the go-to girl to help out. Now, snuggling deeper into her bed, Lily did her best not to laugh.
“So was it Bitsy, Mitzi, or Kitten they tried to set you up with?” she asked, barely containing her mirth.
“You are
so
not helping.”
An unladylike snort escaped before she could stop it. “I can't help if I don't have all of the information. So? Details, please!” Lily sensed more than heard Cameron's frustration growing on the other end of the phone.
Cameron Greene and Lily had known each other since before they could walk. Their families were the best of friends, and since Cam and Lily were so close in ageâless than a year apartâit was only fitting that they continue the tradition.
“I'm telling you, Lil,” he began, “I'm thinking of moving overseas just to get some peace and quiet.”
“Oh, come on. How bad could it have been? Was she pretty?”
“In a Barbie-doll kind of way.”
“Not a problem for most guys! Okay, so what about the rest? Did you have anything in common?”
“I don't have anything in common with most people, Lil. You should know that.” Cameron had a near-genius IQ and was a little awkward socially. It was hard for him to find common ground with most people when he spent his days in a laboratory, studying the secrets of the universe.
“So what did you talk about?”
He sighed. “After I got the not-so-condensed version of her modeling aspirations, I started talking about what I do.”
Uh-oh
, Lily thought. That was normally the kiss of death. “How long did it take for her eyes to glaze over?”
Cam laughed. “Less than two minutes.”
“Wow,” Lily said with mock enthusiasm. “I think that's a new record.”
“We never even made it to dinner,” Cam said, sounding like that wasn't a bad thing.
“What excuse did she give? Headache? Family emergency? She thought she left the stove on?”
“Headache.”
“It is a classic.” Now it was Lily's turn to sigh. “I'm so sorry, Cam. Are you okay?”
“Sure. I didn't want to go out with her. My parents orchestrated the entire thing, and I didn't want to disappoint themâagain. I just wish they'd find something else to obsess about. I'm not interested in the empty-headed beauties they've been setting me up with.”
“They are depending on you to carry on the Greene family name, Cam. This isn't new information. They hassled your sisters just as much until they found acceptable husbands.”
“That was different. Neither of my sisters had an issue with dating. They're smart and outgoing and enjoy socializing. Why can't I just be left alone?”
Lily's heart broke for him. Cameron had always been painfully shy, and because of his intelligence and fascination with science, most of the population couldn't begin to understand the subjects he found enjoyable. “It's not healthy to be alone all the time, Cam. You need to get out once in a while and be around regular people. Go to a movie, eat a hamburgerâ¦live like us regular folk for a little while,” she teased.
He chuckled. “Do you have any idea how bad ground beef is for you? Even with the stringent safetyâ”
“It was just a suggestion!” she interrupted. “I don't need the lectureâagainâon how bad most foods are. You've all but ruined my fast-food habits.”
“I worry about you. Is that a crime?”
She smiled. “No, it's not a crime. I just wish you could relax your standards a little bit and, I don't know, have some fun.” Shifting her position in bed, Lily turned on her tablet and kicked up a game of solitaire. She knew that she and Cameron could talk all night, but sometimes she needed a little distraction to keep her going. “So what's new at the lab?”
“Nice change of subject. Have you already started a game of solitaire?”
“Damn,” she muttered. “How do you do that?”
“I know you better than you know yourself, Lil. Is talking to me so painful that you have to play a computer game at the same time?” His tone was only partially teasing.
Immediately Lily put the tablet down and sat up. “What? Why would you even say that?”
“Look, we're friends and you never lie to me, so don't start now, okay? If you can't even stand talking to me, what hope do I have of anyone else wanting to?”
Lily felt ready to cry. “Oh, Cam,” she said, hand to her chest. “I love talking to you. You know that. Honestly, you're the only one who actually talks to me and listens to me without treating me like I'm an idiot.”
“That's not true and you know it.”
“No, I don't know it. No one in my family takes me seriously. Every time I try to talk to them about what's going on in my life, I feel like I'm just being patted on the head and pacified. It's beyond insulting.”
“They never did understand your creative side,” he said soothingly.
“Neither did Biff,” she replied with a dramatic sigh.
Cam was silent for a moment. “I'm sorry⦠Did you say Biff?”
“Oh, did I not mention my wonderful dinner companion this evening?”
This time it wasn't a chuckle but a full-bodied laugh that came through the line. “Come on, Lily. No one names a kid Biff. It's cruel.”
“Well, I think that's what his name was,” she said, reflecting on the evening.
“You went to dinner with this guy and you aren't sure what his name was?” Cam asked with disbelief.
“Like you, we didn't make it to dinner. As a matter of fact, we never even made it to the restaurant.”
“Why not?”
“Let's just say that while we were in the car, he asked me about what I did. By the time I got through talking about my pottery classes and dog walking and that short stint as a nude model for an art classâ”
“Wait. What? When did you take a pottery class?”
Lily burst out laughing. “Out of those three things, you latched on to the pottery class to be upset about? What about the nude modeling? You'd think that would be a red flag for someone sensible like you!”
“Okay, never mind about the pottery orâ¦the modeling. What happened next?”
“He literally turned the car around and brought me home. He claimed that he had a business call that had slipped his mind, but I think that my Asian-fusion cooking class was the last straw for him.” She sighed. “Not that I wanted to go out with him much either. Also like yours, it was parent-orchestrated. But still, I was hungry.”
“I cannot believe Biff just turned the car around and took you home.”
“Maybe his name was Jeff⦔ Lily said, racking her brain for at least a hint of what the guy's name was.
“Biff, Jeff, it doesn't matter. That was incredibly rude of him. I'm sorry, Lil. You deserve to have someone take you out and treat you like a princess.”
“I'd just settle for someone to take me out and talk to me like I had a brain.”
“You have a brain, Lil. You just intimidate people with your creativity.”
“Nice try, Einstein,” she deadpanned. “I think you have me confused with you. You intimidate people. People just think I'm weird.”
“Well, then they're not worth knowing.”
Lily settled back against her pillows and got comfortable again. “I'm so lucky to have you, Cam. You know that, right?”
“Nah, we're lucky to have each other.”
“I wish you were here right now. I could make grilled cheese sandwiches and popcorn, and we could watch a movie and just relax.” She toyed with her tablet and contemplated going back to solitaire.
“While that sounds nice, wouldn't it interfere with your game of solitaire?”
“Dammit! How do you do that?” she asked, looking around her room for hidden cameras.
“Like I said, I know you better than you know yourself.”
“We certainly are a pair, aren't we?” she said wistfully.
“A pair of what?”
“A sad pair. We can't even find people to have a meal with. If you won't come over and have grilled cheese and popcorn with me, then I'm in real trouble. You were my last hope, Cameron Greene, and even you don't want to share a midnight snack with me!” Her tone held just a hint of mirth and theatrics, and she added a long-suffering sigh for good measure.
“And you know what's worse?” he asked, ignoring her.
“That I got kicked out of acting classes?”
Cam sighed. “Thanksgiving is right around the corner.”
“And you've suddenly lost your love of turkey dinner?”
“Focus, Lily!” he snapped and then immediately apologized for his tone. “The holidays are here, my friend. That means there will be a steady stream of parties and get-togethers we will be forced to go to, and potential spouses will be thrown at us from every angle.”
“Personally, I'm waiting for our parents to just position us at the foot of our driveways with mistletoe over our heads and signs taped to our chests that say âPlease marry us.'” The thought sent a shiver down her spine because she was only partially kidding. Lately, her mother had kicked up the campaign to marry her off. Rarely a day went by when Lily wasn't asked if she'd met anyone decent.
Dealing with her mother was an exhausting, full-time job in itself.
“I think it's safe to say,” Cam began, breaking into her train of thought, “that neither of us is looking forward to another holiday season spent ducking and weaving to avoid the matchmaking patrol. Agreed?”
“Agreed. But what choice do we have? Other than packing our bags right now and
both
of us moving overseas to get away from the insanity.”
“I'm being serious here.”
“You're always serious, Cam. I'm trying to get you to break that habit.” When she got no response from him, she sighed with annoyance. “Okay, what do you have in mind?”
“We take ourselves off the market. If we're involved with other people, they can't marry us off.”
“But we're not involved with other people. That's the problem. Isn't that what we've been talking about for the past hour? I'm so confused⦔
“You're not confused, Lily, and don't play the ditzy card with me,” he said patiently. “I'm saying that we pretend that
we
are involved. We. You and me.”
Another snort of laughter broke free before she could stop it. “Are you crazy? Have you completely lost your mind? No one is going to believe that for a second!”
“Why not?” he huffed.
“We've been friends for, like,
ever
, for starters. If anything was ever going to happen between us, it would have happened by now. You know it, I know it, and they know it. Pretending to be a couple will never work.”
“Justâ¦hear me out, okay?” he asked. “I have a conference in New York next week. Come with me.”
Lily sat in silence, wondering where her levelheaded friend had gone. When he didn't elaborate on his plan, she finally spoke up. “What will that prove?”
“The day we're due back is the official beginning of the season, at least according to my mother. You know how our families map out the party strategies and travel plans. We can show up together and announce our newfound romance, and they'll be so thrilled that they'll leave us alone. We can break up after New Year's, and then they'll be too heartbroken over the whole thing to upset either of us and we can milk the breakup angle for another month or two. If all goes as planned, we can be off the radar for about four months.”
“Cameron Greene, I always knew you were a genius. I just never realized you were an
evil
genius!” Lily said excitedly. “It's brilliant! They love us both, so they're not going to have an issue with us dating! They'll get all giddy at the thought of merging our families, and while they're busy picking china patterns, we'll have a relaxing holiday. I'm telling you, you've done me proud.”
“Awâ¦I'm blushing,” he teased. “So what do you say? I leave Monday morning for New York.”
“Wow, that's quick,” Lily said, mentally going over her calendar. “I don't know, Cam. That's only three days to get someone to cover for me at the coffee shop, and⦔
“When did you start working at a coffee shop?”
Lily growled in frustration. “You need to keep up, Cam! If we're going to be all in love and dating and whatnot, you are going to have to keep up with what's going on in my life.”
“Maybe try doing a littleâ¦shall we sayâ¦less with your life for the next couple of months?”
“What would be the fun in that?”
“We leave for the airport Monday morning at seven. I'll make all of the travel arrangements. All you have to do is show up.”
“What am I supposed to do all day while you're at your conference?”
“Seriously, Lil? Do you think you'll be bored in Manhattan?”
“Okay, you've got a point.” She stopped and thought of all the possibilities. “I do have one request as your girlfriend.”
“Already?”
“I've only just begun,” she teased. “Can I get an afternoon at a spa? You know, manicure, pedicure, facial, massageâ¦the works?”
“Is that all?” he asked suspiciously.
“And can I eat food from the street vendors without getting a daily lecture from you?” Lily waited for Cam's response. And waited. And waited. “Cameron?”
“You're going to be the death of me. You realize that, right?”
“Me? After your traumatic date with Kitten?”
“Her name wasn't Kitten,” he laughed. “And it wasn't traumatic.”
“Okay, maybe it wasn't traumatic, but you've got to admit that I'll be way more fun to date than the other women you've dated.”
“That is certainly true,” he agreed and then paused. “I'll be in meetings during the day and we have a couple of dinners to go to, but maybe we can take a night to just go sightseeing. What do you say?” Lily was quiet for a moment. “Lil? What's the matter?”
