Page 8 of Baby, it's Cold Outside
“Careful.” He switches all his bags to one hand so he can take my arm. His touch sets off a spark that warms my entire body. I swear every snowflake that lands on me sizzles.
“So where are you headed tonight?” I ask, hoping it sounds like an innocent question.
“To my sister’s in Lake Bluff.” He looks up and down the avenue. “But the drive is going to be so fucking slow.”
“Do you have to go?” Inside, I’m shrieking for Christmas joy that he’s not going on a date. Visions of sugarplums and his naked body dance in my head.
“I should. It’s my family’s Christmas party, and I skipped it last year.”
I nod, focusing on the sidewalk again as my sexy visions go poof and vanish. Unless… “You know, your sister probably wouldn’t want you on the road in this blizzard.”
“Oh no?”
“Definitely not. In fact,” I tell him as we reach our building, “I think you might want to call her and tell her not to expect you.”
“Really.” He sounds amused as we make our way to the elevator.
“Of course!” I punch the button. “I mean, no pressure or anything, but I know I wouldn’t want my brother on the road tonight.”
The elevator doors open. It’s empty.
“Ah. Very sweet of you.” He lets me enter first, then hits twenty.
“It’s just too dangerous,” I insist as the doors close. “You could get in trouble out there.”
He leans back against the wall and looks over at me, his expression smoldering. “I could get in trouble right here.”
Four
MICHAEL
What the hell am I doing flirting with this girl (who is clearly going through a breakup) instead of being with my family (who are going to kill me for this) and wondering if her tree isn’t the only thing we’re going to get erect tonight?
I never think like this. I’m a logical guy who makes logical choices. I don’t walk girls to get tree stands in the middle of a blizzard, no matter how red their noses get.
“You know, they say that decorating a tree is not something you should do alone,” Harlow says as we reach her door.
“Who says?”
“Everyone.”
“Is that so?”
She nods. “It’s the Christmas law. I heard about it on the internet and you know that everything you read there is true.”
“I would hate the break the Christmas law.”
Harlow’s brown eyes sparkle as if I just gave her the best present in the world. “Really?”
“Under one condition…”
“Name it.”
She agreed to that way too quickly. My mind wanders a bit before I remember what I wanted to say. “We don’t mention your shitty ex one more time tonight.”
She extends her hand, and I take it. “You got yourself a deal.”
We enter the apartment, tree still standing in the corner, thank God, and get to work. Harlow puts some cheesy Hallmark movie on the television and then brings in a mug of hot chocolate. “Here, it’s also law that we have to drink this.”
