Page 103 of How My Neighbour Stole Christmas
“On the date? Well, if we don’t talk, then there’s only one other thing we can do…”
I turn to him and catch the waggle of his eyebrows. “Are you a child?”
“For the sake of dating you? I sure as hell hope not.”
“Oh my God, you’re irritating,” I whisper, just for him to put his arm around me again and bring me in close to his chest.
“I know.”
Tanya takes that moment to look up and catches us close together. Her smile grows even larger as she finishes up her notes.
“I swear if you win this, I’m going to throw a temper tantrum. I very well might toss my mixing bowl at your head.”
“At me?” he asks quietly. “But then how could I make you weak in the knees with my kisses if I’m unconscious?”
“You did not make me weak in the knees,” I shoot back.
“I felt you waver.”
“There was no wavering.”
“A little bit. I steadied you.”
“Are you freaking delusional?” I hiss as Tanya stands and walks in front of her desk. Bob Krampus joins her, and the room quiets down as Bob takes the results from Tanya.
He clears his throat, looks through his spectacles and then out to the crowd. “It seems as though we have a verdict. Coming in fifth place, we have…Jimmy Short.”
No surprise there.
His fruitcake belongs in the compost.
The crowd lightly cheers as Jimmy kicks the ground, clearly disappointed in himself.
“In fourth place we have…” Bob pauses as he attempts to read the card. Confused, he confers with Tanya who nods. “Sorry about that. In fourth place, we have Ursula.”
Damn it. I wish Cole was fourth, but what can you do? Ursula gave Tanya a brick of candy.
“And in third place,” Bob continues, “ahh, our lover of the week, Cole.”
A large grin stretches across my face as I turn toward him and give him a gentle pat on the back, looking like the ever-doting crush. He smiles down at me and then brings his attention back to Bob.
Either he’s a particularly good actor, or he agrees with his placement.
Either way, if we can pull ahead with the win on this, it will give us a significant lead.
“And our runner up is…” Bob pauses for dramatic effect. “Dr. Pedigree. Giving the win for the second year in a row to Team Cindy!”
Now…if I wasn’t being judged on my Christmas spirit, this is what I’d do with this news: I’d do a set of three cartwheels while yellingyippee!I’d finish right in front of Cole and then shimmy so hard that my boobs would pop right out of my bra, but I wouldn’t care because I won. I beat him…him and his pineapple debacle and forehead distraction.
But since I’m being watched very carefully, I smile, clap, and offer congratulations to the rest of the group, then walk over to Aunt Cindy and give her a hug because we took this one. I knew we would. It was the mashed potatoes.
“Well done, everyone. We do have some new leadership in the overall competition, though,” Bob says. “In first place, our winner for today is Storee with forty-three points.”
“I’m so proud of you,” Aunt Cindy says, pulling me into a hug again. “And serves them right, trying to mess with us.”
I chuckle and lift up from her.
“In second place, we have Cole and his holly jolly sidekick, Atlas, with thirty-seven points.”
