Page 172 of How My Neighbour Stole Christmas
I laugh a little more and lean into him so he can wrap his arms around me and pull me into a hug. His hand soothingly rubs over my back for afew seconds before I pull away again out of fear that Taran might come searching for me.
“You going to be okay?” he asks.
“I think so.” I let out a deep breath. “I just want this to be over.”
“It will be soon.” He tugs on my coat. “What do you have hiding under there?”
“Nothing.” I hold my coat tighter together.
“You’re hiding something. What are you hiding?” He tries to unzip my parka, but I don’t let him.
“You’ll see.”
His brows raise. “Uh…what do you plan on doing, Storee? If it’s flashing everyone, I do not approve.”
I chuckle. “I’m not going to flash people.”
“Storee!” Taran calls. “We’re up.”
“Got to go.” I quickly offer him one more kiss, then take off, that moment with him giving me the slightest bit of confidence as I head up toward the stage.
I try to focus on the decorations of the Caroling Café and not the people. Just like a Broadway diner, booths fill the restaurant, offering people an unobstructed view of the stage. The walls are decorated with a hunter-green plaid wallpaper while wreath chandeliers hang from the ceiling. Each booth has a gold table with green leather seats, Christmas tree salt and pepper shakers, and Christmas-themed tableware, from reindeer mugs to Christmas china and gold silverware. It resembles Christmas Eve dinner at the grandparents’ but with a selection of classic diner food tailored to the season.
“You ready?” Taran asks as she joins me onstage, along with Aunt Cindy who is clutching her walker and looking more excited than I’ve ever seen her.
“Ready,” I say, and together we all remove our jackets, revealing our Santa Claus outfits…well…naughty-ish Santa Claus outfits—and yes,that includes Aunt Cindy. The rules state we can have backup dancers, but I must be the one singing, so…we took full advantage.
I spot Cole in the crowd and see the lift of his brows as he takes in my high black boots, red skirt trimmed with fur, and long-sleeved red bodysuit. Taran tosses me a Santa hat. I secure it on, adjust the black belt around my waist, and then grab the mic, my heart racing.
Taran and Aunt Cindy come up next to me, wearing versions of my outfit. Aunt Cindy is in red silk loungewear, and Taran wears a red romper with white fur trim.
The music thrums through the speakers. I swallow hard and start singing “Jingle Bell Rock” while performing the same dance fromMean Girls.
My voice is shaky at first, my moves a little stiff, but once the café starts to realize what we’re doing, the cheers erupt, clapping occurs, and I start relaxing as I continue to dance and sing, hitting my every mark.
I catch Cole in the crowd a few times. His enthusiastic smile spurs me on. I flow with the music. I swing my hips. I add some facial expressions. I even add a little hip pop here and there, and all the while, Taran and Aunt Cindy are my backup dancers—Aunt Cindy with her walker bopping around and Taran with her comedic timing of “messing up” the moves just like Gretchen in the movie.
On the last note, we all pose, and the café erupts with cheers, filling me with so much joy that I could actually cry.
I put the mic back on its stand, and then together we help Aunt Cindy off the stage and toward the back, where Jimmy is waiting to go on next.
“Oh my God, you nailed it,” Taran says, pulling me into a hug, something completely out of the ordinary for her. We don’t hug. We barely high-five. We’re not that kind of touchy-feely sisters, but look at her hugging me…actually hugging me. Mom and Dad would probably faint in shock. “I’m so proud of you.”
She’s…she’s proud of me?
Huh, that’s also new.
“Thanks, Taran,” I say, feeling my cheeks go red.
“Well done, girls,” Aunt Cindy says as she takes a seat in one of the chairs to the right of the stage, her bedecked walker in front of her. “If that doesn’t take first place, I don’t know what will.”
Jimmy is introduced onstage, and instead of grabbing the mic, he plugs his electric guitar into an amp and places one foot on top. With just a few strokes, he starts to fill the room with “Carol of the Bells.”
Huh, who knew Jimmy had it in him?
“I see you pulled out all the stops,” Cole says as he comes up next to us. To my surprise, he tips my chin up and places a chaste kiss on my lips. When we pull away, I can feel Taran’s eyes like lasers on me. “Not going to be good enough, though.”
“Can you not touch her, please?” Taran says. “We don’t need you tarnishing the talent.”
