Page 79 of Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal
“Thanks, babe,” Cole says, taking his drink from Storee and kissing her.
“Um, here you go,” I say to Atlas, handing him his drink.
“Thanks, babe,” he says with a wink, clearly mocking Cole, but it doesn’t stop my entire body from heating up and reacting to the term of endearment.
“This is the best mulled cider you will ever have,” Storee says as she cuddles into Cole. He loops his arm around her and holds her in tight. It’s so cute, it makes me yearn for something like that. “The first time I had it was on Cupid Christmas Night with Cole, but technically we weren’t together. We were pretending to be together.”
“Really?” I ask, amused. “Why?”
“Long story, but it was for show. Let’s just say the night was not enjoyable.”
“Until they kissed,” Atlas says, gently bumping my shoulder with his arm. “And they did it in front of the two biggest gossips in town, who of course went around and told everyone.”
“Who are the two biggest gossips?” I ask.
“Martha and Mae Bawhovier,” Atlas answers. “The sweetest sisters you will ever meet, but you have to watch what you say around them, because it will be repeated to everyone in town.”
“It wasn’t planned to kiss in front of them,” Cole says after taking a sip of his mulled cider.
“Uh, they were the ones who egged us on,” Storee says and then leans toward me. “Let me tell you, he was desperate to kiss me.”
I turn to Cole for his rebuttal, but he just shrugs. “Yeah, I was.”
Atlas chuckles. “He was desperate to kiss her for a long time. He saw his moment, and he took full advantage.”
“That’s sweet,” I offer.
“It was.” Storee stands on her toes and then kisses Cole, clearly so happy and so in love.
I’ve had my fair share of boyfriends, but I don’t think I’ve ever looked at someone the way they look at each other. Something to strive for when I have my life on track. Right now, it’s all kind of up in the air.
“What about you? Ever kiss under the mistletoe?” Storee asks.
I shake my head. “Never. Though I don’t think I’ve ever been around mistletoe before. It wasn’t a thing my family did, and I love Fort Collins, but it’s not small and quaint like Kringletown, where you can hang up mistletoe and people would find it charming. It would probably go undetected there.”
“Yeah, must be more of a small-town thing,” Storee says. “Be careful though. It’s everywhere here, especially on Cupid Christmas, and if you’re caught under some and someone says, ‘Kiss,’ you have to kiss. Which is why this big guy got a chance at these lips.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah,” Atlas chimes in. “One year, I had to kiss Cole, and honestly, all I can say is that I was very underwhelmed. I can’t believe Storee fell for him after their kiss, because what I experienced was stiff and lacking in passion.”
I chuckle while Cole rolls his eyes. “You wish you kissed me.”
“Don’t tempt me,” Atlas says. “I might pull you under some mistletoe and knock those boots right off your feet.”
“Would love to see you try.”
“Challenge accepted.”
“Please don’t,” Storee says. “I don’t need my husband falling for your luscious lips.”
I glance at his mouth, and yeah, she’s right. He does have some very nice-looking lips.
Atlas playfully brings his hand to his chest. “‘Luscious lips’? Wow, Storee, you’re going to inflate my ego.”
“Yeah, please stop. We don’t need him suffocating us all, especially if this was supposed to be a night for us alone.”
“Wow, way to guilt-trip Betty and me,” Atlas says, thumbing toward me. “I get stood up, and your wife confuses the nights. You would think we’d receive a touch of understanding, maybe a sprinkle of coddling.”
