Page 23 of Trustfall
My head snapped in his direction, shocking the shit out of me.
“What? Christmas time is my jam!” he said, as if it were no big deal.
“Okay, so it’s settled; Jameson’s house it is,” Tara confirmed. “Let’s pack up and head over there for the second shot.”
I quickly gathered my equipment and rushed to my Jeep, grateful for the break I needed to compose myself. However, as soon as I pulled into Jameson’s driveway, Tara was noticeably absent.
“Where’s Tara?” I asked him while looking down his street for signs of her vehicle’s headlights.
“No clue?”
“Maybe she didn’t realize you moved. Do you think she’s at Jaxon’s house?”
“I suppose that’s always a possibility. I just assumed that it was common knowledge around the station and that Greer would have said something in passing.”
“Not everyone is up to date on where you lay your head at night, Jameson.”
“But you are—” His eyes questioned.
“For no other reason than the fact that you live right across the street from Boden, who mentioned you bought his place after Lakelyn moved in.”
“And yet you weren’t at McQuade’s the night of their engagement party for them, you were on a?—”
“A blind date arranged before their surprise party for your information; a blind date that you ruined.”
“If you’d seen the guy, you’d be thanking me.”
“I’d rather murder you.”
“That’s harsh, Ari,” he shook his head, “harsh.”
He wasn’t wrong; that was the effect he had on me.
He made me lose my ever-loving mind to the point I recognized my own irrationality.
“You shouldn’t hold that much hostility inside, it’s unhealthy.”
“Oh, and let me guess, you’ve got tips on how I should release my pent-up energy.” I couldn’t wait to hear this, I thought.
“I do, in fact.”
“Let’s just get this over with,” I huffed, feeling annoyed.
His brows nearly shot into his hairline before he quickly regained his composure and spun his keychain around his finger.
“I just need to get a photo of you in front of your Christmas tree so I can call it a night.”
When he turned to unlock his front door, I didn’t miss the way his shoulders lowered in defeat.
I was being a bitch, and I knew it.
It wasn’t until I stepped inside that I felt transported to an entirely different planet, a different realm.
I’d stepped into a magical Christmas wonderland.
I was utterly mesmerized and yet equally terrified.
The centerpiece of the space was undeniably his tree. Tall, fat, proudly centered in the bay window, and beautifully decorated. Everything was green, red, and white. Traditional, yet playful. On the sectional couch, pillows shaped like candy canes and Christmas wreaths accented by Rudolph, Santa, a gingerbread man, and two snowman pillows sat positioned in the corners. A beautiful, thick, hearty garland was draped across the fireplace hearth, and twinkling lights illuminated the long green stems. Above the fireplace hung a large white rectangular sign adorned by two candy cane candelabras with the wordjoywritten across it in a fancy red script font.
