Page 23 of Holly Jolly July

I lean against the counter and watch. “Sorry to keep pestering you like this.”

“It’s really no problem.” He smiles, his kind brown eyes alighting on my face and seeming to get stuck there. Our eyes meet and he pauses what he’s doing. My heart flutters and there’s a twinge of heat that lights up in my belly. His smile deepens, as if picking up on the effect he has on me and the natural connection between us.

“I think I know what to do here.” His voice is low, rumbling in his throat.

I lean a little closer. “What’s that?”

“The power’s out.” He turns back to the stove.

“Oh.”

He shimmies the stove away from the wall and bends behind it. “That’s weird.” He grabs the dangling cord and plugs it back into the wall.

Well, that took him all of ten seconds to figure out, and I don’t have a backup plan to keep him around. Matt shoves the stove back into place and dusts off his hands on his shorts.

“Wow, it was unplugged this whole time? That’s odd.” I take a breath and channel the inner vixen that matches the makeup on my face. “But hey, since you’re here and I have a working oven, I was about to pop a pizza in. Do you want to stay? I can’t eat a whole pizza by myself.”

He tucks his thumbs into the pockets of his shorts and slouches a bit, bringing his face closer to mine. “Yeah, sure. I have to work later, but I have some time.” He smiles again, eyes twinkling. “And it’s been forever since I’ve had pizza.”

“Great!” I lean past him to turn the oven on, my arm intentionally brushing his.

“So, how’s the movie going?” he asks, taking a step toward the living room.

“So far so good. It’s hard to tell while we’re filming how it’ll all come together, but I have faith in our team. I’ve worked with them before, and they’ve always delivered amazing results.” I refrain from telling him I haven’t actually filmed any of my scenes yet. “What’s your favourite Christmas movie?”

He turns toward me, the corner of his mouth tilted up. “Die Hard.”

I chuckle. “That is such a guy thing to say.”

“What about you?”

“Ooh, tough question. If I had to pick, I’d say...The Muppet Christmas Carol.”

He thinks for a moment. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen it.”

“What!” I slap his arm, which earns a playful smile. “How could you have not seen it? It’s a classic! Did you know it is widely considered to be the best Dickens adaptation?”

“A Muppet movie?”

“Yes! And Michael Caine’s performance? It’s top-notch. He’s a method actor, like myself.”

“I have to admit, I’m intrigued.” He takes a step closer.

“Why don’t I go get it? Not sure if you have time for a whole movie, but I simply cannot live knowing you’ve never had the chance to experience the magic ofThe Muppet Christmas Carol.”

He chuckles. “Let’s do it.”

I clench my fists at my side in excitement. “I have hot chocolate and peppermint Baileys. Want one?”

“It’s July.”

I flash him some finger guns. “Not in here it isn’t.”

His grins. “I’d love one.”

I contain my squeal of delight as I disappear into the bedroom for a moment to grab the VHS tape from the box in my bedroom closet. I start it up, the cheerful sounds of jingle bells filling the room. Matt settles onto the couch as I pop the pizza into the oven and heat milk in a pot. By the time Gonzo and Rizzo are off on their adventure with the ghost of Christmas Past, I’m finished my preparations, with two steaming hot mugs of cocoa and an oven-baked pepperoni pizza on the coffee table.

Matt looks comfortable on the couch, his legs splayed apart in that way men do. I settle beside him, leaving a half inch of space between us.

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