Page 20 of Merry Little Mishap

“Always.” I leaned over to take the bottle. “Now this is Christmas.” I took a swig, the liquor still chilled from the Manhattan wind. I shivered as the punch of alcohol hit my chest.

“You know, technically, it’s not Christmas till you get a gift.” Nick motioned to Camilla’s package.

“Oh, no, no… that’s for later.”

“How so?”

“It’s my next assignment.”

Nick smiled. “Don’t tell me, twelve drummers drumming?”

“That would be hard to rate, I’m used to only one drummer drumming, if you know what I mean.” I passed the bottle back to Nick as he took another sip.

“And how does one rate the toysofSex-Mas?Price? Practicality?”

“Pleasure,” I burped.Fuck. I wiped my face, fixing my hair as I straightened my posture. “Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. That was cute. Maybe even cuter than this intriguing little countdown of yours. But how is the pleasure assessed? Is it by customer reviews?”

“Not exactly…” I pinned my attention to the glittery tips of my heels, wondering if this was a good topic to discuss. Would it be so bad considering he admitted to likingHome Alone Two? I tried to convince myself that this was some sort of vulnerable flaw he trusted me with, that this silly preference made him not only human, but approachable. Maybe it was the fresh hit of rum, but my ridiculous reasoning made sense. “Actually, I review them… personally.”

“Including August Falls?” he asked, intrigued.

“It’s forwork.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“He’s very popular, you know. There’s a reason he’s number two on the list. Do you know who he is?”

“I’m aware of him…”

“How aware?” I jabbed inquisitively, truly curious.

“I’ve seen him perform… he’s done scenes with some of my favorites.”

“You have favorites?”

“Yes. Don’t you?”

I set my takeout down on the floor, reaching for the bottle of rum. “Maybe. August Falls is probably my top pick… yours?”

Nick twisted his lips, silently biting the inside of his cheek. “I don’t watch too much… but I certainly have a type.”

“What’s her name?” I dared him with a whisper.

“Madison Love.”

I instantly knew who she was. In fact, I watched her with August Falls today. I could’ve sworn she was Latina, but couldn’t tell for sure. My heart raced at his admission. “She’s petite,” I said, acting nonchalant.

“She has dark hair, and a nice olive tan. I’d prefer if her eyes were brown, though. That’s what I like… amongst other things. But there is no one on film that fully captures what I’m really wanting… or who.” Nick folded his hands together, probably feeling unsure if he had made the right move in telling me. “So, you like August, huh?”

“Of course, what girl doesn’t?”

“How about his toy?”

I took another drink, then passed it back.

“Let’s just say… he passed my test.”

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