Page 31 of Single Girl Rules: HoHoHo

“Did you think I’d forget?”

“Of course not.”

I grabbed the stack of presents off the cart and ran over tothe fireplace.

“Which one should I open first?” I asked, poking and shakingall of them.

“Only the one wrapped in pink,” said Daddy. “The others arefor your friends.”

Oh.That was sweet of him. But like… Only oneChristmas Eve present? Were we on the verge of bankruptcy?

“Ash! Slavanka!” I yelled.

But they were too busy dancing around the kitchen and singingalong to the blaring Christmas music.

I yelled it again.

“Huh?” said Ash. She looked over and her face lit up when shesaw the presents. Or maybe she was just happy that the hot bellhop had followedme in…Nope.He was long gone. It was definitely the presents she wasexcited about.

She turned down the music a little and ran over, trying notto trip over the blanket she’d wrapped around herself to cover up whilecooking. Slavanka followed with a tray of fresh cookies.

“Merry Christmas Eve, girls,” said Daddy. “And Chad.”

“Thanks, Daddy,” said Ash. “Damn it. I’m sorry. I don’t know whyI keep calling you that. I think I’m buzzed from eating so many cookies.”

Daddy stared at Slavanka’s tray of cookies. “Weed cookies? Orlike…dipped in whiskey? I’m confused.”

“They’re just normal cookies,” I said.

“Sure they are. Anyway, everyone ready to open their presents?”

“Wait,” said Ash. “You got me a present?”

“Of course. I got all of you presents.” He tossed us each oneof the big boxes. “Open them on the count of…”

Too late.Ash had torn into hers the second he’d said,“Open them.”

I tore the paper off mine too. There was an Odegaard clothingbox inside.Score!I opened it and ran my hand over the red and green silkpajamas inside.

“I was hoping you’d get me these,” I said.

“I can’t accept this,” said Ash. She looked like she was evenscared to touch them.

“Why not?” I asked. “They’re nice pajamas, but they aren’tnearly as expensive as that cropped jacket you billed to the room earlier.”

“Oh, you better believe I’m keeping the pajamas, especiallythe shorts. I was talking aboutthis.” She gingerly pulled a diamondbracelet out of her box.

We got bracelets too?!I unfolded my pajamas and founda diamond bracelet tucked inside. It caught the light from the Christmas tree andsparkled with a million different colors.

“I keep bracelet,” said Slavanka. It was already on her wristsomehow.

Chad dug around in his box and frowned. “Did I not get one? Ionly have pajamas in here.”

Daddy looked at him disapprovingly. “What do you need adiamond bracelet for? Don’t be so gay, son.”

“Let’s all change,” I said. “And then we can get a super cutephoto of us all matching and hanging up our stockings.”

“Great idea,” said Daddy. He turned around so we could change.

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