Page 8 of Dance All Night
“Aha. So, you’re a Scrooge.”
“Why does everyone keep calling me that today?” She shuffled her feet against the hall carpet.
“All right, how about this?” Nik’s voice took on a cajoling tone and he clasped his hands together in front of him.
She eyed him warily, sure she wasn’t going to like whatever he said next. “How about what?”
“Since it’ll take a Christmas miracle to get you to believe that I’m for real about exploring something serious with you—and you don’t believe in Christmas miracles—if I can get you to believe in the magic of the holiday season, then, by extension, you willalsobelieve that I’m not playing games with you.”
She blinked at him a few times, charmed in spite of herself. But she was too contrary by nature to give in that easily. “That didn’t make any freaking sense.”
“Sure it did.” He put out his hand to shake. “Just give me three dates—threeholiday-themeddates—to change your mind. About meandChristmas.”
Staring at his hand, Jess was filled with the urge to say yes. To believe him. Not about the Christmas stuff, but to believe that someone liked her as much as he claimed to. Liked her enough to go to all this trouble.
Liked her enough to stick around.
But she didn’t. This would still be a game for him, an entertaining way to pass time over the holidays before his next adventure.
If it was a game, though…maybe she could have fun for a bit, too, like Naomi had been pushing her to do. Maybe itwastime to play a little. Just for the last days of the year. And then he’d be off wherever his next gig took him, and she’d go back to her regular, boring life.
Alone.
She pushed the thought away.
“Fine,” she said, clasping his hand. “Three dates.”
His grin lit up his whole face, and she felt it inside her, too.
What the hell was she getting herself into?
Chapter Three
December 18th
For their first date, Nik asked Jess to meet him at the Americana at Brand, an outdoor mall in Glendale designed to look like someone’s fantasy version of a European village. For some reason he couldn’t understand, the mall also had apartments on the upper levels, and he had to pass through an open-air concierge area on his way in from the parking garage.
A trolley, festooned with wreaths, holly, and an enormous glittering red bow, wound its way around the track circling the “town square,” where an enormously tall, conical Christmas tree drew the eye upward. Red and white lights hung in abundance from the boughs of the trees ringing the square and over the walkways. The air smelled like cinnamon, and tinkling, jazzy music scores from classic Christmas movies played unobtrusively in the background.
Having grown up in Brooklyn, Nik found the Americana both bizarre and quaint. He hoped Jess would feel the same. He couldn’t imagine a more magical setting for a date. Even better, it waswarm. Doing holiday stuff in New York City was fun, but made harder by actual winter weather. He wore a light jacket, because the temperature in LA dropped at night, but he didn’t need a scarf, hat, or gloves.
Part of him missed the whole ritual of getting ready to go out in the cold. But only a very small part.
The sun was going down as he waited for Jess by one of the fountains, where a giant, nearly naked gold man froze mid-prance in the center, surrounded by cheerful jets of water colored by tiny lights in the fountain’s base. Red and green, of course.
As the minutes ticked by, Nik worried that Jess wasn’t going to show up. He’d arrived early, just in case he hit traffic, and because it would’ve been rude to be late. But what if she’d just been humoring him to get him to leave her alone? Maybe he’d read the whole situation all wrong.
Then he spotted her coming toward him, and his face broke into a grin. She wore a gray bomber jacket and jeans. A turquoise patterned headscarf pushed her curls into an updo. Nik waved, and she joined him by the fountain.
“Traffic on the 2.” She rolled her eyes, but leaned in to give him a half hug.
He’d take it. She smelled like cherries, reminding him of their first kiss, and when he put his arm around her, her petite frame fit perfectly against him.
She peered around them, taking in all the over-the-top holiday décor, and pouted those pretty lips in a way that said, “I’m here, but I’m not happy about it.” Nik couldn’t help but laugh.
“Bah humbug?” he asked, and her mouth compressed to hold back a grin.
“You said it, not me.” She moved closer and slipped her arm through his. The alternating colors of the fountain’s lights reflected on her hair—green, then red, then green again. “So, what are we doing on this date?”
