Page 1 of Meeting Mr. Christmas
CHAPTER ONE
Curled up on his squashy couch with a steaming cup of hot chocolate, mellow jazz turned low in the background, Noel Christmas flicked through the pages of the Collier’s Creek Chronicle, packed with gossip and tittle tattle masquerading as not very good journalism. Turning to what was laughingly called the Life Style section, the headline hit hard between the eyes. ‘Love at First Swipe — Dating App Connects Collier’s Creek LGBTQ+ Singles.Cupid’s romance-tipped arrows have struck the heart of our small town…’
Noel read through the article, which detailed testimonials from couples who’d found each other through the lonely hearts app which had burst on the local scene just weeks before. Photos of smiling couples, all of them effusive in their praise for Love Heartz. Noel snorted. Love Heartz? Really? The name of the app was enough to make him want to gag. Love Heartz, it was claimed, had, with a few clicks, brought romance and warmth into countless cold and barren lives. Noel rolled his eyes. Okay, maybe cold and barren weren’t the actual words used by Honey Sweeting, The Chronicle’s lifestyle guru, but that was the real meaning behind the gushing, saccharine prose.
Peering closely at the least out-of-focus photograph, Noel studied Love Heartz’ latest success story. Bruce and Kevin, hand in hand and wearing matching I Love Collier’s Creek sweaters and cowboy hats, had, according to Honey’s strangled prose, recently announced their engagement and would be celebrating with family and friends at Randy’s Rodeo Grill and Bar, The Creek’s premier ribs and steak restaurant(discount coupon available for parties of ten or more) for an evening filled with love, laughter and line dancing. ‘Love Heartz is such a breath of fresh air,’ Bruce, seventy-two years-young, said…’ Noel spat out his mouthful of hot chocolate, spraying the smiling, loved-up couple. Whatever glittering career Honey Sweeting had ahead of her, it wasn’t in journalism. Bruce, dwarfed by his sweater and cowboy hat, couldn’t have been older than forty… ‘I’d given up on finding a true connection and happiness when so many dating apps are just photograph after photograph of anatomy it wouldn’t be right to mention in a wholesome family publication like The Chronicle…’
Noel’s cell, sitting on his coffee table, vibrated;reaching for it, the familiar twist of anticipation pulled tight in his chest.
Meet me at CC’s in 30?
Sure, see you there :)Noel typed back.
Noel threw aside the newspaper, Collier’s Creek’s lonely gay hearts forgotten. Mid-morning, mid-week, Jed should have been at work in the town’s one and only florist, Floristry by Lucian Blaxston. Noel couldn’t help the involuntary smile pulling at his lips. Jed, tall, broad, muscular, and so damn good looking it should have been a crime, his best and oldest friend, and life long secret crush, wasn’t anybody’s idea of a trainee florist.
Stretching out his stiff shoulders, Noel yawned; he could do with getting out for a while. He’d logged on before 6:00am and been hunched over his laptop for most of the time since then. His tech job, creating and testing applications for mobiledevices, not only paid well, it came with the benefit of working from home, but it was too easy, sometimes, to forget to leave his apartment — or it would be if it weren’t for the fur baby.
“Hey, Peter. Wanna go see Jed?” Noel looked down at his miniature dachshund curled up next to him on the couch. Peter wriggled and barked, pushing himself to standing on his stubby legs as his tail whipped from one side to the other. “I take it that’s a yes.”
With Peter wrapped up in his snazzy tartan coat and matching hat, Noel pulled on his big, padded jacket. Ramming on his rainbow patterned woolen hat with tasseled ear flaps and winding his soft, fluffy, bright pink scarf around his neck, he threw a glance at himself in the hallway mirror before he grabbed his keys and wallet. Was this really how a man of twenty-three was supposed to look? He doubted it, but as winter had descended on Collier’s Creek over the last few days, bringing snow and chasing away the last, lingering remnants of fall, he didn’t care because what he did care about was spending time with Jed.
CHAPTER TWO
The bell above the door chimed a familiar welcome as Noel stepped into CC’s. Popular carols played in the background, turned low, and bushy garlands decorated the walls. Noel inhaled the deep scent of not only fresh coffee, but cinnamon and chocolate too, all the sweet heady aromas of Christmas teasing his senses. Christmas by name, and Christmas by nature, it was his favorite time of the year.
He scanned the busy coffee shop, his gaze landing on Jed — and the pretty blond sitting next to him, twirling strands of her long hair in the fingers of one hand while the other rested casually on Jed’s arm. Her light, flirty laugh drifted across, cutting through both the chatter and the hiss of the big, chrome coffee machine, as she poured all her attention onto Jed, who smiled his lazy smile. Jed’s dark gray eyes narrowed, pulling the knots in Noel’s stomach tight. Jed hadn’t noticed him come in, and if the woman had anything to do with it, Jed wouldn’t be noticing anything or anybody other than her as she leaned forward and whispered something in Jed’s ear.
Noel’s heart hitched, an involuntary response he quashed as quickly as it came. It didn’t surprise him to see Jed with a woman, because it had been that way for as long as Noel couldremember. It was just how it was, but knowing that didn’t soothe the sting that pricked deep in Noel’s chest. If Jed was at CC’s with a date, why had he sent him a text? If he backed away now, Jed wouldn’t see him… He could send a message, saying he couldn’t make it after all… He could?—
“Hey, Noel. What can I get you?”
Noel jumped as Cam, CC’s owner, leaned over the counter and fixed him with a warm and friendly smile.
“Arrgghh…”
“I take that to mean you’d like a Christmas cinnamon fudge hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows? I know how sweet your tooth is. And a pup cup for Peter, too, of course.” Cam set about making the drink before Noel could answer.
“Noel,” Jed called out, beckoning him over. Jed’s smile was as big and broad as the man himself, and totally fixed on him. “Come sit down.”
The woman glanced at Noel, offering a polite but cool smile as Jed pulled over a chair from an empty table.
“Hey, gorgeous boy.” Jed swooped Peter up into his arms, laughing as he tilted his head away from the dog’s over enthusiastic tongue.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Noel offered the woman a small smile as he shrugged off his coat at the same time she reached for hers.
“I have to leave anyway,” she said, throwing barely a glance Noel’s way before turning the full heat of her smile on Jed. “See you soon?” The woman swished her hair, flirtation in every move, leaving the way open for numbers to be exchanged, a date to be made. Noel fixed his smile in place. He’d seen this too many times to count, and every time the knots in his stomach always pulled tight. He should be used to this, but somehow he never was.
“Sure. See you around, Lauren,” Jed said, his attention already shifting back to Noel, who averted his eyes fromLauren’s tight, thin-lipped smile. The staccato click of heels was followed by the door closing with a hard thud.
“New girlfriend?” Noel couldn’t help but ask, his curiosity a thin veil for the jealousy he felt.
Jed chuckled, shaking his head. “Nah, she’s not my type. She came into Lucian’s a couple weeks ago. And keeps coming back. Says she’s into exotic plants and thought I could give her some tips. Glad you turned up, because I think she could be the human equivalent of a Venus flytrap.” Jed threw his head back and laughed. Noel smiled, and the tension in his stomach relaxed as he settled back into his seat.
“Here you go.” Cam placed the enormous cup that looked more like a soup tureen on the table, a takeout cup overflowing with the whipped cream pup cup, and a plate holding a large piece of brownie. “It’s on the house, as a thank you for fixing that problem with the coffee shop’s website.”
“It was just a simple thing—” Noel began, but Cam was already rushing back to the counter, where a line was forming.
“Let me sort out this little cutie.” Jed held out the pup cup for Peter, who was getting more of the airy cream on his nose than in his mouth.
