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Chapter 8
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2024-12-04 08:56:27Related chapters
Meet-Cute Me Under the Mistletoe Chapter 9
Holly The day started with a dream. I was standing in front of the biggest Christmas tree in town, the one in the center of the square, right outside the city courthouse. It looked a lot like the tree from the Santa Claus Ball. It was decorated with the same giant intricate Christmas balls, silver tinsel, and beautiful vintage ornaments. Red bows were tied all over it, and a giant crystal star shone at the top of the tree.This time, the mistletoe seemed to be floating in the sky. I was admiring it, and it began to snow. The snow was almost blue, and it sparkled as if enshrouded in magic. Then, something caused me to turn around. I came face-to-face with a man dressed in a red velvet suit, but his face was covered with a mask. When he spoke there was no sound, but I felt my heart begin to race as he leaned in toward me and gently placed a hand on my cheek. Just like that night, I rose up on my tiptoes and met the mystery man’s lips. I recalled the way I got so lost in it that it fe
Last Updated : 2024-12-04Meet-Cute Me Under the Mistletoe Chapter 10
*Patrick*I wasn’t sure whether or not I wanted to admit that our outing was a date, but the longer we were together, the more it felt like it. I had found Holly especially beautiful tonight with her long auburn hair curled and her green eyes shining brightly with surprise. She had worn such a cute expression when I put the sash over her head and set the grad cap gently atop her hair. And when she thought that was all but the whole restaurant starting singing to her, the pink color of her cheeks alone warmed me, though the smile she wore really tugged at my heartstrings. I wondered if something else like this had ever been done for her before. When we talked about Christmas and shared some of our favorite memories, I felt like we could talk forever. And when we rode in the truck to the movie in silence, I wasn’t uncomfortable. I didn’t feel the pressure to keep up the conversation like I had felt in other situations. I hadn’t really known my intentions when I asked her if I could pl
Last Updated : 2024-12-04Meet-Cute Me Under the Mistletoe Chapter 11
*Holly* Now that we were just two weeks from Christmas, the bookstore was getting crazy busy. And since I was done with school, I had started working longer hours. But it would be short lived. I had planned to make it through the holiday season with my bookstore job. I wasn’t rude enough to quit at peak busy season. But I’d just gotten confirmation this morning that I’d been accepted for a position as a teacher’s aide that I would start at the beginning of the year, after Christmas vacation was over. It was only a few weeks away. When I applied for that job one of those restless nights a couple weeks ago, I didn't think they’d take me. I was too fresh out of college, and I was only twenty-one. But I supposed my parents had taught me to be responsible since I was young and I’d been so dedicated to my studies that I never got in the habit of nonsense, so that probably made me seem more mature to most people. Now, I was excited for it. I had something to look forward
Last Updated : 2024-12-04Meet-Cute Me Under the Mistletoe Chapter 12
*Patrick*I was excited to receive another call from Holly. She’d just asked about the gingerbread house thing, so I wondered what else she wanted to do with me. I found myself hoping that she’d ask me on another date. I knew I could ask her too, but guys were allowed to get excited for the woman to take charge once in a while.“Holly!” I answered, probably too cheerfully. “Hey,” she said. Her voice was strained, without its usual lightness. My heart sank. Was she canceling? “What’s up?” I asked. I knew jumping to conclusions was never the route to go. “Have you seen your ex lately?” she asked. It was like someone dropped a brick into my stomach. “Emily? She paid me a visit yesterday.” I gulped, not knowing whether I wanted to know the answer to my next question or not. “Why’s that?”Holly was quiet for a moment, and that stirred up some discomfort in my chest. “Holly?” I asked, hoping to prompt her along. “She paid me a visit, too,” she said. I was shocked. “What? When?”Holly
Last Updated : 2024-12-04Meet-Cute Me Under the Mistletoe Chapter 13
*Holly*Something in my gut was telling me to go for it with Patrick. I really enjoyed his company, I felt like I could talk to him forever, and he most definitely wasn’t bad to look at. Sure, he had a little baggage as did anyone, and Emily was a pretty big piece of baggage, but all in all, I didn’t find a single reason why he couldn’t potentially be better than my velvet-suited mystery man. At least, it wasn’t unreasonable to continue hanging out with him. Right?I was honestly surprised and proud that I had asked him to join me at the gingerbread house building event. But after talking to him some more at the toy drive and finding out that he loved Christmas almost as much as me, I thought it would be better to ask him than to drag along Abigail, who would say yes but drag her feet, or to even attempt to get Gretchen to pull herself away from her boyfriend long enough. Patrick and I were alike in that aspect, and that excited me. And… after the date, of course, especially after he
Last Updated : 2024-12-04Meet-Cute Me Under the Mistletoe Chapter 14
*Patrick* I had a great time talking to Holly. She made me feel light and carefree. And our shared love of Christmas just made our time together so easy and natural. Plus, I was really starting to see her beauty. Maybe thoughts of the mystery woman had me distracted, because Holly really was quite beautiful. I loved the way her hair fell over her shoulders, the way her green eyes brightened. I loved the faint appearance of freckles splattered over her nose and the shape of her lips. Then there was that sneaky little dimple. I loved catching sight of it when she let go of a big smile. After we’d cleaned up the community center from the gingerbread building event, I found myself wanting to hang out with her a little while longer. So I decided to throw caution to the wind and just do it. “What are you doing tonight?” I asked her. She seemed a little shocked by my question. “Oh, I was just going to go home,” she said. I didn’t think that was a passive remark about actually wanting to
Last Updated : 2024-12-04Meet-Cute Me Under the Mistletoe Chapter 15
*Holly*I was practically floating like a snowflake on the wind in the morning, still high off of my winter night walk with Patrick. I was so touched that he felt comfortable enough to open up to me about his family. He had had a tough time losing all of these people who were so important to him. It was so gut-wrenchingly beautiful that he’d maintained such a bright outlook on life and such a cheery disposition in spite of these major losses. I couldn't imagine what it would be like. I still had both of my parents and all my grandparents. It just didn't seem fair. But I was amazed by Patrick. I looked up to him in that regard. He was truly a great guy.Then there was that moment we almost kissed. At least, it really seemed like that was what was about to happen, before the kids in the park started whooping and hollering, anyway.As I worked through the morning, I thought about that night. I wondered what made him want to be so vulnerable with me. I wondered how we could have connecte
Last Updated : 2024-12-04Meet-Cute Me Under the Mistletoe Chapter 16
*Patrick*It had been a few days since Emily’s embarrassing scene in the bookstore. Every time I saw her, her behavior got uglier and greener and more obsessive. I just couldn't believe I had ever thought she was a good person and the right woman for me. I was angry at myself for being so blind for so long.Not only was it taxing and annoying for me, but now it was affecting other people I cared about, too, like Holly, for instance. She hadn't called me and she wasn't answering my text messages. I didn't want to suffocate her with pressure to be around me after that ordeal, but I was worried that she was slipping away.We were getting along so well. She was so kind and lovely. And while I once thought the same about Emily, I felt I was grown enough now to be a better judge of character. At least I hoped I was. I wondered if I should talk to Andrew about it. He had met her that night we volunteered at the park. Maybe he could confirm that she was just as sweet as I thought.And if she
Last Updated : 2024-12-04
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Meet-Cute Me Under the Mistletoe Chapter 25
*Holly*I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect Christmas. Usually, it was just me and my parents out at their house making cookies and watching Christmas movies. But this year, we had a couple of extra people to celebrate with. Early that morning, Patrick picked me up at home. This time, he gave me a twenty minute warning for his arrival so I had plenty of time to get dressed. It helped that I was already awake anyway. The excitement and anticipation of the day woke me up with the sun, so I had all of the time in the world. I ran out to his truck as soon as he pulled in the driveway, not even giving him the chance to be a gentleman and come to the door. He got out anyway and greeted me with a warm kiss that made my heart flutter. He opened the passenger side door for me and picked up Carol to put her in my lap. “You’re ready early,” Patrick said. I shrugged nonchalantly. “You know. It’s just my favorite day of the year and all, so I’m not really excited or anything.”He laughed
Meet-Cute Me Under the Mistletoe Chapter 24
*Patrick* Mistletoe Mountain’s Christmas Eve party never seemed special before. I hadn’t actually been to it since my parents died. Before that, I was young and I generally had fun, but I didn’t fully appreciate it until I went with Holly. When I was dating Emily, she always insisted that I use Christmas Eve as a vacation day. She didn’t work, of course, and I always ended up just following her around shopping or whatever she felt like doing. I would see pictures that friends shared on social media and I would be interested in going. But even when I asked Emily if we could go, she would just say that she already made plans for us out of town or something. With some distance from her now, I was actually free to do what I wanted. And I’d found someone I shared common interests with, someone I had fun with, someone I could confide in. She was someone… magical. And I didn’t intend to let her think otherwise ever again. Honestly, it was more than magical that I’d found Holly. It was a
Meet-Cute Me Under the Mistletoe Chapter 23
*Holly*The last few days had been a wild ride. But Glen and Pam confirmed that Emily was officially sent off to work at one of their companies on the coast. I was relieved, but the biggest weight was lifted off Patrick. He was like a whole new man. When I first met him, I thought he was lighthearted and cool and kind, but now, he was even more so. And those times he’d been a little flirty with me were just the tip of the iceberg. The man was the definition of suave. But mostly, it was the light in his eyes that shined the brightest. The blue in them became iceberg-clear. It was like a mirror of peace and happiness when I looked into them. I caught myself slipping into them again and again. After the Emily ordeal, we’d had a couple of days of work to put under our belts, but it was officially the day before Christmas Eve, and it was time for the biggest festival of the whole season. It was even grander than the Santa Claus Ball. Instead of being localized at the auditorium, the part
Meet-Cute Me Under the Mistletoe Chapter 22
*Patrick* “I have to say I didn’t expect you to call me,” Emily said. It hadn’t been easy, but I had called her to meet, saying we could talk over dinner. I asked her to meet me at the place of our first date, a little retro diner with plastic booth seats and red barstools. She showed up all dressed up like usual, her dark hair straightened so it fell just so over her shoulders and down her back. She wore red lipstick that drew attention to her full lips, and her eyes were winged with eyeliner that she thought made her look catty in all the right ways. She even wore a mini skirt, but at least she had enough sense to wear tights underneath. She was certainly trying to win me over with her looks.I shrugged and gestured for her to sit on one side of the booth. I sat across from her and folded my hands together on top of the table. “I gave it a lot of thought, and I decided to take you seriously,” I told her. She smirked. “I thought you might have reconsidered since you decided to br
Meet-Cute Me Under the Mistletoe Chapter 21
*Holly*A few days later, I felt a little strange, I had to admit, going to a diner with my love interest and his ex-girlfriend's parents. It felt like I had crossed some kind of line, but Patrick assured me that despite Emily’s behavior, her parents were good people. We could trust them, and they might be our last bit of hope at getting her to leave us alone.I let Patrick lead me by the hand into the restaurant. He laced his fingers naturally through mine, and I wondered if his heart wasn’t going as crazy as I felt. He was so casual about it, but this was the first time we’d held hands like this.And my heart was beating anxiously on top of that. We’d just made it to the table where Emily’s parents were waiting for us. The two of them looked kind enough. The lady was probably nearing fifty, and she wore her hair short and dyed a mahogany red color. She donned a pair of bit pearl earrings on her ears and a matching pearl necklace around her neck. The man’s hair was short and thinning
Meet-Cute Me Under the Mistletoe Chapter 20
*Patrick*I almost couldn’t contain my excitement as soon as I saw Holly. She looked lovely as ever with her long hair curled into waves. But her eyes looked a little duller than usual, more earthy and dry than like a bright emerald. I wanted to go to her, but as soon as she saw me, she turned away. At that moment it felt like someone had gut-punched me. She definitely saw me, and she definitely ignored me, too. I remembered what my aunt Louise had told me about giving her space while still letting her know I cared and wanted to see her when she was ready. I supposed she got the flowers when she went to work, but maybe she didn’t like them. Maybe she needed more time.So throughout our caroling tour, I kept my eye on her. I tried to sneak in, but her friends had barricaded her off. I closed in after the first couple of songs, and when her friend on the left side got hung up chatting with her boyfriend about the archway in someone’s yard, I used the moment to get next to her. Holly s
Meet-Cute Me Under the Mistletoe Chapter 19
*Holly*The morning was fresh with new-fallen snow. I wasn’t due to go to work until ten o’clock, so I spent my morning drinking hot cocoa and trying to read. But I couldn’t focus on the book, and my hot cocoa didn’t taste as sweet as usual. I didn’t even eat the whole first round of marshmallows. I hated to admit it, but I felt like my holiday spirit had been sucked dry. Maybe occasionally in the past, I would feel this way for a day or two because I felt like the world was too far beyond repair, or because I’d had a fight with my roommate back at college. Maybe once I had a crisis trying to decide if what I was going to school for was really what I wanted to do. Of course, I got over all of those. But this time, the nagging feeling of apathy was just hanging around far too long. Even Abigail was at a loss, and she was always the one to find a way to cheer me up. I’d never been lovesick before, and I wondered if this might be what it was like. I knew I needed to get over it. It wa
Meet-Cute Me Under the Mistletoe Chapter 18
*Patrick*I was starting to get particularly worried. It had been a full week since I heard anything substantial from Holly. I messaged her every day at least once, but the most I had heard back since Emily came to her workplace was that she was too busy to meet or check her phone often. I didn't quite believe it, but I gave her some space anyway. Something about the situation had caused her to pull away, not that I could blame her.But I maintained a little bit of hope. There was a kids’ Christmas craft event that we had talked about. We both had already planned to go to it, and I hoped I would see her there. Maybe I could get her to talk to me or at least listen. I had spoken to Emily’s parents and I was sure they were on my side. I knew if Holly would only give me a little bit more time, I could get rid of Emily and we could pick up right where we left off. I could seal that kiss that got interrupted. I could return her scarf and tell her I thought she was beautiful and amazing an
Meet-Cute Me Under the Mistletoe Chapter 17
*Holly*I felt bad for being curious. I had decided it wasn't my place, that it was better if I just left Patrick alone. But when I got a text message from a random number saying that Emily and Patrick were together in front of his house, my curiosity got the best of me. Were they fighting? Were they ending it for real? Could I possibly stop ignoring him and get back to hanging out with him like I really wanted?It was such a shame. I really wanted the best for Patrick. While I knew Emily’s problems had nothing to do with me, I could tell my involvement was just making things worse. I figured it would be better for everyone to get over this if I would just step back for a while. And then maybe later on–just maybe–I could start seeing him again when she had finally stopped. So I tugged on a sweater and a hat and slipped on my boots. I found Abigail standing in the kitchen, snacking on a bag of chips.“Abbi,” I said.She almost jumped out of her socks, flinging a few chips across the s
