Page 37 of Meet Me at the Metro (Gildenhill #1)

37

DIRTY, DIRTY SANTA

E L L I E

T ime is always such a cruel, conniving thing when you’re seeking answers.

I’ve been an apprehensive, restless mess since the Chicago auditions nearly a month ago. In the past few weeks of December, I’ve been left to stew in my erratic thoughts, wondering if I blew all my chances of landing a role in the production. I’ve hoped and prayed that I haven’t. I need something to keep myself busy this spring. Need anything to keep my head from clouding with the fear John’s lured it into.

I blink and force those thoughts away. He doesn’t deserve a damn inch of my mind.

I remind myself of this as Connor and I make our way down the campus’s dated corridors. I distract myself with the golden-framed pictures lining its walls, admiring the depictions of pretty ballerinas in elegant tutus and the raw beauty of various musical instruments.

“You look nervous,” Connor says, nudging me back to reality.

“Because I am nervous.”

“Don’t be.”

“What if they didn’t even put me in the ensemble?”

“Then I’ll have something to say about it,” he smiles. “Seriously, Ellie, chin up. You’ve got a natural charm when you perform, slip-ups aside. They saw that.”

“They saw me trip and fall and royally screw up my audition. ”

“And even with all that, you still managed to be captivating. Stop worrying. Trust me on this one.”

Though, my heart is still racing with anxiety as we near the end of the hallway.

Straight ahead, on the festively decorated bulletin board, lies the answer I’ve been itching to know since my audition. I halt in my tracks, not finding the courage to figure it out.

“We could always come to check the cast list after the holidays?”

“So you can yap my ear off about it until well after boxing day?” He yanks me from my standstill. “Absolutely not!”

Connor’s not giving up as he drags me closer to the board, which is already crowded with students, so I cover my eyes and vehemently shake my head. “I can’t look.”

“Would you stop?”

I feel his body lean toward what I know is the cast list. Unlike the chattering students around us, he’s silent, and it’s absolute torture.

Connor sucks in a breath. “Ellie, look.”

“I didn’t make it, did I?”

“Open your damn eyes and figure out yourself.”

Reluctantly, I do. My arm is a death grip around Connor’s as my eyes skim the scattered names on the paper.

Chicago (2024) Cast List

Velma Kelly...... Michaela Jones

Roxie Hart...... Jessica Beckett

Amos Hart...... Connor Pearso n

Billy Flynn...... Harvey Webb

Matron Mamma Morton...... Tati Stevens

Ensemble:

Eleanor Mattice, Amira Bradley, Seth Hudson, Lucille Spencer, Brady Muir, Cole Vasquez, May Kent, Manisha Blackwell, Patricia Beard, Greg Storey, Esther Wu, Jacob Gardner, Ralph Hoffman

“Holy shit,” I breathe shakily.

“Is that a good holy shit or a bad one?”

“It’s a relieved holy shit,“ I laugh.

Not only is my name on the cast list, but it’s also void of John’s. The relief that follows that realization feels like the first breath you take when coming out of the water for air.

So far, it seems that Kimberley has kept her promise to keep him away—far, far away. For that, I can only find myself thankful.

Connor pulls me close as our eyes do a once-over of the cast list again. “You got Amos! I’m so proud of you. You’ll be perfect.”

“Thank you, Ellie. I’m sorry you didn’t get the role you were going for. You would have made the perfect Roxie.”

“Don’t be,” I smile, hoping it’s enough reassurance for him to celebrate his well-earned win. “The ensemble is going to be just as much fun. Honestly, I’m just happy to have gotten a part.” Connor’s eyes are still full of guilt, so I do what I can to divert the subject away from myself. “Harvey’s going to have a cow when he hears that he got Billy Flynn.”

“You going to text him and tell him?”

“Now, what fun would that be?”

“How are you going to break the good news then? ”

“By wrapping it in shiny paper and a big fat red bow,” I grin, the delight of the holidays warming my bones as we make our way out to the frost-bitten courtyard.

Somehow, even in the chill of December, the campus’s gardens still flourish. The beautiful flowers that once bloomed on its dark, deep green shrubs have been replaced by cool, dew drops and nets of warm white Christmas lights. Large, oversized ornaments in shades of white, gold, red, and green are scattered perfectly along the school ground’s frozen garden beds and grasses. White, decorative snowflake lights hang in the tall, wide window panes we pass.

As my eyes absorb all the festive sights, I have difficulty deciding which season I enjoy seeing Gildenhill’s beautiful, old-fashioned architecture in most.

While Connor and I walk along the slick, cobblestone pathways of campus, I ask, “Well, what about you? What are your plans for the holidays?”

“Not much,” he shrugs. “Sleep. Eat. Repeat. It’s always just mum and me now, so we never do much. We used to before—” he stops speaking before he completes the rest of that sentence. “Well, you know...”

I nod, even though I still don’t truly know what happened to Connor and Theo’s dad—I just know he’s gone. Neither of the brothers seems ready to say exactly what happened to him all those years ago, and I know better than to keep digging for the truth that neither of them is ready to confess just yet.

Connor swallows, trying to keep his expression void of the emotions I guarantee are pent up inside of him, but I notice the way he bites the inside of his lip—the way he blinks hard as if he’s trying not to recall that day.

“Come celebrate with us tonight,” I blurt, not thinking twice about it.

I don’t want him to spend the holiday without any friends. He deserves laughter with companions that will make his belly hurt and the intoxicating thrill of tearing open presents that hide under a Christmas tree.

“Where at? ”

“At the flat. Evie, Harvey, Theo, and I are throwing together a small party. We’re going to play Dirty Santa and blast Christmas music and drink until we can’t stand straight anymore. Come, please? It’ll be so much fun.”

“I don’t know,” he mutters, rubbing the back of his neck as if he’s suddenly growing shy. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“Evie will hardly think you’re intruding. She’ll have a boy to tease for the night. She’ll eat up every second.”

He chuckles. “She’s a mess.”

I grin. “Is that a yes?”

“No. Theo will probably have a very different opinion than Evie.”

“You two are going to have to reconcile eventually.”

“And you think tonight is a good night to start that?”

I shrug. “It’s as good of a night as any.”

“I don’t have a present to bring for the Dirty Santa ,” he says—as if it’s a proper argument.

“So we’ll stop on the way there and get one.” I grab his wrist and tug him with me before he can object any further.

“You’re pushy, you know that?”

“I know,” I snort, knowing Theo would share the same opinion.

We turn onto a main street, heading for the train station. Beautiful angels hover between the tall buildings lining each side of the busy city avenue, their white lit-up wings twinkling as they stretch wide over the taxi cab-congested road.

“You at least going to warn him that I’m coming?”

“I think he’ll take a surprise appearance better.”

Connor shakes his head vehemently. “Why do you think that?”

“Because he won’t have the time to throw a proper fit,” I tease, enjoying the brush of warm air against my shivering body as we pass a bustling bakery.

Connor closes his eyes incredulously. “It’ll be a Christmas miracle if he doesn’t.”

“Well, then, it’s a good thing I believe in those.”

As Connor and I step inside, Christmas music swells—well, blasts —within the flat. That, paired with the sweet, sugary smell of cookies and the holiday decorations placed haphazardly around the living room into the kitchen, brings an instantaneous smile to my face.

Evie and Harvey must not hear us enter over the loud, festive tunes because their backs stay turned to us, and their hands remain busy concocting what I can only imagine is a dangerously potent cocktail at the kitchen counter.

“Bloody hell, Evie!” Harvey gasps, tearing the bottle of vodka from her grasp. “You trying to kill us? You’re going to have us hungover for days!”

“IT’S MY JINGLE JUICE, HARV! ”

“The recipe said one part vodka, one part prosecco, and three parts cranberry juice!”

“THAT’S ONE PART TO ME! AND I DON’T FOLLOW RECIPES!”

“You’ll send us into acute liver failure!” He bumps her away with a swift swing of his hip. “Go tend to the pigs in a blanket, won’t you?”

“I’m about to tend to you,” she huffs, glaring at him.

“ Yeah, yeah. Eat a cookie and chill out.”

Evie flips Harvey the bird as she spins on her heel. The second she spots me, she gasps, “Ellie!”

When she finds Connor lingering behind me, her gaze turns feral, and her lips pull into a feline smile. “ You brought a toy. ”

“Is that what I am? Ellie, you said there’d be booze here, not children.”

“Silly of you to assume that only children like playing with toys,” Evie quips, licking her lips. There’s a glint of amusement in her dark eyes that makes me realize just how much she’s enjoying his provocation. “Don’t worry. I play nice— most of the time.”

Connor’s shoulders straighten at the innuendos laced in her words .

“Would you like a drink, Connor?” Evie asks, a taunting lilt in her voice.

“I’ll take a drink.”

“Then, I’ll take this,” Evie sings, snatching the bottle of vodka from Harvey. Connor follows her as she stalks to the other side of the kitchen and fetches shot glasses for the both of them.

“I got something special for you,” I say to Harvey, offering him the wrapped, thin gift I was hiding behind my back.

“We swore no extra gifts.”

“Open it, would you?”

He eagerly tears open the wrapping, revealing the simple piece of paper inside. He gasps as his eyes skim over it. “I got Billy?! Oh my God, I got Billy Flynn! ”

I wrap my arms around my friend, hugging him tightly. “I’m so proud of you!”

“Wait —what about you? Did you get Roxie?”

“No, but I made the ensemble.”

Harvey’s frown comes naturally. “I’m so sorry, Ellie. Are you sad?”

“I’m okay,” I say truthfully. I ladle myself up a generous helping of Jingle Juice and bring it to my lips. “Now, let’s toast!”

Connor and Evie cross the room with their full shot glasses.

With a pleasant grin, Harvey lifts his cup of the red, strong-smelling cocktail. “To what are we toasting to tonight, Miss Ellie-Jellie?”

“To making it into the spring production and winter break!”

“To Jingle Juice!” Evie squeals.

We’re all chuckling as we chant, “To Jingle Juice!”

The second I swallow back the bitter drink in my hands, my eyes are glancing around the flat. “Where’s Theo?”

The front door swings open with impeccable timing. Theo steps through the threshold, running his fingers through his damp, dark blonde hair as he kicks the door closed.

“About time you showed up,” I tease.

“Don't be a smart arse,” he mumbles, though his eyes soften as he strides toward me. My stomach summersaults as he gives me a sweet kiss, and when he pulls away, he's licking his lips and giving me an accusatory look. “You started without me!”

“I had one sip!”

“Bullshit! You taste like a lot more than one sip!”

I throw my hands up defensively. “I swear!”

“It’s Evie’s fault,” Harvey chuckles. “She nearly poured half a bottle of vodka into the Jingle Juice !”

“It tastes better that way!”

All too soon, the laughter in the room extinguishes. Theo stiffens when he finds his brother standing in the kitchen. Thankfully, Connor’s helping himself to the cookies and not paying us any attention.

“What’s he doing here?” Theo grumbles.

“I invited him,” I say, wearing a sheepish smile. “I thought it could be fun.”

“You thought it could be fun?”

“Yes… Besides, Dirty Santa is so much better when more people are playing.”

Theo’s eyes glance back to the kitchen for a brief moment. Connor gives him a cordial nod, and the muscle in Theo’s jaw softens— just a little.

“It’s just one night,” I assure him. “Drink some Jingle Juice and be amiable.”

He scoffs. “ Amiable .”

“Pretty please, babe.” I pout out my lower lip for emphasis.

“Fine,” he sighs grumpily. “But, amiably , I’m not talking to him.”

“Who’s the smart ass, now?”

“Still you,” he counters, giving my ass a good smack before he stomps for the kitchen. “Where’s the damn Jingle Juice ?”

After hours and at least seven helpings of Jingle Juice , Theo finally starts to relax with Connor’s presence in the room, though he’s kept his promise… He hasn’t uttered a word to his stepbrother.

Christmas music is still blasting from a Bluetooth speaker in the kitchen as we all gather cozily around the living room, which is cast in a warm, colorful glow from the Christmas lights strung lazily along the walls. I settle myself on the floor between Theo’s legs, soaking in the warmth of his body and the soft rattle of his chest, when Evie spews another absurd joke for the group to hear.

“Okay, so we all understand how Dirty Santa works?” Harvey asks, glancing around the circle of us. “We all pick a number from the hat. In numerical order, we’ll pick an unopened present or steal one from someone else. Whoever’s lucky enough to draw one will get the final call. They’ll either keep the gift they got or swap it with someone else. Clear enough?”

We all nod and grab a small, folded piece of paper from the hat in his grasp.

Theo’s got his arm slung around me, so I watch as he unfolds his and reveals the ink-scribbled number inside.

“ One?!” I exclaim, drawing myself up on my knees to face him. “No freaking fair!”

“Is too fair.” He nods to the paper in my hands, smirking like a damn Cheshire cat. “Go on, then. Let’s see yours.”

Reluctantly, I unfold the paper, all my hope dwindling when I read the number I received out loud. “ Five.”

Theo laughs. He actually freaking laughs.

“Don’t you dare patronize me,” I hiss, narrowing my eyes at him. “I call a redraw!”

Harvey laughs. “No redraws. We play this fair and square.”

“Yeah, baby. Fair and square,” Theo taunts. “Amiably.”

“ Fuck you ,” I whisper into his ear before plopping back down between his legs.

“Later, baby,” he says against my neck, his voice low and gruff.

I snatch the beer bottle out of his hands and steal a few gulps, hoping it’s enough to quell the goosebumps coursing along my skin.

When the order of draws is established, Theo is the first to pull from the small bundle of presents beneath our small Christmas tree. He brushes golden tinsel out of his hair as he returns to our comfortable corner and unwraps his gift.

“ What the— ”

In one hand, he dangles a lacy pair of hot pink panties between his fingers while he fiddles with the buttons on the black, palm-sized remote control they came with in the other. A buzz emanates from the risque lingerie, and we all bust out laughing.

“ Remote-controlled vibrating panties?! Evie, what the actual fuck!”

“ Evie?! How do you know that it was me?”

“Because who fucking else would it be,” Theo laughs, examining the underwear further. “Bloody hell, these things wouldn’t make it past my calves!”

“I’m starting to think someone chose their present for themselves,” Connor teases.

She winks at him. “Want to test them out?”

Connor ignores her baiting with a bashful shake of his head.

It was entertaining to see their personalities interact with one another. Where one was unapologetically extroverted and blunt, the other possessed a subtle reserve. Watching them intertwine was like watching a dance you couldn’t seem to peel your eyes away from.

We continue taking turns choosing or stealing gifts until there’s only one left beneath the tree, and I’m the only one in the group without one.

Scrambling on my knees, I snatch up the polka-dotted wrapped present waiting to be chosen. Everyone’s eyes are set on me as I tear open the box beneath the wrapping.

“It’s a Polaroid camera!” I shriek, frantically assessing the beautiful, bright yellow camera now in my hands. “I’ve wanted one of these for so long!”

“Ehem .” Theo pokes my side and waves the novelty underwear in my face. “I still get one more turn, Nora. Remember?”

I clutch my present tighter, guarding it beneath my arms as I send him a threatening glare. “ Don’t you dare. ”

“But you see, these things are useless to me…”

“Don’t mess with me.”

“And if I choose the camera–”

“ Theodore Pearson .”

–I’d be able to capture the look on your face when I steal it from you. ”

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep my smile from slipping. “You do this, and I swear, you’ll never see me in a pair of panties again. Is that clear?”

Evie cackles. “She’s driving a hard bargain here, mate.”

I narrow my eyes at him, but he returns the same menacing stare, and I’m confident he’s not going to back down from this that easily.

The thing is, neither am I.

“You’re about to turn this game into a war, soldier.”

Theo cocks his head to the side and smugly smiles. “Are you threatening me?”

“I’m promising you.”

His eyes turn feral as he starts to rise to his feet. “Give me that camera, Nora.”

Connor chuckles. “Ellie, you better run.”

Theo lunges for me, and I roll, dodging him quickly as I tightly grip the camera and do what my friend advises. I leap over shreds of wrapping paper scattered along the floor and race toward the kitchen.

Theo’s feet are stomping so loud and swiftly behind me that I can’t help but squeal. “It’s mine, babe!”

“Not anymore, it’s not!”

He stretches his arm out to grab me by the bottom hem of my shirt, but I lurch away from his hand and scramble around the kitchen table, granting myself a momentary barricade.

I’m heaving for air as Theo faces me from the other side. He doesn’t seem to have broken a lick of sweat. He places his large palms flush against the wooden table and leans his tall, massive body toward me with a wicked grin.

He’s so close, I can feel his hot breaths, and suddenly, I realize I’ve done something very, very stupid.

I’ve cornered myself.

“Give it up, Nora.”

“I won’t!”

“Oh, but you will. ”

I assess my surroundings, debating my next move, but Theo’s body isn’t budging an inch, and I can’t find an out. That is until I see the small space beneath the table beckoning me.

“Like hell, I will!”

Theo lunges for me again, but this time, I duck, moving as swiftly as a snake as I slither my way underneath the table and crawl for the living room.

“Grab her!” Theo commands.

The flat is filled with boisterous laughter as Evie, Connor, and Harvey charge for me.

“We play fair and square, Ellie,” Harvey giggles, tackling me to the ground. I squirm beneath his arms as they swaddle me in an inescapable hold.

Connor and Evie share a menacing glance between one another before they work in tandem, grabbing hold of my legs and stealing away my ability to kick—to move at all—as Theo happily steps over my restrained body.

“I’m never forgiving you guys!” I cry out, face hot as embers from laughing so hard.

Connor snickers. “Sure you will.”

I glare at Theo’s towering figure as it reaches down and pries the Polaroid camera from my hands. “You’re going to regret this.”

“I don’t think I will,” he counters, reaching for his gift on the floor.

With a press of a button and a fling of his wrist, he tosses the vibrating garment onto my chest. Then, he’s peering at me through the camera’s lens and blinding me with its bright flash. A humming fills the air as a polaroid film reels out of the pretty, yellow present I once called mine.

He wafts the small, developing photo through the air satirically, offering me a charming wink.

“This should develop nicely.”