Page 115 of Under the Mistletoe with You

‘Nash.That was a very silly idea,’ Christopher softly admonishes.

‘Perhaps, but if I hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have been roped into this Christmas-movie-come-to-life, would I?’

There’s so much else he could say here, words that sit on the tip of his tongue but that he refuses to acknowledge.If he hadn’t come, they wouldn’t have met, and while Nash is stilltrying to work out what that means for him, he knows it isn’t nothing.And that scares him a little.

‘Speaking as someone who is truly terrible at talking about things,’ Christopher says slowly, ‘I think you should probably talk to Kurt about it.’

‘I know,’ he says, his voice quieter than he expected.‘I’ve spent the last, like, decade and a half of my life always pushing forward, looking for the next thing and hustling for more work.It feels against my nature to stop and say, actually this isn’t it, especially when so many people’s employment is linked to this deal.’

‘Like Kurt’s?’

‘Well, yeah, he does get some money from my work.’

‘Well, I’m sure he’d rather that money came from something youwantedto do, rather than something you were doing just for him.Don’t you think?Doesn’t he get a say in it?’

Nash narrows his eyes.‘You know, it’s quite annoying when you’re so unusually perceptive.’

‘Am I not usually?’

Nash makes a teasinghmmmnoise, and Christopher tickles him.Heactuallytickles him, and he can’t help but laugh.All the pent-up anxiety flowing out of him as he tries to escape the gangliest man alive.‘Please, no more!’

‘Only if you’re going to talk to Kurt about it.’

‘Sure, but after Christmas.I have some boundaries.’

Christopher lets him go, and Nash feels the cool air rush in where Christopher’s touch leaves him.Christopher yawns and stretches his body out in a way that reminds Nash of the puppies.

‘We should get some sleep.We’ve got another full-on day tomorrow.’

Christopher starts launching into sleepy scheduling for the next day, and Nash shushes him with a hand over his lips.

‘Shush.I’m already starting to regret it,’ Nash says.

‘What are you going to do?Hide?Shaz is like a bloodhound.She’ll find you.’

‘Nah, I was thinking something more sophisticated like turning the truck into a teleportation machine.I’ve probably got enough time if I get started now.’

‘You could just make it your Christmas Wish.’

‘My what?’

‘Oh.It’s a Calloway tradition.Kit and I would always make a wish at midnight on Christmas Eve, like on a star in the sky or the one on the tree if it was too cloudy to see any.’

‘Is it like a birthday wish?One of those you-can’t-tell-people-or-it-won’t-come-true situations?’

‘Yeah, I suppose so.’

‘I can’t believe you didn’t come up with any new wish rules.That’s very unimaginative.’

‘Oh sorry,’ Christopher scoffs.‘I’ll use that teleportation truck to go back and tell five-year-old us that we need to do a second draft.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous, Calloway, you’re talking about a time travel machine.That’s something completely different.’

‘Now look who is being a nerd.’

What a funny man he is.Who would have ever guessed that such a buttoned-up man would hold onto his childhood traditions quite so tightly.But then, Christopher definitely has some kind of whimsical, childlike side, what with the Paddington Bear, the gingerbread houses, and his general love of bickering.

In a swift move, Nash stands up on the bed, opening the curtains for the skylight above it.The sky above is deep navy peppered with silver, and a bright shining moon fills the bedroom with soft light.