This evening has been (Been hoping that you'd dropped in)
So very nice (I'll hold your hands they're just like ice)
-Baby it's Cold Ouside by Idina Menzel and Michael Buble

Friday 30 November
16 days left in Operation Mistletoe


"I can't believe we're here." Courtney squealed as we entered the dimly lit, dive like bar that some less than adept colleague had chosen for the get together that night.

"I can't believe we're here either." I acquiesced eying the sparse Christmas decorations that looked like they were from the 80s.

"Come on it'll be fun." Courtney bugged turning her piercing gaze on me.

With a shrug, I slung my purse onto the scratched bar and tried to remember if I even knew any of the other people there. In the dim light, all of the faces seemed to sort of blend together in a kind of dull, drab mediocracy. The only people were loud and somewhat obnoxious was a group of boys I, unfortunately, recognised from having the misfortune of sitting with them several days earlier.

"You get dragged here too?" The voice had a familiar rumble to it, and I had to fight to keep a calm look on my face as I turned to face him.

"My friend Courtney can be rather insistent," I said with a smile gesturing him to take the seat next to me.

As Louis slid onto one of the bar stools, he let out a deep throaty chuckle, "Oh, I know Courtney she sent me a tie clip randomly for Christmas last year. I'm afraid its Kristin that dragged me."

Louis pointed across the bar to a petite female who was in rapt conversation with Courtney. I just nodded and chuckled.

"Yeah Court may have really liked you, and you didn't hear that from me."

Louis made a cross gesture across his chest.

"Cross my heart, and I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Louis."

It was all I could do from not stating ‘I know' instead I just shook his offered hand his grip firm and warm.

"Riley," I offered.

Louis looked as if he was about to say something when the horrible backfeed of a microphone echoed across the small space. We both turned to look to find Courtney and Kristen on the small dark stage drinks in hand. The two of them couldn't have been even tipsy yet, but they were giggling uncontrollably while attempting to set up some machine .

"Hello everyone! We thought it was kind of quiet in here but thankfully Mr. Henderson here has permitted us to do karaoke. So stop being such sticks in the mud and let's get carolling."

Kristin finished her little tirade by thrusting her cup in the air and stumbling forward slightly.

"Well, I should probably go help her down." Louis said with a smile, "it was nice to meet you."

I managed to mumble a ‘you too' as my eyes tracked Louis across the bar. Noting the placement of his hands on Kristin's lower back and the smiles and whispers exchanged between them. I knew that I had no right to be jealous, I knew that my crush on Louis was unfounded admiration, but I still felt my stomach roll. Between my stomach, the warmth of too many people in a small room and the fact that Courtney was gesturing me towards the karaoke machine I knew that I needed a bit of air.

With the warmth of the rest of my drink tingling in my gut, I headed out into the cold air foolishly leaving my coat at the bar. The air outside was crisp with the smell of fresh snow, and my breath puffed out like dragon smoke as I shifted back and forth to keep warm. Still, the biting air was better than a night of horrible karaoke and watching Louis and his girlfriend.

"Hey."

The voice was so soft that I nearly missed it while brushing snow off of a bench across the street from the bar. Looking up, I saw a mop of unruly hair and a shy smile that it took me a second to recognise. Giving him a small tight smile, I just nodded.

"I was wondering if we could talk? I have a couple questions about the ski resorts, you know…." He just kind of trailed off with a nervous look like I was going to say no.

"Sure what are your questions?" I asked sitting down on the bench and offering him a seat.

The look that crossed the boy's face was a mix of confusion and surprise. Instead of answering my question he started to pace slightly, his hands deep in his pockets. Because he was now standing, I noted that he was a lot taller than I thought he was towering over my 5'4'' frame. Stopping he let out a deep breath that was quickly whisked away in the slight breeze followed by a shrug

"I don't know, I kind of just wanted an excuse to talk to you." He said slowly so quiet I nearly missed it.

I suppose I should have been flattered. But the emotions from Louis had still not entirely made their way to the back of my mind. So I didn't know how to respond instead giving him a long look as he shifted nervously in front of me.

"Why?" I asked not knowing what else to say.

There was that shrug again, attempting to seem nonchalant while seeming to hide something.

"I don't know," he said taking a seat next to me, "I think I'm just sick of Carter and all his crap tonight and you were nice the other day."

The boy crammed himself into the side of the bench like he didn't want to infringe upon some kind of personal space bubble. It just meant that his lanky limbs ended up splayed all over the place as he attempted to lounge on the end of the bench. The sight was kind of funny, and I'm ashamed to admit that I let out a slight giggle.

"What?" He asked.

"You know you can actually sit next to me?"

The boy just stood again shifting back on forth on the balls of his feet. He looked like he didn't know whether to sit back down again or run back inside.

"I just can't get comfortable ever on benches," he admitted, "do you want to go for a walk by chance?"

He finished his question with a nod towards the park down the street. And something about him, be it his quirkiness or the finally genuine smile he had on his face had me standing up from the bench.

"Lead the way."

---

Harry was surprisingly good company, even if it did take him three blocks to realise we'd never been introduced. I'll admit he was quirky; he never seemed able to stand still always moving and fidgeting. But it might just have been that he had insistently loaned me his coat, so I was now wrapped in the smell of pine and musk.

"So what's your favourite…..movie?" Harry asked.

We'd fallen in a game of sorts of questions with the unspoken rules that we'd answer whatever the other person asked. It was a somewhat useful get to know you method, especially since all the questions were rather silly.

"Who even has an answer to that," I exclaimed earning what I had named a ‘Harry shrug, "well I can't pick one but I suppose for old movies probably ‘some like it hot' and for modern movies ‘prestige.'"

"Prestige?" Harry said questioningly turning his gaze to me.

"Have you never heard of it? Christopher Nolan movie? Two competing magicians?"

Harry just shook his head shoving his hands deeper into the pockets. His hair covered in snow as he kept vainly trying to get the frozen strands out of his face.

"So what are your Christmas plans?" I asked out of curiosity.

Harry paused slightly almost reeling. I had hit upon a sore spot without meaning to. His face contorted in thought probably thinking of excuses on how to get out of answering the question.

"It's kind of cold yeah?" He offered awkwardly a blatant attempt to change the subject.

The conversation had stalled, the wheels of easy conversing grinding to a slow halt. And I wasn't sure how to fix it, sending sidelong glances at him. I had pushed past a kind of invisible wall I hadn't meant to, and there was a kind of haunted look on Harry's face I just wanted to go away.

"Do you want your coat back?" I asked not sure what else to say as I started to unsling it from my shoulders. Since he kept directing his attention anywhere but at me, I wasn't even sure if he wanted to be talking to me anymore.

"No, no." Harry insisted his large hands were stopping me with fingers the temperature of ice.

I don't know why I did it other than I was acting on impulse but half a second later Harry's hands were in mine. My fingers traced soft circles across his fingers in a vain attempt to bring warmth to them. Harry had gone stiff as a board his eyes locked on our intertwined hands like he didn't know what to do.

"Your hands are freezing!" I exclaimed feeling the need to defend my actions.

"I'll be fine," Harry said gruffly pulling his hands from mine lightly.

His rejection was confusing, but I supposed kind of justified since I had been the one to invade his space and his privacy. So I just shook my head and turned to head out of the park and back towards the party.

"Sorry," I muttered as I took a step lost for words.

Turning back, I saw Harry standing there stiff as a statue just staring at his hands. So, taking his coat from my shoulders, I just stood on my tiptoes and wrapped it back around his shoulders. It took several steps before a hand gripped my wrist the pressure firm as Harry turned me forcefully back to him.

"Riley," Harry muttered almost as an afterthought as his other hand found my chin and his lips found mine. His lips were cold and tasted vaguely of peppermint, and I was too much in shock to do more than stand there. I think Harry noticed cause he pulled away a second later with a look on his face like he had just made the biggest mistake in the world.

"Harry…." I said slowly unsure of how to express everything to him.

But he must have sensed it in my tone as his hands dropped to his sides fidgeting nervously. "I know," He finally said before giving me a tight-lipped smile, turning, and walking away.

So it was Harry who left me standing like a statue in the middle of the park as his back retreated into the streetlights. I honestly didn't know what to think. Harry was more attractive than first impressions had hinted at, but he was quite simply not my type. I honestly couldn't say why.

With a deep breath, my only option was to walk briskly and blindly back towards the bar hoping that I remembered what direction it was. I must have spent fifteen minutes walking in a stupor through the snow before I managed to catch a glimpse of the neon. The bar's warmth was a welcome as my clothes were now most of the way soaked through.

"There you are!" Courtney exclaimed as I reached the bar, "I saw your coat, but I couldn't find you."

"I just went for a walk." I shrugged.

"Without your coat…" Courtney stated sceptically.

"I see it's still snowing," Louis said coming up beside me a welcome distraction even though my heart still held a slightly bitter tone.

"You knew she left?" Courtney asked looking between the two of us.

"I saw her leave." Louis offered, "don't worry you didn't miss much other than several I'm sure heartfelt attempts at Winter Wonderland."

I just smiled and shook my head trying to let the people around me pull me from my confusion, "sounds horrible."

"It was," Louis stated, "they haven't had anyone decent up yet, but Courtney here tells me that you sing. Care to join me?"

I opened my mouth before looking at Courtney with a glare. Part of the reason I had left in the first place was to avoid this very situation. So with a deep breath, I turned to look for a way to get out of it. My supposed answer I found in Kristen who sat at the edge of a couch listening to an obviously uninteresting conversation.

"Isn't this something you should do with your girlfriend?" I asked trying to keep the bitterness out of my voice.

Confusion once again washed through me as I saw a glance go between Louis and Courtney twinkling through their blue eyes. Courtney followed my gaze before the two of them burst into laughter. I could only glance between the two of them. Louis shook his head before turning to me a broad smile across his face.

"Kristen is my sister," He said, and I nearly wanted to die out of embarrassment, "she saw the invite on my table and made me come to be social tonight. So, will you sing with me?"

I looked at Courtney who just smiled sweetly at me. She knew she could have gotten me out of all the embarrassment and the horrendous shade of pink my cheeks were. Sending her a glare I turned to Louis.

"I don't know what Courtney told you, but I don't sing."

"I call your family the Brooks family singers," Cortney scoffed, "of course you sing. You're just a chicken."

"I am not!" I exclaimed.

"Then sing with me," Louis said with a mischievous grin.

Knowing that I was fighting a battle, I was going to lose. I followed Louis up to the small stage. A seasonal worker from the makeup section was finishing a somewhat tone-deaf rendition of ‘All I want for Christmas is you' so when we stepped on stage, there was an almost audible sigh of relief.

"Do you know this one?" Louis asked, and I just nodded. I knew most Christmas songs by heart.

As the soft piano started to play, I made the mistake of scanning the room. Harry had returned since had left before me, but instead of turning towards the stage like his friends he was looking pointedly at the bar. I nearly missed the opening lines of the song Louis' nudge getting me to turn back towards him. His face was concerned as we started to sing and it was the only thing I was going to let myself focus on.

I ought to say, no, no, no sir (mind if I move in closer?)
At least I'm gonna say that I tried (what's the sense in hurtin' my pride?)

As the song progressed, the smile returned to Louis' face. And probably thinking that I had stage fright his gaze never left mine. So, the rest of the song was spent in a kind of daze our voices automatically intertwining. It honestly sounded amazing Louis' voice unique but smooth enough to harmonise with. With the last final notes of the song, our gaze took seconds to break and another several seconds for me to catch my breath.

"See you can sing." Louis offered with a smile offering his hand to help me off the stage.

I just offered him a smile and as I looked up all I could see was Harry, an unreadable expression across his face.

Notes

So I kind of fell behind on updating this (I think finals are going to kill me!) So instead of splitting this chapter in two like I did last year I figured I'd just give you all the whole chapter :) This is the last of the stuff that's been posted before so onwards to more story! (gosh why am I so awkward)

Let me know what you think
And let me know what your go to Christmas karaoke song would be (I'm partial to all I want for Christmas is you)

-Abby