“Me too.”
“Hey, lady,” Aster says, waving at us. “Ready to get your drink on?”
In front of her are two stemless wine glasses full of red liquid. Each one is topped with a sugared rosemary, a cinnamon stick, and pomegranate seeds.
“Finally, something that isn’t super sweet,” I say, taking one of the glasses. “What is it called?”
“AMistletoe Kiss.”
“It looks so good.”
“It was super easy,” she says. “I’ll text you the recipe.”
“Please,” I say. Turning to face Everett, I lift my glass to toast with his.
“To whatever tomorrow brings,” he says.
“To tomorrow,” I repeat, clinking my glass against his. We both take a sip of the drink. The tart citrus flavors dance across my tongue, and the hint of vodka burns my throat.
“Damn,” Everett says, “That’s great.”
Aster smiles and shrugs her shoulders.
“It really is good,” I agree, taking another sip.
“Fantastic,” Stella bursts, clapping her hands. “Now you two pose with Aster, and then we’ll be all done with this part of the day. Feel free to enjoy the festivities, and I’ll meet you in front of the tree at”—she checks her watch—“seven sharp to announce the winner.”
I jot down my final scores and hand her back the clipboard, and Everett does the same. My heart sinks a little at how bittersweet it all feels.
“Enjoy your evening,” Stella says, walking away. “I hope it’s everything you ever wanted it to be.”
Seven dances down. One to go.
Chapter 41: Does She Know You Love Her?
Everett
Today has made my heart feel fuller than ever. After the competition, Claire and I spent the afternoon with the people who we’ve grown to care about, and I can see why she loves this time of year so much. There’s something special about spending time with people who fill you up and make you feel good, and I think that it’s something I want to do more of when I get back to New York. Just not with Claire, but with my friends and family too.
We make our way to the front of the Christmas tree where a podium with a microphone is set up. The sun is gone, and stars fill the night sky. The lights strung between the buildings are glowing and casting warm light along the snow covered street.
A crowd is gathering in front, and I look around, spotting all the people we’re going to miss when this is over. A light dusting of snow begins to fall around everyone.
Stella taps the mic, and the thuds send a hush over the town. “Welcome to the Sugarplum Park Annual Christmas Extravaganza,” she chimes. Applause erupts, and she gestures for everyone to settle down. “Thank you to everyone who helped make today possible. I thought we’d kick things off by announcing the winner of the competition.”
She gestures for me and Claire to walk forward.
“Our king and queen have scored all of the entries, and I tallied the results. So without further ado…” She hands Claire an envelope, and we both step up to the microphone. Claire’s eyes find mine, and I nod, encouraging her to open it.
“The winner of this year’s Christmas Cup goes to…” Claire begins, her eyes going wide as she flashes the card towards me.
“Lolly from The Gum Drop Sugar Shop,” I announce.
The crowd erupts in applause, and Lolly wraps Aster in a hug before making her way toward us. Claire throws her arms around her friend and squeezes her tight. Both of their faces are pure joy, and my chest tightens at the thought that going home means Claire will lose her.
“I can’t believe it,” Lolly says.
“Congratualtions,” I offer, moving backwards so Stella can take my place. Lolly takes the silver Christmas Cup trophy and holds it into the air. More applause and cheers come from the town, and Stella steps up to mic, thumping it once more to quiet everyone down.
