Rae is laughing and chatting, cherry-red lipstick and a glitter reindeer headband that lights up every time she moves.
Ivy is wrapped in a blanket courtesy of Cam, and he’s very determined to turn her into a human sushi roll.
Lina is decorating the table—translation: putting whipped cream on every single mug in sight.
I should feel safe. Relaxed. Happy.
Then the door opens.
And in walks Cohen Becker.
Dark coat hanging open, man bun that has no business being that sexy, beard just long enough to be illegal. Gorgeous and… a walking disaster.
Next to him is Sebastian.
Sebastian has artfully messy dark hair, tattooed forearms peeking out from the sleeves of his rolled-up sweater. Seeing them together again gives me full-blown déjà vu of this afternoon—
me, sitting there, explaining the Secret Santa plan step by step;
Sebastian nodding, arms crossed, actually listening;
Cohen pretending not to, then repeating the entire thing word for word.
Then someone mentioned the college championship.
And that was it.
They haven’t shut up since.
End scene.
Bromance unlocked.
They’ve basically adopted each other.
And now here they are, walking in together like a two-for-one deal: buy one problem, get the second one free.
Lina goes so rigid I can practically hear her nervous system screaming from across the room.
Oh yeah. She doesn’t know this part of the plan yet.
I thought a surprise effect was better than hearing her yell because I involved Sebastian.
“I think you’ve confused this with your shift,” she snaps at him, her tone hot enough to burn firewood.
Sebastian opens his mouth—probably to fire back—but I step in before a war explodes.
“There’s no confusion,” I say quickly. “Sebastian and Cohen are joining us tonight.”
Everyone reacts differently the second they register Cohen.
Lina: eyes wide.
Rae: curious smile, theooh, gossip incomingkind.
Ivy: polite and soft, allaww.
Cam: already halfway to clapping someone on the back.
