HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS
MICHAEL BUBLÉ
NOW
“Georgia,are you ever gonna sit down? You’re missin’ the good stuff. And by good stuff, I mean Jim Halpert. I swear y’all, Jim is an underrated hottie. He just gets better and better with age.” Blaire shoved a bite of ice cream-covered waffle in her mouth, giving Ryan plenty of time to intercede.
“Like cheese. Much better with age,” he said, smiling as she flicked a spoonful of sprinkles at him.
She cackled when one of the sprinkles hit Ryan square in the eye, and he nearly dropped his bowl trying to remove it.
Georgia squeezed in between them, their forever referee. “You two are ridiculous. But… Blaire’s right. Jim isFINNNEEEEE.”
The girls started catcalling and throwing out their best pickup lines as the first Christmas episode ofThe Officeplayed in front of them.
Ryan, after successfully retrieving the rogue sprinkle, dove back into the pile of Christmas junk food waiting in his bowl.
“This is probably my favorite day of the year,” Georgia admitted, putting her arms on both their legs. It was the first time she’d felt fully relaxed in a long time. “Even when we’re old and married and have eighteen kids between us, let’s promise to always make time forThe Officeand Christmas waffles.”
“Deal,” Ryan agreed with a mouthful of waffle.
Blaire stuck her spoon in the air. “In what scenario do we have eighteen kids between us? Like… are you both popping out six each with your imaginary spouses? Because… two is my max, y’all. I can’t commit to that many sticky-fingered monsters running around.”
Before they could discuss further, a trampling of footsteps came from the staircase outside, and quickly after, Caroline, Dakota, and Ginny fumbled through the door, nearly running each other over to get in first.
“I won!” Dakota screamed. “I get first waffle dibs.”
The three friends sat frozen on the tiny couch, heads turned, and completely unaware they’d sent an invitation to Georgia’s siblings.
“Guys, what are you doing here?” Georgia stood quickly from her spot.
Ryan, donned in a fleece reindeer onesie, complete with a hood and antlers, jumped up from his spot, too, and nearly tripped over Blaire’s leg resting on the small coffee table as he hurdled over her to greet Georgia’s siblings. “Oh, uh… sorry, Blaire… Um, hey, Caroline. How are you? It’s been a while.” He shoved the hood down and brushed a hand through his strawberry blonde locks, completely uninterested in the other people in the room.
Caroline pursed her lips together and looked Ryan over from head to foot. “I’m good, Ry. I like your jammies.” She patted him on the back and slipped into his former spot on the couch, grabbing Georgia’s bowl and spoon from her hands, then digging in on her way down.
Georgia sighed, “Help yourselves, I guess.”
Dakota and Ginny looked up from the kitchen where they’d skipped the waffles altogether and were digging into the ice cream container, holding it between them in a rare moment of solidarity.
Suddenly, though, Ginny smacked her lips together, licked her spoon, and perked up. So like their mother, Georgia could usually tell when her youngest sister was about to make things either embarrassing or difficult for her. She just didn’t know which one. Ginny’s eyes glinted with mischief, and she smiled so sweetly at Georgia that her barely digested waffle ice cream combo began to curdle in her gut.
“Sorry, Georgia. We thought it was an open invite to your little yearly Christmas/jammie/Officeparty.” She stabbed her spoon back into the carton like a sword thrown into the ground. “I thought for certain you at least would have invited your boyfriend here tonight. So, we thought it’d be fine for us to come over, too.” She scooped a whopping helping of Georgia’s Bluebell special edition Christmas Cookie Ice Cream and swallowed it whole, barely batting a conniving eye.
The rest of the room stilled—ice cream abandoned.
Dakota burped, loudly. Ryan gave him a nod of appreciation with deep respect shining in his eyes and then quickly turned his silent attention back to Georgia, who wished she were wearing something more intimidating than dancing Santa footie pajamas.
“Um… what boyfriend?” Caroline finally asked into the very curious room.
Georgia’s eyes flickered from Caroline’s inquisitive stare to her youngest sister’s widened, far too excited eyes. She shook her head, beseeching Ginny not to say anything else.Please,her frantic but subtle shake said.I’ll do anything!
But Ginny could never resist sharing good information. “Oh, did Georgia not tell y’all? She got caught spoonin’ Lakeland Lovett at the youth lock-in down at the church last weekend!”
Blaire threw her hands up. Special edition ice cream covered in holiday sprinkles and marshmallow fluff floated through the air in slow motion, falling in a slushy plop onto thenot so clean to begin witharea rug.
She gasped. The dramatic sound reverberated through the quieted loft. “Lakeland Lovett?!!? Lakeland ‘friggin’ beautiful eyes, makes you wanna write a country song, and abandon your entire life’ Lovett?! You were spoonin’ him, Georgia?”
“We were NOT spooning!” Georgia stomped her foot.
