She went inside and immediately changed into sweats and fuzzy socks. Her head ached from her up-do and she pulled it out, dropping bobby pins into the dish on her bathroom sink. In the doorway of her bathroom, a hideous dollar-store sprig of mistletoe hung with a piece of scotch tape. Ian had placed it there as a joke last week. She pulled it down and almost threw it out, but brought it into the kitchen and tossed it on the counter instead. Stupid parasitic plant. For a second tonight, she’d gotten her hopes up, not for a real kiss, but maybe a kiss on the cheek. Instead, he had to check on dessert. Right.
Speaking of, she got out a tube of cookie dough from the fridge. She’d planned to make cookies earlier in the week and bring them to work, but it never happened. Now she’d be making one big cookie with it, just for her. She cut open the package and was squishing her hands into it when her phone rang, across the room, in her purse. Of course.
The temptation to ignore it was strong, but Christmas Eve was not a day to avoid calls. Maybe it was Ian. She wiped off her hands and ran for her phone.
The caller ID said Jay. He was probably just locking up.
“Hey, have you left the reception hall yet?” she asked.
“Yep. What are you doing?”
“What do you mean, what am I doing?” She stared over at the lumpy cookie she’d only just begun to form and then down at her sweatpants. “I’m lounging.”
“Can I come over and pick your brain about something?”
Ugh, this was about Felicity. What else would he need to talk about right now? “Oh, I don’t know. I’m really tired.”
“Oh my word, Becca. You’re lying. Why are you lying?”
“No, I’m not.”
“You tried to yawn on the word ‘tired’ and it was a fake yawn.”
Dang, she’d totally oversold it. “Maybe, like your uncle, I just want to walk around without pants on Christmas. Have you ever thought of that?” She couldn’t even say it without laughing, and Jay joined her.
“You’re not wearing pants?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“What are you wearing, Becca?”
“I can’t believe you asked me that. Fine, come over. I’ll text you directions.”
“Great. See you soon.”
She hung up and immediately ran to her bedroom to change. She would not be wearing sweatpants when he came to the door.
