Beckman again! I cannot deal with his nonsense right now!
“Yo, Sloane! What’s going on?” said Chris is his thick South Philly accent.
“Oh, it’s you ,”said Sloane testily. Her British accent was never so prevalent than when she was talking to Chris Beckman.
“Don’t sound so happy to see me!” Chris said sarcastically. Sloane rolled her eyes and ignored him.
“You guys left awful quick last night… When you see Holly, have her call me. She’s got my digits.”
“No can do, compadre,” said Sloane coolly.
Chris looked perplexed and confused.
“Uh… Why?”
“I’m afraid Holly is officially off the market.”
Chris looked mad, and he began to shake his head.
“She was single last night… quit playin’ games.”
“Well, she’s not anymore!”
“Who’s she going out with?”
Sloane laughed. “Do I look like the bloody press to you?! All you have to know is that it’s not you. Now back off!”
Finally Sloane had reached the front of the line. She placed her order, and looked into Chris’ face, which was now red and angry.
“You leave them alone. I’m dead serious.”
Chris jutted his chin forward before storming out of the coffee shop.
*****
Holly ran down the stairs with a bounce in her step. She did as Brant asked, and put on her rarely used hiking boots and tucked her skinny jeans inside of them. To top off the ensemble she grabbed her cream aran sweater from her closet, which would keep her warm for whatever adventure Brant had planned. He was waiting for Holly in the kitchen where he was reading over the morning paper and bopping his head along to the Christmas music that was playing on the radio. Brant was dressed warmly in a grey henley shirt, a pair of old jeans, and his worn out hiking boots. Holly scanned Brant up and down, remembering the salty taste of his skin from the night before. He caught her glancing, and smiled at her warmly.
“Ready to go?” said Holly as she eyed Brant, her mind still on last night.
“Not quite,” said Brant with a smirk.
He rose from his bar stool and pulled Holly into a bear hug as he left gentle kisses on her neck. The sensation sent chills chasing up her spine.
“Okay. Now I’m ready,” said Brant as he took her by the hand and led her out to his pick-up truck.
“Aren’t you going to tell me where we’re going?” asked Holly.
“It’s a surprise.”
*****
The snow fell lightly over the sea of evergreens as Brant pulled his truck onto Wallford drive. Inside the cab of Brant’s pick-up truck, Holly sipped on her pumpkin spice latte as she looked out the passenger window.
Brant’s mood had shifted to a more serious one as he kept his eyes on the road. He held a sturdy hand on the steering wheel, maneuvering the curves of the gravel road as he held Holly’s hand with the other.
The silence wasn’t awkward; it was actually quite peaceful – something that hasn’t existed between them in quite some time. Holly was enjoying her unexpected time with Brant, but she couldn’t help but wonder… What’s next?
Brant caught occassional glimpses of Holly out of the corner of his eye. She seemed at ease, but he couldn’t help but ask himself, “Were they okay?”
As the thought crossed his mind, Holly glanced over at Brant with a gentle gaze and she smiled. It was as if she could read his mind. Holly squeezed Brant’s hand tighter in response.
Brant pulled the truck on to an old winding dirt road that was labeled with a rustic sign that read:
WALLFORD FOREST
“Wallford!” Holly exclaimed as she sat up straight in her seat. She could barely contain her excitement.
“Wallford. We need to trade in that plastic piece of crap tree in your living room for the real thing,” said Brant feigning disgust over Holly’s artificial Charlie Brown tree.
“Wait…
“Yo, Sloane! What’s going on?” said Chris is his thick South Philly accent.
“Oh, it’s you ,”said Sloane testily. Her British accent was never so prevalent than when she was talking to Chris Beckman.
“Don’t sound so happy to see me!” Chris said sarcastically. Sloane rolled her eyes and ignored him.
“You guys left awful quick last night… When you see Holly, have her call me. She’s got my digits.”
“No can do, compadre,” said Sloane coolly.
Chris looked perplexed and confused.
“Uh… Why?”
“I’m afraid Holly is officially off the market.”
Chris looked mad, and he began to shake his head.
“She was single last night… quit playin’ games.”
“Well, she’s not anymore!”
“Who’s she going out with?”
Sloane laughed. “Do I look like the bloody press to you?! All you have to know is that it’s not you. Now back off!”
Finally Sloane had reached the front of the line. She placed her order, and looked into Chris’ face, which was now red and angry.
“You leave them alone. I’m dead serious.”
Chris jutted his chin forward before storming out of the coffee shop.
*****
Holly ran down the stairs with a bounce in her step. She did as Brant asked, and put on her rarely used hiking boots and tucked her skinny jeans inside of them. To top off the ensemble she grabbed her cream aran sweater from her closet, which would keep her warm for whatever adventure Brant had planned. He was waiting for Holly in the kitchen where he was reading over the morning paper and bopping his head along to the Christmas music that was playing on the radio. Brant was dressed warmly in a grey henley shirt, a pair of old jeans, and his worn out hiking boots. Holly scanned Brant up and down, remembering the salty taste of his skin from the night before. He caught her glancing, and smiled at her warmly.
“Ready to go?” said Holly as she eyed Brant, her mind still on last night.
“Not quite,” said Brant with a smirk.
He rose from his bar stool and pulled Holly into a bear hug as he left gentle kisses on her neck. The sensation sent chills chasing up her spine.
“Okay. Now I’m ready,” said Brant as he took her by the hand and led her out to his pick-up truck.
“Aren’t you going to tell me where we’re going?” asked Holly.
“It’s a surprise.”
*****
The snow fell lightly over the sea of evergreens as Brant pulled his truck onto Wallford drive. Inside the cab of Brant’s pick-up truck, Holly sipped on her pumpkin spice latte as she looked out the passenger window.
Brant’s mood had shifted to a more serious one as he kept his eyes on the road. He held a sturdy hand on the steering wheel, maneuvering the curves of the gravel road as he held Holly’s hand with the other.
The silence wasn’t awkward; it was actually quite peaceful – something that hasn’t existed between them in quite some time. Holly was enjoying her unexpected time with Brant, but she couldn’t help but wonder… What’s next?
Brant caught occassional glimpses of Holly out of the corner of his eye. She seemed at ease, but he couldn’t help but ask himself, “Were they okay?”
As the thought crossed his mind, Holly glanced over at Brant with a gentle gaze and she smiled. It was as if she could read his mind. Holly squeezed Brant’s hand tighter in response.
Brant pulled the truck on to an old winding dirt road that was labeled with a rustic sign that read:
WALLFORD FOREST
“Wallford!” Holly exclaimed as she sat up straight in her seat. She could barely contain her excitement.
“Wallford. We need to trade in that plastic piece of crap tree in your living room for the real thing,” said Brant feigning disgust over Holly’s artificial Charlie Brown tree.
“Wait…
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