A Christmas Coincidence

When they were trouble-making teens, Elle never considered kissing Nick a possibility...but as Aubrie Lauren tells their story, we find that things change....

Two hours ago, Elle stared at the ink-dark sky, her vision blurred at the edges by New York City’s relentless LEDs. Two hours ago, an old friend knocked her over with his Christmas tree and offered to buy her coffee. An hour ago, she helped Nick, who was not in Cooperstown as she previously thought, maneuver the pine to his fifth floor studio and helped him decorate.

When it was all said and done, they admired their handiwork from the floor, stretched out on a blanket in front of the blazing fireplace, accompanied by pizza and red wine. The green bundle that knocked Elle over three hours ago was now a bonafide twinkling, glittering Christmas tree.

“Not bad,” Nick said, leaning on his elbow.

“And if I didn’t help, you’d be up until midnight.”

“To old friends.” Nick held out his glass in a toast.

“Reunited at last.”

“I have to ask, Elle, what made you insist on helping me tonight?”

She blinked at him in surprise.

“It’s not like we kept in touch after you moved.”

“You’re going to think I’m crazy,” she said to the ripples in her wine.

“Try me.”

“I saw you in a dream.”

“A dream?”

“Except, you looked like you do now. And I got all nostalgic and curious about what you’re doing now and if you changed at all.”

“Curiosity killed the cat.”

“But satisfaction brought it back.”

“Are you satisfied with what you found?”

The firelight played in his equally warm brown eyes, gilding the deeper thoughts behind them. He pulled his curls back when they started decorating and the stubble along his jaw highlighted the sharpness where a youthful roundness used to be.

“Well, you’re definitely not an angsty teen anymore.”

“Thank God for that.”

“But now you have a whole life I get to learn about. Like why you chose the city of all places to move to. I swore you were never going to leave upstate.”

Nick scoffed, “About that.”

Uh oh, Elle thought, returning her eyes to her glass of wine. The thought— and conversation— passed so quickly she couldn’t pin it down to interrogate her disappointment.

“I went through a really messy breakup last month.”

“Oh God. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. We both wanted different things. We just didn’t figure it out until it was too late.”

He paused to take a sip of wine.

“I wanted out of Cooperstown and the countryside. When this position got posted, I jumped on it.”

“So this isn’t permanent?”

“Not right now.”

“Got it.”

“Sorry that was—”

“It’s alright—”

“—deep.”

Nick took a deep breath and exhaled. Elle looked at the star atop the tree, glowing against the dim room. “My last partner cheated,” she blurted.

She wasn’t sure where it came from. Maybe the alcohol or the urge to let him know he wasn’t alone. That there were worse outcomes. That she wasn’t ready for anything serious either.

Nick let out a low whistle.

“He and his forty-year-old mistress are very happy together.” Elle flipped the lid on the empty pizza box closed and set it behind them.

“To our exes,” Elle proposed, sitting up straighter and shifting closer.

“We’re better off without them,” Nick agreed, sitting up to clink their glasses together.

Elle laughed. “You know, if I didn’t know any better I’d say it was fated that you knocked me over.”

“Do you believe in that stuff?”

“Maybe. Or it could all be a coincidence.”

Nick made an unmistakable glance at her lips, then back to her eyes. The fire crackled, an echo of the electrified air between them. “Or it’s a bit of Christmas magic.”

Time slowed, as luxurious and languid as the snow accumulating outside. Their lips met in a kiss somehow sweet and bold, answering the unsaid question simmering between them all evening. When they were trouble-making teens, Elle never considered kissing Nick a possibility.

Too much drama, too much baggage. Her family would just move again and they would fade into obscurity. Now…

Elle pulled away. “Sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for,” he assured her in a voice no louder than a whisper.

“I know. But I— I didn’t come here to hook up. I genuinely wanted to help.”

Nick closed his eyes, regret pinching his face.

“And you had that breakup,” Elle continued, “I would hate to move too fast.”

“Yeah. You’re right.”

“Thank you for a really lovely evening.” She pulled her phone out for the first time since she arrived. “God, I’ll never catch a cab this late.”

“You’re more than welcome to stay here.”

“I would consider it but you still haven’t found a couch. And don’t say you’ll sleep on the floor because I won’t allow it. It’s Christmas.”

He held up his hands in surrender. “If you insist.”

She helped him clean up while she waited for her rideshare to arrive. They recovered from the awkwardness quickly. By the time she got the driver’s notification, she was sad to go.

“I’ll walk you down.”

She almost rejected his offer but stopped herself.

As they hesitated in the building’s small lobby, Elle spotted a large bundle of mistletoe dangling from the door frame garland and frowned.

“Elle, I don’t want this to be a one-time thing.”

“What?”

“I mean, I want to see you again. And not ten years down the road because we bumped into each other on the street.”

She blushed. “Well, if you’re not doing anything tomorrow, I’d love to show you how NYC does Christmas.”

“I thought you didn’t do touristy stuff.”

“It’s your first Christmas in the city,” she pointed out, “You have to do the touristy stuff.”

The driver honked and Elle turned to go but Nick grabbed her arm and spun her back around, kissing her one more time. Elle simply melted into him and the warmth of his cable knit sweater.

“Mistletoe.” He grinned.

They chuckled as the driver honked again, definitely out of patience.

“Goodnight, Nick.”

“Goodnight, Elle. See you tomorrow.”

“I’ll call you,” she promised, walking backward to get one last good look at him before ducking into the back seat.