Story 12, pt 2 | A Meet Cute For Christmas
Gigi's about to enter her brother's holiday party and be introduced to his Christmas present for her. Who will it be?
Ready for the conclusion of A Meet Cute For Christmas?! Here’s the link to part one, if you haven’t read yet or need a refresher.
Note: the first few paragraphs below were shared with you last week. We’re repeating so you get the full scene.
Truly, truly, I tell you: I want to know your feedback on this short! If I were to write this as novel, are you liking the premise? What details are missing or which are you more curious about? Would you keep the Christmas setting or remove that? What do you want more or less of?!
Enjoy the conclusion, and please please let me know your feedback in the comments! 🩵
A Meet Cute For Christmas, pt 2
A week later, I was in the back of a cab collecting myself while on the way to Griffen and Ali’s Christmas party. To start, it had been complicated enough to decipher and then execute the party’s dress code of “fancy and festive,” given it had to be put through an Alison-Stone filter. Ie, cool-girl self-expression, which is easier for some than others, notably those with stylists.
After many hours of study, I broke it down to mean the fancier end of cocktail attire. All that said, I had learned by then Ali was always just happy to see me; it didn’t matter what I was wearing. I had landed on a bold, yet simple silhouette with a monochrome crimson corseted top and a bubble mini skirt, finished with opaque black tights and platform heels. It was enough to look like I belonged, but not so much as to look off or like I was trying too hard.
I had felt confident when I was getting dressed, but when I was heading out the door, Griffen had texted to say he had a Christmas present for me, so to be ready for an introduction. My stomach immediately dropped, and a new set of nerves rolled in. I scurried in my heels back to a mirror to take another look at my outfit and makeup. There was no time for changes – I had to get moving if I didn’t want to be extremely late.
The cab was now approaching our destination, and I could feel my nerves catching up with me again. I tried to talk myself down. All I had to do was meet a man – I was introduced to people at Griffen’s games all the time. There was no commitment being made. Griffen was just feeling out the guy by introducing us. And here was a crazy thought: maybe it would be fun! Everything was going to be fine.
Of course, that’s when the cab pulled up to the restaurant – or as close as we could get – and I stepped out. The party was supposed to be hush-hush, but there was a wild throng of paparazzi and fans lining the sidewalk, with constant camera flashes so strong you’d think it were daytime. It was flurrying with a strong wind, adding to the chaos of the moment. No classical music would settle this. Now, to get inside.
Except I had forgotten the prescribed protocol on how to bypass security and check in. Griffen had originally wanted me to arrive with them, but I preferred to keep things more low-key. I swore Griffen had texted me the info, but I now couldn’t find it in my phone. We were supposed to use a particular entrance for the restaurant, then give our name and a password to security. He has said me their recently heightened security wasn’t technically necessary, that he and Ali were safe, but I wasn’t fully buying it.
I should have known this would be a scene. Security had cleared a tentative path to the door, holding people back. I watched members of Ali’s famous posse slowly emerge from their SUVs as I considered how to make my move. When walking by the paparazzi like this, you have to pretend to be delighted to see everyone, even though you can’t actually see for the aforementioned flashes – or you just watch your feet so you don’t bite it and cause a different sort of headline.
I gently pushed by fans of all ages, who were very excited to be out in the blustery cold to catch the shortest glimpse of someone famous, and started to walk in, but a security guard quickly appeared to corral me back into the crowd.
“Ma’am, tonight’s a private event. The restaurant is closed,” he explained. He was cute and strong – Ali’s guys usually are. “You’re welcome to stand on the sidewalk, but we need to keep this path clear.”
Apparently, I wasn’t well dressed enough.
Before I could state I was an invited guest, Ali’s famous actress bestie and her equally famous actor husband arrived, launching a new, frenzied round of screaming, pictures, camera flashes, and the security guard was pulled back into crowd control.
I needed to find this dang code word, so I was desperately scrolling on my phone, when I heard from behind me: “Excuse me, can I help?”
I turned and came face to face with lentil grocery store dude standing right behind me with his distinct blond beard. Oh, if he was standing out here, he really was a fan. Why was he talking to me? I suddenly felt very alone. Maybe I should have arrived with Griffen, after all.
“I could walk in with you,” he suggested, moving toward me in a way that felt wrong. He wanted me to get him into the party. “Alison told me I should find you,” he continued. Now he’s namedropping Ali like he knows her? He must be delusional.
“No way, back off. How do you know who I am? This is really creepy.”
“What are you talking about?” He looked bewildered. Like it was okay to be asking these things.
I was scared now. Who was this guy? I stumbled back to get away from him, and the same security guard from before came up to me.
“Are you alright, ma’am? Is someone bothering you?”
He could see I was thrown, but the grocery store guy wasn’t immediately visible thanks to the shifting masses, probably hiding like a creeper. I all but threw myself at the security guard, knowing he was safe.
“Yes, I’m a party guest trying to get in. I’m Griffen’s sister, Gigi. I don’t remember the protocol or the code word, but I need out of this crowd.”
“Gigi, of course! Now I recognize you. I’ve got you.” The three sweetest words to hear in a moment like this.
I could tell he was one of Alison’s guys. For one, I knew Griffen’s crew, and for the other, Alison’s were always better dressed. They always looked like they could be going to the party, the concert or the game, but for the earpiece and slightly stern expression, likely due to concentration.
This guy was dripping with an ex-military vibe, from his dark, high-and-tight haircut to his efficient movements: all shoulders and surveilling for threats. His black-on-black shearling jacket blended comfy cozy with an edge of I-could-drop-you-easy.
He used one arm to keep a path clear for us, and his other hand was placed on the small of my back to softly guide me forward. I leaned in a little more than I normally might, spooked by the crowd and that crazed male fan. I’ve witnessed more than a few weird fan incidents over the years, but the scares had never had to do with me personally.
He opened the restaurant door for me, checked me in with the hostess and led me to the coat check where he helped me with my jacket.
“Thank you so much,” I gushed, genuinely, now that I had a moment to catch my breath. “It was getting crazy out there. You walking me in made me feel so much better. But I didn’t get your name.”
“I’m Charles. So glad to be of service. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you the first time I went by – I try to keep clear-eyed and focused, but the night outings are always a little tougher.”
“I should have known the protocol, that would have helped.”
He checked my coat and turned back to me with the ticket. I saw him visibly clock my outfit with appreciation – always a nice feeling.
“Gigi, you look incredible,” Charles said, brushing my arm to indicate where to head next. “I hope you have a great night. Your brother is in the middle of the room, you should be able to see him from here.”
“Are you not joining us?” I didn’t want to see him leave just yet. In part because I was still feeling nervous – trying to get my brother’s attention at these things could be hard – and in part because I was enjoying his presence.
His dark eyes gave me a considering look. “I’m wrapping up outside in a little bit. Tell you what, I’ll come find you.”
“I’ll see you soon then. Thank you again!” I squeezed his forearm in appreciation. For the rescue – and his kindness.
Beyond coat check, the party was in full swing with lights low and tinsel high. The décor was so thick, it gave the open restaurant a fun holiday shimmer. It mercifully wasn’t packed, since Griffen didn’t have to invite the entire team to this one, and I imagine security wanted to keep the circle tight.
I made my way to Griffen and Alison holding court in the middle of the room. Credit to my big brother, he could immediately tell something was off with me.
“What’s up? You okay?” He pulled me aside to chat, his concern evident.
“I’m good, I promise. I had a weird fan moment with this guy outside, but it was super minor, I swear.”
“God, I hate hearing that. It’s all because of me. And it’s not going to get any better any time soon. Next time you walk in with me and my team,” he said sternly, in full big-brother mode. “Please listen to me on this.”
“I hear you. I’m good, though. We’re at a party, I’m excited to be here. We can talk about it later.”
“We sure will. I’m not letting you off the hook. This is serious.”
“And this bash isn’t! Merry Christmas! What are you drinking?”
“Alright, we can shift into party mode, if you insist you’re fine.” He pulled me into a bear hug. “Swing by the bar for some champers. We got the good stuff flowing tonight.”
That sounded suspect. I pushed back from the hug, alarmed. “You’re not proposing, are you?”
“No! You need to get off of high alert. I already told you I’d give you a heads up. And I’m sure as hell not doing it in public! Go get a drink, come back, and I’ll intro you to your Christmas present. Maybe you’ll get engaged before me.”
“Unlikely!” I yelled back at him as I moved to the bar, nervous again and grateful for some alcohol to calm my nerves.
It only took a moment to grab a flute of champagne – he was right, they were pouring some excellent bottles. I returned to find Griffen mid bro-dacious high-five with someone who had to be one of his players. At this point, my brother was one of the older guys on the team, but there was a certain youthfulness and relationship that had to be maintained. I knew his o-team very well; they were so important to him, so we all treated each other like family. I didn’t recognize this guy from the back, though.
“Gigi!” Griffen spied me walking up and beckoned me over. “Come meet the new guy. This is my new go-to wide receiver, we’re going to make some magic happen in the back half of the season. Meet Whit De Vries.”
The blond head turned.
Oh, shit.
It was grocery store guy. They’ve got their arms around each other, drinks in their free hands, fully bro-ed up. The pieces slowly started to fall into place. Whit wasn’t back from the gym in a fan t-shirt; he was leaving practice in gear. He was grinning at me, but didn’t look shocked, which I was certain I was not concealing. I swallowed a gulp of champagne.
“I’ve been trying to get him on the team for years, and now it’s on!” Griffen continued, then caught the strained familiarity between us. “Wait, do you guys know each other?”
“I think she shops at my grocery store,” Whit smoothly offered. True. Not the whole truth, but I’m sure neither of us wanted to get into it with Griffen.
“That must be it,” I squeaked out. I was still putting it together. When Whit had said Alison sent him, he wasn’t deranged – he had been deputized. Then I remembered Griffen’s plan this evening. “Is this who you were introducing me to?” I hissed at him, hoping blondie somehow wouldn’t hear me talking right in front of him.
“No! Rule number one.” Griffen shook his head and then raised his voice to distract from our side conversation. “Well, you’re going to be seeing a lot more of Whit. If we’re going to get this chemistry in the passing lane right, we’ve got a lot of play study and practice ahead of us. You’ll probably see him at mine a lot. Hey, Gigi, I’m going to get your Christmas present, be right back. You guys catch up or say hi or whatever is going on here.”
“Great! Can’t wait! Thanks!” I said, too brightly. I so wished I were going with Griffen and not stuck here to dig myself out of another awkward run-in with this guy.
“Hi, Gigi. It’s good to finally, officially meet you.” Whit extended a handshake, which I reluctantly accepted. Followed by another gulp of champagne. “For the record, I had no idea who you were at the grocery store.”
“Yeah, and clearly I didn’t know anything until just now. Why didn’t you say something outside?”
“I was trying to avoid tapping you on the shoulder and getting assaulted again. This time you just freaked out – I didn’t have a chance to say anything.”
“It was crazy out there. And you scared me.”
“I get it. I showed up in two places, and the second was madness. I was trying to explain that Alison asked me to keep an eye out for you. I saw you walking up the wrong way, so I fought through that insanity to reach you. Fortunately, that group’s not really my demo, so I could move freely. It’s not usually that easy for me.”
“Oh, because you’re so famous.” I rolled my eyes at his insinuation.
“I mean, your brother’s been trying to recruit me.” His smug smile quirked a lone dimple free. “What’s that tell you?”
A lot, actually. Griffen was highly involved in building his offense. If he had been working to recruit Whit for years, he would have been worth the effort. And would be a valuable addition to Griffen’s already first-class, incredibly tight team.
“Well, I’m sorry for assaulting you with lentils and running away from you outside just now.”
“And I’m sorry for catching you off-guard like that twice. I hate that I scared you.” He sounded genuine at that. “I will try to approach you from the front next time. And maybe with identification. Or a character witness.”
He got me with that one, and I cracked a little smile. Maybe this relationship could be resurrected. And if he was going to be around as much Griffen said, I should make an effort. He was part of the team, after all.
“So, you say Griffen’s been obsessively recruiting you, but he’s never once mentioned you to me.” I wasn’t going to make it easy for him, though. “Where did you get traded from?”
Just then, Griffen was back and shuffling me away. “Sorry, Whit, I need her for something.” When we were out of earshot, he went on, “Ready for your Christmas present? I’m pretty proud of myself with this one. I figured out a really good dude in a week. But no pressure. You can just meet him and tell me what you think.”
“I trust you, big bro,” I said out loud, hoping my confidence in him would take root as confidence in myself as well.
Griffen walked me right up to Charles, who was back inside, had discarded his shearling coat and was now in a slick all-black suit and open-collared shirt, walking that fine line between security and handsome guest.
“Charles, I’ve been meaning to introduce you to my sister, Gigi. I’ve noticed you’re often reading in your downtime when we’re with Ali. My sister’s a big reader as well. Gigi, Charles is one of the best on Ali’s security team. Certainly has the most personality, let’s say,” he finished, alluding maybe to how Ali’s team was very skeptical of my brother to start. As if my brother couldn’t take any of these guys by virtue of his sheer size alone. I guessed his training was a little different from theirs.
Before either of us could say more than hi, Griffen continued, clearly itching to make his exit. I wondered if he was nervous too? It was funny to watch him squirm a little.
“Right, so I will leave you to get to know each other.” He gave me a kiss on the forehead and left with a parting shot aimed directly at Charles, dropping his voice for impact: “Just know that my sister is very important to me.”
“Oh my gosh, that was so not subtle,” I groaned, trying to diffuse that comment’s weight.
“I’ll give him credit for delivering a threat convincingly,” Charles said, unflustered. “He’s a great guy to work around, but I wouldn’t dream of testing him when it comes to you or Ali.”
“Ideally, we will never have to find out. Thanks again for earlier. I’m glad you were able to come back in.”
“Me too. Before we start talking, let me get that drink topped back up, you’re empty. Champagne?”
“Please. Thank you so much!”
Charles promised to be right back and whisked away with my glass. So far, big brother had done well! Charles had a steady presence, I felt like I could relax next to him.
“Hi babe, you having fun?” Alison was suddenly wrapping me in a warm hug. She always smelled wonderful, and her makeup was immaculate. “I’m so glad you’re here with us. Red looks amazing on you.”
“Ali! You guys always throw such welcoming parties. And you look incredible as well!” She was in a rich brocade strapless top and sleek trousers that accentuated her long legs.
“Your brother shared your Christmas wish list with me. I wanted you to know I didn’t come empty-handed tonight; I just play from a more restrained hand.”
“What do you mean?” Ali’s songwriter sensibilities regularly came through in her day-to-day speech. It was easy to see how she was so talented at capturing sentiments and scenes in her songs. But sometimes I needed a little help to catch her precise meaning.
She lifted her champagne flute in a gesture to someone across the room. I followed her gaze to Whit, who raised his glass to her in response.
“Whit?!” My shock was evident in my voice. Of all the guys here…
“He’s my Christmas present to you. And he’s my thoughtful pick – way more than a single man with a pulse. I genuinely think you’ll like him.”
“My brother’s new BFF wide receiver?” Was she serious?
“You two and your no-football-player rule. It’s so ridiculous. Your brother is the best man I’ve ever met. At the end of the day, him being a quarterback is irrelevant. Why wouldn’t you want your own version? Just be open to it.”
I was still dumbfounded, so she continued, “Girl, looks to me like you got two excellent Christmas presents this year. Have fun choosing!”
My brother’s pop-star girlfriend floated off, and I was left looking between Whit and Charles, both heading my direction.
Merry Christmas to me. I think.
Thank you so much for reading! Your feedback is welcome: rate the story with one click in this poll, or get a discussion going in the comments.
Next Week’s Plot Twist…
Still in the spirit of the holiday, but more so the reason for the season, I’m sharing a sample chapter from my devotional “Lifted,” which is still in the book proposal phase. The devotional unpacks the stories behind contemporary Christian worship songs as another means of connection.
Last week’s story:
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This is so cute! I want to know what happens next
Super story. Beautifully written. A little too good to be true…