Noel: A Blue Collar Romance by J.C. Valentine

Author:J.C. Valentine
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: J.C. Valentine
Published: 2015-12-15T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOUR

At seven o’clock on the dot, the music was turned down, fading into the background. Noel and the rest of the guests’ attention was pulled to the front of the living room where Will was seated in an oversized chair that resembled a small throne, sprayed gold and dotted with colored plastic jewels. The overdone tree adorned with glittering tinsel created the perfect backdrop for the occasion.

Noel stifled a laugh at seeing Will—he had exchanged his party clothes for a bright red Santa suit and long white beard.

“Ho, ho, ho!” he bellowed, sparking rolling laughter from everyone. “Gather ‘round, children! It’s time for presents!”

Curious, Noel shifted forward a few feet, careful to stay on the fringes of the group.

“As you know, this has become a bit of a tradition, so I won’t waste time explaining how it works. Where’s my elf?”

Everyone turned their heads, searching, and Noel did, too. Movement to her right caught her eye, and when she realized what she was seeing, she burst out laughing so hard, she had to cover her mouth to avoid becoming a spectacle.

Dressed in a green velvet jacket and red and white striped stockings with little booties that curled at the toe was Hunter. He even wore a little green hat with a red pom at the tip. A giant red sack hung from his shoulder, stuffed full of what she assumed were presents, and even though it must weigh a ton, he didn’t seem to be struggling in the least.

Dropping the load at Santa’s feet, he stood back and flashed a toothy smile that lit his entire face.

He was actually enjoying this, she thought to herself.

As Will began pulling out boxes and randomly assigning them in what she realized was a run-of-the-mill Secret Santa exchange, Hunter searched the room until his gaze landed on her, and there it stayed until the very last present was given.

Noel clutched the unwieldy rectangular box covered in glossy green paper as she stepped away to find Dani and get something to drink.

She found Dani in the kitchen surrounded by a group of women she didn’t know, chatting boisterously, and decided that she’d just get the drink instead.

“You haven’t opened your present.”

Noel whipped around, a pretzel hanging from her lips, and found herself staring up into Hunter’s expressive green eyes. Crunch. “Um…no, not yet.” Crumbs dusted her sweater, and she quickly brushed them to the floor.

“What are you waiting for?”

“Um…I don’t know.” She chuckled.

Taking the present from her, Hunter turned the package over in his hand, inspecting it. “What do you think it could be?”

She stared at it, too, wondering the same thing. “Probably socks. I usually get socks.” The Secret Santa exchange at the hospital was simple and inexpensive. With the agreed upon five-dollar cap, it was pretty much guaranteed that whatever you got wasn’t going to be life-changing.

“Ah, I can tell you’ve never been to a Morgan Christmas party before.” Hunter’s lips pursed and he handed the package back to her. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with this one.

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