Midnight Mistletoe

Katherine Bennett

Here we go again. At this moment, I find myself occupying a seat in a restaurant, eagerly waiting for the arrival of a man. The restaurant we are going to tonight is not the same one where I went on a date with Seamus last time, which is a relief.

I frown.

If you call that a date.

Anyway, I would have found it awkward if Derek had chosen the same restaurant.

As I look around, my eyes wander over the surroundings and I can’t help but wonder why he selected this particular location to meet.

I notice something unusual. I catch one waitress looking at me. I can’t help but frown every time she looks at me with that stare that makes it seem like she’s about to rip my head off.

I wonder what’s her problem.

After much contemplation, I come to the decision that the best course of action is to completely ignore her. I feel nervous, not because I’m going to see Derek, but because of the proposal I have for him. I take a salt packet to play with and calm myself down.

My tattoo on my ass itches more and more as I think about seeing him soon. It’s like it has a mind of its own.

Once I gather enough money, I will get rid of it.

I’m having trouble swallowing as I look up to see Derek making his way toward our table.

In no time, I have a glass of water in my grip, ready for a big gulp.

Derek leans down to whisper in my ear. “Hello, freckles. As I see, you didn’t have difficulty finding the place.”

I almost spit the water in my mouth, feeling his breath tickling my skin.

What’s up with him?

Sitting in front of me, I can see the smug on his face, but it’s not aimed toward me.

Out of curiosity, I turn my head to see where he’s looking.

It’s that waitress again. The one who was glaring at me when I took my seat.

Wait! I say to myself as it hits me as to who she is.

“Are you serious?” I ask him.

He smirks as if he already knows what I’m implying. “What?”

“You brought me here to make your ex jealous. Didn’t you?” I accuse him.

He points a finger at me. “You’re good.”

I roll my eyes, shaking my head.

Man and their ego.

“You think you’re any better?” A little voice inside my head asks me. “Remember why you are here?”

I clear my throat, putting my hair behind my ear.

“You always do that when you are nervous,” Derek observes.

We have known each other all our lives. Of course, he knows one thing or two about me. Just like I know when he's deep in thought, he messes with his beard.

“Now, will you tell me why you asked me to meet you?” Derek observes me with suspicion.

Before I can say anything, Derek’s ex appears beside us. “What’s this? Why is she here with you? I thought nothing was going on between you two.”

What?

They talked about me.

When?

“What’s happening between Freckles and me, it’s none of your business. We are no longer together. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself.”

I’m feeling tiny, and his anger isn’t pointed at me. I’m not too fond of confrontation.

“You know what, baby?” Derek is speaking to me. “You were right. We should have never come here to eat. The smell in this place is quite unpleasant.”

Without another word, Derek takes my hand and drags me out of the restaurant.

All I can think about when we walk is that he called me baby.

But what am I saying?

“Where did you leave your car?” Derek wonders, looking around.

“Over there,” I inform him.

“Great, after you are done explaining why you wanted so badly to speak to me, you can bring me back to my place.”

A frown appears on my face. “What about your ride?”

“I came by an Uber.”

I sit behind the wheel while Derek takes place right next to me. “So, what did you want to ask me?”

I look ahead of me. “Forget it. It was a stupid idea.”

Derek grabs my chin to make me look at him. “Tell me.” He doesn’t let me argue with him. I have no option but to reveal the reason we are here.

“Seamus, the man I was supposed to bring this year’s for Christmas, ended things with me.”

He releases my chin. “What does this have anything to do with me?”

I swallow my pride with what I’m about to say next. “I want you to become my fake boyfriend. This year my mother is expecting me to introduce her to someone. Now that I’m single again, I can no longer bear to witness the disappointment in her eyes.”

“Are you crazy?”

“Jeez, you don't need to be so harsh.”

I knew things could go their way, but he didn’t need to be mad. It’s not like I asked him to marry him.

“You’re right. My idea is crazy. Hear me out, please.”

As Derek didn’t say anything, it encouraged me to keep going.

“You know damn well our mothers dream of us becoming a couple. When it’s over between us, they will no longer fantasize about us being an item and finally leave us in peace.”

“It will break both their hearts.” He takes a deep breath. “I can’t believe I’m considering this, not because of you but because my mother drives me crazy as she wants us to be a couple.”

A feeling of optimism washes over me when I hear his words. “So is that a yes, then?”

“Calm your tits. I’m still debating about this.” He messes with his bear. “If we do this, we must play the parts so they won’t get suspicious.”

“I’m aware.”

“Are you sure?” The atmosphere inside my car shifts radically as his voice takes down a notch.

He takes my hand in his.

My eyes widen as I look at his hand. “What are you doing?”

“Isn’t obvious. I’m playing my part.” He leans closer to me.

Abort! Abort! Abandon the ship! Abandon the ship!

As our lips are an inch apart, I shove Derek away from me, feeling my face flush. “What the fuck!”

Derek bursts into laughter when he sees my reaction. “You were saying?”

I want to slap that smug out of his face.

I put my hair behind my ear. “Clearly, we must establish some rules.”

“Freckles, I didn’t agree yet,” Derek smirks, feeling proud of himself.

I glare at him. “Why did you try to kiss me then?”

He snorts. “To mess with you, of course.”

Argh!

This man gets on my nerves. I should have never asked him for his help.