Merry Mix-Up (Holiday Hearts)

3. Jade

3

JADE

D ecember 30th

My boots crunched on the snow underfoot as I rounded the front of Mom's suburban to see Amber off at the airport. After the debacle with my Thanksgiving makeover—which turned into a Black Friday makeover since nothing was open on Thanksgiving day—Amber delayed her flight. Now, Saturday morning when she was supposed to be meeting Naomi to go dress shopping, I was dropping her at the airport.

Amber struggled with her large suitcase, totally unnecessary for the two-day trip she had planned, and I helped her wrestle it to the curb. All while staying upright on the icy patch of concrete I just happened to park on.

"I can't believe you're doing this for me. Oh, Jayjay, thank you." Amber flung her arms around me and squeezed, and since my arms were pinned at my sides, all I could do was pat her hips.

"Yeah, well you owe me." I grunted and squirmed, and she pulled away.

"Actually, this is payback. Remember?" Amber stood back and grabbed the handle of the suitcase, tilting it until it rocked on its wheels. "And don't tell anyone. This is Naomi's big day we're talking about. Let her have her moment."

"God, you're bossy." I grinned and pushed her playfully, but I knew she was right. I wasn’t just doing this for payback. I was doing it for Naomi. She would think Amber was here the whole time taking care of her and no one would be the wiser. "I got it, Sis. I'll make sure it goes off without a hitch. You just have to tell me everything you two talk about on the phone or in text messages."

The icy breeze kicked up, and I pulled my black sock hat down farther on my head. My long, wavy hair clung to my neck inside my heavy coat, keeping me warmer, but it wasn't all mine. Amber had forced me to get very expensive extensions—which she reminded me were only a smidgen of the price Mom and Dad paid to fix the car which she told them she was driving. I swear, Amber had a way of justifying everything.

"Oh, gosh, I'm so sad I'm going to miss everything." She squeezed me again briefly and then backed away. No doubt this was just as much of a disappointment for her as it was for me or would be for Naomi, but I respected that she was strapped for time and emotional energy. I never did a master's program, but I imagined it was rigorous.

"I'll send lots of pictures. Now go, you'll get hung up in security and miss your flight." I shooed her off to make her plane boarding and to get her out of my hair so I could go meet Naomi.

Amber blew kisses and tugged her suitcase behind her as she did a half-jog toward the doors. The booties she wore had a three-inch heel and made her legs look narrow and trim. I wore some of her clothing too, but I doubted I looked anything like that. I'd always felt my frame was boxier than hers, but Mom insisted we were identical in every way, except the birthmark Amber had on her left ass cheek. Mine was creamy and bare.

When she was safely through the terminal doors, I hopped back into the Suburban and pulled out into traffic. I had never been a part of a wedding, but since the moment Amber insisted I take her place as maid of honor, I'd done some research. It didn't look too difficult, but I gathered that it depended largely on the personality of the bride being married off. Some coined the term "Bridezilla" as a way to describe more difficult women. I knew if Naomi wanted to be, that would be her. The drama…

The shopping plaza was full to the brim, even the day after Black Friday shopping had likely cleared a lot of shelves. It was difficult to find a spot to park, and with the massive size of the vehicle I was driving, it was even tighter. But I managed a spot near the back of the lot without too much hassle and made my way toward the bridal shop.

Danville wasn't known for its large selection of department stores. We had only two dress shops and one Men's Warehouse. Most folks just made the hour trip into Chicago for their shopping, but Naomi insisted that she get everything from here in town. She was huge on "Mom and Pop shops", which I fully supported. I just doubted with as picky as she was that she'd find anything, and this dress shopping would turn into a few days instead of a few hours.

I flipped my collar up to the wind and jammed my hands into the pockets of my puffer coat as I crunched more dry snow beneath the soles of my boots. What I wouldn't have given for a real mall with warm corridors lined with Christmas trees and twinkling lights. We had no warm hallways with shops, but we did have wreaths on light posts, snow piled high on every corner, and men with bright smiles ringing a bell at almost every shop door, a donation bucket for local charities somewhere nearby.

When I walked through the door of the dress shop and stomped my feet, the first thing I heard was Naomi's giddy squeal. I hardly had a chance to dust the snow from my shoulders before I was suffocated in another hug. These people drove me nuts with their touchy-feely shit. I could see how perfectly Naomi and Amber were matched—they were exactly alike. Which meant I had to be exactly alike.

I returned the hug with one of my own and squealed and jumped just like Amber would have done, and as I was doing it, my cheeks burned. Newt Phillips stood staring at me with a curt expression and his hands cooly in the pockets of his wool trench. The dapper trilby sat on his head just slightly crooked, making his stubbled jawline even more attractive.

"Oh, my God, I can't believe you're doing this for me." Naomi was giddy, and I had to play along, all while my body warmed to a cozy internal inferno at the sight of her older brother. I'd always thought he was hot, and I always had a crush on him. I had no clue he would be here today, and Naomi caught me staring.

"What's he doing here?"

"Oh, Newt? He's the best man." She waved me off and grabbed my wrist, dragging me toward the fitting rooms where she already had several dresses laid out. "Wait here, and I'll put the first one on."

I let that announcement sink in as she forced me forward. The closer I got to him, the warmer I felt until I started to sweat. When she let me go, I unzipped the thick coat and let it open in the front, and I yanked off my sock hat without regard to what my hair looked like. Amber had already ruined it anyway by dying it back to its natural black color.

"Hey," I said sheepishly as I popped a hand in the air in Newt's direction. He nodded at me as I slid my coat off and Naomi grabbed the first of what looked like many dresses and darted off into the large dressing room. He was in a different world—a world of expensive things and money to throw away. My simple sweater and slacks felt so out of place and paled in comparison to his six-hundred-dollar coat.

"Hello," Newt said, and then he stepped closer to me. The hint of a very pleasant cologne wafted past my nose as he extended a hand to me. I shed my coat before taking his hand and shaking it, surprised at his gentle grip. "I believe we've met a few times."

"Uh, yeah…" I felt disoriented and overwhelmed by how close I stood to this gorgeous hunk of a man, and I was glad Naomi was off in the dressing room putting on a dress for us to look at. I had no clue how Amber would react in a situation like this, and I figured I was failing at this act already.

"Mav?" he said, narrowing his eyes.

The old nickname was better than him calling me Amber, but only a little. I hated when people confused the two of us when we were young and called me my sister's name so many times that I decided that I'd be different so they'd know it was me. It was the beginning of my crazy hair-dying stage and all because of the slight hint of disappointment in their eyes when I'd have to say, "No, Jade."

"Yeah, that's me." I glanced away and dropped my coat and hat on the row of chairs set out for wedding parties waiting on their brides to show off dresses.

"You've got a…" Newt pointed at my head and added a sideways smirk as he reached up and pulled some of my hair. I had no clue what it looked like, but he was fixing it and I was feeling jitters as he leaned in. "There."

I reached up instinctively and smoothed the hairs on my head and backed away self-consciously. He smelled so good, and the stubble on his jaw was just long enough to make me want to scratch it or bite it. God, he was hot.

"Thanks." My true self-conscious nature kicked in, and I felt my cheeks warm to the low temperature of the surface of the sun. I never knew how to act around a guy, but this one took the cake. He wasn't just a guy. He was probably the hottest guy on Earth.

"So, we'll be working together this month, I guess. Don't worry about money at all. You keep your savings account locked down and stick to your Christmas budget. I'm covering everything. I know that's not why Nomie asked me to help, but since I have the means, I want to make this Christmas wedding the most amazing experience for her." His hands returned to the pockets of his coat and he stood with his chest puffed out, or maybe that was just how he always stood.

I awkwardly hugged myself and waited for Naomi to come out in the first dress. Each time she paraded around in front of us, Newt offered to buy the gown and she pouted that something about it wasn't quite right. When we were ten dresses in, I was exhausted and sick of playing Amber, and I plopped onto a chair to rest my tired legs. Newt sat next to me.

"She's a handful, huh?"

"Not quite bridezilla," I said, letting my inner Jade come out. I immediately noticed my mistake, and he chuckled.

"Not quite… But it's her special day and that's why we're here, right?" Though he sat two chairs down, his long arm draped along the back of the seats and he could reach out and touch me if he wanted.

"Uh, yeah. I'm just stressed with school stuff, I guess." It was what the real Amber would have said, anyway. I was just annoyed because Naomi couldn't just pick a dress. Of course, had she been my best friend, I was sure I'd have felt differently.

"Want to go to the coffee shop after this and plan the bachelor party? I guess Nomie said it would be combined, to make it easier on me since I don't know Jared well." His finger toyed with a lock of my hair, or the fake extensions, I didn't know which. It made me feel tingly that he was so familiar with me. I angled my body to face him more and my hair swished out of reach of his fingers.

"Yeah, sure. Kill two birds with one day," I said sardonically, and he snickered again.

"You're funny. You know?" Newt relaxed and unbuttoned the suit coat he wore under his trench. I didn't see how he could still have the heavy coat on and not be sweating, but maybe he wasn't feeling the same heat of attraction that I was. Or maybe as a swoon-worthy billionaire, he was used to women being flustered around him.

"I, uh…" Words refused to form, and I felt stupid sitting there blushing and squirming.

"How about this one!" Naomi announced, and it broke the trance I was in. I turned to look at her. The dress was hideous, some floral thing with huge, puffy shoulders.

"Uh, no…" I chuckled, and I saw Newt rub his mouth as if covering a smirk. "This is awful, Nomes. I'm not letting you marry Jared wearing that." In my best "Amber" attitude, I shook my head and crossed my arms. She pouted and dropped her shoulders, letting her head crane backward.

"Nothing is working. I hate this. I need a beautiful dress." Her head shot up. "Mav! Jade!"

At the mention of my name, my heart rate shot up. I had been doing so well pretending to be my sister. I almost had a heart attack when I thought she'd figured it out.

"What?" I gulped and sat a little straighter, feeling nervous.

"Jade should make my dress! Oh, my God, it's perfect!"

"What?" There was no way I'd have time to keep working on my designs and make a dress for her, on top of maid of honor duties, holiday festivities, and still keep my shit together to play Amber. "No."

"Oh, but it's so perfect! She lives here in town and she's got a holiday break coming up too, right? Please, please ask her to do it for me." Naomi came off the pedestal and rushed over to me, and a saleswoman started in our direction. The white satin bunched and dragged on the floor, and I thought the sales lady would have a panic attack.

I had a horrible feeling about this. Playing maid of honor to the bridezilla was one thing, but designing a dress for her? And what would happen when she didn’t like my design?

"It sounds like a good idea to me," Newt said, and I felt his fingers touching my shoulder again. It was a strange bit of encouragement I didn't necessarily invite but didn't hate. I looked at him.

"You think?" I asked, and he smiled so warmly I thought I'd lose myself.

"I know. Whatever Nomie wants, Nomie gets. Tell Jade I'll pay her the cost of the materials and a hundred dollars an hour for her time to design and create the perfect Christmas gown for my sister."

I swallowed hard again as blood rushed to my head and made me dizzy. He was flirting with me, like legitimately making eyes and touching me softly. My groin tensed with arousal, and I had to look away to Naomi who was being hoisted back onto the pedestal by the sales lady who was fussing over the dress getting dirty.

"Okay," I mumbled as I made eye contact with Newt. This handsome billionaire was throwing money at anyone and anything just to make his sister happy, and all the while, he was trying to get me to notice him. Well believe me, I noticed.

"Good girl," he purred quietly so Naomi couldn't hear. "Now let's get her off to Jared to pick their rings and we'll go get coffee and plan a party.”

Nothing on earth could keep me from getting to that coffee shop. I hopped off my chair and helped the saleslady get Naomi back into the dressing room to put on her street clothes, and the entire time, my heart was skipping beats. Newt Phillips was flirting with me and I didn't even care that he was like a decade older than me. He was hot and he was rich, and as far as I could tell, he was a good man.

Maybe helping Amber out for this wedding wasn't such a bad thing, after all.