Merry Mix-Up (Holiday Hearts)

4. Newt

4

NEWT

D ecember 1st

Amber and I had an amazing time chatting about the bachelor party once we ditched Naomi to pick out rings with Jared. She was smart and funny and beautiful, and I enjoyed her sense of humor. So when I walked her to her car and heard how it barely turned over when she tried to start it, I jumped at the chance to offer her a ride and extend our time together.

She sat behind the wheel as I walked back toward her small black sedan, and I noticed her frustrated look as she engaged the ignition but the car sat and clicked. I knew that feeling, though it hadn't happened to me in a long time. I tapped on her window and she opened the door.

"It won't start," she mumbled, and I grimaced.

"I can see that…." I wished for a split second that I was one of those handy guys who could look under the hood and fix what was wrong, but I poured my attention and learning efforts into different things. Cars interested me, but not in the same way as some other men. I preferred buying expensive ones and driving them, not fixing them up. I just sent my vehicles to the repair shop when needed, and if they broke down a lot, I just bought a new one.

"I'm not sure what to do. Can you give me a jump?" she asked, and she climbed out of the car and stood with one hand resting on the door, but I could only shrug. I knew my way around a bank account or budget, not a car.

"I… Uh… How about I give you a ride instead? We can call a tow truck." I felt stupid but at this time of day, we'd be waiting hours for a tow. It was either I give her a ride home or we'd sit together and chat while we waited for the truck. Either way, I got more time with her, which made me happy.

"Alright. I don't have time to wait for a tow. I have studying to do." Amber shut the car door and locked it, then pulled her hat down on her head farther and crossed her arms over her chest. It was below zero and breezy, not a good combo for standing in the cold and waiting, and it was probably the reason her battery had gone dead.

"My car is just up here," I told her, gesturing. I'd already seen Sean pull up, so I knew he was waiting on me. The limo would be warm and toasty when we climbed in, and maybe that would help her loosen up a bit.

"Which one?" she asked. Her eyes scanned the parking lot as I walked toward the entrance of the coffee shop we had just vacated. She followed along behind me but seemed to be keeping her distance.

"There," I said, nodding, and her eyebrows rose as we approached the limo.

Sean hopped out and opened the door, and Amber looked at me with wide eyes. "You drive this?" she asked and glanced at the car with amazement.

"Uh, no. Sean drives for me, and I… well…" I realized how over-the-top my ritzy car and driver must have seemed to her. Amber came from a hard-working family just like I did, but I had worked hard to dig my way out of the hole I grew up in to make something of myself. Not that she wasn't or that her family wasn't perfectly normal, but normal wasn't enough for me. I wanted it all.

"Go on," I told her, but mentally, I made a note to tame down the lavishness of my normal lifestyle.

Amber climbed into my limo which was as warm as I knew it would be. I followed her and settled into the seat, and Sean closed us in. She looked uncomfortable, huddled against the far door as I unbuttoned my coat and put my gloves in my pocket. Maybe she thought this was too weird, a man more than a decade older than her flirting with her and then offering her a ride home, but age was just a number after twenty-one, wasn't it?

"So, you're really as rich as everyone says you are?" She turned a little, angling her body so that her shoulders were more open to me. She pulled the hat off her head and smoothed her hair down and again, I was reminded of the wild peacock colors her sister sported and was thankful that the "quieter" of the two twins was the one seated next to me.

"Uh…" I laughed. "Probably richer, but don't let that make you uncomfortable. I'm a pretty normal, down to Earth guy. I was raised here in Danville too, you know?"

She smiled, and I swore her cheeks tinged red. "So, what exactly do you do?"

"I'm a stockbroker." The car started to move, and she swayed a little. I resisted the urge to scoot closer to her so she wouldn’t think I was creepy. There was something alluring about her beauty. I wanted to treasure her and each second with her in ways I couldn't explain. She had this mesmerizing effect on me I couldn't put into words. I was smitten instantly, though I wouldn't have said it was love at first sight.

"Oh, that's cool… Not really what I expected, though." Amber's smile was a thing of beauty. I wanted to say anything and everything to make sure I could enjoy it again and again.

"What about you? Nomie said you're in business school?" I licked my lips and noticed how chapped they were, then saw how soft and supple hers seemed. I was acutely aware of how scratchy it would feel if I just kissed her and I wanted ChapStick to remedy that because I found myself wanting to kiss her now.

"Uh, yeah, but it's stressful and I don't want to even think about school while I’m here." Her words seemed stiff and distant, but I understood. Master's-level courses were challenging. I finished mine by the skin of my teeth and with a little luck, too. Talking about that stress would have been the last thing I wanted as well.

"Okay, well what is your favorite holiday tradition here in Danville?" It'd been a long time since I enjoyed any of the small-town festivities here. I was so busy building my business, I barely made it home for Christmas day.

"Oh, gosh." Her face lit up as she spoke. "I think the festival of lights at the park, or maybe the parade. There are so many amazing traditions." She gushed about the way people would decorate their houses and how she and her twin would drive the streets after dark just looking at the homes lit up for the holidays. I loved listening to her speak. And while my favorite part of the holidays wasn't any of the things she mentioned, it made me feel more at home.

"What's your favorite?" she asked, and I noticed she had scooted closer to me.

"My favorite time is family time. It's why I can work the whole month and miss all the other things, but as long as I am home with Mom, Dad and Nomie on Christmas, it's all I need." I felt really relaxed and I was enjoying the conversation. I didn't want it to end. I really liked her personality and found myself being so enamored of every word she said.

"You seem to really care about Naomi. That's really sweet. I hope I find a man who loves me like that someday." She bit her lip and blushed hard, and I could tell she was embarrassed.

"I'm sure you're going to meet someone who thinks the world of you. Probably sooner than you think." The last thing I wanted was to come on too strong and push her away. "If Naomi and her melodramatic personality can find someone to love her, it should be simple for a woman as smart and beautiful as yourself."

Amber smiled and looked down at her hand splayed on the leather seat between us bracing her as the car bumped over potholes. Her fingernails were painted in a rainbow similar to that of her sister's hair, and I had to grin at how they were similar yet expressed themselves differently.

"Thanks," she mumbled, but I felt she maybe hadn't accepted the compliment I'd intended.

"Naomi told me your sister was dating someone, and if that wild child with rainbow hair can find a man, you'll have no problem. Maybe you're just really busy and stressed with school." I saw her stiffen, and her expression shifted from happiness to uneasiness almost instantly. I was an idiot. I shouldn't have said anything that could be misconstrued as negative about her sister. Everyone knew twins were always really close to one another, and she could have been offended by that.

"Yeah," she said, her voice almost a whisper. "She's something, isn't she?"

"I didn't mean that in a bad way. I'm sorry." My apology felt stilted, but she took a deep breath and turned back to me with the same bright eyes, albeit a bit less enthusiastically.

"No offense taken. I know Jade has a loud style. Some people say that about my personality too." The warmth of her smile returned, and I felt a bit better.

"I find your personality to be charming and endearing, and I would honestly love to spend more time with you. Would you be okay if I got your number?" The car rolled to a stop as I asked the question, and she glanced out the window.

"Uh, we have to turn right here, and then I'm just a block down." She seemed to get nervous at my statement, and I realized I hadn't given Sean directions. He was heading toward my parents' place and conveniently enough, we were passing through Amber's neighborhood too.

I took my phone out and called Sean right away, and he answered. "Turn here… Right?" I looked to Amber for confirmation, and she nodded.

"Three forty-two." When her tongue flicked over her lips, I again got the urge to taste them.

"Three forty-two, and park out front." I hung up the phone and handed it to her. " Your number?" I asked again, and she blinked hard a few times but nervously smiled and took my phone. I watched her program the number as the car rolled to a stop outside her apartment building. When she handed it back, I said, "I'm having such a good time with you, I don’t want it to end. Would it be okay if I come inside?"

I swore I heard her whimper as she opened the door and climbed out, then leaned back in as I scooted toward her. "I'm sorry, Newt. I can't today. But I'm looking forward to picking the trees out in the morning. It should be a fun time."

She straightened and took a step backward up onto the curb, and my heart sank. "Alright, then. Well, have a good evening. Let me know if you need help with the tow bill. I feel bad." As I said the words, I winced because I realized I was trying to throw money at her issue in an attempt to make her see me more favorably. For all I knew, she was the type of independent woman who wanted to do things by herself and hated that archaic, chivalrous gesture.

"I think Dad can handle it, but I appreciate the offer. Thank you. And thanks for the ride." Her genuine smile returned and made me wish she'd have let me come in, but I had to be patient. She was overwhelmed with studies according to Naomi, and cutting her school time short to be a part of this wedding was stressful enough. I didn't want to burden her with more stress or make her feel guilty.

"See you in the morning," I said and reached for the door.

She wiggled her fingers in a goodbye wave and backed away as I shut the door and Sean took off. Damn that woman for being so magnetic, and damn my impulsivity and need to claim whatever it was that I saw that I wanted. Because I wanted her really bad, not just in a sexual way, though truth be told, I did want her like that. No, I found someone I clicked with instantly and I wanted that type of energy around me all the time.

If it were up to me, by the time Christmas rolled around, she'd be a fixture on my arm permanently. I just had to play my cards right. I smiled the entire ride back to my parents' house, giddy with the thrill of the chase.