𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 (javier peña) ✔️

chapter one: christmas

And while she was watching the man, he threw the other man out of the shop.

"Are you okay?" he asked her then.

"Uh yes, thank you" she replied perplexed.

"What a fucking idiot" he said with a grin.

"Yeah for real, he wanted his money back for this ten day old bouquet, because his wife found out he cheated. Like that's my fault?" she replied with a chuckle.

"Well I guess everyone is going crazy at Christmas time" he told her.

"Yep, I agree with you. But I would have to ask you to go too. Because I don't feel like working anymore and now I'll get me a pretzel" she said with a grin.

"You want company? I think I'd also like a pretzel"

"Uh yeah sure" she replied and then they left the shop together. She locked the door behind her and they got two pretzels.

"So you don't really like Christmas?" she asked him while they walked through the mall, eating their pretzels.

"I really liked Christmas as a kid, before I realized it was a big scam"

"Yeah" she replied with a chuckle.

"Christmas peaked for me at about ten. I got this bike that I really wanted to have"

"My best Christmas was when I was 5 and I got ice skates. I wanted to became a professional figure skater. And then I broke my leg two days later" she told him with a grin.

The man was about to say something when they were interrupted, "Hey Nova!"

Nova turned around confused, and then saw the man dressed as Santa waving at her. No fucking way, of course her aunts holidate was the Santa at the Mall.

"Oh god" she mumbled and stood behind the man with the pretzel to hide.

"Is that an ex-boyfriend of yours or something?" he asked with a grin.

"What? No, that's the guy my aunt brought home for Christmas"

"Tell your aunt Alba to call me, yeah?" the guy dressed as Santa said.

As the Pretzel man looked at Nova in confusion, she began to explain, "He was her holidate"

"Wait, what's a holidate?" he asked, even more confused.

"Just some guy she picked up at the mall to spend christmas with" Nova explained.

"Wait - just christmas or all holidays?" he asked back.

"Easter, New Year's, .. She's an equal opportunity holi-dater" she said with a grin.

"That's exactly what I need for New Year's Eve. I need a holidate" the man told her.

"Well you can try, but this late in the game, he's probably already booked" Nova replied with a grin.

"No. Seriously, I am done casually dating on the holidays. There's way too much pressure, it's ridiculous. And I always end up being the asshole at the end of the day, anyway"

"Yeah? Well you kinda sound like a manwhore now. But try being the only single person left in your family. It's like every time I walk into a room, I'm showered in a sea of pity and sad glances. I mean why is everyone so suspicious of a happy, single woman?" she asked while eating her pretzel.

"Because you're obviously not happy"

"Uh, yes I am" she told him with a chuckle.

"No, you're not. Human beings aren't meant to be alone on the holidays. We actually need warmth, companionship and someone to drunk-mock strangers with at parties"

"Yeah I do enjoy drunk-mocking strangers at parties" she replied with a laugh.

"Well, then, this is perfect! We can be each others holidate for New Year's Eve"

Nova chuckled, "Uh I don't even know you, so.. No" she said and walked back to the shop.

"Well that's what makes it perfect. Cause there's no pressure. There's no expectations" he said as he went after her.

"Goodbye" she replied with a grin and unlocked the door of the flower shop.

"Okay, wait a sec, you just said that you're tired of all the sad glances and looking pathetic"

"I said pity - not pathetic" she replied and crossed her arms.

"I'm invited to a rooftop party by a friend. It's public, so there'll be a lot of people. In case you don't trust me, you know. But you can only go when you're invited. And I happen to have two invitations" he told her with a grin.

"Hm I don't know, you could be some psychotic serial killer"

"Really? Do I like like one?" he asked back surprised.

"Ah to be honest yes. You wanna protect your identity with the cap? You know you'd still need a pair of sunglasses then"

He took off his cap and straightened his hair, "Better?"

"Yeah, but I still don't know"

"Well it's on a rooftop in the Hilton Hotel. So I'm pretty sure you'd be safe there"

"Really? That sounds kinda nice"

"Oh come on, then just say yes"

"Ugh"

"I just wanna go, I wanna relax, have a few drinks. Not worry about my date going batshit crazy if I don't drop a knee at midnight"

"What makes you sure I'm not batshit?"

"I just know" he replied and Nova started to grin.

"I'm Javier, by the way" he told her and held out his hand.

"Nova" she said and shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Nova. Here's my number" he said and took a pen out of a pocket, with which he then wrote his phone number on the pretzel's paper and handed it to her.

"Still don't know you"

"Just think about it, and text me"

"Nah I won't text you" she replied with a grin and got back into the flower shop.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

Yup, I started another fic. But I'm really excited about this one.
What do you think?

And yeah their conversation was (obviously) similar to the one in Holidate, but the rest of the fic will not have that much in common with the film. (except of course the concept of a holidate)