➶｡˚ part three of the RACING HEARTS series
Holly Lee is a Christmas lover. She adores everything about it. The twinkling lights making her heart beat with excitement. The beautiful time spent with her loved ones. The crunchy, sparkling sn...
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"Why does every single station play these stupid Christmas songs?" Max clicked his tongue, turning off the radio.
"Perhaps, just perhaps, it's because it's Christmas Eve!" Holly sighed, rolling her eyes as she switched on the radio. Unable to listen to her beloved holiday mix stuck in the car, she needed some Christmas songs to uplift her mood.
Speaking of the car—after Max and Holly had reached a nearby village with a strong signal, Holly had contacted the towing service. They had waited for thirty minutes until it had arrived, and now they were back on the road. Fortunately, London was only an hour and a half away.
Sure, the day had a rough start, but Holly remained optimistic. Despite being stuck in a car with the biggest Grinch she'd ever encountered, she knew he had saved her from disaster.
"I know it's Christmas Eve. That doesn't mean they have to play the same freaking songs for twenty years," Max muttered. Despite the annoyed look on his face, he didn't turn off the radio.
"I mean, can you imagine Christmas without Wham! or Mariah Carey? It's like Christmas without watching The Holiday or Love Actually," Holly chuckled ironically. However, when Max shot her a quick glance with raised eyebrows, she widened her eyes. "Oh my god, are you telling me you haven't seen these movies?"
Holly considered these two movies her essential holiday classics. She had watched them with her entire family, and each time, she would find herself shedding tears, even though she had seen them a million times. Her dad would always wipe away her tears, saying that she had been destined for a love story just as epic.
"Nope," Max shook his head. "I only saw The Grinch."
"Of course you did," Holly sighed, gazing out of the window. The darkness had lifted, and she couldn't help but smile as she observed the snowfall.
"Why were you in Bristol if you're from London?" Max asked, and Holly tried to ignore the lump appearing in her throat. For a moment, it felt as if she couldn't breathe.
"I visited someone. Me and my family are meeting in our house near London," she replied, and it seemed that Max noticed her reaction to his question. She saw the furrow appear on his forehead. "Well, I hope their flight isn't delayed."
"Oh, they aren't in the country?"
"My mom, grandma, and my brother visited our relatives in San Francisco," Holly clarified. "I arrived from Paris yesterday."
"Traveling all the way here for Christmas? That's a real dedication," Max chuckled ironically.
"You're not British, though. So you had to travel here too," Holly shrugged. It was evident that Max wasn't British; Holly could tell from the way he spoke right from the beginning.
"You're good," Max smirked. "I'm Dutch. I visited my friend in Bristol, and my crazy friends insisted that I join them for Christmas," he quickly glanced at Holly.
"That's so thoughtful of them!" Holly exclaimed, but when she saw his irritated face, she rolled her eyes.
"I guess. When they found out I don't celebrate Christmas, my friend went crazy. And she's a lawyer, so it's kind of hard to argue with her," Max explained. Despite his attempt to appear annoyed, Holly didn't miss the way one corner of his mouth slightly lifted. "She makes the best cookies, though. I'll skip every single Christmas thing and eat the cookies instead."
The last sentence made Holly turn her head to Max. "Why do you hate Christmas so much?"
"It's a stupid holiday! Just an excuse to go crazy over materialistic things," he shook his head, clicking his tongue in disapproval.
"Well, not everyone celebrates Christmas because of gifts. I'd say that most of us simply want to enjoy that festive season with our loved ones," Holly explained softly.
Holly held the most beautiful memories of Christmas. She remembered the way she had been helping her mom with chocolate crinkles every year. She had never even cared about the gifts; it had been the beautiful, indescribable atmosphere that had always captivated her.
The very thought of Christmas had a way of making her feel as if her heart could melt.
For a moment, she forgot that she was sitting in a car with a live version of Grinch. Well, he immediately reminded her of his presence.
"Look, I'm really not up for a Christmas lecture. You'll help me come up with gift ideas because I need to bring my friends something. The lecture wasn't part of our deal."
Holly shrugged. Instead, she increased the volume when Christmas Is All Around started playing.
This man will love Christmas by the end of this day. She knew that. For sure.
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i can't even describe how happy i am that you guys are loving this short story so far! <3 even though i know that some of you don't celebrate, which even makes me more happy and grateful that you read and enjoy this. <3
speaking of christmas, what do you have for dinner on the christmas eve/day? i'd love to educate myself! and if you don't celebrate, please, tell me what you eat during your celebrations? <3
