Under The Mistletoe

2: Holi-Date

“So who was that boy that’s caused you to smile all day?” Tori asks a few minutes before my shift ends. I couldn’t help but blush as I hung the last piece of clothing onto one of the racks.

“Justin.” I answer. “I met him at some jewelry story during my lunch break.”

Tori chuckles. “That might explain why you didn’t have any lunch.”

I raise a questioning eyebrow. “How did you know I didn’t have lunch?”

“Your stomach is driving me nuts.” She points out. “If you would have told me, I would have let you go get some cookies or something. I’m not really a mean person, Payton.”

I bite my lip in embarrassment. “I know you’re not.”

“Hmph” is all she says before changing the subject. “Did he ask you out?”

My blush grows. “He might have invited me to hang out.”

“Ooo.” Tori winks. “Hang out. Sounds fun.”

I roll my eyes. “Shut up.” I walk over behind the counter and grab my red, snowflake-covered scarf, wrapping it around my neck. “My shift’s over. Justin’s probably waiting for me outside.”

Tori throws me another wink as I make my way out of the boutique. I return it with a wave and make my way down the crowded halls of the mall. I’m not sure where Justin could be. The mall had too many exits. I frown. What if he had forgotten? He probably has better things to do.

I take a seat on some random bench, sighing. He could be anywhere. Heck, he may not even be here in the first place. Why was I even excited over this date? I’ve had dates before. They all ended in disaster. I wasn’t even interested in those boys anyways.

But why does the simple thought of Justin make my heart race?

“I’ve been looking for you.” A voice interrupts my thoughts.

My head snaps up at the source, a smile growing on my face. “Hey!” I exclaim, standing up.

Justin smiles, reaching over and pulling me into a warm hug. “Hey.”

I hug him back, breathing in his boyish scent. He smelled of Axe and leather, the leather being his jacket. I would have stayed there in his arms all afternoon if he wasn’t the first to pull away.

“I thought we could take a walk downtown.” He says as we begin to walk towards one of the exits. “It’s just a short walk and they have so many holiday stands set up. It’s pretty cool.”

I respond with a simple “I bet.”

The rest of the walk is silent. Neither of us know what to say as we saunter down the streets, making our way downtown. The air is cold and soft snowflakes kiss my face. I hug my arms to my chest to block out some of the cold while Justin’s hands are shoved deeply into his coat’s pockets.