Chapter 1

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Chapter 1

Noel's P.O.V 

"I hate Christmas!" I exclaimed, pushing my way through the crowd. People were crammed into every available spot, pushing and shoving to the point of exasperation.

 "This was your flipping idea, Noel!" Holly, my older sister argued back, pushing a frantic looking woman out of her way as she blew out a gush of air in annoyance.

Today was Black Friday, the worst day of the year to go shopping! If it wasn't for the deals at Target, I wouldn't even be out of the house tonight, or should I say very early morning... Come on, lets get up at two in the morning! Yay! Note the sarcasm of that statement...

"Well, Dad has been wanting that stupid video game... Okay, well I want to play it too but if it wasn't twenty dollars off I would be in bed sleeping right now!" I grumbled back to my sister pushing my way gently past a woman with a screaming toddler. Come on, honestly, who brings a baby out at three in the morning, talk about a hassle.

"You are so cheap!" Holly yelled over the chatter around us, with the amount of people around us that chatter was more like a dull roar.

"Easy for you to say! Your husband is a doctor for Christ's sake!" I yelled back dodging a stray shopping cart full of expensive items but no owner. Too bad the game wasn't in there, I'd grab it up and run for the cashier.

"Well, hell." Holly said smacking into said shopping cart. Frustrated, she pushed it out of the way and huffed towards me, her boots stomping on the tile.

"Some people didn't get lucky and are actually stuck working to make a living... Aw finally!" Here I was, twenty minutes after I fought my way through the door, I made it to the electronics section. I looked around the insanely busy part of the store and tried to find the PS3 games, of course they could have made it easier and signs that stood higher than my head...

"There," Holly said pointing of to the right just over in the next isle. I looked in that direction barely spotting the PS3, red and white sign through the heads of all the people.

"Oh, thank you God!" I rushed over to the spot, well as rushed as I could go trying to simi-polietly push people out of the way. After a few elbows to my sides and some trampled toes, Holly and I stood together staring at the games, completely lost. The choices were just ridiculous! Okay let's see... Dora, no. Mario Bros, no. Ah ha, Modern Warfare 3! And it's the last one, talk about lucky!

I reached out to grab it, so freaking ready to get my frustrated butt out of this over-crowded store. Okay, forget the luck I was talking about because just as my hand touched the game, so did another. Oh, hell no! I'm so ready to fight for this game! No way did I just spend all this time in this stupid store for no damn reason! I turned to the person who had their hands on my game, ready for a fight.

Or maybe I could just look at him all day, forget the fight .

Oh boy, I sure could eat him up. All in one deliciously big bite. Tall, dark, and handsome didn't even cover it. Heck, I literally had to stop myself from drooling he looked that good. Short cropped black hair, cool grey eyes, olive skin tone...oh boy! I did a quick overview of his body and found a perfect six pack, wonderfully showcased in a skin tight white thermal tee. Really broad muscular shoulders, hardly contained by his black leather jacket. And oh man was he tall! I stood at five ten and this man was at least a head taller than me...

"I'm sorry, but I think that I had that first." His deep sensual voice flowed across my senses. Had what first? Oh, his game... Wait, his game? Ha!

"I'm sorry." I said sarcastically. "I think I had this game first."

I glared up at him, finally catching his eye. At first he glared right back, the cool color of his eyes almost cold enough to freeze the blood flowing through my veins. That glare didn't last long though. Soon enough he took a deep breath and sighed deeply, and an instant smile spread across his face. Then,  I watched as his whole body stiffened and his mouth dropped in a surprised expression. As much as I did admire those straight pearly whites of his, I didn't think this stupefied face was one of his best.

"Mate." he muttered under his breath. Mate? Um, okayy...

"What?" I asked, confused as I watched him shack his head as if trying to clear it. When his eyes found mine again, I was shocked at the gentle look he gave me. Oh well, at least it was better than the daggers he was throwing my way a few minutes ago.

"Nothing. So Modern Warfare, huh?" he asked smiling down at me. Wow, this man must have an excellent dentist to have teeth like that. All he had to do was smile and I felt like a puddle of goo on the floor. Not fair. 

He was just too good looking to stop the grin from spreading across my own face. A natural flirt my whole stance changed as I nodded at him. "My dad." I said as an explanation.

"So, you don't play?" The stranger asked me, not so subtley letting his eyes roam down my body and back up.

"Actually I do play, but I don't have this game." I said truthfully. All I wanted to do was lean into him, get closer. I somehow restrained myself. After all, I don't want to seem like a total freak.

"Hmm," was all he said as his eyes bored into my own.

"So, are you going to let go of the game?" I asked, a little ruffled over his intense stare. 

"Maybe." He said giving me a sexy little smirk.

"Maybe?" Goodness, I think my heart just skipped. Seriously.

"What's it to you?" he asked, his elegant eyebrows raising.

"What do you mean?" I asked, too much in awe to think straightly.

"If I let you have this game...will you go out with me?" He asked glancing down suddenly looking shy.

What! Oh, my God! He was asking me out...

"Umm..." I swear I was in shock. Him... Asking me out?

"Yes. Of course she will!" Holly yelled pushing me forward, towards him. Hell, I forgot she was even here with me. Heck, I forgot the whole crowded story was here with me!

A grin spread across his face instantly and I couldn't help but smile back at him. "I guess... I mean, yes. I'll go out with you."

"I'm Chris by the way." he said letting go of the game and holding out his hand.

"Noel." I said reaching my hand out to his. The instant our hands touched, a shock filtered through his hand to mine. I gasped and let go of his hand quickly...what the hell was that!

"Noel..." he tested my name on his tongue, smiling. "So...would tomorrow be okay?"

I nodded, unable to respond, still reeling over the intense electricity that just passed from him to me. If possible his grin widened even more.

"Can I have your number?" he asked quietly. I handed him my phone for him to put his number in as he did the same. Within seconds I had my name and number loaded into his phone and I handed it back to him.

"So, I guess I will call you later today...see what's up?" he asked nervously shifting from foot to foot.

"Yeah, that would be great." I said, restraining the smile that wanted to break free.

"Okay, well I guess I better go..." He looked around him but his cool grey eyes seemed to instantly find their way back to mine.

"Okay..." I stated, unsure of what to do. Not really ready for us to separate but knew it was inevitable

"I'll call you." He said before turning around and disappearing into the crowd.

"Wow." Holly said behind me. Damn, I forgot she was even here... Again.

"Yeah..." I said still stunned, staring at the spot that Chris had left.

Wow was an understatement...that man was something else...

All I want for Christmas... **Watty Awards 2012**Where stories live. Discover now