But no one’s as famous as me.
And that’s exactly what I remind myself when I look at Tinsley and say, “Did you bring a suit?” I nod toward the pool, where her eyes are already focused. Plenty of people are floating around the lazy river and lounging on the fake beach. “It’s heated. Last I checked, it was hovering around ninety degrees.” When she shakes her head, I do my best to cover my disappointment. I’ve barely had any time to get in that pool, and I was really hoping to do so with her. “Yeah, I hear ya,” I say. “Seems kind of weird to be swimming so close to Christmas.”
“Does it?” She crinkles her nose and studies me carefully.
“Well, yeah. Back in Gr—” I start to say Back in Greentree, but luckily I catch myself and go straight into recovery mode. “Well, you know, in movies, Christmas always takes place somewhere snowy and cold.”
“I wish I could see that.” Her eyes go soft and dreamy, and her breath does this sort of faint wistful sigh. “You know, a white Christmas? I’ve lived here my entire life, and we’ve never once gotten close.”
Finally. Up until now I’ve been walking on a tightrope, but this I’ve got covered.
“Better stick around, then,” I say. “Sometimes wishes come true.”
By ten o’clock, just like I’d planned, a heavy layer of snow starts to fall in my backyard, courtesy of the professional snowmakers I rented.
At first it takes everyone a moment to realize what’s happening, but when the crew dressed as Santa’s elves bring out the inner tubes, and the waiters wearing Santa hats circle the crowd with heaping trays of hot chocolate and snowman accessories like carrots, black hats, red scarves, and glossy black pebbles to use for the eyes, well, that’s when the real fun begins. Everyone starts making snow angels, having snowball fights, and taking snow-covered selfies. People will be talking about this party long after they’ve forgotten about all the others.
Luckily, also as planned, Tinsley and I are standing directly under the mistletoe I’ve hung from a palm tree. The moment I’ve been waiting for is finally here.
“Oh, Nick!” Tinsley thrusts her arms wide as she spins under great swirls of snow that drift onto her cheeks, making her look like some kind of irresistible winter fairy. “I can’t believe you arranged this! It’s just—magic!” She settles before me with glittering eyes and a face so radiant I can no longer resist.
I inch closer, point clumsily at the mistletoe hanging above. “Oh, look at that,” I say, as though the moment hasn’t been carefully choreographed. Watching in stunned amazement as her face softens and her lips push apart, like she knows what’s coming and fully intends to kiss me right back. Like she wouldn’t even consider screaming and running away.
“Nick…” She moves toward me, the tips of her fingers finding my arm. “Nick?” she repeats, but the moment was lost the second I spotted the cameraman lurking off to the side.
I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE
“Seriously?” I pace the rug in my den as soon as all the guests have cleared out, which started just after I spotted the cameraman and then Ezer and well before the fireworks show could begin. “You seriously filmed my party? Is nothing sacred to you?”
“Sacred?” Ezer laughs. “Tell me, Nick—what exactly is it you hold sacred?” He leans his head back against the cushion and peers down the length of his nose.
“My privacy, for starters! You invaded my space without my permission! You invaded my private moment…not to mention my…privacy!”
Okay, so maybe that was a little repetitive. It’s hard for me to speak clearly when I’m flustered like this. Not to mention, I didn’t even know he was here. I mean, even my family knew better than to come, and my invitation to them was sincere!
“Your privacy?” Ezer balks. “Allow me to remind you, Nick, that as per our agreement, I have every right to film your party. Not to mention how you happily gave up any semblance of privacy the day you signed on to become a celebrity with your own reality show. Back when you were living life as an invisible nobody, you had plenty of privacy, and if you’ll remember correctly, you longed for the opposite. You couldn’t wait to hit the big time—and now that you have, you’re complaining about that. You can’t have it both ways, Nick. I gotta be honest here, you are seriously testing my patience.”
The way he sighs, closes his eyes, and rubs one of his meaty hands across his face, well, I’m worried that he might try to fire me for being such a pain, and then I won’t have access to Tinsley.
But the feeling lasts only a few seconds before I remember I’m Ezer’s only client.
He can’t afford to fire me.
I’m in control, and I need to start acting like it.