December 3, 2018

Christmas Shopping

I'd hoped that going Christmas shopping with my boyfriend would be a fun activity for the two of us, but after six stores he was already complaining.
"Babe, I love you, but this is so boring. Why don't I just go home and order presents online like I always do?"

I leaned my head back and sighed in exasperation. Why couldn't boys see the appeal of hunting for the perfect pair of heels, finding an adorable skirt on sale, sniffing a hundred candles for just the right one? I loved Luke, but our personalities always felt miles apart.

Maybe a break would help. "Let's grab a bite at the food court, OK?"

On our way, I spotted someone dressed as Santa collecting money for the less fortunate. The holidays always put me in a giving mood, so I dropped a few dollars in his pail. "Thank you, my dear! I hope you find a little extra Christmas magic this year."

I smiled and turned to catch up with Luke, but I didn't see him anywhere. A girl standing near a Christmas tree waved me over. I knew I'd never seen her, but she still seemed strangely familiar. "Not leaving your girlfriend for old Saint Nick, are you?"

Girlfriend? What was she talking about? Without warning, she leaned in and kissed my cheek, then took my hand and pulled me towards the food court. "If we hurry, we can grab coffee and hit a few more stores before they're totally picked over."

Growing more confused by the moment, I pulled out my phone to call Luke. Scrolling through my recent calls and texts, most of them were to someone named "Liz." My eyes widened and I turned to look for Santa, but he was nowhere to be found.

I did my best to sleuth out some answers. As far as Liz was concerned, we'd been dating for over a year, going back to when I remembered first going out with Luke. Her family, her job, even the little mole behind her ear were all the same. But instead of my tall, lunk of a boyfriend who hated shopping, I was apparently dating a petite girl who wanted to race me to every store.

At first, I really wanted to find a way to change Luke back. The more time passed, though, the more I realized how much more I had in common with Liz. She was still passionate about things I'd fallen for, like music and hiking, but our conversations felt so much more natural and free flowing. When we kissed under the mistletoe, I felt an electricity I'd never known with Luke or any other boy I'd dated.

It's a little embarrassing, but I finally broke down when Liz wanted to try on some new bras. I've had my own boobs since middle school, but hers were so... inviting. Catching my gaze in the changing room, she winked and said, "Save it for tonight, gorgeous." Turns out, Santa knew just what to get me this year.

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