Cherish held a finger up, “Wait. That one gets me too!”
Simon pinched his eyes over his glasses and sighed, “My manhood has been challenged in every known way possible.” He muttered under his breath.
Coming into view with the fathers, Miriam stood on a chair hidden behind a small wall. Cherish paused. The way Jack and Simon Sr. stared at them caused her to tuck her eyebrows together. Simon, on the other hand, knew they were done for when he saw the look on his father’s face. After she stepped off the last step, Margaret quickly turned to them and pointed, “MISTLETOE!!!” She exclaimed.
Miriam used the wall to balance herself as she dangled the green garnish over their heads. Cherish tilted her head back and immediately felt the setup she and Simon talked about the night before; and they’d fallen right into their ruse. Staring back at him with widened eyes, Margaret held up a polaroid camera and waited, “Go on! Don’t skimp on tradition!”
Simon looked up and saw his mother-in-law and released a sigh. He should have known. “Of course. It’s Christmas. How didn’t we see this coming?” he questioned to Cherish.
Simon Sr. brushed off their apprehension to make them feel better, “Don’t worry about it. It’s just custom. A small peck is fine.”
Cherish watched as Simon approached her until he was on the same step. Tradition? She never saw it coming because she never had it before. She thought it only existed in movies!
Awkwardly glancing down at their feet, she curved into herself. Her hand clamped the back of her neck while Simon eyed the camera in his mother’s hand. He didn’t like it, but he knew that he couldn’t deny them because they’d spin his refusal in another light. Plus, he wasn’t completely opposed.
Margaret waved her hand, "Go on. Get a little closer. Hold long enough so I can snap the photo!" She said with a Cheshire grin.
What was a little kiss?
Giving Cherish a shrug in defeat, he leaned down, and found, to his surprise, a knot of nervousness hitting him and amplifying the closer he got. His expression was intense when he tilted his head and held the side of her face.
Cherish rubbed her lips together before she squeezed her eyes shut; waiting. Her stomach was a complete mess and her nerves shot through the roof. She knew the others were acting weird, but she wasn't expecting to suddenly have her first kiss with Simon. Margaret pressed a hand to her mouth as she quickly snapped a picture.
In the moment their lips pressed strongly together, Cherish was heated to her core. This was already beyond a peck and he could feel the heat rise to his cheeks. He was shaken. Her lips were so big and soft. She smelled incredible and he’d lost himself in her as she did him.
Ten seconds passed before Simon realized they hadn’t stopped. Consciously, he pulled away with a decent smack of their lips and stared into her eyes with a bit of surprise; catching his breath.
Cherish released the breath she didn't know she’d been holding. She leaned forward into his direction before catching herself and straightening her back. Staring up at him, she swallowed heavily with an intense grip around her heart. She clenched her jaw while rubbing a knuckle against her bottom lip.
Todd never felt like that.
The ones around them seemed more than content with the result of their trick. The camera clicked again as Margaret's thumb slid against the cog; resetting it. She spoke up to change the subject and sway the attention, "Perfect! I got it!! Are you ready for the movie?"
Miriam climbed off the chair before Cherish finally tore her gaze from Simon, "Y-Yeah....what...which one is it?" She asked following them into the living room.
Simon was still frozen to the step. He vaguely nodded. His mind was tangled with the knowledge that kissing Cherish, even forced to, felt parallel to Emily. Different, but brought the same nerves and reaction as their first date. That concept was dangerous to him.
Sitting with everyone else, he noticed that Cherish made a point to sit between his mom and Miriam. So, he made himself comfortable on the love seat and did his best to keep his attention on the movie. Alas, his mind was miles away and replayed her lips on an endless loop in his memory. Glancing over at Cherish, he blinked slowly and silently sighed.
Even though Cherish stared at the screen, her mind was busy with a constant stream of questioning herself, her actions, Simon’s actions, and her feelings. She always knew that there was warmth when it came to him. What they did together from subtle flirting to sleeping in the same bed wasn’t normal by a long shot, but for them it worked. She was always confused with how she felt about him, but didn’t understand the weight and gravity he held in her life; her heart. Her fingers gripped the ends of his sweater lost in thought.
Simon didn’t want to play the unspoken route because from day one, they’d been completely candid and honest with one another. The strong foundation they sat on was built on trust. He wanted to address the massive elephant in the room before one of them got hurt from the silence.
Halfway through the movie, he found an opportunity to text her while everyone was distracted.
We should talk. Want to sneak out to the hot tub after bed?
Her right pocket vibrated, and she instantly glanced to Simon. Seeing him lower his phone, she clenched her jaw before she stood and trailed into the kitchen. Taking out her phone, she read his message and shut her eyes. He wanted to talk. Why did those
