Riley looked around. “Good question. I haven’t seen them yet. Maybe they chickened out.”
Caylee shook her head. “No, none of them strike me as the kind of guy who gives up.”
“We’ll see,” Riley said as she listened to Luke explain that everyone who was competing would need to strut their stuff down the runway, modeling their sweaters, and would then be judged on three key factors: creativity, uniqueness, and of course, owning the ugliness.
They’d even set up a mini red velvet runway down the middle of the lobby where the judges—Riley, Luke, and Caylee—waited at the end, holding up their scorecards. Contestants would be rated from one to ten, and the highest combined score would win.
They were getting near the end of the contestants when, all of a sudden, Riley saw Colin start making his way down the red carpet. She gasped before she started laughing. “No way!”
But Colin was owning every second of it. His red and white striped ugly sweater was covered in real candy canes, and he was wearing a sparkling red garland around his neck like a boa. As he spun around, modeling, several candy canes flew off him. The twins were ecstatic when they each caught one.
Everyone went crazy laughing and clapping.
When Colin went by Riley, he handed her a candy cane. “Sweets for my sweetheart.”
When Riley laughed, Luke rolled his eyes.
Riley was just taking the candy cane from Colin when the next contestant stepped up to the carpet, and it was Brendan. He was wearing a Santa sweater that lit up and said, “Ho! Ho! Ho!” For added impact, he was also wearing a Santa hat and had snowshoes slung over his shoulder. When he went up to Riley, he stopped and put a matching hat on her head. Then he got down on one knee, kissed her hand, and asked her if she’d be his Mrs. Claus.
The Christmas Campers all started whistling and clapping even louder.
The twins started chanting, “Say yes! Say yes!”
Before Riley could answer Brendan’s Santa proposal, Tyler appeared, and all the cheering and clapping turned to loud laughter.
Riley did a double take. The last guy she thought would ever be caught dead wearing an ugly Christmas sweater had totally committed from head to toe. Tyler was wearing a hilarious elf-themed sweater onesie that included a hoodie with elf ears and the green felt elf shoes. He looked absolutely ridiculous and proud of it.
Riley found it both hilarious and endearing.
As Tyler strutted down the runway, he never took his eyes of Riley.
Whoa! Riley thought. With that smoldering look, even in the elf onesie, she couldn’t deny Tyler was heating up the competition in the best of ways.
“Wow,” Caylee said, picking up on what Tyler was putting down for Riley.
Riley, laughing, just fanned her face with one of the scorecards.
When Tyler came over and held out his hand to Riley, still laughing, she stood up and played along, taking his hand. He quickly spun her around in a perfect dance move and dipped her, looking into her eyes. He brought her back up, he was about to kiss her when Comet barked and ran up to them.
Riley laughed as she let go of Tyler’s hand. “Look at Comet, everyone. He’s getting in on the competition.”
Comet, perfectly on cue, trotted down the red runway, looking to the left, then the right as if he was making sure everyone was watching him. They were, and they loved him.
Because, of course, Comet was wearing an ugly sweater, too. It was all green and had the Grinch on it. Only the Grinch was a cat.
In the end, the winner didn’t surprise anyone. It was Tyler in his outrageous onesie. For his prize, he got a new ugly Christmas sweater. It was brown with a huge gingerbread house on the front, and there were recipe cards attached everywhere. There was also a pocket that ran across the bottom hem that had been stuffed with a wooden spoon and spatula. The final edition to the sweater came when Maryanne handed Tyler a giant gingerbread cookie that was wearing its own ugly sweater.
When everyone clapped, Tyler happily took a bite of his cookie.
Riley smiled watching him. She couldn’t remember a time when he’d ever looked so relaxed and playful. He was even taking pictures with all the Christmas Campers. She really liked this goofy side of him. After all the pictures, Riley finally made her way over to him.
She did a silly little bow in front of him. “Congratulations, Tyler, for being the king of the ugly Christmas sweaters. You totally surprised me.”
Tyler laughed. “In a good way, I hope.”
Riley smiled at him. “In a very good way. Who knew you had this in you?” She pointed at his onesie.
“Well, you’ve just never seen me at Christmas,” Tyler said. “We never celebrated it when we were together.”
“I know,” Riley said. “That was all me. I’m sorry for that.”
Tyler put his arm around her. “Don’t be. We’re making up for it now. So, are you ready for my surprise?”
Riley laughed. “I don’t know if I can handle another one.”
Tyler laughed. “I mean our date.”
“I know,” Riley said. “I’m just kidding. But I’m guessing I should go change?”
“Good guess,” Tyler said. “You should find something appropriate in your room.”
“So you were serious about that?” Riley asked, intrigued.
“Riley, you know I’m always serious about fashion,” Tyler said, hands on his hips.
She looked at him in his onesie and laughed.
“Okay, just go,” Tyler said, also laughing. “Meet down here a half hour.”
“Perfect,” Riley said and found herself really looking forward to their date together.
As Tyler was walking out, Paul grabbed him. “One more photo,” he said. “I need you, Colin, Brendan, and Riley.”
Tyler looked at Riley. “That’s up to the boss, not me.”
“It’s fine,” Riley said. “We can do a quick picture.”
After she gathered Colin and Brendan together, she also got Luke and Comet to come over for the picture.
“Okay,” she said to Paul. “I
