tri

r so I wouldn't lose her in the crowd of dancing Clauses and Mrs. Clauses. Every time I

u had found someone else," she said timidly. I barely heard h

down her arm to ta

s!" the DJ

time, I

.... I was still nervous,

hing about you

if you found the match you want to kiss, you'd bet

ing to make her uncomfortable. But she linked her arms through mine loosely. I was happy to know that she was

of the other couples around us. Some looked excited while others looke

if you're not comfortable with

every second of she stood in silence, the sound of my heart pounding in my ears grew loud

says," she said quietly, though I w

give us a countdown. The kissing

to feel pressured," I said

I couldn't help but admi

one

caught me by surprise, causing me let out a little gasp before I got it in my mind to kiss h

again, causing u

ic in the air, everyone?"

houlder once again. It was cute that she did that, though I worried she could hear my heart thumping

mpted. "Time for the reveal. On z

know what she looked like. I didn't know what she'd think of me when I removed my mask and this dreaded scratchy beard. At l

eady?" I a

what was supposed to come after it, I had a strange

telling the truth. Suddenly, she

ther, everyone!"

egan from ten and start

nder her chin and urged her to look up. She pressed her lips to

, fo

to my mask and s

e, t

walls and drowning out the music and the chatter. And in a

ld her, taking

ion. "My friend..." she sai

party were trying to control the crowd and get everyone to move toward the doors. But p

y signs of fire, but I didn't see anything

bled back and lost my grip on my match's hand. I swiveled around to see w

white collar of her dress again, but I could only see most people's backs. As I scanned the crowd, I saw an older lady get knocked do

h me," I

lowly made it outside. Some people were beginning to abandon their mas

me explain as I passed by them. "Then they just

sked the older lady. Sh

y mind reasoned with my heart and I settled on looking for her outside instead. I wasn't sure how long I searched fo

parated for nothing. I pressed my lips together

light caught

as h

muttered aloud as I too

he faux fur trimming the bottom and the collar, the long red sleeves that split at the ends to

should have thought of some clever nickname like some of the other couples on the dance floor had

ke for a moment and then the woman grabbed her hand and led her

lookin

. I continued to try to get to her, but swimming through the crowd proved to be very difficult. I barely

n the side, a giant gingerbread cookie on a Christmas plate. The name... the name.

that everything was clear and there was nothing I could do to help, I went back to my little pickup and pulled up a search engine on my phone. I typed in all sorts of variations of "bakery" and "Kringle" until I w

on on my maps featu

mine, the quiet shyness in her voice amid all the other couples. I wanted to hear her voice again, without all the extra s

the electricity buzzing between us, she so

ad I literally had my breath

eded to fin

ookies certainly was, and it was packed. Cars lined up outside and people

seen the night before, but I didn't see anything. S

a box of what I assumed was cookies toward his customer. The sound of old-timey Christmas songs p

elp you?" th

my speech a little more planning. "I'm sorry to ask

sag a little. He looked

t night. I didn't catch her name because the fire alarm went off and I lost sight of h

ng on the inside. "I have to say I've never heard a story quite lik

my neck began to feel hot. I rubbed the back

an. We only drive it for deliveries. And we don't have any young women w

Man, I was sure it belong

ve all got them decorated to advertise for a Christmas fundraiser for the elderly in n

I said. I glanced over into the glass that was filled with cookies an

nd gingerbread were particularly popular this time of year. "And I

n older couple coming out from the back room. I nodded to them and said t

very other bakery in town might have had a similar design for the season, so I knew I might just have to go to every sin