Alicia

Olly ushered them out of The Snowball's Chance, and the cold air burned as it hit Alicia's flaming face. Her whole body felt like it was on fire. She couldn't bring herself to meet Zeke's eye. It took every ounce of her remaining strength to keep a calm facade, though inside, she was freaking out.

She almost kissed Zeke.

She almost wanted to kiss Zeke.

If Olly hadn't come along, she would've...

She would've made a huge mistake.

Alicia swallowed hard and snuck a glance at Zeke as they rushed down the street. Of course, at that exact moment, he looked her way, too. She snapped her gaze away, and her face continued to burn. Alicia half expected the snowflakes that touched her cheek would sizzle as they melted.

Would it have been a mistake to kiss Zeke?

It wasn't as though Celeste would object. In fact, if Celeste knew what had almost happened, she might have started gloating as she danced around with glee. But that wasn't the only issue. There was also the fact that Alicia was due to be across an ocean in a few weeks, and...

"Zeke!"

Nancy.

Zeke's estranged girlfriend rushed forward and threw her arms around Zeke's neck. Even if Zeke had explained his hesitations, watching the scene still made Alicia's stomach twist.

"There you are!" Nancy cried, nearly strangling him. "I was wondering where you went. Most of the teams are already back and I was starting to worry that you were lost in some snowbank, or—" her eyes flashed to Alicia, "—or got into some sort of trouble."

Alicia pressed her lips together and looked away.

"Just delayed," Zeke said, trying to unwrap her arms from around his neck. "Now if you don't mind, we've got to check in—"

"Oh, there's no point now," Nancy said, keeping a tight hold. "No chance you'll win being this late, unless you have every item on the list. Let's just find a nice cozy corner so we can finally talk..."

She tried to pull him down for a kiss, but Zeke finally managed to twist away.

"We can talk... later," Zeke said, giving her a stiff but polite grin. "I want to finish what I started."

He turned to Alicia and swung the Santa sack over his shoulder.

"Shall we?"

As she looked up to meet his green eyes, bright as emeralds under all the sparkling lights, Alicia couldn't help her chest swelling with hope. She could feel the sharp prick of Nancy's stare on the back of her head as Zeke led them back to the town square.

They soon spotted the other at the base of the tree. Celeste waved them down.

"What took you guys so long?" Celeste asked as they got close.

"It's a long story," Alicia said with a shake.

She wished she could pull Celeste aside and tell her everything that happened. Her best friend's insight on the situation would be much appreciated, but that would have to wait.

Celeste seemed to notice something brewing behind her eyes because she quirked an eyebrow and gave a quick glance between Alicia and her brother.

"So, how did your... team do?"

"Well," Alicia began, fighting back the heat in her cheeks. "I think we got everything, but because we were so late, I doubt we'll be in the running for first place. What about you? How'd you two do?"

Celeste's expression fell. "Not well. We couldn't find everything so we decided to give up. We got all the clues, but where do you even find a lobster in the middle of the mountains?" She huffed.

"I'm sorry, Cee," Alicia said, leaning in to give Celeste a hug. "I know you really wanted to light the star."

"It's okay," Celeste said, hugging her back. "It would've been the perfect way to top off this crazy Christmas, but all the same, I have no complaints. Despite a rough start, at least I got to spend Christmas with the people I love."

Alicia smiled at her friend's ever-sunny disposition. It took a lot to keep her down. "And we still have the Christmas Eve Ball to look forward to."

Celeste's smile widened. "That's right. Oh, that'll be fun. I wonder who did end up winning the scavenger hunt—"

A heavy hand fell on Alicia's shoulder. It was Celeste's father, Herb, his cheeks rosy and his mustache bristling with a smile.

"Come on, pay attention, you two. Looks like they're about to announce the winners."

He was right. The Mayor was back on the stage, though he'd lost some of his jolliness. He was sorting through a few sheets of paper, looking slightly frazzled, whispering to a group of volunteers. He kept shaking his head, even as they handed him a microphone, and he stepped forward to address the waiting crowd.

"Unfortunately, I have some unsatisfying news," the Mayor announced into the microphone, his voice echoing over the speakers. "We won't be able to announce the winner this evening. It appears we've had a tight finish between a few teams, and we need to figure out a fair way to make the final decision."

Groans and grumblings of disappointment flitted through the crowd.

"Don't worry!" the Mayor said, trying to calm the restless crowd. "We'll do our best to resolve this fairly. We might have to take the previous events into consideration, but we will figure it out. We'll make our decision soon, and announce it at the Christmas Tree Ball. So, be sure to be there!"

The crowd murmured agreement and began to disperse.

"Well, I guess we'll be in suspense for a while longer," Herb said with a chuckle. He didn't seem to be suffering any disappointment. "How about we all get a drink at that charming place you took us last time? What was it? The Snowman's Dance?"

Celeste giggled. "It's The Snowball's Chance, dad."

"That's the one," her dad said. "Come on, then. I could use another one of Sterling's excellent hot chocolates. Couldn't you?"

"Definitely," Alicia agreed.

He gave another chuckle, then turned around, shouting over his shoulder. "What do you say, Zeke? Join us for a drink?"

Alicia's stomach fluttered with butterflies as she looked over her shoulder. But the butterflies died away as she caught sight of Zeke. Nancy was there, and she had attached herself to him again, clinging to his arm.

"We'd love to," Nancy answered for him.

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