We got there in the afternoon. They still had the Christmas tree up though I was not sure they had set it up themselves. It was pretty, even if a little bland with the white and cream colored ornaments but who didn't like lights on trees?

As I walked around in thick fuzzy socks and a hair bun waiting for dinner James was hanging around as well. When our eyes met I could feel his tensed up shoulders even if I wasn't touching him. He looked away and I didn't know where to stand anymore in the room.

"You should get ready for dinner," he told me.

"Uh..." I thought I was ready for dinner. What did they wear for dinner? I was in a pickle and a bun if every dinner here was going to be fancy. Still, good attitude, nothing but a good attitude going into the new year. "Right. Excuse me," I smiled and went away.

I played it cool until I walked in to the girls room desperate about dinner attire. They were dressed for dinner I was dressed to sleep next to them. And they looked at me with almost the same face James had.

"Aren't you ready for dinner?" Jenna asked.

"Yes if you mean dinner alone with my TV and a beer apparently."

"Wear black, you look very good in dark colors, and some kind of heel. No sneakers." Jenna made it less complicated.

"Thanks, I'll hurry." I ran to my room which they had decided to give me as at least one of us would have to share a room.

A black sweater, over jeans, and the gold earrings grandma had given me for Christmas. Plus the one trick Jackie had taught me, a red lip that didn't move. That's all I had. Just then I thought of the first time I had put on a red lip, Adam for a brief moment flashed over my mind. But he quickly dissipated into the picture of my mother looking at the mirror and doing hers. How she hated it on me, I was too young for it, and I still felt too young for it but I put it on anyway. I wondered if on a day like this her heart would melt just enough to call me. Or was her pride as sturdy as the mountains outside? If the first then I could meet her more than halfway for a reconciliation. But I was so far away from them already who knew if we'd ever be in the right place at the right time to make it all okay.

"Ready Ems?" Sam asked me from the door.

"Coming!" I ran over to her and the three of us walked down together to finally say hi to everyone who was over the house.

It was the same group of friends James usually had around, and the same girl from the first night at his place alongside one of her friends then us three. They said others might still make it for New Years which was the day after depending on the weather. Thankfully the awkwardness for dinner was just between me and James and no one else. It wasn't noticeable either and i appreciated his composure for all our sakes as I tried not to interfere too much blending in like a good supporting character.

"So what should we play next?" The girl we had met but I kept forgetting her name asked.

"Monopoly," one of the boys suggested.

"Never again. I almost ended up making out with him." One of the boys said and I wondered how Monopoly would have influenced this outcome.

"Then twister?" The other girl said.

"I almost ended up sleeping with you," the same boy said.

"In your dreams," the girl retorted.

"Then uno?" James suggested.

"No!" Everyone else exclaimed.

"What's wrong with Uno?" I asked.

"He always win!" One of the girls rolled her eyes.

"It's no fun trust us," one of the boys warned me.

"I'll take your word for it."

"Charades then?" Sam suggested.

"A bigger brain sits amongst us," one of the boys agreed and I giggled.

"No debating then charades it is," the girl agreed and so did everyone else.

"Let's pick teams then," James took out a penny from his pants which I didn't understand why he had it in the first place. "Who wants to be team captain come up," he asked and Sam went up.

"So you're really the brain of the operation huh?" He asked her.

"Of course. I'm a woman," she said confidently.

"Great. I'll be the other captain. Heads or tails?"

"Heads."

"Of course," he said and threw it up then caught it.

"So?" Jenna asked and he revealed it as heads.

"Ladies first," he said.

Poor James he had no idea what he was up against. Sam did not concede in games she played. And as they picked their teams James grew confused at Sam not picking me until it was only me and the other boy. As Sam picked the boy over me James had no choice but to be left with me. He didn't know then but her winning strategy was already in motion as James unwillingly took me to his team.

James and Sam kicked things off doing the easiest things in the book.

"Joey's how you doing from Friends," the boys guessed right away.

"Point for us." James said.

"Wow, how novel," Sam made fun of them.

Sam's team was in the fore front and then it was my turn. This was my time to shine; would be something I'd say if I was good at the game. But to James' lack of luck I was not. In fact I ended up missing the words on both of my turns until Sam finally revealed the truth.

"Thank you James for taking the weak link, it's been really helpful," she joked.

"Hey I was betrayed here," he joked back.

"Her cuteness will cover a multitude of sins won't it though." Sam made fun of me and I shook my head at her.

"Alright you're cut off, no more wine." I joked getting up to get more of the dessert because it was a great combination with the not so sweet wine.

James just smiled politely without agreeing or disagreeing at least he realized pretty early on he was beat although he gave it his all till the end. It was commendable really because I would've given up, in a losing battle I knew to back off. Whether I was right or he was I couldn't tell but in this instance I admired him for it.

"So what will we have the loosing team do?" Sam deliberated.

"We all know what the true punishment is," Jenna pointed outdoors. "One lap around the house in our swimming suits before going into the hot tub."

"What?" I looked at them baffled.

"Fine," James conceded defeat.

"No, no, no." I refused.

"Come on Ems," Jenna said.

"No. First of all I have none. And second did I mention absolutely not."

"We have some upstairs in my sister's room." James tried to pitch in.

"No I'm not putting on a swimming suit. A dress maybe. Or shorts and a tank. But not a swimming suit."

"What?" Jenna asked and I saw how everyone was looking at me like I was crazy but I had never exposed my body like that before. I didn't want to, for me it was just as revealing as just standing in front of everyone in my underwear. Just the thought made me want to run off.

"Yeah guys give it up you'll never get her in one. Just let her do it in a dress. Trust me we've tried." Jenna thankfully backed me up.

"Seriously?" The girl we had met previously asked with a smile but let it go.

"I also didn't bring a small dress," I said.

"That's fine come on," James said telling me to follow him.

We walked upstairs where I hadn't been yet as my room was downstairs. Towards the end he opened the door for me to walk in. When I walked in I could see it was clearly his sister. Even though the walls weren't painted the decoration was for a girl and he opened up her closet. He looked in there and looked at me up and down. Then presented me with two pajamas options which were a slip dress and a matching robe. One was light pink and the other was black so I took the less see through one.

"I'll take this one then."

"Maybe it's too short," he took a look at the knee length camisole under the robe.

"It's fine."

"Maybe there's something longer in my mother's room. Come on," he said putting it back.

"No it's fine, this is fine."

"She won't mind let's go."

"James I'm not sixty just yet, I promise." I joked finding it funny he wanted to accommodate my preference instead of telling me to suck it up or pointing out my weirdness. But as I smiled at his actions he looked back at me without a smile. Even without smiling all the warmth of the room concentrated in his eyes. He drew his eyes from mine to my red lipstick and back to my eyes. I waited for him to say or do something but he just looked away.

"If you change your mind let me know I'll be outside," he quickly left the room and locked the door behind him.

What was that? Did James really like me? Or did I like him? What the hell was my mind thinking was going to happen? No! No. That's not why I was here. I had to get a hold of my mind at once.

*

We met back downstairs in the kitchen barefoot each of us in the losing team bared down, me the least of all as I kept the thin robe tied around my waist. The other team although in their swimsuits too ready for the jacuzzi. So the winning team ushered us out into the snow land of the backyard.

"Alright, start running!" One of the boys said.

"In 3, 2, 1!" Sam counted down as the winning team cheered our penalty.

"Do you wanna go on my back?" He asked out of nowhere.

"No that's cheating," I whispered to him.

As I was not a great runner I thought it was funny that James latched on to my hand to help me run from the start. He ran faster than me but I was able to keep up without tumbling over my feet. While we neared the finish line the winning team was already in the hot tub waiting for us.

"Come on! Almost here!" Sam made fun of us.

"Shut up Sam!" I told her running out of breath and freezing my feet off.

Just then James lifted our hands up as we arrived. I noticed we were the first ones because the whole time I had just concentrated on James' face and trying to keep up with him. So in the midst of his celebration he hugged me and I looked over at Sam who shook her head at me.

"Woooo!" They cheered for us from the hot tub after our lap.

"Here, it's cold," he scooted over some slippers to me to walk over to the hot tub.

"Thanks."

"Get in guys!" They asked us.

"Maybe you'd like the sauna better Ems," one of the boys in the hot tub said.

"You have a sauna?" I asked him right away still feeling the cold in my bones.

"A steam room in the basement," James replied.

"I know what I'm doing tomorrow," Jenna said.

"I'll show you where it is," James told me.

"Thanks. See you guys later," I said my goodbyes.

We headed inside and then down the stairs of his basement and the sauna was already visible, a very small compact room. James began to mess with some controls on the outside and then opened the door for me. I walked in and he left.

The heat seeped in slowly creating a haze of fog in the red light. After a while I took my robe off and put my hair up. The flashback of the almost kiss with James flashed by my memory but I shook it off trying to concentrate on something else.

The sweat came on like wet clouds passing through me. Noticing I was alone and no one was coming in I took out the slip as well and laid down looking at the light. Breathing in and out the lavender smelling smoke from my lungs barefoot.

Wasn't it weird James was being nice to me? He'd gotten so upset by our almost kiss that this was the last thing I expected. Where did we stand then? Oh the heat was getting to my head now. It was so hot I could almost wish for something I shouldn't.

"Emily?" James said my name concerned and I got my slip and robe at once to hide behind.

"Yes I'm here could you just close your eyes for a second please." I said before he saw me and I slipped into the slip and robe.

"Well at least you're alive," he said.

"Shouldn't I be?"

"I forgot to tell you where the timer was."

"Oh was this your plan to kill me all along?" I finally went towards him and he still had his eyes closed. His hair looked good wet like that. I got closer to see and he opened his eyes looking down at me.

"Before New Years never."

"Good to know," I shook my head and gathered my hair up again.

"You shouldn't stay much longer."

"How much longer can I?"

"Why did you have me close my eyes?"

"What?"

"You asked me to close my eyes when I walked in here."

"Let me preface this by saying it was very hot and I was alone."

"Stating the obvious now are we?"

"I take it back."

"Emily." He held the end of my robe tie between his two fingers so lightly unlike the heavy tug I felt towards him. I looked down at his long tanned fingers thinking of how the heat was getting the worst out of me. I didn't move but he let the tie go and I decided to clear my mind.

"Should I not have come?" I asked him and he didn't look at me. "Right."

"Right what?"

"I'm making things uncomfortable for you."

"Why would you assume you make me uncomfortable?"

"You're avoiding the question."

"And if I said yes? If I said you make me uncomfortable? If I said you shouldn't have come here then what?"

"Oh. I am so sorry. Obviously, this was not the best idea I've ever had. It's just I needed to be here with the girls. I'd go into details but the girl code won't allow me. So I'm sorry. I'll go tomorrow after new years. I can make an excuse. I'm seriously, truly, sorry James."

"Seriously, truly, sorry?" He made fun of me.

"Well your ears do work. No need for a check up." I thought he was being sarcastic so I turned away.

"Yeah I was wondering about that. That's some great insight you know. I'm enlightened now."

"Perfect I'm glad. I'm leaving now."

"Don't leave. That's too elementary even for me."

"I'm good. Spending New Years Eve with you was never my plan anyways."

"God I get it. I'm the last man on earth you'd want to spend time with. It's fine, I believe you. No need to immortalize it on stone."

"That's not true. There are many men I could name right off the bat. Reagan for sure would you beat you out."

"I'm flattered. Thank you," he smiled and I did the same at him.

"I just want to be with my friend right now."

"We all want something. That's why we're here."

"And what do you want?"

"Trying to see into my head witch?"

"Maybe. Do you volunteer?"

James grabbed my hand and put it on his head. The clean sweat dripped off his forehead like glitter on the tree. I wiped it off his face and he looked down at my robe and slip then back at my face. The hazy smoke of the sauna was making it harder to see him even in close proximity but feeling his skin was enough. My hand wiped the water off his hair to the back of his head and then I felt his hand on top of mine and I let go of him but his hands stayed with mine as they lowered.

"What did you see?" His lips touched my ear like the steam did my body.

"Nothing."

"You're not a very good witch."

"But I felt."

"What did you feel?"

"Your warmth."

Then I collapsed. Turns out there's a reason why you can't stay in a sauna too long.

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No part, character, names, plot, setting, conflict or resolution, point of view, theme or symbolism of this story may be replicated.

Copyright: All Rights Reserved to A. Sena Gomes.