New Year's Eve 2024

The coveted New Year's Eve kiss, a kiss that should eliminate any future kisses. It's something I've longed for, for so long, and this year... I'm going to get my kiss.

It might not be with a new lover, but —

Well, come to think of it, with Conner, every day feels new. We act like a couple of horny teenagers around each other half the time. But who could blame me for not being able to take my hands off him?

Speaking of Conner, I hear his voice muffled and soft coming from downstairs.

I make my way down quietly, my socked feet making it easier. I'm still in leggings and an oversized hoodie. The girls haven't arrived yet to get New Year's Eve ready.

I stop outside the door but stand in the frame so Conner can see me.

"Did you ever expect this book to bypass your first in sales?"

"All I knew is it would be really special because of the subject," Conner says, shooting me a wink, and I smile back at him. "Even if not one person bought it and enjoyed it, it still would be my greatest success. But to answer your question, no, I didn't know how it would be received. I just knew I had to put it out there the way I wanted it told."

"Do you think part of the hype is about the romance between you and the subject during the writing?"

"I think people love, love so maybe," Conner says with a coy smile and shrug.

"They sure do, and speaking of love... Everyone needs to know if you two are still together."

Conner motions for me to join him, and with a smile, I walk into the vast empty room.

He's sitting in the center in a fold-up lawn chair of all things. The laptop is sitting on top of boxes across from him for his interview.

I walk into the frame, and Conner pulls me into his lap.

"Am I still the luckiest boyfriend in the world? Yup," Conner says proudly. It takes everything in me not to giggle like a little girl, but I'm pretty sure this interview is live.

"So cute!" The interviewer gushes. "Tell me more about you two! Everyone wants to know if there's going to be a follow-up book. We want to know how you fell in love!"

"That story is a private story," Conner says as he wraps his arms tightly around me. "And my favorite one at that."

"Mine too," I say with a big smile.

"Come on, give us something!"

"What do you think, sweetheart? Should we give them a little something?" He whispers into my ear.

"Go for it," I whisper back as a little grin curls over my lips. 

"What if I tell you about what I'm working on now?" Conner asks as he stands up, leaving me to take his spot in the chair.

"Please!" The interviewer looks excited. "Rumor has it you're republishing your Dragon World Series. Is that true?"

"Sort of," Conner says as he picks up the laptop. "They're getting a full rewrite, and I'm bringing in a new element."

"Tell us more!"

"Let me start with what inspired it."

Conner pans the laptop around the big, empty room. "This is the ballroom in our new house.."

"You two bought a house!" she squeals, and I do giggle this time; I can't help myself.

"Not just any house, it's an old school Victorian rumored to be used as a boarding house for witches in the early nineteen hundreds."

Conner walks around with the laptop. There isn't much to see as the house is pretty much gutted.

And no, it's not my dream mansion. We're still several houses away from that, but I am making great progress in selling homes, and Conner's book did so well we were able to buy this one and it is amazing.

This house is located on the outskirts of Saint Paul instead of Minneapolis and, like Conner said, was once used as a boarding house. It's not a mansion per se, but it's huge—three levels, six bedrooms, and three bathrooms.

They kept the ballroom intact through all these years, and that's what sold us on the house, well, me. The story about the witches is what sold Conner.

"How does this new house factor into the reworking of your Dragon World series?" the lady asks.

"I've added a new element inspired by my gorgeous girlfriend," Conner pans the camera to me, and I flash it a little smile. "The series now takes place during college instead of high school and it's now a dual point of view. Damien will be living in the dorm while he becomes a dragon shifter. I'm introducing a love interest to the story, a girl named Adora, who will also have mysterious powers and a strange connection to Damien. She'll live in a shared house, much like this one, that her grandmother once owned."

It's so perfect! It's a house that feeds Conner's muse and my desire to turn it back into something special. I have a lot of plans for it and am getting to work starting right away tomorrow morning. When it's all said and done, I feel we may stay here much longer than we first thought. We don't even have real furniture yet, besides our bed and rose couch, yet we're already falling in love with this house. It just fits us both so much.

Moving in together seemed natural. After I sold the meeting house, Conner's lease was up, and it just felt right.

I love it. Falling asleep with him makes every night feel like a fairy tale.

"That sounds amazing. When can we expect a release?"

"Soon, hopefully," Conner promises. "But I'm afraid I have to wrap it up for today. We have a New Year's party to get ready for."

We say our goodbyes, and Conner closes the laptop.

"Before we get ready - we have time to break in some more rooms," I say with a little wink.

"Say no more," I squeal as Conner picks me up and carries me to the stairs.

***

I'm standing at the door with Conner, greeting guests as the party starts.

We coordinated our outfits today, and I'm loving it! I'm wearing a floor-length velvet navy blue gown, and Conner is in a navy blue suit.

We look a little silly, dressed up in an empty house with lawn furniture for chairs, but we don't care.

My dream of hosting a New Year's Eve party in a house with a ballroom is coming true, and that has put a permanent smile on my face this evening.

"I'm so glad you all made it. Come in!" I hug Nancy tightly as she, Bob, and Cami arrive.

"Wow, this place is huge!" Cami gushes as we all step in and I close the door.

"We don't have a working kitchen yet, so it's booze and pizza. I hope that's okay," Conner says.

"It's perfect," Candice says as she fills a drink for her and Byron while little Hailey spins around on the dance floor.

I step back and watch as all our friends start to join the little girl.

Mel is also here with her new girlfriend, Derek, and a few friends. Ben came alone, but despite the age gap ,there is some chemistry between him and Cami, so I might have to put my match-maker hat on tonight.

Emma and Johnathan even flew in from New York to join us.

I'm beaming as I watch all our friends dance the night away. My heart feels so full of love.

"Should we join them?" Conner asks as he takes my hand.

"Let's," I agree happily.

***

The night flies by so fast that I am stunned when someone yells, "It's time to count down to midnight!"

I hurriedly find Conner, who is chatting away with Byron. The two of them have become close friends. We love having couple-game nights with them.

"It's time!" I say as I pull Conner to the center of the dance floor.

Our gazes lock as all the voices around us count down to ten.

We don't even let them get to five before our lips collide– unable to wait another five seconds.

When the clock strikes midnight, we're already deep into that coveted magical kiss I've wanted for so long. Only now I know this is only the beginning. We have a lifetime of New Year's kisses to come.

*The end, the end!

I hope you liked this short but sweet epi!