What age did your parents give you the talk?
You know THE talk? About Santa not being real?
It seems easy right?
But what if I told you, Santa existed?
And what if I told you he was a young, hot and unapologetically prideful man.
Well, come on in...
It was silent in Nick's red convertible as we sped across the frozen tundra to an undisclosed location.
He pushed a thumb to his lip, staring into the icy horizon in annoyance. I could see the vein in his temple pulsing as he sped down the icy path.
I lifted a palm to press it, reminding him to calm down. "Now your father hates you and me" I teased, trying to ease the tension in the air.
He didn't laugh
"Does he know? About...me? What I truly am?" I wondered why Nick's father avoided my gaze today. He was distant already but today, it felt extreme.
Nick was still silent.
"Does he know?" I ask again, this time louder.
"Does it matter Wyn?" He sighed, shifting the gear violently. "I could bring home the queen of England and my dad still would never approve. He never approves. I read my scrolls. I studied the laws of the Pole. I did what he told me, exactly as he told me and I'm still not good enough. He will never be satisfied."
He shifted his stick shift again, this time speeding across the icy terrain. We were veering into the lush forests of the Pole.
"Look, I know your father is a stickler, but once he sees you as Santa—-"
"Look Wynter...I don't want to talk about it." He said, cutting me off.
Nicholas
"Fine." She pouted, crossing her arms before leaning her head against the window. I knew Wynter meant well but the last thing I wanted to do was talk about my father on a day that was supposed to be dedicated to her.
I finally pulled up to my cabin nestled in the thinly packed foliage. It was little enclave I had built to escape the harsh demands of the Pole, including my father.
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"It's beautiful" Wynter gasped, pressing her nose against the window. I hopped out my side and opened the passenger side door, letting her out.
"I figured we could focus here. No noise. No interruptions and no Drew."
She giggled and lifted her head to the sky to take in the highest point of the structure. "It's your cabin?"
"Yea. I built it a few years ago. It's like a secret hideaway. I come here when the Pole is annoying me or my dad gets... you know. No one know about this place. Even Drew doesn't know"
"So, I'm the first person you've brought here?" Wynter asks, carefully meeting my gaze.
I shrugged lazily trying not to blush. Despite my icy détruit, I was not the one to entangle myself in various affairs. Samantha was my only fiancé and after she had broken my heart, I was closed off from women like her.
"Come on. I want a tour!" She grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the cabin doors.
——-
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A few hours later
"So you're telling me there are over 4000 Claus men?" We we're both on the soft carpet in the living room, warming by the fire. I had been quizzing Wynter on matters relating to the Claus men and the Pole.
"More than that. The Claus family has been at the Pole since the beginning of time. It would be impossible to count" I say, watching Wynter as she unrolled another scroll.
"It says here that each Claus man must be filled with Spirit of Christmas in order to perform their duties?"
I nodded, leaning against the cushion of the couch. "Although Drew and I were born with magic, only one of us could be Santa. Instead of giving the responsibility to choose a beneficiary to the current Claus, the spirit of Christmas choses us." I pull up my shirt and show her the marking on my rib cage, indicating the Spirit of Christmas. It was a small marking shaped like a C; the Claus Crest.
She looked at the marking before looking down at my stomach. She took her time to carefully observe my abs before snapping her eyes away. "Where's the bathroom" she said already walking to find it. I could see the warmth of her cheeks.
"Just past the door" I pointed, signaling the way.
