Spirit Of Christmas

Chapter 3 ~ Delicately Decorated

It was now 5 days till Christmas and Beth was still determined to convert Nick into a festive fanatic. She felt that they had made progress yesterday and hoped today would continue with the same mood.

"Did you find the place ok?" Nick questioned, opening the door to Beth.

She nodded and stepped inside "Yep, I just looked for the house with no decorations"

Beth looked around in shock "You have a cat!?" she celebrated, crouching down to stroke the fluffy feline.

"Yeah, Elizabeth meet Waffles" Nick gestured, watching Beth fawn over the animal.

"She's so cute! Wait, you don't have a tree?" Beth noticed.

Nick's eyes scowled at Beth "Of course not. Waffles would just knock it over anyway"

She sighed and mirrored his expression whilst taking off her coat. Then she marched into his kitchen "Today, I want you to show me how you made the market cookies"

"Seriously? I said-" Nick grumbled before being interrupted by Beth.

"Fine, I'll just make them myself" she announced, grabbing a bowl and loosely shaking in flour.

"Woah!" Nick exclaimed, rushing to her side "No measuring? No washing hands? You're just going straight in?"

"I don't know.... if only I had someone to help me" she sang, looking at Nick with hopeful eyes as she headed to the sink.

"Come here" Nick sighed, confiscating the bowl off her, washing his hands and measuring the flour himself. He then passed the butter and pointed over at the carton of eggs.

Beth grabbed one and attempted to crack it over the bowl.

"Like this-" Nick instructed, gently interlocking his fingers with hers and together they applied pressure against the shell. It broke evenly and the yolk dribbled out into the bowl, no shell incorporated.

Beth smiled softly as she continued to watch Nick bake. Once the cookies were in the oven, Nick washed his hands and threw a towel over his shoulder.

"Now we wait" he announced.

Whilst they waited, Beth tried to tie Nick down forcing him to watch any classic Christmas film but he refused. Instead, he would wrestle the remote from Beth's grasp and switch the channel to anything non-Christmas related.

When the cookies had baked and cooled, Nick got to work making the icing and then he let Beth loose with the piping bag.

"Have you started your Christmas painting yet?" Nick inquired after watching her work and remembering her personal assignment.

"No" she confessed, sticking out her tongue to focus on the cookie.

"You should start" he warned with a chuckle, staring at Beth's cute concentration face.

"Yeah well, can you believe I left my blue paint at home?" she sighed, finishing her detailing.

"We could go get more?" Nick suggested, placing her cookie on the tray and lining it up with the rest.

Beth scrunched up her nose and shrugged. It seemed to Nick as if the painting wasn't a top priority to her anymore but somehow, he felt like he was. It was strange. No one had ever put this much time and effort into him, especially not a stranger. Beth was different to anyone he'd ever met.

Suddenly, Nick was broken out of thought as Beth handed the piping bag back to him "So where's the gingerbread house?" she grilled, knowing the answer.

Except, his answer wasn't what she expected.