In the picturesque town of Winter Grove, the tenacious Alicia Whittaker faces off against her best friend's snobbish brother, Zeke Brighton, when his disapproval of his sister's boyfriend threatens to upend their Christmas.
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Tenacious college stud...
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Alicia
The bells above the door of The Snowball's Chance gave a loud jingle, and Olly looked up from the drink he was making. Alicia stepped through, already shrugging off her snow-dusted coat.
"Back so soon?" Olly asked.
Alicia didn't respond and just gave him a glum look.
Olly understood. His brows arched in silent question.
That bad, huh?
Alicia rolled her eyes in response.
You have no idea.
Olly wanted to ask more, but he was with a customer, so he just nodded and raised a finger. Alright. Gimme a sec.
He finished the drink and handed it over, waiting for the customer to return to their table before he beckoned Alicia over to sit. Alicia dropped herself down on a stool and deflated, letting out a long breath as she folded over the bar, resting her head on her arms.
"What the hell happened?" Olly asked, staring down at Alicia. "Did Celeste's parents end up despising Sterling or something?"
"Not them," Alicia muttered, her voice muffled against the bar top. "They seem to like him just fine. Celeste's brother, however..."
"Her brother?" Olly asked. "I didn't know her brother was coming. I didn't even know Celeste had a brother."
"I completely forgot that she did," she said with a shake. "He's not around much because he's some hotshot entrepreneur. His arrival was supposed to be a surprise." She gave a bitter laugh.
And what a surprise he had been...
"So, why didn't he like Sterling?"
Alicia finally raised her head. "He was unhappy to find out Sterling was 'just' a bartender. Apparently his precious little sister is too good for 'just' a bartender," Alicia said, mimicking the snobby tone Zeke had taken. "Fortunately, Celeste didn't put up with it. She stormed out with Sterling."
"What a mess." Olly shook his head. "How'd Sterling take it?"
"It definitely hit him where it hurt, but he's doing okay. It probably helps to know that Celeste has his back, no matter what. They're at the apartment now and I let them be. After all that, I figured they'd need some space..."
"...which is how you ended up here," Olly finished for her.
"Exactly. And which is why I need a drink." She made grabby hands at the extensive collection of alcohol behind Olly.
Olly didn't need to be told twice. "One spiked hot chocolate coming right up!" He grabbed the biggest option from his collection of tacky holiday mugs. As he spooned in the ready-made concoction from the pot on the counter, he continued the conversation over his shoulder. "I'm guess this big brother Scrooge has put a bit of a damper on all plans for Christmas?"
