I’ve agreed to marry the brother of my one-night stand from last Christmas.

A Webcomic

By Oliverartssometimes

Episode 8: The Airstream
(Christmas Day, 1:12 a.m.)

Uploaded: February 11, 2022

“An Airstream?”

Jack grins at me over her shoulder. “Shut up.”

She tugs me by the hand, and we trip our way down a stone path, through a gate into the backyard of her friend’s house where she parks it. The trailer shines in the dark, silver in the glow of the snow, lit up with the Christmas lights she strung along the top. “No, it’s perfect. A pastry chef who lives in an Airstream? I think I’ve seen that episode of The L Word.”

“You know, I think I liked you better when you were too nervous to tease me.”

“You liked me better when I had crippling social anxiety?”

She seesaws her hands in the air. “I mean…”

I hoist myself onto the single metal step leading to the door so I can be taller than her, just for a minute—tall enough to push both of my hands through her hair, fisting the ends, kissing a mouth that tastes like spiced eggnog. My body thrums as I think about two hands reaching for the same book that morning—how I didn’t feel any of this then, how strongly I feel it all now. “Is this the real reason you came into the graphic novel aisle?” I ask as I tilt my head out of the kiss.

“Because I wanted to lure you back to my Airstream and kiss you in the snow?” she asks, sounding affronted. “Absolutely not! I was doing my civic duty by aiding a sad woman crying in a bookstore!”

I narrow one eye at her, but she just wraps her arms around my waist, pulls me close. “Kissing you in the snow? Minor perk to being a good Samaritan. Now. Inside?”

I detach myself from her long enough for her to unlock the door. A fifty-pound ball of fluff charges at Jack as soon as she steps inside. “Yes, my little baby boy.” She crouches down to vigorously rub the dog’s ears. “I know. I left you all day like a bad mom. Who’s a good boy for not pooping in the Airstream?”

She leaves the door open, and the dog rushes into the backyard, unleashing a terrific stream of pee before he flops down in the snow and rolls back and forth, making the dog equivalent of a snow angel. “So, that’s Paul Hollywood.”

“He’s less dignified than he seems on Bake Off.”

“They say you should never meet your heroes.”