Baby, it's Cold Outside
"Almost ready, Shayne?" Shayne looked up to see the main manager for toys for tots.
"Yeah, just give me two minutes and then I'll be out," With a nod, the manager left leaving Shayne to her thoughts. Lately she had been doing a lot of thinking, more so than usual. Earlier in the month, she had stumbled across a cute little salon on San Francisco's main street. And since fate seemed to have some grudge against her, the girl doing her hair was her ex-boyfriend's current girlfriend. Some shit had gone down and he was there to witness it all, which didn't make things any better. Her thoughts turned to her ex-boyfriend. Just thinking about how happy he had seemed to be with her made a lump form in Shayne's throat. I'm fine, I don't love him like that anymore. These are just stupid old wounds being opened again, she thought, trying to convince herself that it was nothing. Perhaps if she said it over and over again, it'd actually start to work and she could stop trying to deny what she really felt.
"Show time, Shayne," the manager said interrupting her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and smoothed out her long coat, before walking up the few steps leading to the stage.
"Thank you all so much for coming out here on such a cold night. Just so you guys are aware, there will be buckets up here by the stage if you wish to donate to the Toys for Tots foundation. When you give your money to them, you're giving kids a Christmas that they otherwise wouldn't be able to have," Even though she couldn't see distinct faces due to the bright lights, Shayne looked out at the audience anyways. It still amazed her sometimes that she had gotten over her ridiculous fear of singing in front of people. It was definitely one of the good things that had come out of the break up three years ago.
But before her thoughts could take that direction again, Shayne looked back at the band that was accompanying her and gave a nod. Soon the recognizable tune to Santa Baby filled the snow air of San Francisco, and if she closed her eyes, she could imagine that she was off in New York City visiting her younger brother, Theo, or Teddy as she liked to call him despite all of his protests.
"Santa Baby," her sweet voice flooded the audience causing a few cheers from them, most likely form her family. "Slip a sable under the tree, for me. Been an awfully good girl, Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight," The smile on Shayne's face was huge. This was her favorite thing to do and when she was up on stage she forgot all about what was going on in her life or what was going on.
She sang a few more songs before pausing to take a drink of water. "I just want to thank everybody once again for taking the time out of your busy schedules to come out and support Toys for Tots and in the snow no less." She paused and took another drink of water. "This next song is a classic and is also one of my favorites. It's called; Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."
"Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light, next year all our troubles will be out of sight," she sang putting all of her pent up emotions into the song. "Have yourself a merry little Christmas, make the yuletide gay, next year all our troubles will be miles away." Shayne seriously hoped this would be true. She still loved Trick (finally admitting it out loud and to herself not too long ago), and it was so deep that she was very willing to sacrifice her heart and happiness for his sake. She knew it made her sound emo and clichéd, but she couldn't help how she felt, though she definitely tried. "Once again as in olden days, happy golden days of your faithful friends who were near to us, will be dear to us, once more."
People slowly made their way up toward the front of the stage and dropped check into the buckets that were set up along it. Seeing them do this made Shayne swell with happiness. The one thing she had always loved about Christmas was the spirit of giving. People seemed to put their greed aside for the time being and just start to try and get along with others. Shayne wasn't sure what exactly made people this way, but it was as if there was something in the air. Perhaps it was just fate deciding to take a break from her usual role of making trouble and being a bitch.
"Someday soon, we'll all be together if the faiths allow. Until then, we'll have to muttle through somehow. So have yourself a merry little Christmas now." The song ended and Shayne was met with a loud applause.
"I know I've said this twice before, but I'm going to say it once more. I really want to thank each and every one of you for coming out to this event tonight. How about a round of applause for you guys, you definitely deserve it," Shayne and the rest of the band started clapping and was soon joined by the audience themselves. "Okay, it's getting closer to Christmas Eve, so I'll end the night with this song, but I need the help of one of my brothers. Teddy, Jared?" Shayne stood there for a minute or two waiting for one of her brothers to come up on stage. Finally, she saw a figure making their way through the crowd. But instead of one of her karaoke fanatic brothers, it was Trick, her ex-boyfriend. Just seeing him climb up on stage caused her heart to take a giant leap and butterflies to start fluttering around in the pit of her stomach. This wasn't real, it couldn't be. It had to be a dream, because things like the love of your life appearing out of nowhere just didn't happen in real life. That was for fairy tales.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she hissed as soon as he was within hearing range.
"Coming to sing with you," he said with a shrug of his shoulders as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, which it pretty much was.
"Where are Theo and Jared?" she asked giving him a hard look that betrayed her pounding heart.
"Calm down, Hell," he said using his old nickname for her, which made it harder for Shayne to keep up her façade. Why did he have to be so damn adorable? "They're out there. Now we might want to start the song, people are getting anxious." Again he gave her an adorable smile and it was all Shayne could do not to smile back at him. Trick gave a nod to the band to signal that they were ready. The intro started up. With one last glare, Shayne lifted the mic to her mouth.
"I really can't stay," she sang, moving away from Trick.
"Baby it's cold outside," he replied as more snow started to fall in big fluffy flakes.
"I've got to go away,"
"But baby its cold outside."
"This evening has been-"
"-Been hoping you'd drop in."
"- So very nice."
"I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice," He grabbed one of her hands but she pulled it was from his grasp.
"My mother will start to worry," she sang moving away from him again.
"Beautiful what's your hurry?" Trick winked at her causing Shayne's cheeks to heat up. He was still the only one, who could manage to make her blush and she hated it, yet at the same time she loved it.
"And father will be pacing the floor."
"Just listen to the fire place roar."
"So really I'd better scurry."
"Beautiful, please don't hurry," Shayne chanced a look at Trick expecting another wink, but instead she got a legit look that seemed to really be asking her not to leave. But that would be ridiculous. There was no way he actually wanted her, he was just playing his part for the song that had to be it. Either that or she was imaging things, which was the last thing she needed.
"Well maybe just a half a drink more," she sang, giving him a wary look.
"Put the records on while I pour," The urge to roll her eyes was strong, but Shayne resisted only because of the audience that was watching their every move with intensity. But the lyrics had just been something that Trick would say.
"The neighbors might think…"
"Baby it's bad out there."
"Say, what's in this drink?"
"No cabs to be had out there."
"I wish I knew how, to break the spell," God, no lyrics had ever been truer for her. It sounded cheesey, but Trick definitely still had Shayne under his spell and the sad part was her heart enjoyed it. Her brain on the other hand did not. It was constantly trying to tell her that he was going to hurt her, but her heart just wouldn't listen. She really didn't want to get her hopes up only to have them crushed again due to a misunderstanding.
"I'll take your hat, say your hair looks swell," Before she could register what was happening, Trick reached over and plucked her bourret right off her head leaving her loose blonde curls to be free. She tried to get it back, but he just threw it to the side, causing Shayne to glare at him.
"I ought to say no, no, no sir."
"Mind if I move a little closer," Trick stepped up and wrapped an arm around her waist, while the other was still holding his mic.
"At least I'm gonna say that I tried,"
"What's the sense of hurting my pride?"
"I really can't stay," Shayne took a leaf out of his book and acted out the lyrics by moving out of his grasp.
"Oh baby don't hold out," he sang moving after her.
"Ahh, but it's cold outside," The song continued on like this for some time.
"Gosh your lips look delicious," Shayne was once again back in Trick's arms and the way he sang the line made her look up only to see him staring straight at her lips. This caused her heart to soar, while her brain tried to dismiss it as him just acting.
By the time they finished the song, Shayne was slightly out of breath from all her failed attempts at dodging Trick. She stared up at hi, torn between jumping his bones and slapping hi, hard across the face, but before she could do anything the audience started clapping bring them both out of their little world. Quickly she bowed a couple of times, thanked the crowd once more before running off stage, trying to get away from Trick before she did something stupid that she'd end up regretting.
"Shayne, wait!" she heard Trick call after her. "Please, just wait." Despite all the warning signs going off in her head, Shayne stopped and waited for him to catch up. "For a minute there I was afraid you weren't going to stop," he said lightly.
"I wasn't," she snapped. "What do you want Trick?"
"I wanted to talk to you."
"Yes, I got that much." When Trick didn't respond, Shayne turned to leave but another hand grabbing her own stopped her and caused shivers to run down her spine.
"Don't go," he said in a pleading tone that made her heart melt.
"Then tell me what you need to say. I'm cold and I just want to go home and I'm sure your girlfriend is wondering where you are right now," Though she didn't mean to, the last part of her sentence was full of bitterness.
"We broke up!" he blurted out.
"What?" she asked clearly confused.
"I was stupid back then!" Oh now Shayne was pissed. So not only had he broken up with her three years ago, leaving her heart broken, but now he was saying that he regretted being with her period. Before she could respond, though, he continued on. "I was naïve. I didn't understand what I was feeling so I got chicken shit and bolted. I was young," Now he was just rambling.
"What are you trying to say, Trick?" a lump formed in her throat.
He took a deep breath before he spoke again. "It's Christmas, well almost, and somebody once told me that you tell the truth on Christmas," Shayne had been the one to tell him that. It was something that her grandmother had always told her. "Well here is the truth, I loved you Shayne, more than you could possibly know. That's why I broke up with you." But before he could say more, a loud slap echoed through the silent street. Shayne had smacked him hard across the cheek and now tears were streaming steadily down her face.
"Why the hell would you tell me that now?!" She snapped pissed off that he was telling her that he loved her, as in past tense, not love.
"BECAUSE I STILL LOVE YOU, DAMN IT!" he practically shouted and barely gave time for Shayne to register what he had said before crashing his lips to hers. Shayne couldn't help but return the kiss and wrap her arms around his neck.
"You don't realize how long I've dreamt of hearing you say that," she said the tears still running down her cheeks, which he brushed away with his thumb. Standing up on her tip toes, Shayne kissed him, pouring all her emotions into it before pulling away.
"I love you too."