Carmella feels good after beating Sonya, skipping cheerfully through the hallway after seeing the New Day out and dancing with them a little. She changes as quickly as she can, the arena just a little too chilly to hang out in her gear. Once snug in a turtleneck and warm leggings, she heads for the gorilla position and watches the rest of the show, giggling and talking with the superstars and staff wandering around until the show ends. Waving, she calls a quick farewell over her shoulder, thumbing through her texts with a growing smile, scrolling her twitter timeline as she grabs her bags and heads outside, fighting to juggle everything and get her coat on before the wind can really get ahold of her.
She's about to give up, frustrated, when someone grips the dangling arm of her coat and helps her into it, Carmella blinking a few times before turning. "Jimmy!" she exclaims, dropping her bags into the snow and lunging forward, throwing her arms around James in a tight hug. "What are you doing here, I thought you were still in Maryland?"
"Hey, Princess." He laughs softly and squeezes her back before pulling away, looking down towards their feet. "Your things are getting soaked," he says, quickly hoisting her bags up.
"Oh, whatever, they'll dry. You're here," she says in wonderment, staring at him in amazement. "I thought we were going to meet up at your house for Christmas with the girls." She swats at him while laughing softly.
He smiles at her. "Yeah, well, I was thinking about it and I decided maybe, considering how your year has gone, you'd like to spend part of the holiday here, in New York." He brushes a strand of hair out of her eyes and exhales. "Then, we can go spend Christmas Day with the girls, watch them open their gifts and everything." His voice falters when she stares up at him, eyes growing wet as she sniffs. "I, I mean, if you don't want to, that's fine, Mella, I just want to make your holiday the best one I possibly can. Whatever you want to do works for me."
She exhales shakily and hugs him again, burying her face in his shoulder. "You're so good to me," she mumbles as he rubs her back soothingly. "I don't deserve you."
He shakes his head and presses a kiss between her eyes. "Everyone would say the opposite is true," he says quietly. "I don't deserve you, princess."
She scoffs and rolls her eyes at him. "Please, Jimmy. No one would ever go to this much trouble for me. I don't care what anyone else has to say about us." She reaches out and grips his hand. "I love you."
He grins and presses close to her as she wraps her arm around his waist and snuggles into his warmth. "I love you too, Mella." They walk side by side to the car and James drops her bags into the trunk before cupping her face in his hands, searching her eyes for any further traces of tears. Finding none, he suggests, "How about a tour of New York? I know you've shown me things in summer, but maybe now you can show me the best holiday spots before we go to the hotel?"
"I'd love that," she agrees, smiling at him as she clings to his hands. "Let's go."