Hello everyone and welcome to this year's Christmas story. I hope you enjoyed it. Most of the story is written so I hope to update everyday in the lead up to Christmas
Marinette ran excitedly over the snow covered street, past the for sale sign out the front and up a small set of stairs. Her best friend Alya followed close behind her, both girls giggling like children on Christmas mornings as they stood out the front of the old brick building.
"Here." Marinette said, handing Alya her phone. "Take a picture for me. I want to remember this moment forever."
Marinette struck a pose in front of the French doors as Alya took the picture, before joining her BFF on the landing in front of the large doors. Marinette was doing a little happy dance that made Alya laugh until she had to grab her and to stop her from skidding straight off the top of the landing and down the stairs.
"Watch out girl. The ice is slippery, remember."
"I don't care." Marinette shouted with a twirl. "I'm so happy, nothing could spoil today."
"I can't believe they got back to you so quickly." Alya said, handing Marinette back her phone. "Are you sure you have it?" Alya then proceeded to press her nose up to the glass in the door to try and get a better look inside.
"Mr Damocles from the Real Estate called me personally to say that I currently hold the leading bid on the property and he wasn't expecting that to change in the next few days. It sounds like the place is as good as mine. I can't wait until I get the keys and I can show you the showroom properly."
Marinette joined Alya with her nose to the glass. "It's bigger than I guess I really need, but the price was right and there is plenty of room for a work studio at the back." Marinette stood back a little and looked up at the archway above the door. "Can you picture it, Alya. Ladybug Couture." She declared with her hand illustrating an imaginary sign. "My own real life store."
Alya wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Of course I can picture it, girl. I always knew that one day you would have your own store."
"Thanks." Marinette grinned shyly. "You always were my biggest fan."
"And your first client, don't forget." Alya playfully poked her in the ribs. "I still have that dress you made me for my first date with Nino. I said then your passion for fashion would take you places. Ooops, I've got to get back to work." She said, seeing the time on her watch. "I promised Nadja I'd cover that Christmas fundraiser event down at Town Hall. I'll see you at home later okay. And don't get yourself into any trouble. Bye."
With a quick kiss to the cheek, Alya ran down the stairs and disappeared down into a nearby subway. Once Alya was out of sight, Marinette stamped her feet and let out a little squeal, gaining herself a few curious looks from some passers by, not that she cared. It felt like all her Christmases had come at once. Everything that she had worked so hard for through fashion school and establishing herself online was about to pay off with her very own physical shopfront. The building may have been old, but it was sturdy brick with nice solid floorboards and had an old world charm about it. It was perfect.
Taking out a marker pen from her bag, Marinette wrote "Sold" across the sign before posing to take a selfie to send to her parents. While she knew they had hoped she might have followed in their baking footsteps, they had nonetheless been her biggest supporters in her fashion designer aspirations, and probably were just as happy to save their kitchen from impending disaster when it came to her and food.
Getting back into her car, Marinette popped on some Christmas tunes and was singing along as she made her way towards the shopping plaza. In the back seat she had a special present she had bought for her old school friend Socqueline who was now living in London. With the coming week being such a busy time for the postal system, Marinette was kicking herself a little that she hadn't sent the gift earlier, but with negotiating the purchase of the showroom and everything, time had just gotten away. As it was there seemed to have been nowhere to park!
"I knew I should have come yesterday." Marinette mumbled to herself. Then ahead of her she had miraculously found a carpark. She wasn't sure what that Jaguar stopped ahead of her was doing, but as far as she could tell, that park had her little Toyota's name written on it.
Marinette swung into the park without a second thought, grinning that this must have been her lucky day. No sooner had she gotten out of the car than the Jaguar reversed back and the window came down. "Hey." A male voice called out.
Marinette looked up to find a blond haired man in a short ponytail. "That was my parking spot you just stole." The man said. "I was just about to reverse into it."
Marinette raised an eyebrow at him and regarded the car. Who does he think he is? Typical rich prick who thinks he owns all the carparks.
"How was I supposed to know you wanted it?" Marinette retorted. "You didn't have your indicator on."
The blond man frowned. He was pretty sure he had put his indicator on, and the way she was biting her lip made him wonder if she was deliberately being cute or just annoying. "I've got an important appointment I need to get to." He tried to reason.
"Not my problem." Marinette replied, getting her parcel out from the back seat. "I have to get to the post office before it closes and I don't see any reserve signs here for black Jaguars."
The man began to drum his fingers on the steering wheel trying to figure out what he was going to do when as luck would have it another park became available. Meh, she can have the park, he thought to himself. "Whatever Lady." He sang back out. "Have a Merry Christmas."
"Thank you, I am." Marinette called back without looking up.
Rolling his eyes, he pulled into the new spot. Getting out of his car he was making his way towards the shops when he heard a squeal and a thud with the sound of something breaking. Running back it was the girl who had stolen his parking spot, sprawled out on the snow with a gift box laying next to her.
"Owww." She bemoaned, sitting up and rubbing her head.
"Are you alright?" He asked, genuinely concerned. Marinette looked up to see Mr Jaguar and she cringed slightly. "Yeah, I'm okay." She replied, feeling thoroughly embarrassed. "I guess I was just being a cluts as usual."
"Here, let me help you up." The blond said, extending his hand out towards her. Marinette looked up into a set of mesmerising emerald eyes above a hand extended out towards her.
Time felt like it slowed down when Marinette placed her hand in his and allowed him to help pull her up. Her legs must have still been a bit jelly from the fall, because when Marinette got to her feet she slipped again on the same patch of ice, crashing into the stranger's chest and pushing him against her car. With quick reflexes, he grabbed onto her waist and steadied her. Wow his black coat was extremely soft, she thought to herself. Expensive of course, like the car. Marinette then could feel her face going red as she realised her hand was on his chest.
"Careful." He said with mischief in his eyes. "People might think you're falling for me."
Marinette's eyes widened. Was he being serious with that goofy looking grin on his face? Before she knew it though he had let go of her and was picking up her parcel from the ground, giving it a light shake. "Um… unless you bought someone their own personal jingle bells set, I think your gift might be broken."
Marinette brushed off the snow from her red coat and took the box from him and could hear the shattered glass for herself. ""Damn it." She sighed. Why did he seem to have such a smug look on his face?
"You're enjoying this aren't you?" She accused him with squinted eyes. He waved her off with a dazzling smile. "No." He said, then he shrugged. "Well maybe a little. Call it karma for stealing my parking spot."
"What?" Marinette exclaimed. "You're joking right? Karma. Pfffft. Who believes in that? Anyway, you were nowhere near that parking spot." There she went, chewing that lip again. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go and replace this." Marinette said curtly, giving him the brush off as she got back into her car. Who does he think he is anyway?
Backing out of the car spot, she could see him still watching her from behind. Putting her nose in the air she put the car into drive only for it to skid, sending snow and ice all over him. Whoops!
"What the…?" He exclaimed with his hands in the air and the white snow dripping off his black coat. Marinette watched him through her rear view mirror with her mouth agape. Then she laughed. Maybe there was such a thing as karma after all. As she drove off she thought it served him right for being such a jerkweed!
The blond stood there for a moment as her car drove off. Despite being covered in snow and ice, he couldn't help grinning to himself. She was the strangest person he had met and yet her hand had felt so warm, despite the coldness in the air around them. He found himself wishing he had asked for her name.
Adrien was pulled from his thoughts when his phone rang. "Hello, is that you Félix… yeah I'm just in the carpark, go grab a table and I'll be right in… Okay, bye."
~~~~~
Marinette brought a steaming cup of hot chocolate over to Alya who was currently hunched over her computer at the dining table.
"This report is going to be the death of me." Alya grumbled. "But I promised Nadja I would update the news blog tonight."
"Well here's something to warm you up." Marinette offered, placing the mug on the table. Alya's eyes lit up at the sight of whipped cream topped with festive sprinkles and a candy cane.
"Oh you are a lifesaver hun." The brunette said, gratefully accepting the hot brew. "I am soooo going to miss your hot chocolates when I move out."
It always made Marinette happy to see her friends happy, but it also reminded her that her best friend would be moving out soon. "So everything is set for you and Nino next month?"
"Yep. The apartment is all signed for and we can move straight in after the new year. I feel so bad though leaving you in the lurch without a flatmate. Are you going to get someone else in or find a new place?"
Marinette sat down in her seat and hugged her cup between her hands. "If the shop works out, I don't want to have to move since it's only walking distance from here. I guess I could advertise in the new year for someone."
Alya leaned across the table and waggled her eyebrows. "Or… you could find a boyfriend."
"Alya…"
"What? You're going to be 28 soon and you haven't had a serious boyfriend since…" Alya thought for a minute. "Hang on, you haven't been with anyone since Luka. That was years ago now."
Marinette folded her arms with a huff. "And you know how that ended. Besides, I've been too busy getting my business off the ground. I don't have time to even get a cat let alone meet anyone."
"What about Mr Jaguar? You did say he was kinda cute."
Marinette groaned. "I said some girls might find him attractive. I am not some girls and I'm not interested in some rich, stick up his backside jerkweed."
Alya folded her arms and gave Marinette a flat look. "You used to call people jerkweed in high school."
"Well, it still applies."
"Why? Just because he drives a Jag?"
"No." Marinette snapped back. "That coat of his had to be pure cashmere too."
Alya's grin widened. "You felt his coat?"
Marinette could feel her face going bright red again. "What? No! I mean I couldn't help feeling it, I fell right into him when I slipped."
"Hmmm, yes… "slipped" hey." Alya smirked with her fingers in inverted commas.
Marinette gave Alya a playful shove. "I'll prove it to you then." She said, getting up rummaging around some old magazines. "There was something annoyingly familiar about his face. It was bugging me all afternoon, so I pulled these out and voila!." She said, walking back and shoving a magazine down under Alya's nose. The brunette adjusted her glasses and looked at the article. It was a copy of Style Queen from a few years ago and showed a picture of an attractive young man with a mop of blond hair.
"Shut up!" Alya exclaimed. "Jag dude is Adrien Agreste."
"You're starting to sound like Nino." Marinette said flatly, returning Alya's previous look. The reporter ignored her and began to read from the article.
"In unexpected news, the younger son of Designer Gabriel Agreste and his late wife, Actress Emilie Agreste, is said to have turned his back on modeling and the fashion industry, leaving his older brother Félix to take over as his father's protégé alone. As of now, his immediate intentions for the future are unclear, however it is believed he has left Paris for an undisclosed period of time. - This article was dated almost five years ago."
"Well clearly he's come back to Paris." Marinette declared. "Apples don't usually fall far from the tree, at least not in those kinds of families."
"I don't know." Alya pondered. "You can't just assume that about someone from a nice car and coat."
Marinette was about to argue when her phone pinged with an e-mail. Picking it up Alya could see a frown form on Marinette's brow.
"Everything alright?" Alya asked.
"I don't know." Marinette replied. "It's from Mr Damocles the Real Estate Agent. He says he needs to see me urgently first thing tomorrow morning."
"So?" Alya shrugged. "Maybe the owner wants to close the deal."
"Wouldn't he say so if that was the case?" Marinette said, looking back at the message. "What if it's bad news?"
"But it could be good news. Don't worry about it girl. I'm sure everything will be just fine."
The next morning, Marinette made her way straight to the Plaza where Mr Damocles had his office. Subconsciously she looked around for a black Jaguar. "Good. He isn't here." She nodded to herself. Why she thought he would be she didn't know, but he wasn't so good riddance to him.
Heading to the realtor, Mr Damocles invited her straight in.
"Now Miss Dupain-Cheng, I don't want to concern you but there might be some competition for the property you are after."
"What?" She exclaimed, stunned. "But you said I had the leading bid."
"And you did." Mr Damocles tried to calm her, but Marinette wasn't having it. "But…"
"Mr Damocles. You do not tell someone that they have the lead bid to just turn around the next day and say they may not have it after all."
"I'm sorry Miss Dupain-Cheng, but there was another offer and as a Real Estate Agent it's my job to work in the best interest of the seller."
Marinette couldn't believe this. She could feel her dream suddenly starting to slip from out of her grasp. "Well I seriously doubt their offer would be as solid as mine. I already have bank approval for the required amount. Who exactly is this new bidder anyway?"
Just then behind her the bell on the door rang and none other than Mr Jaguar walked in wearing that same black cashmere coat he'd been wearing yesterday, but instead of a ponytail, his hair was tied back in a messy man bun.
Marinette gave him an indignant look. "What are you doing here?" She asked incredulously.
The blond just looked confused. "What do you mean what am I doing here? What are you doing here?"
"Oh." Mr Damocles jumped in. "You two know each other.
"Kind of." Adrien replied flippantly. "She tried to run over me yesterday out there in the carpark."
"Oh, turn it up." Marinette scoffed. "That is such an exaggeration, but for the record, your coat looked much more festive with the snow on it."
The blond rolled his eyes before offering his hand out to her. "Since we haven't met formally, I'm Adrien Agreste."
Marinette eyed his hand before deciding it would be better not to be rude. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
There was that irritating smile again. "I might have to get you to write that one down." He said playfully with a wink.
Marinette was sure her mouth gaped open. Did he seriously make a Titanic reference then? Adrien had already turned his head from her and looked back at the agent. "What's this about Mr Damocles?"
"Miss Dupain-Cheng is the other bidder for the property you are interested in."
"Already approved." Marinette smirked smuggly, folding her arms. "Solid, safe and in the seller's account tomorrow if they want."
"Ouch." Adrien replied, although he wasn't looking as bothered as she hoped he would have been. "My approval might take a little longer."
"Aww, that's too bad." Marinette said sarcastically, but then she saw a glint in Adrien's eye which was unnerving.
"But I did offer above the asking price."
"Wait, what?" Marinette exclaimed. "Who does that?"
"Someone who knows there is another offer and wants to win." Now he was wearing that same smug look he had yesterday.
"I'm sorry Miss Dupain-Cheng." Mr Damocles interjected. "But like I said earlier, my job is to get the best deal possible for the client. I have given him both of your offers but in the end it will be his decision whether he wants to sell now at your price or wait for the higher offer from Mr Agreste. I will be in touch once I have his answer."
Adrien and Marinette eyed each other, sizing up the competition. Adrien wasn't sure what it was about this girl, but he felt like he had seen her before. There was something about those bluebell eyes that he couldn't seem to get out of his head even if they were glaring at him like he had just stolen something valuable from her.