Zoe
Hello, I’m looking for Aiden?
Aiden
You realize you’re texting, not calling, right?
Zoe
Yeah, sorry. Am I not supposed to text in this situation?
Aiden
I mean, maybe? We are about to be fake dating in a few days.
Zoe
Yeah but…we’ve never met before. This is all really new to me.
Aiden
It’s all good, I was just teasing you.
Aiden
So, you’re Zack’s sister?
Aiden
I’m sorry you’re related to him.
Zoe
Hey! That’s my brother you’re talking about.
Aiden
Again, just joking.
Aiden
Zack is cool. We’re been friends since freshman year. He’s a good guy.
Zoe
He’s also a good brother for asking you to do this for me.
Zoe
I feel so lame, asking for a pretend boyfriend at our family Christmas dinner.
Aiden
Um…this is in front of your family?
Zoe
OMG. Zack was supposed to tell you that!
Aiden
Sorry. I really like to joke around. Did he not warn you?
Zoe
Of course I’m stuck with the guy who’s always joking.
Zoe
Well, beggars can’t be choosers…
Zoe
Sorry. Couldn’t resist teasing you back 😉
Aiden
Ah. A worthy opponent. That’s all I wanted for Christmas.
Zoe
Oh, good. So does that mean your helping me out with my Christmas wish?
Aiden
Well, I was down to fake date you before…
Aiden
But now that we’ve talked…
Aiden
Yes. Can we make Christmas tomorrow?
Zoe
LOL may I ask why you’re agreeing to this?
Zoe
Not that I don’t hugely appreciate it, and everything! 🙂
Aiden
Haha, sure. The way I see it…I get a holiday meal.
Aiden
Left to my own devices, I would be eating mac n cheese…again.
Aiden
This is a pretty serious win in my books.
Aiden
I also get to the spend Christmas with Zack.
Aiden
And his hot sister.
Zoe
What? You don’t know that I’m hot!
Aiden
I went full Facebook stalker after Zack asked me about this.
Aiden
Are you trying to tell me that you didn’t look me up too?
Zoe
I refuse to answer that on the grounds that it may incriminate me.
Aiden
I love it when you talk nerdy to me 🤓
Zoe
LOL I have to say, before I texted you, I thought could be a disaster.
Zoe
But you actually seem pretty cool.
Aiden
If you thought this could be a disaster, why are YOU doing it?
Zoe
Okay, hear me out. This is going to sound stupid.
Zoe
So…Zack and I have one more sibling, an older sister.
Zoe
What’s that supposed to mean?
Aiden
You know, because Zoe and Zach both start with Z.
Zoe
LOL no. The alliteration does not apply to my sister.
Aiden
You just said alliteration in a text…
Zoe
Our older sister’s name is Jessica.
Aiden
Come on. You and Zack are pretty cool. If Jessica’s your sister…
Aiden
Could she really be that bad?
Zoe
She’s also newly engaged.
Zoe
And she’s bringing her rich, perfect fiancé home for Christmas.
Aiden
Ah, so you want to one up her by bringing home the best-looking guy on campus.
Zoe
Our whole lives, she’s always been the perfect one.
Zoe
The smart one. The pretty one. The popular one.
Zoe
And she always likes to rub it in my face.
Aiden
How does Zack feel about all of this?
Zoe
He’s a guy, so the competition isn’t there, but…
Zoe
He’s not a fan of her, either. This was his idea, actually.
Aiden
Truth. Well, I’m in, so…what are the details?
Zoe
Don’t you have other plans? It’s Christmas.
Aiden
My parents are divorced and live on opposite sides of the country.
Aiden
Neither of which are near here.
Aiden
If I choose to visit one of them for the holidays, the other gets upset so…
Aiden
This year my choice is neither.
Zoe
Ugh, I’m sorry. That sounds awful.
Aiden
Don’t be. I get a hot fake girlfriend for Christmas.
Zoe
I thought I was a worthy opponent?
Aiden
Ah, I’m a lucky guy. I get both for the price of one. Wit and beauty.
Zoe
How many eye roll emojis can I send in one conversation?
Aiden
Don’t worry, I’ll get you into the Guinness Book of World Records yet.
Zoe
Must. Not. Use. Emoji.
Zoe
But for real. We leave on Friday.
Aiden
Good. Then we have time.
Aiden
A date. Maybe three of them.
Zoe
You know you’re supposed to be my FAKE boyfriend, right?
Aiden
I’ve been informed of that, but…
Aiden
If your sister Jessica is so smart, she might figure us out.
Aiden
So it’s probably a good idea to hang out a bit beforehand.
Aiden
Get comfortable with each other.
Zoe
That’s not a bad idea.
Aiden
I’m glad you think so.
Aiden
Because I’m outside your door.
Zoe
HOW DID YOU GET MY ADDRESS?
Aiden
Uh…I’m friends with your brother, remember?
Zoe
I suppose that makes this significantly less creepy.
Aiden
Are you going to let me in?
Suddenly feeling nervous, Zoe tucks her phone into her pocket.
Butterflies fly in her stomach as she hurries to the door and opens it.
There, she sees her brother’s friend, holding a very full backpack.
He was right that she looked him up on Facebook before texting him…
And he’s even hotter in person.
Hot enough that she wishes this could be a real date.
Aiden
Do I pass inspection?
Zoe blushes. She realizes that she’s been staring.
Zoe
Sorry, sorry. Come on in.
Aiden
I brought food. Zack said you like Chinese.
Aiden
Egg drop soup and ginger beef, right?
Zoe
Uh…yes. Those are my favorites.
Aiden unpacks the food onto the coffee table.
Aiden
And your favorite drink is diet cola?
Zoe
I can’t decide if this is romantic or creepy…
Aiden
You definitely think it’s romantic, right?
Zoe blushes again, but it’s paired with a bubbling laugh.
Zoe
I mean…I guess it’s fake romantic. Because you’re my fake boyfriend.
Aiden pulls something else from his backpack.
It’s green, and it’s attached to a sparkly red ribbon.
Zoe’s eyes widen, and excitement rushes through her veins.
Zoe
Fake mistletoe for a fake boyfriend?
Aiden
It’s real mistletoe.
Aiden
That I have a confession to make.
Aiden
I’m going to ignore that for a second, okay?
Aiden
Because I’ve known about you and your older sister for a long time.
Aiden
Since I first started hanging out with Zack.
Aiden
So when he said that you were nervous about going home for Christmas…
Aiden
Because of how your sister would act this year…
Aiden
I might have…er, suggested…
Aiden
That it would be great if I posed as your fake boyfriend for Christmas.
Zoe
What? YOU suggested this?
Aiden
Because if I was your fake boyfriend…
Aiden
Then I’d have a few days to get to know you.
Aiden
You know, Zack’s hot sister.
Aiden
Who I’ve had a crush on from afar.
Aiden
Ever since he first mentioned you.
Zoe knows that she’s staring, but she can’t seem to make herself speak.
The idea that someone would go to this much trouble to be with HER—
And not her sister Jessica—
Yet here is Aiden, holding a sprig of very real mistletoe over their heads.
Zoe
So…you’re saying that, instead of going home for Christmas with a fake boyfriend…
Aiden
I want you to go home with a real one.
Aiden
That’s me, by the way.
Aiden wiggles the sprig of mistletoe over their heads.
Truth is, she hasn’t been able to get Aiden out of her mind.
Not since she looked him up on Facebook.
She’s had a crush on him from afar, too.
And she’s really excited at the prospect of spending Christmas with him.
She looks up at the sprig of mistletoe.
Zoe
So, if I’m following your somewhat crazy line of thought here…
Zoe
If I give you a real kiss under real mistletoe…
Zoe
You’ll magically transform into my real boyfriend?
Aiden
See? You’re totally a worthy opponent.
Zoe takes a hesitant step toward him.
And Aiden closes the rest of the distance between them.
Still holding the mistletoe over their heads…
He dips his head to kiss her.
And as they kiss, he drops the mistletoe.
His hands get lost in her hair as she strokes his face.
And then, when they finally pull apart, they’re both out of breath.
Aiden
So what do you think? Can I be your real boyfriend?
Zoe grins. She can’t believe this is happening.
Zoe
It’s all I wanted for Christmas.
