My Gala Christmas Bash was a flop. I learned a good portion of the tenants left to see family for the holidays, and many others simply weren’t as festive as I was. In summary, Stephen and Michael came by, Mort and Mister Greene paid a visit, and Viktor from 1C brought a bottle of vodka and stared at my tits for half an hour.

It was scheduled to end at midnight, but I had my doubts I’d be able to make it until then without throwing in the towel. About the time I was going to call it a night, the door opened. Holly walked in with a bottle wine in one hand, and a bottle of champagne in the other.

“Becky finally called me back. She’s staying with the kids until whenever.” She raised the wine. “Do you have an opener?”

“I have everything. Well, everything except for people.” I handed her the opener. “Let’s get drunk.”

She set the champagne aside and then tore at the foil covering. “Amen, sista.”

She had ditched the plaid for the night, and was wearing red dress that fit her quite well. Her massive boobs boiled out of the low-cut top, leaving little to the imagination. Had Viktor stayed, it may have been an interesting night for her.

She poured a glass and handed it to me. “Four more days.”

“It’s been a weird year. It doesn’t seem like Christmas.”

“We can’t afford to go visit,” she said, pouring her a glass of wine as she spoke. “Maybe next year.”

“It ought to be a good one for the kids this year. I got the little fuckers some pretty good stuff.”

She shot me a glare. “They’re not little fuckers.”

“They are. But, it’s okay.”

“Where’s Baker?”

“He should have been here by now.” I sipped my wine. “I don’t know.”

“Christmas never seems like Christmas here. It’s never cold. I like the weather here, but I like the Christmases back home.”

I did, too, but I’d never admit it. California had become my home. The beaches, palm trees, and warm weather lured me there. During eleven months of the year, I was satisfied I’d made the right decision. December left me feeling void of the joy that seemed to come with the cold weather, snow, and homes that were littered with ridiculous amounts of multi-colored lights.

Knock, knock...knock.

I turned toward the door. “Come in, Baker.”

He pushed the door open and stood there, grinning. Wearing black skinny jeans, black Chucks, a bright red blazer, and a red felt pimp hat with white fuzzy trim, he looked ridiculously cute.

“Hi, Holly,” he said with a tip of his hat. “Merry almost Christmas.”

He faced me and rolled the brim of his hat through his fingers, and then flipped it onto his head. “My dear.”

I raised my wine glass. “I like your outfit.”

He looked at Holly. “Coming, or going?”

She gulped her wine. “Just got here.”

“How long had you planned to stay?”

“Depends on how drunk I get.” She reached for the wine. “My babysitter can stay until tomorrow. Why?”

He adjusted his hat, pulling the brim a little lower. “Care to accompany us?”

“Where are we going?” I asked.

He gave me a playful glare, and then looked at Holly. His brows raised. “Well?”

I looked him over. Dressed in his little red outfit, he looked adorable. What I was missing about Christmas wasn’t fixed, but seeing him sure helped. As he waited for Holly to respond, I fell a little more in love with the man who cared enough about Christmas to make a fool of himself.

There were times when I found it extremely difficult to believe Baker was a biker. He was different than any other biker I’d ever meet, that much I was sure of. I wouldn’t want him to be any other way, though. He was perfect just the way he was.

Holly drank half her glass in one gulp, fearing commitment. It was just like her. She was sheepishly afraid of everything that wasn’t etched in stone.

“She’ll come,” I said. “Where are we going?”

He looked at me. “For a ride.” He looked at her. “Care for company?”

She looked at me, and then at him. She downed what remained in her glass and coughed as she tried to swallow it. “One of your friends?”

“The Goose,” he said with a nod.

“Is he nice?”

Baker grinned. “He is this time of year.”

“Is he cute?”

Baker looked at me.

I nodded. “He is.”

She nodded eagerly. “I’ll go.”

Her hair was twisted into a cute bun, leaving its lack of body and box-color dye job a mystery. I didn’t know Goose well, but my guess was that he’d be pleased with how she presented herself.

“Expecting any more tenants?” he asked.

“Nope.”

He tipped his hat, turned around, and hooked his thumb against his belt. “Shall we?”

With my arm hooked through his, and Holly at our side, we walked to his parking garage. A white minivan with fuzzy reindeer antlers mounted above the doors waited by elevator.

Leaning against it, dressed in a top had and long-tailed tuxedo, Goose smoked a cigarette. I burst into laughter. “What’s going on?”

“Christmas lights,” Baker said.

“There’s no good Christmas lights in San Diego,” I said sadly.

Baker turned to face me. “You just need to know where to look.”

He waved his hand toward the van’s side door. Automatically, it opened. I gawked at it in awe.

“Cadillac of minivans,” Goose said.

Baker helped me get in, and then turned to Holly. “Holly, Goose. Goose, this is Andy’s cousin, Holly.”

He tipped his hat. “Pleasure is mine, ma’am.”

“Sit up front,” Baker said.

He pushed a button and the door closed.

“Pretty awesome automatic doors on your sleigh, mister.”

“Only the best for my lover,” he said, relaxing into the passenger side seat.

Nestled in a bucket of ice, a carton of eggnog sat on the floor between us. On the seat, two thin booklets marked Let’s Go Caroling.

I picked up one of the books. “Are we--”

He gave a nod. “We are.”

I loved Caroling. My parents went every year. Holly’s mother took us, too, and I went every Christmas until I left to go to college. Some people grow out of Christmas, but I wasn’t one of them. In my mind, the spirit of Santa Claus was real.

I filled with nervous anticipation as I picked up the book and flipped through the pages. It included all my favorites.

“This is awesome,” I said. “You have no idea what this means to me.”

“I do it every year,” he said.

I looked at him in disbelief. “Really?”

“He’s not kidding,” Goose said as he pulled out of the garage. “Has since he was a kid.”

If doing so was even possible, my heart melted a little more for Baker. I laughed to myself that we’d gone about everything all wrong, fucking before we dated, and admitting our love with each other the night a man got murdered.

No matter, I wouldn’t change it if I could.

We drove to La Jolla, through an area I had no idea existed. The homes were mansions, and they were covered with the craziest displays of lights, decorations, and mechanical displays. It put Syracuse to shame.

Their wrought iron gates were open, inviting season onlookers the ability to come in and enjoy their displays of festive spirit.

The first home was complete with a fountain in front, and had a grand entrance that looked like something even the Kardashians couldn’t afford. After parking the van, we walked to the door, booklets in hand.

Baker knocked with the knocker. In a moment, the door opened.

A handsome man in his early forties stood pencil straight. He gave a nod to each of us. “Good evening. Happy Holidays.”

We burst into song, singing one of my all-time favorites, Oh Come, All Ye Faithful. Halfway through the song, a man, a woman I assumed was his wife, and two small children came to listen.

After singing O Little Town Of Bethlehem, Baker tipped his hat. “A Merry Christmas to you.”

“Thank you,” they said in unison.

We went house to house, visiting the last home just before midnight. No one complained, and no one refused our offerings. After we finished singing at the last home, for an elderly couple that I feared we woke from a night’s sleep, the man – dressed in red pajamas – stepped onto the porch.

He cupped his shaking hand to his mouth and cleared his throat. “Thank you!” he shouted. “We look forward to this, every year. Last few years, a tattooed boy has come buy. Haven’t seen him yet this year, though.”

I realized Baker was wearing a long-sleeved blazer.

Baker patted him on the shoulder, and then gave a nod. “Have a Merry Christmas. Maybe he’ll be by in the next day or so.”

The man gave a nod and yelled his response. “Sure hope so! He’s got a set of pipes!”

It was the first Christmas since my arrival that I felt festive. The caroling gave me a sense of holiday spirit that I’d been missing for years. I couldn’t help but admire Baker for doing it, and wondered what drove him to do so year after year.

On the way to the van, Baker turned to me and grinned. “Come back day after tomorrow?”

“Day after tomorrow’s Christmas Eve.”

He stroked his beard. “Makes it that much better, doesn’t it?”

I glanced over my shoulder. The man in the pajamas was still standing on the porch, waving.

“Yes,” I said, hooking my arm through his. “I’d love to.”