Christmas in the City

Chapter Four

THE FIRST THING I do once Brandon and I make it back to the hotel is go to my brother's room.

He looks from his video game and smirks. "How was your day with Brandon?"

I take a seat on his bed. "It was fine. He was acting weird."

My brother sets his video game down. "What do you mean?"

"We were getting breakfast and our waitress said we're a cute couple. Instead of telling her we're not together, he told her thank you."

My brother raises his eyebrows. "Wow."

"I asked him why he told her that, and he said it wasn't a big deal."

"Nia, you're way too oblivious. Brandon likes you."

I laugh at what my brother just said. I even snort.

He gives me a straight face. "I'm telling the truth. I know all the signs. He's acting the exact same way I did when I had that crush on Sarah last year."

It was sad and amusing watching my brother have a crush on a girl from school. He was smitten with her. The sad part was that she didn't feel the same way.

"This is ridiculous. There's no way that Brandon Matthews likes me. Even if he did, I don't even like him."

"It's fine if you don't want to believe me, but I'm telling the truth. You'll see," he says.

Yeah, right.  I'm not buying what my brother says, especially about Brandon liking me.

We hate each other. I don't see how he can get hate mixed up with love.

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The plan for tonight is to have dinner at a rooftop restaurant. It's a fun idea aesthetic wise, but not the smartest since it's freezing out. I'm sure it'll be worth it.

I finish the last touches of my outfit. I decided on a black knit sweater, black jeans, and my go-to booties.

"The Uber is outside waiting. Let's go," my mom says once I walk in the living room.

It's really cold out, so I'm glad I grabbed my coat on the way out.

We're all impressed once we get to the restaurant. Twinkle lights hang over the balcony and there's candles placed on each table.

They really do know how to create such a nice vibe.

The restaurant is known  for one of the best views in New York. The skyline looks perfect with the moon in the background.

I could sit here all night and stare at this view, but I have some guacamole to try. Apparently this restaurant is also famous for their chips and guac.

I'll be the judge of that, because I'm a chips and guac connoisseur.

We all take a sit at our table. Somehow, Brandon ended up sitting in front of me.

Our waiter comes and I have to stop myself from staring. He looks to be around Brandon and I's age. He's so attractive.

"What would you like to drink?" He asks me once he gets done taking my brother's drink order. I can't help but notice the smile that he reserves for me.

"Um. I'll have a lemonade."

"Okay." He winks.

He takes everyone else's orders before leaving.

I look up at Brandon to see he's glaring at our waiter's back.

"Is something wrong?" His mother asks him.

"Nope. Everything is peachy," he answers.

I wonder what got him in such a bad mood? Not that I care what mood he's in. He's just ruining the vibe.

I turn my attention away from Brandon and to our delicious appetizers. There's guac, salsa, and bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers.

I want to take home the chips and guac. The chips are bottomless, so I'm not sure how many I've devoured. I do know that the chips and guac are the real winners with the bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers coming in second place.

"Is everything okay?" Our cute waiter comes back to the table.

"Everything is perfect," I tell him.

"Really?" He smirks at me.

"Can I get a refill?" Brandon interrupts our moment.

"Sure. I'll be right back," he tells Brandon and leaves.

I'm the one who's glaring now. Brandon couldn't have waited to ask for a refill another time. I'm starting to think he did that on purpose.

"What did you guys do today?" My mom asks Brandon and I.

I shrug. "Nothing much. We grabbed breakfast, did some walking around, and got hot chocolate."

"Sounds like you two had fun. I'm glad we can leave you two alone without you guys fighting," she says.

I give her and everyone else a fake smile. Sure, Brandon and I had somewhat fun today. But right now he's being a party pooper.

Our dinner gets brought to us. I ordered the Buffalo wings and fries. Brandon and my brother ordered a burger. I might have to steal a bite of my brother's.

Instantly, my mouth starts to water from the spicy wings. I flush it down with some lemonade.

From the appetizers to now this, I'm sure someone is going to have to carry me out of the restaurant because I'll be too full to walk.

We all finish our meals and my dad gives our waiter a nice tip. He deserves it because he was the best.

"Thank you." He smiles at my dad.

He starts gathering up the dishes. I watch as he comes over to my side of the table. He picks up my plate and drops a napkin in front of me.

I turn it over to see his number written down. He's already smiling at me once I look up.

All of the sudden, Brandon pushes back his chair and stands up.

"Are you guys ready?"

He doesn't wait for us to reply and starts walking to the door.

"What's the rush, Brandon?" My brother teases.

Looks like we're leaving. I really wish I could stay. I have to find a way to come back here before we go home. At least I have the guy's number. I make sure to put the napkin deep in my pocket so it won't get lost.

I take one last look at the stunning view before following my parents out the door.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thanks for reading!

This chapter isn't heavily, so kindly point out mistakes if you see any.

Do you think Brandon was jealous?

Christmas count for this chapter?

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. If you do then please vote, comment, add this story to your reading list, and follow.

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