It’s the day before
Christmas Eve and gorgeous, happy, Nick Kringle is making deliveries on the
main street of the city when a car breaks down at the intersection.
Amid the seasonal
crowds and inclement weather, Dylan West gets out of his car and tries to push
it to the side of the road.
Nick rushes to help
him and comes face to face with the most delicious man he’s ever seen.
Dylan’s down on his
luck, but Nick believes in magic.
Can wishes come true?
You bet—especially if Nick Kringle has anything to do with it.
Dylan
drank his coffee and wandered around his apartment. He tidied everything. He
took the card his mom had sent him and put it on his desk, a lonely sentinel of
the season standing by his laptop. His parents lived so far away that they
didn’t visit each other often and anyway, they generally took a vacation in
warmer climes for Christmas and New Year. He showered and dressed in jeans,
sweater, and his favorite old leather jacket. He looked around with a sigh. So much for Berry Brown letting me know
early today about my interview. Guess I’ll go check on my car.
He
left the apartment. The sun shone from a washed-out, blue sky. Frost glistened
on the ground. Dylan’s breath misted in the crisp air. He hailed a cab at the
end of the block. The kiosk served as a landmark for Dylan as he told the
driver where to drop him, but his car was gone.
He
recalled Nick’s words. ‘The city might tow it,’ and his own reply, ‘I wish they
would.’ Maybe it’s in the city compound.
Dylan shrugged. He went around the kiosk and looked along the magazines. Once
upon a time Dylan loved to draw. His high school teachers praised his work. He
visited all the galleries and hung out at exhibitions, drinking in the creative
atmosphere with enjoyment. His teachers expected him to and he had considered studying art, but settled
on business because it seemed more likely he’d find work with that bachelor
degree. It pleased his dad, whose finance career made sure the family lived
well. Dylan picked up a copy of Wallpaper
and then Art in America. He paid for
the magazines.
A
coffee shop beckoned as someone opened the door and the inviting aroma of rich
beans wafted onto the street. Dylan went in. He took a window seat and ordered
Italian roast when the smiling server came to his table. A huge Christmas tree filled
a corner of the café area and Dylan gazed at it for a few moments. The tinsel
and baubles made a pretty, sparkling sight lit with circles of white fairy
lights. He opened the copy of Wallpaper
and turned the pages perusing the articles, until, to his surprise, a silver, 3D,
page-size star popped up.
A
smile sprang onto his face. A star. Make
a wish, Dylan. It glittered at him. I
wish for Nick. I want us to be lovers, friends, for as long as possible. I wish
for him to fall in love with me. Is that more than one wish, yeah, but who
knows, maybe one will come true?
His
cell phone buzzed in his leather jacket pocket. Dylan fished it out. A message
alert flashed on the screen. Dylan swiped the screen to check the message. Berry Brown. Regret to inform you have been
unsuccessful this time. He stared at the message. It struck him as rude,
letting an interviewee know by text, but then again, he’d received similar
brush-offs.
The
server arrived with his order and a complimentary chocolate for the season.
Dylan smiled his thanks. The café’s warmth relaxed him. He took off his jacket
and sipped at his coffee as he looked through his magazines. With every page
turned, Dylan grew happier. He didn’t own any art materials now, but he wanted
some. He remembered that the mall a few streets away housed a great art supply
shop. Dylan experienced a surge of longing to go there and buy the things he’d
need to start drawing again. He unwrapped the chocolate and bit into it. The
lemon cream zinged on his taste buds. He drank the last mouthful of his coffee.
He picked up the star and secured it in the magazine. I don’t want to lose that. In a split second, everything was
brighter, lighter, and happier. He paid for his coffee and pulled on his
jacket.
Copyright E. D. Parr, Evernight Publishing
https://www.bookstrand.com/make-a-wish-mm
https://www.evernightpublishing.com/make-a-wish-by-e-d-parr/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/make-a-wish-e-d-parr/1125370385
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/make-a-wish-7
Amazon http://mybook.to/MakeaWish
