Might I be about to have my first proper kiss? With Ru. No, Jay. JAY!

Sure, it would be more under “fire exit sign” than “bunch of mistletoe”, but I. Would. Take. It. And Grace would more than approve.

How on earth was I going to focus on the film with all that to think about, though?!

But it was starting.

SLEIGH ANOTHER DAY. RATED 12.

The moment had come. Me and my nemesis were meeting. But it didn’t feel half as scary with Jay beside me. The lights dimmed and Jay flicked his cap off and shuffled down in his chair. I’d got the posh squidgy seats. I was glad it was already dark so he couldn’t see me breathing him in. MMMmmmmm. He smelt of sweet and salty popcorn.

Oh no. That was the popcorn.

I looked at him and grinned. Here we were, two Christmas film haters, facing the ultimate test. But after today, I had a feeling I might kind of like it – theme tune and all.

But Jay looked kind of nervous.

“Don’t worry. You’re going to do just fine,” I whispered, stuffing my coat under my chair. “These holiday films are always the same.” Grace had made me watch so many. “There’ll be a meet cute, some kind of misunderstanding, and you’ll know from the very first scene the two leads will end up together, but for some reason they just can’t be. But … it’ll all work out in the end… With lots of added Christmas. We’ve got this!”

Did he mutter “I hope so”?

He was really overthinking this. I was the one about to hear myself singing about being an elf. In 3D surround sound.

I took a deep breath, getting ready to hear the first notes of the song and pushed myself back into my chair. All these weeks trying to hide every single detail of this stupid film and now, here I was, watching it in London. With the first ever guy I’d ever really liked. Really, really liked.

Maybe Christmas romance was a thing after all?

And maybe I liked it.

I put my hand in the popcorn and made contact with Jay’s. We looked at each other, not sure what the popcorn-hand etiquette was.

He gulped. “Molly. Before it starts…” But a booming narrator’s voice cut him off.

I shuffled back into my seat. Jay edged further forward in his, his hands clasped over his mouth and nose.

Then the screen went black.

And the first notes of “Love Your Elf!” boomed round the cinema.

A whoop came from the front row.

People around us started singing along.

Wow. I guess people really did like it.

Jay gave my hand a squeeze in elf solidarity.

Deep breath, Molly. One and a half hours and it’ll be over.

Try and think of all the positive things.

Like making Grace happy by finally seeing Joseph D Chambers in action. Was he going to be as hot as she said?

And there he was. In the very first scene. With his plummy British accent.

Holding a mini-Christmas tree in the snow, as he waited for his grandma to answer the door.

Grace wasn’t lying. That boy wasn’t just hot. He was the hottest boy I’d ever seen.

Well, except one.

The boy next to me. That was sitting with his cap on, head in his hands.

And this time I really did drop the popcorn.

Joseph D Chambers wasn’t hotter than Ru.

Joseph D Chambers WAS Ru.

CHAPTER

20

I stood up. No idea why.

Then sat down. Then leant forward. And rocked back. Then stood up again.

This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. WHAT was happening?!!

Why could I see two of Jay? Of Ru? Of whoever this guy was??!

Was I on my first date with…

No, I couldn’t be.

NOPE.

“Mol…” Jay put his hand on my knee.

THE NUMBER ONE SEXIEST FRINGE WEARER OF THE YEAR HAD HIS HAND ON MY KNEE.

I opened my mouth. And shut it.

Thank goodness on screen there were reindeer clattering through snow, cos I think I was making a malfunctioning noise.

“I’m sorry,” Jay mouthed. I blinked, and turned back to the screen.

BUT NO. Seeing the exact same face as the one next to me, but this time the size of my house, was not particularly calming.