The Probability of Mistletoe

By E.J. Russell

When software engineer Keith Trainor decides to start his own company, he knows exactly who he wants as his partner: Parker Mulvaney, his best friend from high school. But in the ten years since graduation, their contact has dwindled to nothing, and it's all Keith's fault. If he hadn't tried to kiss Parker under the mistletoe at the winter formal their senior year, Parker wouldn't have bolted. At their ten-year reunion, Keith intends to do everything in his geeky power to make amends.

 

Parker should have known that scheduling the reunion the day before Christmas Eve was a recipe for a headache of monster proportions. But when Keith sends a text that he'll be attending, the evening doesn't look so bleak. Can an unnecessary makeover, a nostalgic breakfast, an abortive shopping trip, and dance invitations with only a 50 percent success rate culminate in a long-overdue first kiss?

 

The Probability of Mistletoe is a short and sweet opposites-attract, friends-to-lovers, second-chance rom-com featuring an awkward geek on a mission, a determined extrovert with a plan, interfering female relatives of various sizes, and a statistically improbable amount of mistletoe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Reality Optional Press
• Release date: Mar 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9781947033177

E.J. Russell

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Book preview

When software engineer Keith Trainor decides to start his own company, he knows exactly who he wants as his partner: Parker Mulvaney, his best friend from high school. But in the ten years since graduation, their contact has dwindled to nothing, and it’s all Keith’s fault. If he hadn’t tried to kiss Parker under the mistletoe at the winter formal their senior year, Parker wouldn’t have bolted. At their ten-year reunion, Keith intends to do everything in his geeky power to make amends.

Parker should have known that scheduling the reunion the day before Christmas Eve was a recipe for a headache of monster proportions. But when Keith sends a text that he’ll be attending, the evening doesn’t look so bleak. Can an unnecessary makeover, a nostalgic breakfast, an abortive shopping trip, and dance invitations with only a 50 percent success rate culminate in a long-overdue first kiss?

The Probability of Mistletoe is a short and sweet opposites-attract, friends-to-lovers, second-chance rom-com featuring an awkward geek on a mission, a determined extrovert with a plan, interfering female relatives of various sizes, and a statistically improbable amount of mistletoe.

Dedicated to anyone who has let time—and friendships—get away from them.

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When Parker Mulvaney’s email alert pinged at the same time his instant message notification squawked and his cell phone blared Ride of the Valkyries, he let his head fall forward onto his kitchen table with a thunk. Whose brilliant idea was it to have the ten-year high school reunion two days before Christmas?

Um… that would be me.

It seemed like a good idea at the time—classmates who’d moved away after graduation would be more likely to be in town to visit families who remained, plus a lot of people liked to take time off at the holidays.

Me again.

Except his boss didn’t understand the concept of time off—at least for Parker—any better this year than in the last five.

Sure enough, when Parker answered his phone, his boss barked, We’ve got a situation.

Not Hello. Not Happy holidays. Not Sorry to bother you. Straight to the point, that was Frank. Once upon a time, Parker appreciated that directness. Now? Not so much.

He didn’t bother to raise his head off the table. "Frank, I’m on vacation. You know what that means, right? It means I’m not working."

Yeah, yeah. But this is important. Crucial. Make-or-break.

I’ll tell you what’s about to break…. Seriously? We’ve got no new campaigns launching this week, and Krista is totally capable of handling the ongoing plans.

Grayson Harris himself called me from the event venue demanding to know why you aren’t on-site to manage things.

Did you tell him I’m on vacation?

Of course not. He’s our biggest client. He wants you on deck.

We can’t always get what we want.

Silence on the line except for a staccato tapping. Frank’s pen. Parker counted down, imagining Frank’s teeth grinding in counterpoint. Three… two… one. Harris Electronics is our most important account.

And Mr. Harris won’t go into withdrawal if he can’t talk to me three times a day for the next two weeks. This event isn’t external-facing marketing anyway, for pity’s sake. It’s their office holiday party. The ‘event venue’ is their own freaking building. The caterers are competent to set up and break down, and by the third drink, nobody—including Mr. Harris—will notice if the conference room is on fire, let alone if I’m any closer to the buffet table than Tierra del Fuego.

Parker—

Frank. Parker matched his boss’s exasperated tone. "Trust me. I’ve babysat the last four of those parties, and there was no reason whatsoever for me to be at any of them. They’ll be fine. So will you.