Eggnog
The next Christmas event is planned by neither Holtz or Erin. It starts with Patty winning a radio contest and receiving two forties of spiced rum, six shot glasses, and a free t-shirt that Holtz claims immediately.
“It’s two weeks until Christmas, ladies. I’m heading upstate on Wednesday, so I say we get smashed. Tonight.”
Everyone is totally on board, especially Holtz. While Patty, Erin, and Abby set up some tables and chairs, Holtz disappears for three and half hours. When she returns she has two quarts of eggnog, some spices and cinnamon sticks, an arm full of snacks, and a few board games.
At around 6PM it starts. Against everyone’s better judgement they start drinking before their Thai delivery arrives. Patty shows everyone how to spice the rim of their glass, and mixes the first drink for everyone. She expertly combines the rum with some cognac she keeps tucked away in one of the cupboards apparently.
Erin can feel the liquor go straight to her head after just half a glass and wonders in passing the last time it was that she ate something.
When Holtz finishes her drink in minutes and runs over to Patty another, Erin starts to worry a little.
“Aw hell no, Patty’s got her drank and her fuzzy slippers,” she protests as she sinks into the couch. “Y’all can get your own now.”
“Okay!” Holtz replies enthusiastically. She rushes over to the makeshift bar on the kitchen counter and pours a haphazard amount of rum into her glass, sloshing a little over the side. Then the cognac in an equally unmeasured share. She only adds a splash of eggnog for flavour and mixes everything together to an alarmingly translucent solution with a cinnamon stick.
“Uh, Holtzmann?” Erin asks, sidling over to the counter where Holtz stands.
“Yeah?”
“You’re not worried that your drink is too strong, are you?”
Holtz holds her glass over her head and inspects its contents theatrically.
“Uhh, nope! Anyway, it’s Christmas; aren’t you supposed to get tanked as often as possible? I’ve never been one to waste a lot of time.” She pauses to wink at Erin. “It can be a new tradition!”
Erin feels a smile tug at the corner of her mouth.
“You make a great point.” She shrugs and throws back the rest of her drink, only wincing a little bit as it tingles down her throat.
“Yeah Erin!” Holtz cheers. She drops her tone to an overly formal one. “Shall I make you another, Mademoiselle?”
Erin can already feel the tips of her fingers tingle and her muscles relax with the warmth of the alcohol. She’s always been a bit of a lightweight. “Sure! I’ll have it just the way you’re having it.”
“Ahh,” Holtz replies, sloshing amber liquid liberally, “I like a woman who knows what she wants.”
Erin starts to giggle. And then she keeps giggling. Gosh she’s such a lightweight.
“Food’s here!” Abby announces moments later, walking into the common area with an armful of take-out bags. Erin and Holtz rush in after, laughing as they try not to spill their overflowing glasses.
Abby plops the bags on the nearby coffee table and eyes the red-faced and giggling couple as they huddle together unduly on a single arm chair.
“Are you two on your second drinks already?”
Holtz downs half of her drink to prove a point and sighs loudly. “Soon to be thirds, Abigail!”
Erin just laughs uselessly. Her drink is half gone too.
“Wow, okay.” Abby makes a show of taking a generous pull of eggnog. When she’s done, she holds her glass out and points to Erin with her index finger. “I hope you know what you got yourself into with Dr. Gilbert there, Holtzy. She’s the worst lightweight I’ve ever met.”
Holtz gasps dramatically and wraps her arm protectively around Erin. “No way! My Erin? A lightweight? Impossible!”
Erin sticks her tongue out at Abby before dissolving into giggles once more.
The take-out is gone before too long, and they decide to start the games with Clue while everyone is still sober enough to pay attention.
Holtz and Patty fight over Miss Scarlet while Erin snatches up Mrs. Peacock. Abby is happy with Professor Plum, and when Patty wins out Scarlet (“If y’all are getting trashed on my liquor, I should at least get first choice in Clue.” Holtz was in no position to argue; she just started her fourth drink), Holtz happily resigns with Colonel Mustard (“We both like yellow. We both score with the hot chicks 110% of the time.” Erin rewards that comment with a nice little swat to Holtz’s bicep).
They get through one full round, but halfway through round two, Holtz starts yelling out accusations at random with no evidence.
“Alright!” Abby announces, annoyance pinching her words to a slightly higher decibel, “I think it’s time for Jenga. Don’t you think it’s time for Jenga?” Then she’s collecting the pieces before anyone answers.
Holtz is normally very good at Jenga, but she’s five and a half drinks in now. Patty and Abby call it quits and move to another area of the common room after Holtz and Erin crash their sixth tower.
The two stay on the couch and lazily build towers with the blocks. The locations become increasingly creative with structures balanced on the couch armrests, the backrest, and finally on each other’s bodies too.
Erin is laying on her back with Holtz straddling her waist and watches the tower her girlfriend builds on her diaphragm rise and fall with each breath. Holtz has sobered up a bit and is biting her tongue in concentration. Her eyes are intense and focused and Erin can’t believe how lucky she is.
Without warning, the tower topples and some of the block crash into Erin’s face.
“Ow!” She says bolting up and giggling, clutching her nose.
“No! Not your beautiful nose! Are you okay? Are you bleeding?” Holtz is mostly kidding, but her hands are tugging at Erin’s to get a closer look, and she’s ducking her head low to inspect.
“I’m fine Holtz, really!” she manages through her giggles. “Good thing I’m drunk or else this might’ve really hurt.”
Holtz's eyes are soft, and Erin can see a little bit of her concern evaporate. “Want me to kiss it better?”
Erin smirks. She has a plan. She nods her head yes, and when Holtz leans in toward her nose, Erin tilts her chin up and meets the kiss with her lips.
She can feel Holtz freeze briefly in surprise, but half a second later she relaxes into the kiss. Her fingers tangle up in Erin’s hair, and Erin hooks a finger under Holtz’s chin to urge her closer.
Then something hits her with a plop and crinkle. Then another. The two break apart and see that two candy canes have found their way into their laps when a third collides with Holtz’s cheek.
“Uh excuse us, but did y’all forget we were here?” Patty says, accusing more than asking while twirling a candy cane around her finger, implying a fourth assault was imminent.
Holtz and Erin exchange a guilty look and then turn back to their friends.
“Um, yup.” Holtz answers simply. “Sorry guys.”
Abby just rolls her eyes with a grin and stands up from her spot at the table she and Patty were sitting at. “Whatever guys. Just keep it PG if you’re gonna crash on the couch tonight.” She turns to her friend who appears to be calculating the perfect trajectory for maximum damage with her mint-flavoured missile. “Want to split a cab, Patty?”
“Sure baby.” Patty stands up, tosses the last candy cane at the two of them, then leaves laughing with Abby.
Erin and Holtz are laughing too. They look at each other and Erin sighs.
“Tomorrow’s gonna suck, isn’t it?”
“Oh yeah. Most definitely.”
“Are we really sleeping on the couch?”
“I don’t see why not,” Holtz answers with a shrug.
Pause.
“Are we really going to keep it PG?” Erin asks with a sly grin, acutely aware that Holtzmann is still straddling her.
Holtz’s whole face lights up. “What Patty and Abby don’t know….” She leans in to reclaim Erin’s lips. Erin just smiles into the kiss. She can always just blame it on the eggnog tomorrow.