Bet You Won't Fall For Me

“I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know. Make my wish come true— all I want for Christmas is you” blasted through the speakers for the fifth time, and Jade Ventura was two seconds away from filing a noise complaint. Not that it would do any good. This was a school fundraiser, and she was one of the organizers. Complaining about the holiday cheer would only make her look like the KJ (Kill Joy) and matandang dalaga (old maid) her colleagues might call her if she had the nerve. She shot a glance at the stage, where the grand finale of the night was getting underway: the Christmas Date Auction. For charity. For education, she reminded herself, clutching the raffle ticket in her hand. This was for the kids. It was all for the kids. That’s what she’d been repeating to herself since the event started, trying to ignore the nagging thought that her first—and possibly only—Christmas fundraiser as a teacher would end with her hating holiday music even more than she already did. The stage lights flashed, casting bright halos over the room. Her colleague, Apple, stood at the mic with an oversized red bow in her hair, practically bouncing with excitement. “All right, folks!” she shouted into the microphone. “It’s time to announce the lucky winner of our grand prize—a once-in-a-lifetime Christmas date with the mystery bachelor!” Jade barely heard the words, too busy rummaging through her bag for her car keys. The event was almost over. She could almost feel the warmth of her couch, the comforting embrace of her soft blanket. After weeks of holiday madness, this was her one moment of peace. Her eyes skimmed the crowd as she continued her search. She’d helped organize the event, of course, and knew there would be a date auction, but she never imagined she’d be drawn into it. She hadn’t volunteered for this part of the event—she had enough on her plate with everything else, thank you very much. The idea of people auctioning themselves off for a “date” seemed a little… over the top, even for a fundraiser. What were they, characters from Flipped? But it was all for charity, right? “—and the winner is… Jade Ventura!” Jade froze. Wait. Wait. Did she hear that right? The room erupted in a cheer so loud it nearly gave her a heart attack. Her name echoed through the speakers like a cruel joke, and before she could process it, a spotlight swung toward her. There was no escaping it. No. No, no, no. She felt her stomach do a somersault as she reluctantly looked up, only to have her breath catch in her throat. The mystery bachelor wasn’t some stranger. It was André. Freaking. Young. Jade blinked a few times, praying that she was hallucinating. Kapag minamalas ka nga naman, makakakita ka ng demonyo kahit Paskong-Pasko (When you’re really unlucky, you end up seeing a demon, even at Christmas), she muttered to herself. André stood at the center of the stage, looking way too comfortable in his perfectly fitted suit, flashing that same arrogant smirk she remembered from their high school days. He ran a hand through his slightly messy hair, and for a second, it was like nothing had changed. Her heart pounded in her chest as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her eyes darting back to the crowd. The room was filled with excitement, but to Jade, it felt suffocating. Why? Why was she the one who won? “Jade, come on up here!” Apple’s voice called out, too chipper for Jade’s taste. She swallowed hard. It would be one thing if she’d won some kind of random prize, like a basket of holiday snacks. But no, of course it had to be this. The date. With André. They had been having raffles at their year-end party every year, but she had never won before. But of all the raffles she could win? A date? What kind of cosmic joke was this? She pushed herself to her feet, hoping she didn’t look as terrified as she felt. She felt the weight of every single eye on her as she made her way up to the stage. It didn’t help that her legs were wobbling like they might give out at any moment. “Congratulations!” Apple beamed, pulling her into an awkward hug before ushering her toward André. “This is going to be so fun, right?” Jade forced a smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. Fun? More like a nightmare. She stood beside André, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. This couldn’t be happening. “This is… wow,” she managed to say, her voice far shakier than she wanted. She glanced at André, but his smirk only widened. “You’ve got me at a loss for words, Jade,” André said with a chuckle, his eyes glinting with mischief. Jade clenched her fists. Apple handed them a microphone. “Why don’t you two tell the audience a little bit about yourselves?” she suggested with a wink. “Get to know each other, maybe?” Jade almost gagged. “Actually,” she started, forcing herself to hold the microphone steady despite how much she wanted to throw it out the window, “I think… I think there’s been a mistake.” Apple blinked at her, clearly surprised by her response. André, however, raised an eyebrow, his smirk not faltering. “A mistake?” he echoed. “I don’t think so, Jade. Looks like you’re stuck with me, sweetheart.” The crowd chuckled, and for a brief moment, Jade thought she might just faint from sheer mortification. André’s grin grew. He always had a way of making everything feel like an impossible challenge, something she had to rise to just to keep her pride intact. What the hell of a night. Santa, we need to talk.