Trey hates Christmas with a passion. Despite the fact he needs to deal with it because he owns a costume shop, it is an anathema to him because he broke up with his lover on Christmas Day three years ago. Marty is a bartender at the local bar Trey goes to sometimes to unwind after a hectic day. He's more than a bit interested in Trey, but doesn't know how to let him know, especially since he'd never told Trey he's gay, too. When Trey tells Marty he's suddenly shorthanded, with a week to go until Christmas, Marty jumps on the chance to get to know him better by volunteering to assist at the shop. Can Marty help Trey overcome his Christmas phobia? More to the point, can Trey accept that Marty is interested in him not only as a friend, but on a more personal level?

The Seven Days of Christmas

Trey decided to change clothes as well as eat supper before going to the bar. Normally, when he stopped by there, it was right after work and he was on his way home, so he would be wearing an open-necked dress shirt with chinos or khakis, his uniform, as he thought of it, because he owned the shop and needed to keep up appearances. Tonight, he debated between a long-sleeved T-shirt and a turtleneck. After trying on several of both, he finally opted for a black turtleneck and dark jeans, muttering, “You’d think I was going on a date.” He wasn’t, but he still wanted to make a good impression on Marty. One that said he could be relaxed and enjoy life if he put his mind to it.


When he arrived at the bar a little before eight, he wasn’t in the least surprised to find it was very busy. Because it was, he leaned against the wall at the end of the bar to wait until a seat became available. While he did, he watched Marty.


Chapter 7