You Don't Know You're Beautiful

The boys won their last game before Christmas and now all plans were focused on the team party. I was constantly on the phone with Steph, making plans as to when we were going to start getting ready. We had decided since the party started at 6 and we had all of our stuff at Mario’s, I was going to go over to Sid’s around 1 and then Steph, Natalie and I were all going to get ready at the same time.

It was the night before the party and Kris and I had the night to ourselves. Steph and Sid invited us over for dinner, but then Sid called back and said his family was coming in. He still wanted us to go over, but we declined, saying he needed time with his family. So, Kris and I decided we were going to make dinner together. We made lasagna. He had his own recipe, and I had mine, so we blended it. While waiting for it to cook in the oven, we decided to sit on the couch, watch tv and pick a movie to watch during dinner.

We chose to watch the Proposal. I thought I would have to twist Kris’ arm to watch it, but he happened to be a fan of Sandra Bullock, so he was cool with it. We pulled out the lasagna and put a portion of it on each of our plates. We walked back into the living room. Before we played the movie, Kris started talking about the party.

“So, when are you going over to Sid’s to get ready again?” He asked.

“I think I’m going to go over around 1 o’clock. Why?”

“Well, that might be a little problem.”

I raised my eyebrow at him. “Why would that be a problem?”

He opened the drawer of the coffee table and handed me an envelope.

“Another envelope?” I smirked.

Kris rolled his eyes. “Just open it.”

I opened it and gasped. “Oh, Kris. Are you serious?”

He nodded. “Sid got one for Steph, too. At 1 o’clock, you’ll be busy getting a manicure or pedicure or facial or whatever you want.”

I leaned over and gave him a light peck on the lips. “You’re amazing. You did not have to do this.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I wanted to do something nice for you, and I know that girls like to be pampered, so…”

“Kris, you don’t have to pamper me. Those things don’t matter to me. I admit, they’re nice at times, like this, but I don’t need it all the time. Please know that.”

He smiled. “You’re so easy to please. I love it!”

I stuck my tongue out at him and pushed play on the DVD remote.

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Kris’ POV

After the movie, I noticed that Kaitlyn had fallen asleep. I quietly got off the couch and gathered out plates. I brought them out into the kitchen and placed them in the sink.

“Bed time?” I turned to see Kaitlyn standing in the doorway of the kitchen, rubbing her eyes, yawning.

I chuckled. “I think so. Let’s go.”

“I’ll do the dishes in the morning.”

I smiled as I guided her to the bedroom. “Don’t think about dishes, it’s bed time.”

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Kaitlyn’s POV

I woke up the next morning and glanced at the clock on the bedside table. My eyes widened at the time and I leapt out of bed. Thankfully Kris was already out of bed, so I didn’t have to fight with him as to whether or not I should lay back down. Walking out of the bedroom, I heard voices coming from the living room. One of them I knew was Kris’. I walked into the living room slowly, not wanting to interrupt the conversation. The person Kris was talking to was sitting on the couch with their back to me, so I couldn’t see who it is.

“Mornin’, babe.” Kris smiled at me. I returned the smile and walked further into the room. When I walked over to the couch, I saw who Kris was talking to. It was the guy I saw in the pictures throughout Kris’ house. I smiled and waved at him. Kris chuckled and ran a hand through his hair.

“Sorry, Kaitlyn this is Luc. Luc, this is Kaitlyn.” Luc smiled at me and stretched his hand out.

“It’s nice to meet you. Kris has told me a lot about you.”

I smiled, releasing his hand and sat down beside Luc. “I’ve heard a lot about you, too.”

“Good things, I hope.” Luc and Kris shared a look.

“Of course.” I smiled.

“Luc surprised me this morning and he’s gonna stay for Christmas.” He smiled at me. I beamed. I knew how much it meant to Kris to spend the holidays with his family and since his were on vacation, Luc was the closest thing. I was happy that he had someone besides me.

“That’s great.”

“I hope I didn’t damper any plans you had with Kris. I know you’re only here for a short while.”

I shook my head. “No, it’s fine. I actually didn’t know I was coming to Pittsburgh until the night before I left. So, our plans are kinda made on the spot. You’re not intruding at all.”

Luc smiled and nodded his head. “Good.”

I looked up at the clock on the wall, totally forgetting that there was a reason that I jumped out of bed. I stood up from the couch and looked at the two boys.

“Well, I don’t mean to get up and leave, but I have to get ready and head out to Sid’s.”

The boys smiled at me.

“What time did you and Steph decide to go at?” Kris asked.

“We’re going to the spa for noon. So, I gotta hurry. She’ll be here any minute.”

I walked back to the bedroom and while I was finding some clothes to change into, I heard my phone buzz. It was a text from Steph, telling me she was on her way. I began to panic. I quickly dug through my drawers and finally decided on a pair of yoga pants and a red tank top. I grabbed a blue cardigan and slipped it on. I wasn’t sure exactly what we were going to do at the spa, so I opted to wear layers. I ran out of the bedroom, gave Kris a kiss on the cheek and Luc a hug goodbye, grabbed my purse, and ran out the door. As soon as I walked out, I saw a car pull up. I hopped in, and we took off. As I leaned back into the seat, Steph looked over her shoulder, into the back seat smirking at me.

“You know, the next time the boys see us, they won’t know what hit ‘em.”

I smiled. “No, they won’t.”

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Kris’ POV

When Kaitlyn left, Luc turned to me.

“So, that’s Kaitlyn.”

I smiled. “Yeah, she’s amazing.”

“She seems it. So, are you sure she’s okay with me staying here for Christmas. I totally forgot about asking to see if you were going to spend it with her or not.”

I shook my head. “It’s fine. She’s not happy that she had to leave her family behind, so having you here is like having family. She’s fine with it, I promise.”

He smiled. “Good. I don’t want to leave a bad first impression with her, you know? You seem to care a lot about her and I don’t want to mess that up.”

I clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You couldn’t do that, buddy. Trust me. She’s wanted to meet you for a while.” I looked over to towards the tv. “So, how about a round of Call of Duty til I have to get ready?”

Luc smirked at me. “You’re on.”

I smiled and walked over to the entertainment cabinet and turned on X-Box. I looked over at him and tossed him a controller. “What are you going to do while Kaitlyn and I are at the party?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Just hang out here, I guess.”

“You sure?” I asked as I sat down beside him, controller in hand. “I could call and see if you could come too, you know.”

“I didn’t bring a suit, and plus, I don’t mind a little piece and quiet. It’s fine, really. I came here as a surprise and I told Kaitlyn I didn’t want to interrupt your plans. Go to the party, have fun. I’m here for 3 days. One night alone isn’t going to kill me.”

I chuckled and turned my focus back to the tv. “Whatever you say, man.”

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Kaitlyn’s POV

Natalie dropped Steph and I off at the spa. We had it planned out that she would pick us up in 3 hours. That way, Steph and I could get everything done at the spa that we wanted without being pressed for time to get changed for the party. We walked in and up to the receptionist desk. The lady sitting behind it smiled at us.

“HI there, how can I help you?”

Steph smiled. “We’re here for a 12:00 reservation. Steph Campbell and Kaitlyn Palmer.”

The lady typed a few keys in her computer then looked back up at us. “Okay, just go right in to the first door on the left. You can get changed into the robes in there. When you’re done, go to the door right across the hall to get the key and your itinerary for the day. Enjoy.”

We smiled at her and followed her instructions. When we looked at the itinerary, we saw that we had our facials first. We found the room that those were getting done in and our spa day began.

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Kris’ POV

During our battle on Call of Duty, Luc opened up about his troubles with his girlfriend.

“She’s spending the holidays with her family, and we’re taking some time apart. She’s going to stay home for a bit, while I go back to Vancouver.”

“Oh,” I said, “and you’re okay with all of this?”

“Well, I think it’s what’s best for right now. All we do is fight. I don’t even know what we fight about anymore. I don’t want to lose her, but if we keep down the path we’re on, I will.”

“Well, I’m always here for you, bud. If you ever need a place to stay, or someone to call, I’m here.”

He smiled. “Thanks.”

I looked at the time.

“Okay, I got time for another stand-off, then I gotta start getting ready.”

“Is Kaitlyn coming back before the party? She’s been gone for hours.”

I shook my head. “No, she’s going back to Sid’s to finish getting ready. She’s hiding her dress from me. Apparently, it’s perfect. I just wish I knew the colour of it.”

Luc chuckled. “You’re not going to be one of the matchy-matchy couples are you?”

I rolled my eyes. “No, I just don’t want to clash with her, that’s all.”

Luc shook his head, smirking. “Mon ami, you’ll be fine. Besides, it doesn’t matter what you wear.”

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Kaitlyn’s POV

Natalie picked us up right on time and we drove to her house. When we arrived Natalie gave us strict instructions to change as quick as possible. Steph and I rushed upstairs to the room we were told to go to and grabbed our dresses and shoes. After changing, we walked back downstairs. Natalie met us in the living room, also changed into her dress.

“So, why did we have to get changed so fast? The dinner doesn’t start for another 3 hours.”

“Well, you got the nails and the spa thing done. Now, it’s time for hair and make-up.”

We smiled and allowed Natalie to lead us back out to the car. We drove to a salon close by. When we pulled up, we were immediately escorted to separate chairs and the hairstylists went to work. I looked over at Steph with a grin on my face. This was surely going to be the best Christmas ever.

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Kris’ POV

I was getting my outfit laid out before I was about to change. Luc was watching tv in the front room. I had it down to two shirts, but I couldn’t decide. I brought the two shirts out to the living room.

“Hey Luc, you gotta help me.” I held up the shirts. “Which one?”

He surveyed them both. “Blue.”

“How did you pick so easy?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Easy, I played ‘eenie, meanie, miney-mo’ in my head.”

I rolled my eyes and walked back into the bedroom. I quickly changed and walked back into the living room. I walked over to my closet to find a pair of shoes to wear. While I was looking, my phone went off. I looked back to see where it was and turned to Luc.

“Can you see who that is and answer it?”

He put a hand over his heart. “Oh, we’re at that point in our relationship. I’m touched.”

I flipped him off and continued to look for some shoes. I heard him pick up the phone. It was Sid.

“Yeah, he’s here. He’s just trying to find some shoes. Hang on a sec.”

I felt something hit me in the head. I turned to see my phone on the floor behind me. I looked up and glared at Luc, gaining a smirk in return, as I picked up the phone.

“Hey, how’s it going?”

“Are the girls coming back there?”

“No, I don’t believe so. Kaitlyn didn’t mention anything.”

“So, do you mind if I come over there? I’m bored stiff over here.”

“Yeah, sure come on over. I’m sure Luc will be happy to see you.”

I hung up and finally found the shoes I was looking for. I walked over to the couch and started to put them on.

“Sid’s coming over, you don’t mind, do you?”

Luc shook his head. “No, not at all, I heard the boredom in his voice. At first I thought it was me.”

I smirked and shook my head. Sid arrived shortly after my shoes were tied and the three of us sat down and played another round of Call of Duty.

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Kaitlyn’s POV

“No, Kris. I won’t give you a hint. You’ll see in 10 minutes when you get here. Have you left your place yet?”

We had finished getting our hair and make-up done and made our way back to Mario and Natalie’s. All we had to do now was wait for the boys to come and pick us up. Kris had called me begging for a hint on what my dress looked like. I looked at the time, and realized he probably didn’t notice that he was due to pick me up soon. He was having fun catching up with Luc, so I wasn’t mad. I heard him begin to shuffle around. He yelled Sid’s name and I heard a door slam.

“We’re on our way.”

I laughed as I hung up my phone. I looked over at Steph.

“The boys are on their way.”

She smiled over at me. “Sid there, too?”

I nodded. “Yeah, they were probably playing a video game. I feel bad for Luc, though. He’s stuck at Kris’ place alone.”

She came over and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

“It’ll be okay. I’m sure he understands. He came as a surprise. He knew that Kris might have some plans.”

I sighed and nodded. “I guess so.”

“Try to ignore it for now, hun. Tonight’s about having fun with the team.”

I smiled as I saw a car pull us in the driveway.

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Kris’ POV

Sid and I pulled up to Mario’s house. Sid drove his car back to his place and we walked into Mario’s through the back door. We heard the girls’ voices coming from the living room. They probably saw up pull up, but we didn’t make ourselves known yet. We were in the kitchen when Mario came up behind us.

“Girls clean up pretty good, huh?”

We both turned our heads and looked at the older Frenchman. Sid nodded.

“Yeah, I caught a glimpse of them before I went to Kris’. They look great.”

I looked and raised an eyebrow at Sid. “You never told me that you saw them.”

He rolled his eyes. “Oh, get over it. Once you find your balls, you’ll walk in there and see Kaitlyn for yourself.”

I puffed out my chest and walked into the living room. I saw the three women standing in the living room and my eyes went straight to Kaitlyn. She looked amazing. She was not lying when she said her dress was perfect. The girls finally noticed our presence when Mario’s voice boomed through the living room. He and Sid must have followed me in.

“The car is ready, Natalie.”

The three women turned their gazes towards us. My eyes locked with Kaitlyn and she beamed. I walked up to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. I placed a soft kiss on her lips.

“You look beautiful, belle.”

She smiled. “Thanks, you don’t look so bad yourself.”

I placed another soft kiss on her lips before we left the living room, following everyone else out to the car.