Christmas Venue, The (2023)

[bunniefuu]

Yeah, I think it went really well.

We really seemed to click,

and they were impressed by my portfolio.

So, fingers crossed.

They said I should find out next week what,

Steven, is everything okay?

Oh, sorry, that's fantastic.

They'd be lucky to have you.

Are you excited about your trip?

Yeah, hey, I've been meaning

to speak to you about something.

I just, oh, thank you.

That's good.

Shall I leave the bottle?

Yeah, why not?

Steven, what's wrong?

Well, I've been doing a lot of thinking, about us.

I think you're amazing.

The time we've spent together

has been some of the most extraordinary days

that I've spent with someone else.

I think you're beautiful.

You're so kind, generous, passionate.

However, as I said,

I've been doing a lot of thinking,

and I just don't think I'm ready

for something this serious,

at least, not as ready as I think you are.

Am I wrong?

Anyway, I think this trip would be like,

a really good idea to like, maybe have a break.

Break.

I'm really sorry.

Oh my god, did you think I was gonna-

No, no, it's fine.

I mean, I was-

It's fine.

The food is coming.

I realize now I should not have done this before we ordered.

Or maybe not take me out to a fancy restaurant?

I'm sorry, I didn't, I thought it'd be nice.

Nice?

Yeah, I didn't know, I'm sorry.

Listen, I'll leave,

and I'll let you enjoy the food, okay?

Ah, can I have that in a to-go box?

Absolutely, sir.

So Cait, I just want you to know,

it's not about you at all, okay?

Oh, just stop.

I think I'm just gonna wait up front to get my food.

You know what, it's fine.

You have my food, okay?

Goodbye, Cait.

Baby, I wish him well on his flight

Santa, give us till light

Wish him well on his flight

I can't believe you stayed for the full meal.

What was I supposed to do,

let a perfectly good bottle of wine go to waste?

Huh, fair enough.

I feel so stupid.

I literally thought he was about to pop the question.

Listen, if he had half a brain,

he would've popped the question a long time ago.

I don't know.

He's off making deals around the world,

and here I am, obsessing about which side of my apartment

the Christmas tree should go on.

Stop, you are incredible.

And your apartment looks great, by the way.

Thanks.

I hate seeing you like this.

It's Christmas for heaven's sake.

Maybe you just need to get out of the city.

Does your dad still have

that cute little bed and breakfast upstate?

Yeah, I was actually trying to convince Steven

to come up this year,

but he found out he had to travel.

I wanted to surprise my dad.

You should go.

I think it could be just the thing

to get some of that Cait Miller Christmas spirit back.

Maybe.

Yeah, and who knows?

Maybe this time next year you'll be so busy with a job,

you won't be able to go.

You might as well take the chance.

You should come with me.

Oh, you've never seen decorations like at the Inn,

and my dad's cooking, and the snow.

Cait, come on.

I am a wedding planner in New York City,

and it's cuffing season.

I am not going anywhere.

Oh, and there's one right now.

You would not believe the money

these newly engaged rich city couples are spending.

I booked a spot for one last week out in Connecticut.

The deposit alone was almost 25K.

Wow, okay, well, good luck.

Oh, and they are calling.

You should go.

I think I might.

Okay, be safe, call me.

Hello, anyone home?

Dad?

Oh, oh.

Are you trying to take my job?

No, I.

You all right?

Yeah, thank you.

Sorry, I'm Drew.

I've been hoping your dad out the past couple months.

This is Bob.

It's nice to meet you, Drew.

Thank you for catching me.

And it's nice to meet you too, Bob.

We've actually met before.

Yeah, we graduated together.

Wait, Drew Patterson?

Wow, you've grown.

I'm so sorry,

I didn't recognize you. - Oh, it's fine.

It's been a minute.

What are you doing back in Malone,

other than changing light bulbs?

I'm here to surprise my dad.

Well, he just went to the store.

He'll be back in a second.

Do you know what's wrong with this light?

I changed the bulb, but it's still not working.

The switch is on, the left one is down.

The right one's up, but.

It's on the other side now.

I've been doing some rewiring.

The bones of this place need a little TLC.

Got it.

Bob's gotta eat, it's freezing out.

Do you like hot cocoa?

Yeah, sure.

Yeah, come on.

So, how you been?

I mean, how's the city?

You still painting?

Not so much anymore.

Oh, that's too bad.

I remember you did that big mural for our class senior year.

You know that's still up there.

Wait, really?

Yeah, so what are you doing for work now?

I'm currently in between jobs,

but I'm a retouch artist for magazines.

It's like Photoshop?

Yeah, basically.

What about you?

Well, I took over my uncle's contracting company

a couple years ago, and after that went under,

I just started helping out around town, you know,

fixing whatever needs fixing.

So is the Inn closed for repairs?

I mean, you guys are cutting it really close.

Christmas is in three days.

There are guests coming, right?

I mean, there aren't even any decorations up.

Yeah, well, like I said,

I mean, the place needs a lotta work.

Hey Drew, do you know whose car that is outside?

It's a rental.

Surprise, Dad.

Cait, oh my gosh,

I didn't, I had no idea.

I thought you couldn't come because of Steven and.

Hey sweetheart, it's okay.

Merry Christmas, you're home.

Merry Christmas, speaking of, what is going on here?

There's no lights.

There's not even a tree.

You know what?

Could you give me a hand bringing some things in

from the outside?

Yeah.

Thank you, I've only got the one hand.

Oh, Dad.

No.

Well, that's new.

Yeah, my stylist, Dr. Richardson,

he says it makes me look cool.

Hey, I'm getting old, Cait.

I wish you would've told me what's going on.

I hate seeing the place like this.

Is anyone coming today?

About that, the actual reason Drew is here,

is because we're getting the house ready to sell.

What?

Business has been down,

and the number of repairs is just going through the roof.

You can't sell this place.

The Inn is everything.

What would Mom say if-

Look, it's not financially responsible to keep it anymore.

The roof is on its last leg.

It's gonna cost a fortune.

You have to sell it while it's worthwhile.

I'm so happy that you're here.

Where are the decorations?

Well, they're in the garage.

If this is gonna be our last Christmas at the Inn,

there will at least be decorations.

I thought you'd say that.

Need a hand?

Oh, yes, please.

You know, for the record,

I never encouraged your dad to sell this place.

Did I ever say that you did?

I actually have a lotta memories here.

My mom used to bring me here when we were kids.

We actually came to one of your parents' Christmas parties.

Well, then maybe you could talk some sense into my dad,

instead of helping him do it.

Except he's right.

And the fixes, they're too expensive.

Could you hand me some garland?

It's right there in that bin, the garland.

You do know what garland is, don't you?

I do not.

It's the long green stuff.

Yes, that.

I never was one for decorations.

I never would've guessed.

I always found 'em too commercial.

Hmm, so you're one of those people who hates Christmas.

I didn't say that,

but there's more to Christmas than decorations.

What about family dinners,

the food, the Christmas cookies.

I know that, but Christmas is special.

So what's wrong with making it feel special,

making it look special?

There's nothing wrong with it.

It's just not my cup of tea.

Doesn't mean I hate Christmas.

Yeah, you mentioned that, the food.

Yeah, the food.

Hey Vic.

You were supposed to call me.

I've been worried sick about you.

Really?

No, you're tough.

But how are things going up there?

Are you feeling any better?

No, not at all, worse actually.

My dad is selling the Inn.

Oh, that's horrible.

Who's that?

Oh, that's this guy.

He's helping my dad get the place ready to sell.

He's cute.

He's fine.

Well, the place looks really nice.

It actually looks just like this venue

I booked for a couple.

Can I see a little bit more of it?

I have a realtor friend who might be able to help you out.

Hello, Cait?

Vic, can I call you back?

Yeah, is everything okay?

Hey, Scrooge, do you really

not want my dad to sell this place?

Of course I don't, but I don't think he has a choice.

He has to sell.

The repairs, how much would everything cost

to get the place up and running again?

The roof, the plumbing, the electric,

you're looking at 25, 30K.

But your dad spent everything

getting the heat going last fall.

Cait.

So that was quick.

Ooh, look who's with you?

Hi, I'm Drew.

Hi Drew.

Vic, so remember that couple you told me about

who booked their venue in Connecticut?

Do you think that one of these couples

would wanna have have their wedding

at a place like this?

Yeah, those places are getting like, eaten up every day.

And the deposit, you said, would be what?

Well, these families are dropping like 40K

for the flowers alone.

For a spot like yours, I'd say 20, 30K.

How do we make this happen?

At your inn?

Let me think.

I actually had a couple touring a place upstate just today

that fell through for the spring.

Let me see what I can do.

Thanks, bye.

So, what do you think?

If we can get just one couple to have their wedding here,

the deposit alone will be enough to save the place.

Do you know anything about hosting weddings?

Well, how hard could it be?

Besides, the wedding won't be till spring.

Plenty of time.

If somebody came in here right now, I mean,

half the showers and bathrooms don't even work.

Can't you just do like a patch job,

just make it look like it works?

Patch job?

This isn't exactly retouching, Cait.

Hey Vic.

Hey, okay, good news.

I told that couple I mentioned about the Inn,

and they are very interested.

Honestly, it sounds like they're a little bit desperate.

So if you just put on

some of that Cait Miller Christmas charm,

and Handsome back there smiles a time or two,

I think you can pull it off.

Amazing, thank you so much.

Oh, one more thing.

The groom is extremely allergic to dogs.

That's fine.

Okay, good luck.

Let me know how it goes.

Will do, bye.

What?

It's a good plan.

I mean, even if we could pull off some sort of miracle,

do you think your dad would go for it?

Absolutely, this place means everything to him.

And what about the allergies?

I mean, Bob's hair is everywhere.

That's nothing a vacuum cleaner can't fix.

All right, fine,

but only because I like your dad,

and well, this place means something to me too.

Thanks.

So, what do you think?

What do I think?

Well, I think you inherited

a bit of your mother's stubbornness.

What do we have to lose?

If they say no, we still have one last Christmas

at the Inn with guests.

Do you realize how many repairs have to be made?

How you gonna host people

in a house in this condition?

Yeah, it won't be perfect,

but I can make something work.

I think you've forgotten I'm old.

I don't even know if I have the energy

to run around and host after people anymore.

Dad, we'll take care of everything.

Please, it means so much to so many people.

She's right, I remember coming

to the parties you would throw here.

It would be a shame if you sold it.

You know what else you inherited from your mother?

My ability to tell her no.

Really?

Yes.

Oh, you won't regret it, thank you.

You can take care of everything, but the food.

I'm cooking.

You got it.

Well, I gotta figure out

what we're gonna eat now, don't I?

Well, we've got some work to do.

Wow, I cannot believe how magical the place looks.

Right, it's really starting to feel like Christmas.

Yeah, it is.

You know, we haven't had much time to talk.

You've been so busy.

So, how are you, Cait?

I'm okay.

Steven and I.

Look, you don't have to talk about it

if you don't want to.

How's work?

I just had an interview for a magazine.

I'm still waiting to hear back.

That's great, that's wonderful.

You know what they say.

If you love what you do,

you never have to work a day in your life.

My whole life, there's always been something

so simple about Christmas, but this year,

everything just seems to be falling apart.

I'm so sorry.

It's okay, it's not your fault.

Oh, I will say, no matter what happens tomorrow,

we are going to have a house filled with people again,

just like we used to.

Wow, well, no one can say y'all don't work fast.

So the shower's fixed for now.

Should be good for a couple days.

But if they decide to extend their stay,

well, we're gonna have problems.

Amazing, thank you so much.

Hey, see why I like him?

Well, I'm gonna get Bob home

and then get down to the brewery.

I got some work to do.

You know what?

It's time for me to go to bed too.

I have a lot of cooking to do.

Hey, why don't you two go out?

Oh, there's still so much to do.

No, no, no, sweetheart.

You've done everything, and it's beautiful.

Go out, and have some fun before tomorrow.

Okay.

Good.

I'd invite you inside, but my aunt's sleeping.

Sure, I'll be here.

All right, Paul, you're all set.

Thanks Drew, what do I owe ya?

How about a beer for me and the lady,

and we'll call it even.

Cool, if you say so.

Thanks.

Thank Paul, these are on the house.

Right.

So, you live with your aunt?

Yeah, she moved in with me after my uncle passed.

Tell me, other than the Photoshopping,

what have you been up to?

Well, what do you mean?

I don't know, I mean, well,

you must still paint here and there, right?

Not as much as I'd like to, unfortunately.

No, why not?

Guess I just got busy.

What about you?

You're just everyone's on-call handyman?

Yeah, I suppose.

Do you like it?

Yeah, no, I do.

I mean, it can be annoying, but, you know, whatever.

What about you?

Do you like Photoshopping?

I'm a retouch artist, actually.

And yeah, I think I like it.

You think?

Well, it pays the bills.

Or, at least I hope it will pay the bills.

Does it ever feel weird?

What do you mean?

I mean, like, do you ever feel

like you're like, lying to people,

like telling people what they should want

or what they should look like?

People happen to like those magazines,

and it's not my problem if you're too much of a grump

to be one of them, Mr. No Christmas Spirit.

Oh, I've got Christmas spirit all right,

I just don't get it from magazines and commercials.

What I do makes people happy.

Yeah, for like 10 seconds,

and then they realize

that the thing they wanted is fake.

Have you ever bought one of those magazines?

Absolutely not.

Yeah, I figured.

What about your painting?

I mean, in high school you were basically obsessed,

and you were great.

You were really great.

Yeah, well, I grew up,

and had to live in the real world.

The real world?

Yeah, where people need money to live.

Oh, so it was money.

Well, yeah, of course it was for money.

The real world is helping people,

people you can see,

people around you, people that need help, you know?

Not a couple of pictures and string lights.

Were you in some kinda crazy

Christmas decoration accident or something?

Yeah, in fact, I was.

And I don't like to talk about it,

'cause it was very traumatic.

Let me guess, wreath gone wild.

Candy cane, actually, close.

What?

That woman over there is staring at you.

That's my ex.

Time to go?

Time to go.

Fresh wound?

Sort of, yeah, we broke up like six months ago,

but I've been avoiding her ever since.

You still have feelings for her?

Oh, no, it's just,

well, we haven't talked since we broke up.

So the more time that passes,

the more I'm dreading that initial, you know,

like, "Oh, hey, how you been?"

Makes sense.

How 'bout you?

Yeah, it was pretty serious.

But he's no longer in the picture.

How long?

Two days.

Oh.

Yeah.

Very fresh wound.

Listen Cait, you forget about him.

This guy is obviously an idiot.

I mean, look at it this way.

You wouldn't be here saving your family's inn

if it wasn't for his stupidity.

So, you know, I guess sometimes,

things have a way of working themselves out.

Yeah, maybe.

What the heck is this?

When did, what, did you bring this from home?

It's from the bar.

Oh, you stole it.

Now I gotta take it back to Paul.

Why, do you think he'll notice?

Yeah, I think he'll notice.

You are crazy, you know that?

See you tomorrow.

Okay, so, everyone will be here in 10 minutes.

Oh no.

What, what's wrong, Dad?

I forgot the Worcestershire sauce,

and I need it to get the roast ready for dinner.

Do we need it?

Yes, you need Worcestershire sauce.

You need a lot of it.

I can go pick some up.

Oh, no, no, no.

You guys are the hosts.

I'm the cook.

You sure, Phil?

Yeah, I'll be right back.

And I guarantee you, dinner will be amazing.

Not a great start.

What else needs to be done?

Actually, I think we're good.

Oh, I'll be back.

Hey, are they there yet?

They'll be here any second, what's up?

So, last second info.

Their mom will be joining them on their trip,

and she's a bit of a handful.

I'm sure whatever it is, we can handle it, Vic.

Cait, I think they're here.

They're here, I gotta go.

No, wait, wait, there's more.

Apparently she loves love.

What does that mean?

They've already passed on two different places

because she loves couples.

She's got some kind of weird distrust of single people.

Hi, welcome.

Come in. - Hello.

Hi, thank you.

How you doin'?

We Ubered from the train station,

and thought we might have the wrong place.

Figured there'd be more cars out front.

We're actually closed right now,

but we made an exception to stay open

for you guys for Christmas.

Oh, that's so nice.

Hey, I'm Eric.

I'm Mia.

I'm Maria, and you must be-

This is my husband, Drew.

Hi, I'm Cait.

Sorry, I was just freshening up.

Mm, well, nice to meet you, Drew.

Oh, oops, looks like someone

forgot to wear their ring today.

Oh, here you go honey.

Yeah, I, I took it off.

I was hanging Christmas lights.

You know, the metal in the ring, with the electricity?

It could be dangerous.

I've never heard of that before.

It happens every year.

Gotta be careful. - Oh, we've really

gotta get that thing resized, honey.

Yeah, we do, honey.

Oh, baby.

It's okay.

You guys don't have dogs in here, do you?

Oh, no, no.

Maybe in the Uber.

Oh yeah, maybe.

Eyes are starting to get a little scratchy.

Oh, I've got some allergy pills if you need them.

Oh, thank you, thank you.

It should pass, hopefully.

All right, let me show you to your rooms.

Come on in.

Take your time getting settled,

and whenever you're ready,

come meet us downstairs for a little tour.

You want to tell me what's going on here, wife?

I know, I'm sorry.

Where did you get the rings?

That is so weird.

Right before they showed up,

my friend Vic called,

and she said that the mom only trusts couples.

That's crazy.

I know, I panicked.

I didn't know what else to do.

So what, we're just supposed

to pretend we're married for the next two days?

Do you have a better idea?

And the rings?

They're from my old room.

Why?

Because I was a girl

who liked to play pretend wedding, okay?

I don't like lying, all right?

I am bad at it, and I just don't like it.

Please.

Fine, but that's it, though.

No more lying.

Just the the marriage thing.

How's everything going?

Oh, they're upstairs.

Ah, real quick, if anyone asks,

we're pretend married.

I mean, you know, if they ask, we're really married,

but it's just for pretend, okay?

Pretend married, copy that.

Jeez, hey, Cait,

do you have any more of those allergy pills?

Oh, sure.

That driver must've moonlighted

for animal control or something.

Here you go.

- Hey, thank you so much. - Oh, yeah.

Hello, I'm Maria.

Maria, I'm Phil.

Oh, you must be the owner of this lovely property.

Yeah, but I'm mostly the cook.

And I hope you're all hungry.

Well, I certainly am.

Okay, would you guys like to have a little tour?

That would be fantastic.

Yes, please.

I'll see you all for dinner?

Yes, you will.

And here's the porch that overlooks the whole property.

This really is so beautiful.

I don't hate it.

Can you just imagine?

The sun streaming behind the two of you,

and a beautiful arch over your heads,

and ooh, the band to the left,

and the pond glistening,

and the guests all in their white chairs,

and oh, maybe we can get one of those pop-up gazebos,

and over there a big reception tent.

Absolutely.

So, that's the property.

Like I said, there's more than enough space

for you and all of your wedding guests,

and if there's anything else you need,

I'm sure we can figure it out.

It's lovely, rustic, cozy,

but it's nice.

So how many other weddings have you guys hosted?

Actually, we haven't had one in a long time.

We took a break to do some repairs on the house.

Oh, perfect.

Hey, everyone, yeah.

Dinner's going to be ready in about 20 minutes,

so if you wanna come in, get cleaned up.

I also have wine on the table for ya.

Oh, okay, I can't shake it now.

I'm not sure what's going on.

Oh, honey, a second time?

Listen, we gotta get you inside, okay?

Thank you guys so much.

Appreciate it.

You two are cute.

How long have you been married?

- Four- - Five years.

It's four-and-a-half, I just,

I like to round up.

Well, I think it's so refreshing

to have a young couple like you

running a family business, and it's so nice

to have people who really understand love

steering the ship.

I know exactly what you mean.

So, so much love.

Okay then, I'll see you at dinner.

Well, two hours down,

70 to go.

Phil, that was splendid.

Will you cater the wedding?

I don't see why not.

Awesome, awesome, you know, it's truly amazing

that Vic found you all so last second.

After our last place fell through,

I was starting to get worried.

Yeah, it really feels like this was meant to be.

How did you two meet?

Oh, well, we started working

in the same office in Philadelphia right after college.

I knew I liked her instantly.

And I might have had just a little bit of a crush on him.

And of course, you know, naturally,

neither one of us said anything.

So, you know how that goes.

Then after six months,

Mia got a offer for her dream job in the city,

but the thought of never seen her again, it just,

I couldn't do it.

So that Christmas, I told her how I felt,

and two weeks later,

I had my stuff packed,

and we were headed to New York together.

So Christmas is always just a little special for us.

What about you guys?

Well.

Yes, Drew, tell us how you met.

Oh, Cait tells it better than I do.

No, no, no, Drew, wanna hear from you, my man.

How'd you guys meet?

I'll give it a shot.

We actually, we went to high school together.

No way, high school sweetheart?

No, no anything but, really.

No, I was the shy, quiet kid,

and Cait was way cooler than me.

She actually did this mural our senior year,

and it is still up today.

It is gorgeous.

Wow, I would love to see

some of your paintings sometime.

Yeah, maybe.

Well, anyway, Drew, go on.

Well, I actually had a massive crush on her,

but I was too shy to say anything.

I don't even think she would've known who I was.

Then after we graduated, you know,

she moved away and I stayed here.

One day, years later,

I'm walking my dog Bob through the park

like I do every day, and there she is.

She's standing on this bridge that goes over the river.

And I didn't think she would notice me, but she did.

And we got to talking, and she,

well, she didn't remember who I was, but that didn't matter.

Then we went out that night, and, that was it.

You know, not a lotta guys

get a second shot at the perfect,

I'm sorry, Cait makes it way more exciting than me.

No, no, that was perfect.

Oh, I just think it's beautiful

that you found your way back to each other.

Man, thank you for helping.

You really don't have to.

Ah, it's my pleasure.

Like I always say, if you don't do the cooking,

you do the cleaning.

That's what I was taught.

Who does the cooking at home for you?

Well, lately we've been going out a lot, but this is nice.

You know, I feel at home again.

And where's home?

Right outside of Atlanta.

I grew up with almost nothing.

So this life with Mia is,

well, it's pretty new to me.

I'm still getting used to it.

I have no idea what my mom would say

if she knew the numbers being thrown out for this wedding.

Hm, seems like it's pretty important

to your mother-in-law.

Oh yes, this definitely is.

This hot cocoa is delicious.

It's my dad's special mix.

You know, I have to say, this place looks amazing.

Cait, do you have any recommendations for activities-

Honey, I just got an email from the florist,

and she wants to know if we can do a call in the morning.

Sure.

Cait, any recommendations

for activities that we could do tomorrow?

Sure, we could go into town if you like,

or there's hiking.

Or [laughs] we could bake some Christmas cookies.

Now we're talking.

Well, ladies, I'm headed off to bed,

and I just wanted to check in

and see if you wanted any cocoa before I did.

Oh, I think I'm good,

but this was delicious, Mr. Miller.

Thank you, and please, Phil.

Well, everything has been outstanding, Phil.

Well, if you do need anything, non-food,

just ask my daughter.

She'll be more than happy to help you.

So you all have a good night,

and you too, sweetheart.

Goodnight, Dad.

- Night. - Goodnight.

Oh, well I think we're about to call it too.

Mm-hmm.

All right, goodnight, guys.

Again, if you need anything, just let me know.

Thank you.

Will do.

Goodnight.

Wine?

Yes, please, thank you.

So, how do you think it's going?

Honestly, I don't think it could be going any better.

Right?

We're pretty good at this.

We might actually pull this off.

And I haven't seen your dad this happy in a long time.

I know, it's great.

Also, did you see the way Maria was looking at him?

Yeah, I saw, and we do not need to talk about that.

All right, fine.

You know, for someone who hates lying,

that was a pretty stellar performance you put on at dinner.

Yeah, it was kind of a fight or flight situation.

Mm, you made all that up on the spot?

I don't remember us reconnecting on a bridge, do you?

And what about that stuff in high school?

Still don't think you knew who I was.

I knew.

Well, we definitely weren't on the same level.

And the other stuff?

Did you really have a big ole crush on me?

And wouldn't you like to know?

I knew you weren't that good at lying.

Right, it was a long time ago.

Really, 'cause right now,

it doesn't really seem that way.

That might be that job.

Take it.

Okay.

I should get back to Bob.

I'll see you tomorrow?

Sure thing.

Thank you, great job today.

You too.

Hello, Cait?

Cait, can you hear me?

Steven?

Cait, listen, I've been trying to get ahold of you,

and for some reason my phone

isn't working with this country.

I had to buy a new one.

Can you hear me, Cait?

Man, the service is rough.

Cait, where are you?

I'm at my dad's inn.

Why are you calling me?

Listen, I've had a lot of time

to think about our decision.

Our decision?

I've had lots of time to think,

and I want to talk, okay?

I've got lots of things I'd like to say,

and I think it'd be best if I just did that in person.

Oh, no, no, no, no.

Don't come here.

Things are a little bit hectic.

I think maybe we just-

Cait, Cait listen, I can't hear you at all.

Listen, I'm gonna be flying out tomorrow.

I'm gonna fly up north to see you.

I'll be there in the morning, okay?

So listen, I'm just really sorry that.

Steven, Steven, Steven, Steven?

Steven.

Hey, I saw your 46 texts to get here early.

What's going on?

Is everything okay?

There's been a slight complication.

Remember that ex that I told you about?

Fresh wound guy.

Yeah, well, he called last night,

and he's gonna be here any second.

Oh.

Well, that does complicate things.

Does he know about?

I tried to tell him,

but his service was terrible,

and he couldn't hear me.

What do you want to do?

Oh, he's here.

You keep them company,

and I'm gonna go talk to Steven, yeah?

Okay.

Hey, man, it is so good to see you.

Okay, real quick.

Yeah?

You're an old friend.

Drew in there is my husband, okay?

I have to lie?

- No, no- - Yeah.

You know, I'm terrible lying.

My hands get really sweaty.

I get really loud and really Scottish.

Calm down, just calm down.

Go with it, okay? - Okay.

Cait, darling, hello.

Hello there.

Maria, this is Steven.

He's an old friend.

And Steven, this is Maria.

She's a guest here this weekend.

Nice to meet you, Steven.

It's a pleasure.

I see you have a suitcase.

Are you planning on staying for Christmas?

Yes, if you have room for one more.

Lovely, so, Cait, about dinner.

I've been thinking since last night

of this dish that I think would go wonderfully.

Do you think your father would mind if I helped?

I think he would love that.

He's at the store right now.

Do you want me to ask him

to pick up any extra ingredients?

Oh, fabulous, I'll go make a list.

Great.

What was that?

I'm really sorry, okay, really sorry.

I am Scottish.

But you don't sound like that.

Well, I do, little.

- Hold it down. - Okay, okay.

Yeah, okay?

Okay, okay, okay.

Okay.

I'm good, I'm good, I think.

Good morning.

Morning.

Morning, great, coffee?

Oh yes, please.

How are your allergies?

Better, a lot better.

The shower helped, yeah,

although at one point the water was like scalding hot.

It went from scalding hot to freezing cold.

Oh, I'm sorry, I'll check on that.

No, no, no, no.

It's funny, I kinda liked it.

Made me feel alive, you know what I mean?

Yeah, really woke me up.

Matter of fact, I don't even think I need any coffee.

Hi everyone, this is Steven.

He's an old friend who will be joining us.

Hi everyone, thank you

for letting me crash your little soiree.

You must be Drew.

I've heard so much about you.

Oh, no, no, I'm Eric.

Ah, ah.

Hey, I've also heard about you.

You want some coffee?

Ah, yes.

Oh, you weren't at their wedding?

Oh no, Steven is an old, old, old,

old, old, old, old, old, friend.

And he's been living in Antarctica, studying,

for the last 10 years.

So he just, he couldn't make it.

That's so cool.

Antarctica, man, what's it like there?

Sorry, Cait misspoke.

You see, no one actually lives in Antarctica,

not like the rest of the world, anyway.

There's no towns or cities,

no permanent residents, cheers.

And when we stayed there,

we lived in settlements, you see,

strictly for scientific purposes, of course.

And the rest of the year,

we spent between Chile and Argentina, so.

That's amazing, hey, you ever seen a polar bear?

Actually, I have.

Yeah, just before I left.

And the appearance of a polar bear in those cultures

represents a fresh start, second chance.

That is so beautiful.

Oh, I know.

Man, that is really, really cool.

So, what's on the docket for today?

Well, I think Cait and I

were gonna decorate some Christmas cookies.

Yes.

Yeah, yeah, and Mia said you mentioned something

about hiking around here?

Man, listen, after all this talk about bears and everything,

I think I want to go outside and do some hiking,

see one for myself.

Are there bears around here?

Yes, grizzlies, big brown creature-

There's no brown bears or grizzly bears.

There's black bears, but they're pretty skittish.

And oh, they're probably in their dens by now.

But either way, hiking sounds good.

Say 15?

Fantastic.

Steven?

Great, Cait, can I have a wee word with you,

just a second?

Yeah.

Perfect.

How you like that, baby?

I'm gonna be a bear man.

I love it honey, that's a good look for you.

Thank you, thank you.

Always saw myself as a outdoorsman.

Really, yeah, seriously. - Mm-hmm.

Now's the time.

Cait, what the heck is going on?

Look, after you dumped me,

I came home for Christmas

and found out that my dad was selling the Inn.

But if I can get that couple to have their wedding here,

the money will be enough to save the place.

Okay, that makes sense, but what's the deal

with you and this guy Drew being married?

Who is he?

We're not actually married.

There's a big ring on your finger that says otherwise.

The ring's fake.

Well, it's a thing girls do.

Just don't worry about it.

Look, Drew works for my dad,

and he agreed to help,

'cause the mom only really likes couples.

Okay, that's crazy.

Whatever, what are you doing here?

And what was all that Antarctica polar bear stuff?

I know, right?

Can you believe I actually watched

an entire documentary on the way here.

It's like it was meant to be.

What was meant to be?

You and me.

Steven, you just.

I'm sorry, just let me explain, okay?

I can't even think about this right now.

We'll talk later, okay?

Okay.

Hiking time.

I hope you don't mind me helping with dinner.

It's just been so long since I've had

this homey, Christmasy feeling.

Of course not, here.

Oh, I love it, thank you.

So where do we start?

You can start dicing.

Eric, how you holding up?

Eh, man, this cold air,

it really takes it outta you, don't it?

Steven, you good?

Never been better.

Are your feet cold?

Probably shoulda taken Phil up

on that offer to borrow his boots.

You probably got a tolerance

from your Antarctica days anyway.

Yeah, you're right.

This is nothing.

Guys, look at this.

This is, this is gorgeous.

I mean, all the trees and open air,

and the, listen, the silence.

I love it, man.

I love it.

Boys, I've made a decision.

No more Christmases in the city.

Oh, come on, the city's not that bad.

I'm actually moving there.

Really?

Yeah.

Where?

Upper East Side.

Nice, us too.

Really?

Yeah, hey, hey, when we get back,

we should get together.

Absolutely, oh, and Drew, you and Cait,

you should join us.

I know how much she loves the big city.

Oh, does she?

Oh yeah.

Always talking about her dreams of the big city.

Like dreams of painting in the big city?

Painting, what, like houses?

No.

What was that?

I heard it too.

All right guys, it was probably just a critter.

You said there were bears out here, right?

Aye, the infamous black bear.

What is that?

Are they like, sneaky bears?

Can be.

Guys, it's winter.

They're in their dens hibernating.

Woo, yeah, of course.

But in the spring we should be careful, you know?

See, that's Antarctica speaking right there.

That's knowledge, that's experience.

You can learn something from this guy, Drew.

How did your call with the florist go?

The florist was fine,

just spending way too much.

I'm sure it will look beautiful.

I know, it's just, I.

What?

Well, I probably shouldn't be telling you this.

It's fine, off the record, I promise.

The whole big wedding thing.

That's my mom's thing.

Eric and I, honestly, Eric and I would be fine anywhere.

Our original plan was just to take off and elope,

but my mom would never have that.

The things we do for family, right?

Right.

Hey.

What are you doing out here?

Just getting some air.

This place looks splendid, by the way.

I heard it's all thanks to you.

Steven, what are you doing here?

Four days ago you dumped me outta nowhere,

and now you show up like nothing happened.

I know, and I'm so, so sorry.

When I got on my flight the next day,

I just felt sick to my stomach about what I did.

I think I just felt,

just for a moment, I just felt trapped.

Like, my career was going perfectly,

and everything was starting to take off.

And I think I just worried that I couldn't grow with you.

But that was stupid.

My meeting went terribly,

and the whole trip had to be called off.

The thought of coming home,

and spending Christmas without you,

it just just k*lled me.

The whole time, all I could think about was you.

I thought I was following my heart,

but sometimes your heart lies to you, you know?

If you could forgive me,

if we could go back home and have a fresh start,

you would make me the happiest man in the world.

Caitlin, I love you.

How much do you need for this place?

Don't worry about that.

Come on, tell me.

Like 25,000.

I could do that, as an investment.

Hey, Merry Christmas Eve.

Just letting you know, dinner's almost ready.

I'm so hungry, I could eat a bear.

I've actually got a super important call

in like two minutes.

I'll see you later, my lovely?

You all right?

Yeah, fine.

Oh, mm mm mm.

Honey.

Baby, I don't know what's going on.

I cannot shake this.

I hope you're hungry.

Oh yeah, I'm starving.

Well, Maria showed me a brand new casserole recipe.

Well, dig in.

I'm down.

So, Eric and I were talking,

and we were thinking that after dinner,

maybe we could all play a little game.

I think that's a great idea.

This food is fantastic.

This is incredible.

Well, the credit is all Maria's.

So have you guys ever played "The Forehead Game?"

I love "The Forehead Game."

No, "I love "The Forehead Game."

Let's make it happen.

What's "The Forehead Game?"

Okay, everybody write down something Christmas-related.

It could be a thing, a person,

a character, anything.

So once you write it down,

I do not want you to show it to anyone else.

Fold it up, and we are going to put it in here.

So let's pass this baby around.

Now, we're gonna divide up into teams of two.

It's gonna be me and Eric, Cait and Drew,

and then Mom and Phil, if that's all right?

- Yeah. - Sure.

Okay, so once you're done writing them up,

pass it around,

and I want you guys to pick one out.

Do not show it to the other person.

When you take it out,

you're gonna stick it on your forehead,

and the game is gonna start.

Eric, do you have the timer?

Yes, ma'am, I do.

All right, Cait and Drew,

you guys are gonna start.

So when the timer starts,

you can ask any yes or no question.

And Drew, I want you to nod your head yes,

or shake your head no.

And I would suggest starting with like,

"Am I a person, am I fictional,"

that kinda thing, you understand?

Got it.

All right, each partner is gonna have

five minutes to guess.

You guys got it?

Yes, okay.

What?

Nothing.

Okay, okay, am I a person?

Am I a thing?

Am I real?

Am I in this room?

Ready?

Here we go.

Am I a person?

Am I decoration?

Am I an inside thing?

Am I an inside and an outside thing?

Am I a tree?

Yes.

- Okay, great. - All right, your turn.

Get your thing.

Oh no, all right, go.

Am I a Christmas ornament?

Nnh-nnh.

Nnh-nnh, am I a tree?

No, [laughs] I don't think we're gonna win.

Am I outside?

Am I a car, wait, no, Christmas.

Am I,

am I snow?

Yes, finally.

Okay, all right, smarty pants.

It's your turn.

All, right, am I a person or a thing?

I don't think you can do that.

Am I a thing?

Go, go, go, go, go.

Am I a cookie?

No, am I a wreath?

Am I an elf?

Whew, am I a jingle bell?

No, okay.

Am I a person?

Oh, right, all right.

Am I a woman?

Am I Santa?

Am I a shiny jingle bell?

Okay.

Am I a bear?

Eric?

Yes, okay, it's not going well.

Am I a star?

Mistletoe, am I mistletoe?

Am I a cup of cocoa?

Am I a good person?

Am I Scrooge?

You definitely are.

We did it.

Ah, damn, sorry.

Baby, you were a stocking.

Why did you just immediately start guessing things?

Baby, I started panicking, I'm sorry.

You know I'm bad at guessing games.

Are you kidding me?

Yeah, I don't think that was ever gonna happen.

Oh, I think so, look.

Oh, well.

Drew and Cait win.

Yes.

Oh, go ahead and smooch, you two.

Yeah.

I should get that.

Oh, another beautiful moment

ruined by technology.

Hello?

Hi, Cait?

Yeah.

This is Amanda at PYX Publishing.

Is this a good time?

Sorry, I know it's Christmas Eve,

but we're trying to finalize some things

before everyone's gone for the week.

Yes, yeah, of course.

Hey.

Hey.

Sorry for taking off.

What did I miss?

We were playing "The Forehead Game."

You ever played it?

No.

It's pretty cool, man.

Having a good time.

Have you seen Cait?

Oh, she just stepped outside for a phone call.

Oh, cool, cool.

Yeah, yep, back to the game.

Enjoy it.

And in short, we loved your portfolio.

You seem like a great fit.

So we'd like to officially offer you a position here.

Hello?

Yes, that's amazing, thank you.

So, are you accepting the offer?

Yes, yes, of course.

Thank you so much for this opportunity.

Hey, everything okay?

Yeah, I just got that job

I interviewed for in the city.

Wait, what?

Yeah.

That's amazing.

It is amazing, yeah.

Congratulations, I'm so proud of you.

Oh, you've worked so hard for this.

And now we can go back, and can start fresh.

I think this is meant to be.

I think this is fate.

Oh, I.

What's wrong?

I-

Whoa.

Mia.

What are you guys doing?

Oh, it's not what it looks like.

Really, because I'm pretty sure

that it looks like the both of you

were just about-

Hey, baby, [body clambers], you know what we should do?

You know what game we should play?

We should play that game that we played when,

what's wrong?

Oh, nothing is wrong.

Steven was just giving me a hug,

because I just got offered a new job in the city.

Oh, that's wonderful.

Really, because it looks like the both of you just kissed.

No, no, no, never.

Cait, it's time.

Time for what?

The truth.

I'm sorry, I can't do this anymore.

Everyone, Cait and I are lovers,

and we have been for quite some time.

And recently I made the biggest mistake of my life,

and I immediately regretted it.

But luckily, Christmas and destiny

has brought us back together.

Will you make me the happiest man?

Oh my God.

If you'll forgive me.

I love you, Cait.

Will you marry me?

Cait?

What is going on in here?

Drew, wait.

Congratulations on the job.

I wish I could stay.

I gotta get home to Bob.

I am-

Hey, I know to leave when I'm no longer needed.

That's not what this is.

What is it then?

This is what you want, right?

Look, like you got a path in front of you,

and it's a good one at that.

And you'll be happy.

Drew.

Tell your dad to call if anything breaks.

Okay, so wait, wait.

Hold on a second now.

This whole thing was a lie?

This is so ridiculous.

How dare you.

Oh, no, that's it.

Mm-mm, hey, there's a dog in here, isn't there?

There was.

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, yeah.

And you, hey man.

Tell me the truth.

You be a man about it too.

Look me in the eyes.

Have you ever seen a polar bear before?

No.

No, no, you haven't, have you?

Yeah, see?

Is Steven even your real name?

Look, I'm sorry.

We really wanted to give you the best possible experience,

but we went too far.

I'm sorry we wasted your time.

Oh, we'll be leaving in the morning.

Here, babe.

Can you give me any kind of answer?

Steven, I can't even think about this right now.

I'm sorry.

Come in.

I just wondered if you may want some cocoa.

Thanks, Dad.

I'm sorry.

Why, I've been having a blast this week.

This whole idea was so stupid.

You know what, I don't know,

but it does remind me a lot of your mother.

She had a little bit of schemer in her,

but she was smart.

She was clever.

I bet you didn't know, that it was her idea

that we turn this house into a bed and breakfast.

Really?

Yeah, we came here, we fell in love with it,

but we couldn't afford it.

But your mother, she came up with a plan.

We didn't know anything.

We didn't know what we were doing.

But it didn't matter.

She'd find a way.

And that's why I never doubt a Miller woman.

I miss her.

I miss her too, sweetheart.

I always remember how you two

would go out on the porch on the weekends and paint.

Do you have any of those paintings?

Yeah, I do.

Can I tell you something?

Sure, baby.

Since she died, I haven't painted once.

I just can't.

I can understand that.

But guess what?

When the time is right, you'll know,

and it'll be easier than it ever was before.

And I have this great big blank space over the mantle.

It really needs something.

What do I do, Dad?

You are a smart, amazing, dependable woman.

You'll figure it all out.

What about Maria?

I saw you two being friendly.

She's nice company, okay?

Okay.

And with that, I think I should go get ready for bed.

Goodnight, Dad.

Goodnight.

Another thing, for the record,

lying to those people,

I don't like it, but they'll move on.

As to you,

I only ask that you don't lie to yourself.

Okay?

Okay.

I love you, Bug.

Love you, Dad.

Hey, can't sleep?

Can I sit?

How's Eric?

He took another allergy pill.

Can I at least try to explain what happened?

I don't expect you to forgive me or trust me,

so I understand if not.

My parents have run this inn for 25 years.

Six years ago, my mom passed away,

and I came home for Christmas two days ago

to find out that my dad was selling the Inn

because he couldn't afford the repairs.

So, I came up with this insane plan

to convince you to have your wedding here,

to try to save the Inn.

And then when I found out that your mom only trusts couples,

I got Drew to pretend that we were married.

Just know that every step of the way,

this was my crazy idea, not theirs.

So if there is any chance

that you would still wanna have your wedding here,

I know that my dad and Drew would do whatever it took

to give you the most amazing, elegant, beautiful wedding.

Thank you.

Honestly, I don't even know what we're doing here,

why we came.

I mean, neither of us want the most pretty

or elegant wedding.

We want our wedding, doesn't really matter where.

Eight years ago, my dad passed away.

And ever since then,

I feel like my mom has been trying to live through me.

And after a string of really, really bad breakups,

she got kinda down,

and that's when she started not trusting single people.

But after I met Eric,

and he passed all of her crazy tests,

and especially when we got engaged,

her spirits were lifted.

And I don't wanna do anything to bring her down.

I can't.

But thank you for telling me.

I understand.

I hope you two get the wedding that you want.

Just, don't settle.

Thank you.

Can you just imagine,

the sun streaming behind the two of you?

Beautiful arch over your heads,

band to the left,

the pond glistening,

the guests all in their white chairs.

And oh, maybe we can get one of those pop-up gazebos,

and over there, a big reception tent.

One second.

Hey.

Hey, can we talk?

Absolutely, come on.

So there's no easy way to say or do this, I-

It's okay.

I know.

I'm sorry.

No, I'm sorry.

I let you go.

Second I came back yesterday,

I could see the change in your eyes,

the way you looked at me.

It was gone.

I'm also sorry that I ruined everything, so,

I'm gonna pay for the repairs to the Inn.

No, that's sweet,

but we'll figure it out.

And if it's not meant to be, then it's not meant to be.

All right.

Oh.

I have to take this.

Hey Vic, I-

Oh my god, I don't know

what you did or said, but wow.

What are you talking about?

I just got off the phone with Maria, the mom.

It's gonna be a little bit of planning

'cause it's unconventional, but we-

I'll call you back.

What's going on?

This is beautiful.

It's exactly the way I imagined it.

I love it.

So, Mia explained to me what happened,

what you guys talked about last night.

And, after some talking,

and after some compromising,

we've decided that if you'll have us,

we'd love to spend Christmas here,

and elope, here, today.

Really?

I know that it's a little last minute,

but it's what we want.

And after seeing this,

I think it needs to be here.

Okay, we can't do what's in the painting.

Oh, oh yeah, we know.

That's fine.

We figured we'd do it right here,

right by the fireplace.

Really?

And we were also wondering,

I don't mean to sound like a penny pincher,

but since we're not doing the full wedding thing,

is the initial deposit enough?

Dad, did you hear that?

I did sweetheart, I did.

Never underestimate the power of a Miller woman.

Oh my, there's so much to do.

We don't even have an officiant.

Oh, well I'm certain we can figure out something, right?

Excuse me everyone.

I could actually do it.

I recently officiated for a really good friend of mine,

at their wedding a few years ago.

And my flight is super delayed,

and I've ruined everyone's Christmas Eve.

So it would be my absolute honor,

if I could marry the two of you,

if you'd have me, that is.

You kiddin', hey, why not?

Thanks, man.

Of course.

Cait.

This is beautiful.

First, I wanna buy it from you.

So, just tell me what you usually charge.

And, I sent it to some people in the city,

and I have a lot of friends

who would like to commission you for more paintings.

If you're interested.

Yes, absolutely.

Fantastic, and by the way,

I can't believe you and Drew were faking it.

I mean, you should be professional actors.

Yeah?

Yeah, the way he looked at you,

and you looked at him?

I just don't know how you fake something like that.

Wait, you weren't faking, were you?

I don't think so.

So, where is he?

Well, I think you need to go find him.

Oh no, there's so much to do around here.

Yes, you go get him.

We'll take care of all this.

Thanks.

We have this.

Walking my dog Bob to the park like I do every day.

She was standing on this bridge

that goes over the river,

and I didn't think she would notice me, but she did.

Wow, if it isn't my fake ex-wife.

Hey.

Hi, how'd it go with Mia and Eric?

They are getting married today, at the Inn.

- Wow. - Yeah.

Congratulations, it's like everything worked out for ya.

Yeah, almost everything, I guess.

Look, Drew, I wanted to come and find you,

because I needed to tell you that,

that I'm not marrying Steven.

I'm not anything with Steven anymore,

because I don't love him.

And I'm not taking that job in the city,

because I don't love that either.

A week ago, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted,

and then last night,

it was all right there in front of me,

and suddenly I didn't want that anymore,

because I met you.

And I don't know if you feel the same way,

and I know we were just pretending,

but I had to come and find you,

and tell you that I'm not pretending anymore.

And I don't know-

Hey, I feel the same.

I know we were just pretend married, but,

do you wanna be my date to a real wedding?

I would love to.