Holiday Cocktail Style

 

The December dusk in Omaha settled like a melancholic shroud, but inside The Green Room, it was all twinkle lights and tinsel-trimmed cheer. Josh, a creature of winter more than most, felt the familiar warmth seep into his bones the moment he pushed open the door. He was a study in contrasts tonight: crisp tan blazer, sharp against the faded denim of his favorite black jeans, the crisp white sneaks grounding the white shirt above.

The air was thick with the chatter of holiday revelers, punctuated by the rhythmic clinking of glasses and the smooth croon of a jazz trio nestled in the corner. Josh weaved through the crowd, a practiced smile on his face, exchanging greetings with regulars and bartenders alike. He was a regular himself, a popular local whose vibrant canvases graced the Room's exposed brick walls, his presence as much a fixture as the vintage record player or the overflowing bowl of spiced nuts.

Tonight, though, there was a nervous flutter in his chest. He spotted her at the end of the bar, nestled in a holiday decorated booth, a face as luminous as the fairy lights strung across the ceiling. Steve, the barista from his favorite coffee shop, the one who made his lattes just right and whose laugh sounded like wind chimes on a summer breeze.

He'd admired him from afar for weeks, drawn in by his quick wit and quiet kindness. But the holidays, with their enforced merriment, had emboldened him. He'd caught his eye earlier that day, exchanging a shy smile over a steaming cup of peppermint mocha, and now, fueled by a glass of eggnog spiked with rum, he found himself approaching his booth.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, his voice a touch rougher than usual, nerves drying out his throat.

Steve's smile, when it bloomed, was like sunlight breaking through frosted glass. "Of course, Josh! Merry Christmas, by the way."

They fell into conversation easily, the jazz a comforting murmur in the background. He regaled him with stories of his latest art project, a series of winter landscapes inspired by the frosted cornfields and snow-blanketed barns around Nebraska. He, in turn, shared tales of her chaotic family Christmases and his secret passion for writing poetry.

Hours melted into the night, laughter chasing away the December chill. The clinking of their glasses became a duet, a toast to shared dreams and newfound companionship. Outside, the snow started to fall, painting the world in white silence. Inside, Josh and Steve talked, their voices weaving a tapestry of connection, warm and bright against the backdrop of the holiday season.

As the night drew to a close, he walked him home, the crunch of fresh snow beneath their feet a soft serenade. Under the streetlights, their faces glowed in the winter air, his blazer a protective cocoon against the cold, Steve's laughter a melody ringing in his ears. When they reached his doorstep, he hesitated, wanting to hold onto the magic of the evening a little longer.

"This was..." Steve began, his cheeks flushed, "the best Christmas Eve ever."

He grinned, feeling a warmth that no eggnog could ever replicate. "For me too," he said, leaning in a touch closer. "Maybe we could...paint the town red on New Year's Eve?"

Steve met his gaze, her eyes sparkling like the fairy lights in The Green Room. "I wouldn't miss it for the world," he whispered, and in that moment, under the December sky, Josh knew he'd found something more precious than any holiday cheer: a spark of connection, a promise of something new, blooming amidst the winter magic.

And as he walked away, the soft echo of her laughter trailing behind him, he knew that this was just the beginning of a story, a story woven in laughter and eggnog, in jazz and shared dreams, a story that, like the twinkling lights in The Green Room, promised to chase away the winter chill and fill the darkness with warmth, long after the holidays were over.

This is a fictional story inspired by where you can wear this men's style.

Model: Josh (he/him/his) @thejoshbrink

Photos: Alan Rust (he/him/his)

He is wearing a tan suit coat, white shirt and black jeans from his own collection.