The Mistletoe Promise

Elise Donner and Nick Derr both have a disdain for Christmas, and while their reasons are different, that disdain stems from bad things that have happened to them during Christmases past. Elise, for who Christmas was once her favorite time of year, and her husband Dan Dunning broke up at Christmastime, she catching him cheating on her with who is now his girlfriend, not too bright former car show model Drew Richards. Although he had no interest in the business while they were married, Dan, in the divorce settlement, gained half interest in Bright World, the travel agency which Elise created and founded before their marriage. Their visions for the business differ, with Elise having some philanthropic goals, while Dan is all about the direct bottom line to further his own personal spending on big boy toys while doing whatever he can through the business to advance Drew's public exposure. Never married and single Nick, a family lawyer specializing in divorce cases, is a workaholic who wants to make life happier for his clients under the bad circumstances. The firm for which he works is all about promoting family, which includes the place that Christmas plays in that happy family life, which is why he is surprised that he is one of two people being considered for this year's sole partner position, only married people with families who have made partner. Elise and Nick meet in both trying to avoid the onslaught of Christmas cheer in November at their local shopping center. With Elise ultimately agreeing, Nick suggests they enter into a contractual arrangement, which they eventually call the Mistletoe Promise, to navigate this Christmas season together by pretending to be boyfriend/girlfriend to achieve their respective goals: for Nick to make partner, and for Elise to combat Dan always flaunting Drew in her face while trying to regain controlling interest of the business away from Dan. As they work toward their respective goals with the other's help, their missions could be in jeopardy if anyone finds out about their contract - the only person who is purposely told being Nick's loyal paralegal, Ashley - and if emotions start to enter into their business arrangement.