Jess looked at him, her antlers slightly crooked. For all her talk about holiday magic, she realized she’d been using the festivities as a shield. Beside her, Nick was watching from a distance, a rare look of genuine concern on his face.

Outside, as the group gathered to head home, the "criminal" Santa drove past in a beat-up sedan, waving. Winston pointed a finger. "I knew he was suspicious," he muttered, while Schmidt tried to convince everyone that Cece’s boyfriend's tie was "objectively too wide."

As the gang piled into the car, the tension wasn't just coming from Schmidt. Jess was feeling the weight of her own complicated romantic life. Her ex, Sam, had been blowing up her phone. He wanted to talk, but Jess, fearful of getting her heart broken again, was determined to hide behind a mask of festive franticness.

The night became a blur of eggnog and awkward encounters. At party number three, Schmidt tried to "accidentally" show off his fitness by doing pull-ups on a doorframe, only to have it nearly collapse. At party number five, Winston became convinced that a department store Santa was actually a master criminal in disguise, leading to a very intense and entirely unnecessary interrogation by the buffet table.

"Jess, stop running," he said, his voice quiet. He didn't look angry; he looked exhausted. "I don't want to play games. I want to be with you. For real."

She took a breath, the smell of pine and expensive cologne filling the air. "Okay," she said softly. "No more running."

This story is based on the events of the eleventh episode of the second season of the sitcom New Girl , which originally aired in December 2012.