By noon, all the guests scheduled to perform had taken turns visiting the dressing rooms to touch up their makeup.
As the recording time approached, everyone in the studio was on high alert. The anticipation was palpable as the two hosts stepped onto the stage.
And so, this episode of Christmas Joy officially kicked off.
Since the show had a loose, unscripted vibe, the hosts started by chatting with the audience like old friends. Then, as if by accident, they brought up Mike's new song.
Host A: "You know, I heard a genius high school student wrote an incredible song just for Christmas."
Host B: "Is that so?" (acting surprised).
Host A: "It is. And the creator and singer of this holiday tune is actually here with us today."
...
After a brief introduction and some lighthearted banter regarding Mike and the "Plastics," the hosts invited them onto the stage.
Having already performed the song at the school showcase, their TV performance went off without a hitch.
Once they were done, Mike and the girls returned to their seats to watch the rest of the show as members of the audience.
...
Two hours later, after a rotation of singing, contortion acts, skits, and acrobatics, the episode of Christmas Joy was winding down.
Finally, led by the two hosts, everyone in the studio joined in for a grand finale sing-along of the classic "Jingle Bells," officially marking the end of the recording.
"Mike, my parents are taking me to the Brooklyn Christmas Village for a vacation. Do you want to come?" Regina asked enthusiastically outside the TV station.
The "Christmas Village" refers to the Dyker Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. Every holiday season, the residents there deck out their homes with insane light displays, turning the whole community into a glowing fairytale world. It's a huge tourist trap, drawing tons of visitors every year.
"That sounds like a family thing, I won't intrude," Mike said.
He had heard of the famous Christmas village, but catching the hostile glare from Regina's father nearby, he wisely turned down the invitation to join their family trip.
Regina seemed to pick up on the vibe. She glanced back at her dad, whose face was looking darker by the second, and didn't push it. "Okay, well, let's talk when I get back..."
"Have fun," Mike said, waving her off before her dad could explode, cutting short her rambling.
Grandma Connie, who had just managed to snag an autograph from Alan Jackson, sidled up to Mike.
Watching Regina's family drive away, she whispered, "That was a golden opportunity to marry into money. Why didn't you take a shot?"
Judging by Regina's dad's vibe, the man was definitely successful. If Mike could lock things down with Regina right in front of him, he'd be set for life—saving himself at least thirty years of hard work.
"I don't need to ride anyone's coattails. I'm going to be the one people want to latch onto," Mike joked.
With his foresight, he really didn't need to rely on anyone else. Grandma Connie chuckled at his confidence and dropped the subject.
By around 5:00 PM, Mike and the group arrived back in the small town of Medford.
After saying goodbye to Katie's family, the Coopers were still buzzing about everything they had seen at the TV station as they walked into Grandma Connie's house. Clearly, the field trip to the recording had been a hit with everyone.
...
In the blink of an eye, it was the third day of Christmas break.
Around noon, Little George rushed over to Mike, excitedly holding a snow globe.
"Mike, look at this. Isn't it cool?" George held it up like a treasure.
It was a fist-sized glass globe featuring Santa Claus driving his sleigh. When shook, glitter swirled inside like falling snow.
"It's very pretty," Mike said honestly.
Validation secured, George smiled and asked mysteriously, "Mike, do you want to make some extra cash?"
While snow globes would be common in the future, in this era, they were still a bit of a novelty. Little George had spotted one on the street and immediately smelled a business opportunity.
These dreamy snow globes were perfect for Christmas—either as gifts or souvenirs.
George had tracked down the manufacturer and used his surprisingly high-level negotiation skills to talk the wholesale price down from four dollars to two dollars.
Everything was set, except George had no startup capital. He had gone to his dad first, but George Sr. didn't believe his son could actually make money and shut him down.
Out of options, Little George turned to Mike for "financial aid."
Seeing George so serious for once, Mike asked with interest, "What do I need to do?"
"I got these for a special wholesale price of two bucks. I plan to go door-to-door and sell them for five," George explained his plan, looking at Mike expectantly. "What do you think? If you provide the startup capital, I'll split the profits with you 50-50."
The plan was actually pretty solid. "How much money do you need to start?" Mike asked.
"The more the better. If I buy more, I earn more," George said, getting excited as his plan seemed to be coming together.
"Give me a number," Mike frowned.
While snow globes were a good product, George's door-to-door sales model wasn't exactly efficient.
"How about a thousand dollars? I want to buy 500 units to test the waters," George said ambitiously.
"Are you sure you can sell 500 units?" Mike asked.
Five hundred snow globes meant George had to visit at least five hundred houses. And since not everyone would buy one, the actual number of doors he'd have to knock on would be much higher. That was a massive amount of legwork.
"I'm sure!" George was desperate to make the "big bucks."
"Actually, I think starting with a hundred units is safer. You can always restock after you sell those," Mike advised, offering a more realistic approach.
"This..." Seeing his massive business empire instantly shrink into a small side hustle, George looked a bit bummed.
But since he was broke, he had to compromise. "Fine, let's start with a hundred."
It was painful for him to see a huge opportunity right in front of him and not be able to grab it fully.
Mike ignored George's sulking. He pulled out two hundred dollars.
"Consider this a loan. I won't ask what you do with it, just pay me back when you can."
Mike didn't really want to get involved in George's business, and since he wasn't hurting for cash, he didn't feel like taking a cut of the kid's hard-earned money.
"Mike, you're a real one!" George took the money, genuinely touched. "Don't worry, I'll pay you back the second I make the money."
Mike looked a bit conflicted at being called a "good guy" so earnestly. He just shook his head and said, "Alright, go handle your business."