Page 62 of Stranded for Christmas with my Boss

I hope so. We put so much work into this update, and all I want is for everyone’s work to pay off. It’ll be tough facing public backlash if things go awry, especially since everyone will still be tired and recovering from December’s work sprint.

“Is it midnight yet?”

I glance at the clock again, feeling my heartbeat quicken with every passing second. The app update is huge—bigger than anything we’ve done before. There’s so much riding on it, and I can’t help but feel the weight pressing down on my shoulders. It’s not just about the company’s reputation; it’s about everyone’s hard work, Alyssa’s hard work.

I sneak a glance at her, standing by my side, looking so damn confident. I wish I could borrow some of that confidence right now. I’ve always been the guy with the plan, the one who knows exactly what to do, but tonight…tonight, I just want to hold her hand and be reassured that everything will be okay.

She looks up at me with those eyes that seem to see right through to my soul, and I feel a flicker of calm. Just a flicker, but enough to keep me going.

I turn and see Austin walking toward us with a drink in his hand too. We think just alike. “Thirty minutes. Have another drink.”

Austin chuckles and takes another sip of his champagne before giving Alyssa a smile. “You might be our designated driver tonight.”

“I’m only driving to one place, so it looks like we’re all having a sleepover at Jensen’s place,” Alyssa replies as she gives us both a pointed look, her lips curving up into a playful smile.

“Fine with me,” Austin says. “I just hope this update goes well. I’ll lose my mind if the app decides to crash.”

“Don’t say that,” I groan, not wanting to hear that sentence. Ever. If the app acts up, people will complain in droves until it’s fixed, and all of our good reviews will be buried under complaints that can be fixed in a day or two.

Alyssa bites into her last shrimp, her brow creasing slightly. “It’ll be fine. You two need to relax. If you freak out, everyone else will freak out too.”

“She’s right.” Austin finishes his champagne. “Let’s just relax. I’ll find you guys later.”

Alyssa and I tell him goodbye before heading to the outskirts of the lobby to toss our trash away, freely holding each other’s hands without a care in the world. We’ve been transparent about our relationship and that she’ll be working directly under Josh now, and so far, we haven’t gotten any backlash.

At the end of the day, we’re adults who happened to fall in love. We’ll make the best decision overall, and I believe we did just that. Our careers are intact, and our relationship is stronger than ever before. I don’t see that ever changing.

“I can’t believe this year is finally coming to an end,” Alyssa sighs as she leans against my side.

I tuck her shoulders under my arm, leaning my head against hers. “It has been one wild ride.”

Alyssa toys with the red tie I’m wearing that matches her dress. “I can’t wait for the next one.”

I smile and press a light kiss against her forehead. “Busy tomorrow?”

“Not unless you have plans,” Alyssa replies as she raises an eyebrow at me.

“If your parents aren’t busy and Holly and Oliver are free, we should all eat dinner together. It was nice having everyone in oneplace on Christmas,” I suggest, a flare of hope lighting up my chest.

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Christmas and how warm and comforting the atmosphere felt with everyone crowded in my penthouse. I can’t even begin to count how many pictures were taken, how many sweets were eaten, and how many times we laughed until our stomachs hurt.

It was a Christmas unlike any other, especially for Holly and me. We’re not used to a family Christmas like that, but I want every single Christmas from here on out to be like that. Hell, Thanksgiving and New Year’s too!

It’s time to make more memories and build my family up to be bigger than just a few people.

Alyssa’s expression brightens as she nods. “My mom usually cooks on New Year’s Day. We could all go over there.”

A home cooked meal sounds amazing.

“Perfect,” I say. “I’ll go ahead and text Holly.”

“I’ll text my mom.”

We share a happy look with one another before turning to our phones for a moment, sending out texts to our loved ones asking about their plans. All of this change should scare me more, but I’m just excited for all it can bring. I’ve been needing this.

I just didn’t realize the severity of my situation until I met Alyssa.

“Ten more minutes until midnight. We should get back out there,” Alyssa says as she gestures to the lively crowd of celebrating people.

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