Page 15 of The Christmas Plan

Drew tried to take it all in: the twinkling holiday lights that cast a warm glow on every face, the smell of hot chocolate carrying over the ice, and the gorgeous woman by her side. Sure, it wasn’t the first activity Drew would have chosen but that’s what made this relationship work. They had no choice but to come out of their comfort zone for Rose.

Following her motions, Drew’s feet fell into sync with Rose’s.

“See, now you’re getting it!” Rose nodded as she watched them move.

Once they’d gotten to a decent speed, not a crawl but not a sprint, Drew decided to be bold and try two things at once: skate and talk. “I can’t lie, I’m a little nervous about the party.”

Rose whipped her head around, the motion almost kicking Drew off-balance. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Drew nodded.

“Why?” Tilting her head, Rose tried to get them back up to speed. Around the couple, dozens of skaters zipped past them, including some kids who must have been doing this since they were born.

After a deep breath, Drew looked up at the skyscrapers surrounding the park. “It’s a lot of famous people in one place. I’ve only ever shot one celebrity at a time. It sounds…”

“Overwhelming.” Rose shrugged. A familiar look washed over Rose’s face.

Of course, it was nerve-racking for Rose too, she’d have to hand her portfolio to an agent and actually set a new career path in motion. It was a terrifying prospect, one that Drew knew all too well.

“Exactly.”

After a second of skating, the sound of slicing ice filling both of their ears, Rose nodded. “But the good news is, you can just hide behind the camera and work. Talk if you want to or don’t. We’re there to work and networking is a bonus.”

She wasn’t wrong. Drew already had an agent and plenty of work lined up, in fact, a gallery had expressed some interest in showing a few of their pieces.

“That’s true.” Drew nodded before looking back at her. “How are you feeling about it?”

Sighing, Rose looked around the rink. “I know I’ll feel better after I do it but I hate the idea of having to give someone my work and just hope they like it.”

With a laugh, Drew smirked. “It is the worst feeling. But I promise they’ll love it.”

Rose met Drew’s gaze, squeezing their arm as she rested her head on their shoulder. “Thanks.”

They stayed like that for a moment, their skates moving in sync with each step. But after a moment, Rose pulled her arm away. “Do you think you’ll be alright on your own?”

There was no way to be certain but Drew wanted to play it cool. “Definitely.”

Raising an eyebrow, Rose watched them suspiciously for a second before caving and starting to move on her own. “I’ll be back.”

Without another word, Rose picked up her pace. Her skates slid across the ice with ease, pushing her faster and faster with each step. Before long, she was zooming past Drew. Her red hair flew behind her.

Drew swallowed hard. She looked amazing, majestic honestly. It was hard to imagine such an amazing woman ever lacking confidence, ever being afraid to hand anyone her portfolio.

But as snow started to fall over the crowded rink, Drew knew there was something they could do: make sure she felt like she could do anything. It might just be Drew’s life mission from now on.

9

MACKENZIE

Mackenzie didn't exactly recognizethe address that Taylor had sent her earlier in the day but she did know that it was somewhere along Fifth Avenue, New York City's largest shopping district.

Lined with designer, flagship stores, Fifth Avenue was a glow for the holidays. LED snowflakes decorated the streetlamps. Each store had an elaborate display in their windows, scenes of winter wonderlands dappling the street.

Taylor had told Mac to bring a credit card and some comfortable shoes.

But as Mackenzie stood on the corner, waiting for Taylor, she still couldn't quite figure out where Taylor intended to take her. Looking around at the surrounding stores, Mac wondered what they would be doing at Crate & Barrel or any number of the luxurious locations.

“You ready?” Taylor's familiar voice sounded from a few feet away.

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