Page 148 of Meet Me at the Metro

Connor closes his eyes incredulously. “It’ll be aChristmas miracleif he doesn’t.”

“Well, then, it’s a good thing I believe in those.”

As Connor and I step inside, Christmas music swells—well,blasts—within the flat. That, paired with the sweet, sugary smell of cookies and the holiday decorations placed haphazardly around the living room into the kitchen, brings an instantaneous smile to my face.

Evie and Harvey must not hear us enter over the loud, festive tunes because their backs stay turned to us, and their hands remain busy concocting what I can only imagine is adangerouslypotent cocktail at the kitchen counter.

“Bloody hell, Evie!” Harvey gasps, tearing the bottle of vodka from her grasp. “You trying to kill us? You’re going to have us hungover for days!”

“IT’S MY JINGLE JUICE, HARV!”

“The recipe said one part vodka, one part prosecco, and three parts cranberry juice!”

“THAT’S ONE PART TO ME! AND I DON’T FOLLOW RECIPES!”

“You’ll send us into acute liver failure!” He bumps her away with a swift swing of his hip. “Go tend to the pigs in a blanket, won’t you?”

“I’m about to tend to you,” she huffs, glaring at him.

“Yeah, yeah.Eat a cookie and chill out.”

Evie flips Harvey the bird as she spins on her heel. The second she spots me, she gasps, “Ellie!”

When she finds Connor lingering behind me, her gaze turns feral, and her lips pull into a feline smile. “You brought a toy.”

“Is that what I am? Ellie, you said there’d be booze here, not children.”

“Silly of you to assume that only children like playing with toys,” Evie quips, licking her lips. There’s a glint of amusement in her dark eyes that makes me realize just how much she’senjoyinghis provocation. “Don’t worry. I play nice—most of the time.”

Connor’s shoulders straighten at the innuendos laced in her words.

“Would you like a drink,Connor?”Evie asks, a taunting lilt in her voice.

“I’ll take a drink.”

“Then, I’ll take this,” Evie sings, snatching the bottle of vodka from Harvey. Connor follows her as she stalks to the other side of the kitchen and fetches shot glasses for the both of them.

“I got something special for you,” I say to Harvey, offering him the wrapped, thin gift I was hiding behind my back.

“We swore no extra gifts.”

“Open it, would you?”

He eagerly tears open the wrapping, revealing the simple piece of paper inside. He gasps as his eyes skim over it. “I got Billy?!Oh my God, I got Billy Flynn!”

I wrap my arms around my friend, hugging him tightly. “I’m so proud of you!”

“Wait—what about you? Did you get Roxie?”

“No, but I made the ensemble.”

Harvey’s frown comes naturally. “I’m so sorry, Ellie. Are you sad?”

“I’m okay,” I say truthfully. I ladle myself up a generous helping ofJingle Juiceand bring it to my lips. “Now, let’s toast!”

Connor and Evie cross the room with their full shot glasses.

With a pleasant grin, Harvey lifts his cup of the red, strong-smelling cocktail. “To what are we toasting to tonight, Miss Ellie-Jellie?”

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