Page 49 of Tempting All The Way

“Where are you going?” I follow after her.

“First, I’m raiding Xavier’s hidden snack drawer, then I’m raiding his champagne and we’re making mimosas,” she says.

“Wait… he has a hidden snack drawer?” I ask. Why haven’t I discovered this yet?

“Yep, come on, I’ll show you. He thinks no one knows about it. But the real reason my brother works out so much is because he eats so much shit food.” Lucy walks into the butler’s pantry and pulls open a bottom drawer. Sure enough, it’s choc-a-block full of different chocolate bars, packets of chips, and lollies.

“Holy shit, that’s a lot of chocolate,” I exclaim, digging in and grabbing a Mars bar.

“Yep.” Lucy looks around the pantry. Pulling a basket down from a shelf, she fills it with snacks. “Okay, mimosas!”

“I’ll grab the glasses,” I say, because I do know where those are kept. Placing two champagne flutes on the counter, I pull the orange juice out of the fridge just as Lucy walks back in with a bottle of champagne. I don’t know what kind it is. I’ve never seen the label on the bottle before. But I’m not one to ever turn down a mimosa.

Lucy pops the cork and fills the flutes, while I add orange juice to top them off. “Bring the juice and snacks. I’ll bring the drinks and bottle,” she sings.

“Where do you want to sit?” I ask her.

“Where were you before I came in?”

“In bed, trying to find something on Netflix.” I laugh.

“Okay, that’s where we’re going,” she says, leading the way into Xavier’s bedroom.

She pauses at the bed. “Please, for the love of God, tell me the sheets are clean.” She eyes the mattress suspiciously.

“I promise they’re clean. No hanky-panky has happened on this bed all week.” I pout.

“Thank God.” Lucy places the two glasses down on the bedside table, then removes the bottle of champagne from the crook of her elbow and places it next to them.

I drop the basket of snacks on the bed. Before I deposit the orange juice on the counter, I walk into the bathroom and grab a hand towel. I don’t want to ruin Xavier’s furniture by placing the bottle directly on the wood. “I’ll get a towel to put under the champagne bottle too,” I tell Lucy.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” she dismisses my concern.

Ignoring her, I grab another hand towel and place it under the bottle. “I don’t want to ruin Xavier’s furniture,” I tell her.

“He can just buy more.” She shrugs.

“You sound like a spoilt brat. Remind me why we’re friends again?” I laugh.

“Because you loooove me,” she hums.

“I do,” I admit.

“Okay, what are we going to watch?” I pick up the remote and snuggle under the covers.

“365 Days,” Lucy says. “I need me some hot mafia men.”

“When don’t you.” I laugh. My best friend is obsessed with the idea of being kidnapped by a mafia boss and falling in love. She reads way too many smutty romance books.

I find the movie and turn it on.

Two hours later, we’re just starting the second movie in the series. Lucy took another bottle of champagne from wherever it is she’s finding them. We’ve laughed so much, and I realized I really did need this.

“Admit it… Xavier called you and told you to come babysit me, didn’t he?” I ask her.

“He called and said you were home alone, and I took my chance to get you to myself.” She waggles her eyebrows. “You know, I’m the far better-looking Christianson anyway. We should just become lesbians.” She giggles into her glass.

“Lucy, sister or not, I will kill you if you try to steal my girl.” Xavier’s voice from the doorway has both of us screaming and jumping six feet in the air.

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