Page 8 of Holiday Power Play

"It's not crashing when you're literally getting invited," Mick says. “You just don’t want to deal with Lana. Understandably so, I know she can be a lot. But you’ll regret it if you don’t come. Almost everyone is leaving town. Who will you spend Christmas with?”

My own family doesn't really do Christmas, they’re all over the US and all too busy with their own lives to ever come together. It'd be nice to just be apart of a family that does.

Christmas with my friend's family doesn't sound so bad. I'd be lying low in the mountains and away from the city where I can't go anywhere without being spotted. Doing exactly what my superiors want. And if the cabin is as big as Mick has alluded to, I’ll barely have to interact with Lana anyways.

"Fine," I relent. "How long is this road trip anyway?"

"One day if we just drive straight through, which is what I plan to do."

I swipe a hand down my face. One day. Two if we consider the drive back. Two full days on the road with my teammate, for a Christmas where I'm not alone with my sad little tree that's sitting on my kitchen table, eating ramen, and watching Elf on repeat.

I imagine a home-cooked meal, warm fireplaces, and laughter. Lots of laughter.

And I want it. Damn near need it.

"Ok. Let's take this road trip, I guess," I say, turning to my bike and slipping onto it.

"Great! I'll be by your place at four to pick you up."

“I’m hiking a leg over my bike when he says that so I must’ve misheard him. I stay staring at him, holding my helmet as he tosses his bag into his car.

"What?" he asks, arm resting on the hood of his car.

"Four… in the afternoon, right?"

Mick's brows furrow. Even in the dark, I can see his eyes questioning me.

"Right?" I say again.

"No, man. You don't drive straight through from Houston to Breckenridge by leaving at four in the afternoon. If I were you, I'd get home and get packing if you haven’t already." He slips into the seat of his car and starts backing out before I get a chance to ask him more questions.

How long will we be gone? What should I pack for? How are we dividing up the drive?

But Mick is gone before I can say a word. It's fine. I’m sure we can figure it out in the morning. My biggest question though is what will Lana do when she finds out?

What feels like just a few hours later, there's a car honking obnoxiously outside on the street.

Who the hell is honking at... I look at my phone and I see the time. 4:06.

The horn honks again.

I toss the sheets aside and quickly type out a text telling him to shut the hell up and I'm coming.

It takes me less than five minutes to be out the door and my teammate greets me with the biggest smile on his face. "Morning, sunshine!"

Jeez. Did he even sleep?

I yawn. "You can call me that in three hours when the sun is actually up."

"I got you a coffee," he says, motioning to the steaming cup sitting between us in the cupholder.

"That was nice of you," I say, grabbing it and taking that delicious first sip. It feels like Christmas. Warm and cozy and—my god—is that peppermint?

"Listen, if you plan to have me switch off at some point, I'm going to need much more than a peppermint mocha. I need sleep."

He grabs his phone and dials someone.

For a moment, I forget it’s not just us.

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