Page 5 of Holidate Pursuit

“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” my brother, Trevor, calls out from the porch of the enormous Floridian beachfront mansion—my home for the first eighteen years of life.

Climbing the ridiculous ten steps to greet him, I call him out. “All of you were too busy to come get me yourselves, huh?” I ask with a hand on my hip, cocked to the side.

“Oh, you know, Mom and Dad had an important tee time.”

“Yeah? What’s your excuse?”

Once I entered baggage claim, our driver was holding a sign with my name on it—a typical welcome. I’m not surprised, nor am I heartbroken, because frankly, I’m used to it.

“Well, dear sister, my excuse is I was just notified of your arrival twenty minutes ago when they texted me you’d be here soon. Now bring it in.” He holds his arms open, and I curl into them. Being away from Trevor is the hardest part about living so far away. For all the coldness my parents give me, Trevor has always had a sweet spot for his little sister.

“I’m not surprised they forgot. I’m sure there are more important things to worry about, like their handicap.”

“Ah, don’t worry about them. You have me, and that’s all you need. How about we start this visit right with a cocktail by the pool and have a real conversation before they get here?” he asks, squeezing me before letting go.

“Good idea. You need to catch me up on your latest fling anyway,” I say as he leads me to the bar.

“That’s a conversation not worth having.”

We stay in touch, but keeping up with his dating life is hard. Everyone in our social circle tries to marry their kid to an Alcott. And since I moved away, all the attention has gone to Trevor. Between my parents and their friends, it’s a wonder he’s not betrothed yet. As it is, the pressure is heavy, and one of the main reasons I moved. Sorry, people—I’m not going to date your son just because he’s rich and has my parents’ approval.

On the other hand, Trevor is having the time of his life. Women are lined up, a new one ready to go as soon as he’s bored with the last. These poor girls have no idea it’s just a game to him and that he, too, won’t be surrendering to our parents’ whims. They’re not as intense with him though. It always made me a tad resentful that they’re more lenient with Trevor, but I’ve finallymoved past it and made peace with the fact that my parents mean well but suck at showing it.

“So, how ya been, sis?” Trevor asks as he pours two glasses of bubbly.

He insists on celebrating my annual visiting season with a bottle of the finest. No complaints here.

“Fairly good. Work is the same, though Sebastian’s been more mellow ever since Lily came along. Her becoming a good friend was a surprise—a good one. She’s sweet, but she’s been acting like Mom lately, always trying to get me to date. She’s trying to set me up with this guy from the office as we speak.” I roll my eyes, taking the glass he hands me.

“Cheers to the both of us then. Single, smart, and not suicidal,” he says, holding his glass up.

“Cheers.”

“And speaking of smart, tell me why you’re still pretending to be a secretary when you have a master’s from Harvard.” He leads the conversation as we walk out to the pool, the cool ocean breeze refreshing after a long day of travel.

“Don’t start. I get enough of that from Mom and Dad. And I’ve already told you, I do it because it’s easy and I like my job. I’m also paid enough to make it worth it. For all of Sebastian Dubree’s faults, compensating his employees well isn’t one of them.”

“You’re crazy, but whatever floats your boat.”

“Enough about me. Where are things with Daphne?” I say, turning the tables on him.

“Nowhere. Who’s this guy Lily’s trying to set you up with?”

“Uh-uh, don’t try to get out of it. Spill. If you’re not with Daphne, who are you seeing these days, or is the infamous bachelor available?”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t with her, just that we’ve gotten nowhere. She’s difficult,” he says cryptically.

Now,thishas my attention. “Difficult how?”

“She’s not into it. It’s obvious her parents forced her to go out with me.”

“That’s nothing new. What’s the problem?”

“The problem is, most girls are all too eager, and she’s barely giving me the time of day.”

“Oh my gosh, you like her. Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?” We both laugh.

“Knock it off. I’m just being… challenged, and it’s refreshing. She intrigues me, not to mention she can actually hold a conversation about real topics, like work and politics, not just bullshit. I might be interested in more with her. But as I said, we’re nowhere because she’s not interested.”

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