Page 9 of Holidate Pursuit

“Let’s go get our seats for dinner. I think they’re starting the salads, and I’m starving.” Lily breaks our silence abruptly as she bounds up to us with Sebastian on her heels.

“I bet since you probably just worked up an appetite,” Eli teases her as Sebastian smirks.

“Oh, hush, it’s your brother’s fault. Now, come on, let’s eat,” Lily says, pulling me toward the tables.

As we round the corner to the banquet hall, I halt and do a double take. “Wait. What’s he doing here?” I ask apprehensively.

Lily looks up. “Who?”

“Justin!” I whisper, knowing Sebastian and Eli aren’t far behind.

She leans in. “Oh, yeah. Sebastian wanted extra security for the event tonight. He still freaks out at things like this, ’cause… well, you know,” she responds quietly before straightening and turning to the guys. “Sebastian, I’d love another glass of champagne. It might be faster if you get it at the bar. Would you mind? Lucy, do you want Eli to grab you something?” she asks without missing a beat.

“Uh, sure. I’ll take champagne as well.” I know exactly what she’s doing. If I were smart, I would have said no to avoid this conversation.

As I knew she would, Lily starts in when we reach our table. “Lucy, he’s right there. It’s the perfect opportunity to start a conversation and see if he has plans for Christmas.”

“No, Lily, I mean it. I’m sure he wants nothing to do with me, and I certainly don’t want anything to do with him.” I shudder.

“Then what’s your plan? Have you told your parents the engagement’s off?”

“I figured I’d wait until I’m there, so they don’t have time to set me up with anyone else.”

She nods in agreement. “And you’re sure your brother won’t rat you out?”

“He would never. He understands. Hell, he’d probably find a stand-in for me if I wanted him to.” I roll my eyes. “That’s too complicated, though. And what’s the point, since it won’t matter after Christmas when I’ll tell them we broke up anyway.”

“Just think how easy it would be, though, if you had Justin with you and didn’t have to worry about it. You know you have chemistry already. It would be perfect.”

“Well, apparently, it was one-sided. Can we drop it now?”

Luckily, she has no choice when Eli and Sebastian return with our drinks.

My thoughts stay on Justin the rest of the meal as I steal glances his way while he walks the perimeter of the room, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. At one point, I think I see him looking in my direction from my peripheral vision, but I can’t tell for sure. By the time my eyes reach him, his head is turned away. What I can tell is that I’d forgotten how damn sexy he is. Now that I’ve started checking him out, I can’t seem to stop.

My mind keeps imagining what would happen if he did come home as my fake fiancé. Would we rekindle our connection? Regardless of how his dismissal felt, I’m sure there was something between us. How did he walk away so easily? My biggest fear is that it somehow relates to my bedroom skills, which probably has something to do with why I haven’t been close to anyone since then.

Asking him could give me answers or put these stupid thoughts to rest once and for all. But then again, it’s ridiculous to consider since there’s no way he would do it. Not to mention, Christmas is only three weeks away; I’m sure he has plans already. But what if he doesn’t?

Ugh.It doesn’t matter because I can’t risk asking only to be humiliated again. It’s not worth another blow to my ego. A girl can only handle so much rejection. That he hasn’t even acknowledged my presence tonight should be proof enough that he isn’t interested.

I’m distracted from my spiraling thoughts when Jordan asks me to dance after dinner is over and the band starts playing. Lily gives me a wink before I go. She was right about him being cute. He’s also sweet, saying Lily had mentioned me and that hewould have already asked me out, but that he’s been busy and hadn’t found the time yet.

Halfway through the song, I’ve decided I wouldn’t be opposed to going on a date with him and am even excited by the prospect, until something catches my eye at the edge of the dance floor—or rather, someone… who finally decides to make some very aggressive eye contact.

“Are you okay?” Jordan asks, alerting me to the fact that I’ve stopped moving.

“Oh my gosh, yeah. Sorry, I just realized I need to go to the bathroom.”Wow, Lucy, way to go.

“Oh, okay. I’ll catch up with you later then,” he says, probably thinking I’m crazy.

“Definitely, and sorry, it just sort of hit me.”Oh my God, kill me now.

I walk away in a hurry, anxious to leave my mortification behind. Stopping at the table to grab my purse, it doesn’t take long for Lily to catch up and enter the bathroom right behind me.

“Lucy, what are you doing? I saw you practically run from the dance floor. Did he say something to upset you?”

“No, Jordan was super nice. And you were right about him being good-looking.”

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