Page 34 of Holidate Pursuit

Patty—who is utterly oblivious to the implications of their comments—adds her own. “Oh, that would be so lovely if youwere working together. We’d have a part of Lucy back in our lives.”

Okay, enough is enough. I need to end this crazy rabbit hole of a conversation. “I’ll see what I can do about an introduction, but I’m not looking to leave my job. My current position is perfect, and I’ve made good friends at work. I’m happy where I am.” With that last statement, I squeeze Justin’s thigh.

The night continues downhill from there. While I enjoyed reminiscing with Richard and his parents, it didn’t feel right to do it with Justin there. My conflicted feelings make it hard to remember that we’re not truly a couple. After tonight, who knows what will happen? Justin and I seemed to reconnect, but there was no definitive plan for when we return home. Now I’m not sure what to think, especially with how this whole day has gone.

Thinking clarity would come when we were alone in our room tonight was futile. Justin remained silent while getting ready for bed and muttered a quick good night before turning the light out and sticking to his side of the bed. I’m trying to be understanding and give him space to process whatever is bothering him, hoping we’ll talk about it on the way home tomorrow.

In mere days, he went from agreeing to a friends-with-benefits arrangement while working toward a relationship, to giving me the silent treatment. The sad thing is, I’m positive it wouldn’t have taken long to reach relationship status, and now I may have lost my chance.

FEELING FROSTY

Justin

What a fucking shit show of a night. That’s the first thought that pops into my mind when I wake up on the final morning of the sentence I’m serving in hell. All I know after last night is that if I were Lucy’s real fiancé, we would’ve been out of there halfway through the meal, never looking back.

Since I’m not, all it did was force me to reevaluate the situation and my intentions. The differences between Richard and me are like night and day. He’s posh; I’m simple. He’s privileged; I’m not. He comes from wealth; I made my own. He’s everything Lucy’s dad expects for her; I’m the farthest thing from it.

While none of that shit would normally matter to me, there’s more on the line than just my pride. It’s Lucy’s family. And whether she realizes it or not, it’s a big deal. I’m not selfish enough to put my wants over Lucy’s ultimate happiness. Shemay not need them now, but someday, she’ll see the bigger picture and how a relationship with her mom and dad affects more than just her. Until then, I’ll be strong enough to see it for her.

Knowing what’s to come, I can’t resist holding her one last time. Careful not to wake her, I slowly slide over and gently curl my arm around her while she sleeps. The feel of her warm body up against mine is almost enough to weaken my resolve and throw my steadfast decision out the window. But rather than dwell on it, I cherish the moment and tell myself it’ll be all right.

Knowing the alarm is set to go off soon, I breathe her in one last time and memorize the feel of her before pulling back and heading for the shower. The best thing to do is move on and put this week behind me. Forget it ever happened and dive back into work. It’s what saved me last time, and it’ll have to do the job again.

I’m doing a final rinse when her soft voice drifts over from the doorway. “Mind if I join you?”

The war in my mind is fierce, not to mention the argument from down below, but my resolve wins out. “Come on in. It’s all yours. I just finished up.”

I step out and quickly grab my towel to wrap around my waist. The less temptation either of us has, the better. If I allow a last hurrah, I might cave—fuck the consequences.

“Oh, okay. Thanks.” She’s not dumb. It’s obvious I’ve been distant since the discussion with her dad. Yeah, I let my guard down for a bit in the pool yesterday, but other than that, I’ve kept things casual. It’ll make it easier in the long run.

We get ready to go, dancing around each other as we pack up and prepare to leave. She’s given up trying to converse, probably as frustrated with me as I am with the entire situation. It’s evident we’re both on edge when we leave the room with our bags in hand.

We make it to the breakfast room where her parents are waiting to say goodbye. I’m sure they’re more than ready to see us off and praying I’m not in the picture by this time next year.

“Good morning. Are you both all set to catch your flight?” her mom asks as we join them at the table.

“We are. We’ll grab a quick bite and cup of coffee before we head out,” Lucy responds as she fills a plate.

If there’s one thing I’ll surely miss, it’s the food—top-notch and ready whenever you want. Their in-house chef is impressive. I’ll at least give them credit for that, and if I ever get to the point where I want to hire frivolous help, that’s where I’ll start.

“Mr. and Mrs. Alcott, thank you for your hospitality this week. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you both. And compliments to your chef—the food was delicious.” I give my farewell statement, determined to finish this as positively as possible for Lucy’s sake.

Her dad, on the other hand, has different ideas. “Likewise. I’m glad we were able to meet and took time to talk so we could be on the same page before you leave. It’s best when two people see eye to eye,” he says smugly before moving on to his paper.

Lucy gives me the side eye, clearly curious what his cryptic words means, but I receive the message loud and clear.

“I couldn’t agree more.”Now get me the fuck out of here.

Lucy

What the hell is going on? Justin has been downright frosty since yesterday morning, and I’m feeling more irritated by the minute. I’ve been patient, letting him muddle through his thoughts alone, but my patience has hit its limit. We have twenty minutes left of the last flight into San Diego, and it’s time to intervene before it’s too late. I’m worried if I let this go on too long, we won’t recover from whatever dark place he’s in.

“Justin, seriously, I know the talk with my dad has something to do with your one-eighty over the last twenty-four hours. Tell me what he said so I can fix it.”

He puts his magazine down and looks at me, the gears in his head clearly turning while contemplating his answer. “The last day was eye-opening.” He pauses, sighing. “When we pulled up to your family’s estate, it was clear we come from two different worlds. Why I thought that wouldn’t be a problem is a mystery to me. But after speaking with your dad and having dinner with your ex’s family, I could tell our differences are too big to ignore.”

“What are you talking about? I’m still me… Lucy, the executive assistant you met at Dubree Enterprises. Just because my family has money doesn’t change anything. I’m no different than I was three days ago.”

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