Page 37 of Holidate Pursuit

“Does this have anything to do with the girl you stole from Tom?” He raises his eyebrows in question.

“Stole? Are you fucking kidding me? What are you guys, a bunch of gossips? For the record, I did not steal anyone from Tom. Lucy was never his to begin with. She was always mine.”

His hands go up in defense. “Whoa there, boss. I was just asking since that’s what I’d heard. No offense.”

I decide to ignore his response. “Keep your head in the game and pretend I’m not here. While it’ll look like I’m part of thedetail, our team will know I’m not. Don’t let your eyes drift from your assignment.”

“Got it. Good luck with whatever it is you’re here for.”

“Thanks. Looks like they’re pulling up now, so you can take it from here.” With that, I slink back toward the building, out of sight, to observe as I contemplate my next move.

Although my team knows I’m not officially on duty tonight, the Dubrees do not, and I don’t want them feeling less than protected out of the gate. If the situation changes later—which part of me hopes it will—I’ll explain how tonight’s security is set up. I say apart of mebecause I’ve yet to decide which direction I’m taking. The consequences of Lucy being with me are at the forefront of my mind, and I’m still questioning which path to take.

I watch as the valet opens the car door to see Sebastian and Lily exit first, followed by Eli and his date, then Lucy. What I’m not expecting is the last person to appear…What the fuck?It’s been a week, and already Richard is swooping in to steal the prize.

Lucy

“What’s going on, Lucy? He seems perfect. High school sweethearts, estranged for eight years until fate brings you back together. It sounds so romantic, so why does it feel like I’m missing something here?” Lily asks when we slip into the bathroom while the guys refresh our drinks. Eli and his date have gone MIA, to the surprise of no one.

“It does sound perfect, and honestly, I’m not sure. It just doesn’t feel right.” I shake my head, knowing exactly why it doesn’t feel right. “Dammit, Justin’s the problem. I’m pissed that I’m still letting him get to me after being ditched yet again.What’s it going to take?” I have serious issues if this last time didn’t cure me from being hung up on him.

“The problem is you’ve got it bad. But the thing is, Richard’s here now, so maybe you should try to enjoy the moment and see where it takes you.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Okay, I’m gonna shake this off. Luckily, it’s easy with Richard since we have so much history.”

“Speaking of, why did you guys break up anyway?” Lily asks.

“At senior prom, I caught him kissing another girl. He said it was because he was too drunk, and she cornered him, but whatever. I was leaving for college, so I didn’t care. We weren’t meant to last.”

“Oh wow, that sucks.”

“Exactly, which is why it’s not going anywhere. He was just the easy button for tonight. That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t pull my head out of my ass and start having fun, though. Thanks for the talk.”

“Of course. That’s what friends are for. Let’s go see if the guys got our drinks.” She throws her arm around me, and we exit the bathroom to find both of them waiting outside the door.

It’s no surprise that Sebastian is antsy. He doesn’t let Lily out of his sight in public places for long—poor guy. I don’t think he’ll ever recover from her kidnapping. I’m surprised she does so well with it, although I do notice she’s very protective of her drinks, which was how it happened in the first place.

Sebastian folds Lily into his arms as if he’d been waiting a week to hold her. It’s sweet. Meanwhile, Richard smiles from a few feet away and holds my drink out when I join him.

“Hey,” he says as I take it.

“Hey. Thanks for the drink. Sorry if we took too long.”

“You didn’t. Sebastian doesn’t do lines, so we were fast. Man, he’s an intense guy, isn’t he?”

I laugh, being quite familiar with his intensity. “That’s one way to put it. Did you guys end up talking at all, or was he preoccupied with waiting for Lily?”

“I’m going to go with the latter unless telling me ‘we should get the ladies’ is considered conversation.”

“With Sebastian, you might want to take it. He’s not very articulate unless it’s about work, Lily, his brother, or in conversation with one of those two. So, don’t take it personally.”

“Good to know. Maybe you should consider coming on board with our firm. I’m way more fun than that guy.” He raises a brow, making me laugh again.

We have such easy banter. I think I’m ready to relax and be in the moment like Lily suggested. It’s time to let loose and see where the night goes.

MAKE MY WISH COME TRUE

Justin

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