Page 6 of Holidate Pursuit

“That’s not the Trevor I know. The Trevor I know would show this girl who he is and prove to her she can’t refuse. If anyone is worthy, it’s you, so don’t give up.”

“Thanks, Luce, I won’t.” He looks at his watch. “We’ve only got about thirty minutes ’til the ’rents get here. Let’s finish this bottle and hide the evidence.”

“Lovely idea,” I agree as we clink our glasses and bottoms up.

One more night to go. I’ve got this. I will survive the final dinner with my parents before returning to the land of normal. With one last look in the mirror while giving myself a pep talk, I’m prepared for my pending doom. Hopefully, Trevor’s here already, or I’m going to lose it.

Before rounding the corner toward the living room, voices signal that we have guests. Good. My remaining night home might be bearable. Feeling better about the evening, I enter the room with a smile.

“Ah, there she is now,” Mom says when she sees me.

There are three additional people: a couple who look to be about my parents’ age and a guy who I’m assuming is their son. Perhaps a friend of Trevor’s?

“Lucy, come here so I can introduce you to our friends.” My mom beckons me with her hand.

Silently thanking whoever they are for joining us, I comply, smiling softly.

“Lucy, this is Mr. and Mrs. Whitehall and their son Nathan. They’ve recently relocated from New York, and we’ve been inseparable since. Nathan is also home for the holiday. He works for a company similar to yours, so I imagine you havea lotin common.”

They shake my hand and give me their first names, insisting that’s what I call them. Little do they know, I’ll never remember regardless, so it’s inconsequential. Once Nathan greets me and the formalities are out of the way, my goal is to ruin Mom’s plan to set me up, which I’m positive she’s trying to do.

“While our companies may be similar, I’m sure our positions aren’t. I’m just a secretary,” I point out before asking my mom, “Where is Trevor?”

Brushing my question off by telling me Trevor had other plans, she quickly returns the conversation to me. “Now, don’t be modest, dear. You’re the secretary to the CEO of Dubree Enterprises himself. I’m certain you wouldn’t have that position if you didn’t have an MBA from Harvard on your resumé,” Mom purposefully brags.

“You work alongside Sebastian Dubree?” Nathan asks as if she just told him I won the Nobel Prize or something equally absurd.

Oh geez, here we go. “I wouldn’t say alongside… more like way under, as in the bottom. I’m pretty much his personal lackey.”

“Hell, I’d be the lackey to that man any day of the week. He’s basically a god,” he says, unfazed.

“Lily, his fiancé, would agree with you. On the other hand, I can attest to him being quite the tyrant.” There’s no need to embellish things. The worse I make it sound, the quicker this charade will end.

“I’m sure Lucy has plenty of stories to share. Don’t you, sweetheart? We’ll go join your dad so you two can talk.” Mom ushers Nathan’s parents away in the most obvious attempt possible to leave us alone.

It’s not that Nathan is unattractive. On the contrary, I’d say he’s handsome in a “guy your parents would approve of” sort of way. But I refuse to give in and entertain any notion of dating someone just because my parents want me to. My whole life, I’ve been molded into their ideal version of the perfect daughter, and when I went to college, I realized the wordperfectjust wasn’t in my vocabulary.

I hate to be rude, though, so asking Nathan a question about his job seems like the polite thing to do. “So, what do you do, then? My mom mentioned we work in a similar field.”

“I’m a strategist for a large investment firm in the city. New York, I mean. We’re light-years behind Dubree Enterprises but sizable in the grand scheme of things. I still can’t get over the fact that you work for the man himself. What’s he like?” He’s like a kid in a candy store.

Internally rolling my eyes, I answer and indulge in conversation until Darryl finally calls us to dinner.

Our fathers are seated at one end of the table, Nathan and I at the other, with our moms in between. My mother wastes no time. “You two seem to have a lot to talk about. You could always continue your conversation further if you’d like. Our driver can bring you somewhere for a nightcap.” Here we go. She may as well bring out the prenup.

“My flight is early in the morning, so that’s probably not a good idea. Sorry.”Not sorry.

“Well, at least exchange phone numbers to stay in touch. Maybe you can get together when you both come home for Christmas.”

“You could’ve at least made an attempt. He’s perfect for you. Isn’t that right, honey?” Now she’s trying to bring Dad into it.

He pretty much ignores everything about my life, too busy raising the perfect minion in Trevor. I’m basically a thorn in their side until I’m married, when they won’t give me another thought.

“Nathan seems like a fine young man. His parents wouldn’t have raised any less, I’m sure.” Great, more fuel for the fire.

“Your dad and I have been discussing our expectations, Lucy, and it’s high time you start taking life more seriously and thinking about your future. It would be best if you settled down soon. You’re not getting any younger, you know.”

Funny that I heard those exact words from someone else recently. Mom hasn’t let up since the Whitehalls left tonight, andI’m nearing the end of my rope. I’m so tired of the conversation that what pops out of my mouth next is no fault of my own.

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