Page 12 of The Holiday Honeymoon Switch
“I’m a lawyer, and a good one, you just said so yourself. Plus, it’s not a felony, just a misdemeanor.”
“You’re a corporate contract lawyer, though…”
“We won’t get caught, okay? It’s a domestic flight. They’ll just glance at your ID and ticket, then off you go. I bet they barely look at your ID at the hotel, too.”
“They’ll want to know where your new husband is.”
“Tell them he died.”
“Holly!”
“Honestly, tell them anything. Tell them the wedding got called off and you want to be left alone. Tell them he has a fungus and can’t leave the room. Admit it will be the perfect trip for you—you’ll get to do nothing but stare at gorgeous scenery and make art fortwo whole weeks. Please, Ivy.” She grabs her friend’s hands. “Trade my Hawaii honeymoon for your Hudson Valley escape.”
“Well—”
“When have I ever asked you for anything, aside from being there for me for every errand and decision to do with a wedding that didn’t end up happening?Please.”
“Okay, fine. If it makes you happy, I’ll do it. But the very second you need me, I’m getting on a plane and coming back. You have to promise you’ll send out an SOS if you need to. That has to be part of the deal here.”
“I promise. If I need you, I’ll tell you.”
“Immediately. Not the next day, not an hour later—in the moment.”
“Promise.”
“And we’ll be together on New Year’s Eve.”
“Yes. New Year’s Eve, we reunite and keep our dinner reservation at our favorite place, with all our friends.”
Holly gets ready to go to her apartment and pack for a wintry two weeks in the Hudson Valley. She’ll return to Ivy’s in a few hours and spend what was supposed to be her wedding night with her best friend, a movie marathon, andGilmore Girlsgluttony levels of takeout. Ivy is already planning the food and the viewing schedule as Holly pulls her parka over her pajamas.
“Maybe the funniest movies of all time, to make you laugh—A Fish Called Wandaand Grinch rolls from Kotobuki,Anchorman,There’s Something About Mary, and falafel from Mamoun’s.Ormovies to make you believe in love again.Brokeback Mountain.The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.Magic Mike XXL. Every kind of ice cream you can think of.”
“Magic Mike XXL?” Holly can’t help but laugh, even in her emotionally deadened state.
“Just trust me. See you soon?”
“An hour, tops.”
Holly catches a glimpse of herself in the wavy elevator mirror and looks away. Her eyes have dark circles under them, and she’s the opposite of a glowing bride. Yet as this harsh reality sinks in, she still feels nothing but numb.
Outside, she raises her hand and hails a taxi. As the car glides across town toward her Upper East Side condo, where she will replace the bikinis and sandals in her suitcase with sweaters and thermal socks, she focuses on what’s ahead, not what’s behind her. The future stretches before her like an endless, frozen river—one she never believed she was going to have to skate alone. “Miss?”
The car has pulled up in front of her building. The entrance is decorated with swags of cedar garland, and a light snow has started to fall. She tries not to think about what a perfect day it would have been for a Christmas wedding, pays the taxi driver, gets out of the car, and puts one foot in front of the other—because she knows that’s all she can do until her heart unfreezes again.
3
Ivy
December 18
Kauai, Hawaii
Ivy is on a propellor plane from Honolulu, circling the island of Kauai—the fourth-largest Hawaiian island, called the Garden Island because of its lush greenery, which she can see from above. The plane descends, lands with a screech, and speeds down the runway. For a moment it feels like the plane might plow straight into a pair of green-covered mountains in the near distance—but then it slows and stops. The pilot makes his announcement, and Ivy breathes a sigh of relief.
The temperature in sunny Kauai, the pilot says, is currently seventy-nine degrees and rising, with no rain in the forecast for days—unusual for this time of year. He signs offwith a jaunty “Mele Kalikimaka,” and soon Ivy is descending the roll-up stairs onto the tarmac. She fumbles in her purse for sunglasses, then pauses and raises her face to the brilliant blue sky, soaking in the feel of the sun on her face. It’s the perfect antidote to the stretch of bone-chillingly cold December days that had swept through New York City for weeks. She pulls her phone from her canvas carryall, turns off airplane mode, and texts Holly to see how she’s doing. The reply comes in immediately.
Almost at cabin, just stopped for gas. I’m as fine as I can be. Don’t worry about me! Have fun!! xo
