Page 19 of The Holiday Honeymoon Switch
Her phone quacks again.
Hey! You okay? Still getting friendly with Eco Superman?
Turns out he’s Eco Clark Kent! We know each other from high school, but I didn’t realize that until he put his glasses on.
Uh-oh, does that mean the rental swap jig is up?
Yes. It’s fine, he’s coming by with a new contract for me to sign tomorrow.
What are the odds?Ivy texts.
It really is a crazy coincidence.
Sort of a romantic one?
Ha ha ha, but I have anything but romance on my mind right now.
So, you’re doing okay?
As okay as I can be. Please don’t worry about me. What’s it like there?
Dots disappear, then reappear. Finally, Ivy types:It’s great!
Enjoy yourself, make beautiful art, and let ME text if I need you, okay?
There’s a long pause. Dots reappear and dissapear, and then Ivy finally texts,Okay. Love you.
Love you. Going to watch a movie and then bed.
How about “Can’t Buy Me Love” in honor of the now-hot Aiden?
Holly smiles.I only downloaded sad Christmas movies. I’m trying to make myself finally cry. Going to start with “Meet Me In St. Louis.”
Ivy responds with a row of weeping emojis.Text me for moral support when you get to the part where Judy Garland sings “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” in the SADDEST WAY POSSIBLE. Night.
Holly puts down her phone and starts the movie on her laptop—but even when Judy Garland mournfully labors over every syllable of an already emotion-filled Christmas song,she remains dry-eyed. When the movie is over, she brushes her teeth, turns out the lights, and climbs up the loft to bed. Tidal waves of stars are visible through the skylight. She counts them slowly, one by one, before finally falling asleep.
5
Ivy
December 18
Kauai, Hawaii
Ivy gazes into the resort bartender’s arresting ocean-hued eyes as he repeats that he’s found the perfect solution to her problem of having no place to stay in Hawaii.
“There’s a beach house just around the corner from here, a ten-minute walk that way. I rent there when I’m here in Kauai, and I happen to know one of the rentals fell through just this morning. Meaning there’s a vacant, reasonably priced apartment right on the beach, and I’m sure Larry, who owns it, would be thrilled for you to use it.” He sends a text, and his phonebingsa response straightaway. He sends one more, then looks up at Ivy. “Two hundred a night sound okay?”
“But…” Ivy shakes her head. “I can’t just go stay at some random beach house with two guys. I don’t even know your name.”
“It’s Oliver.” The one-dimple smile is back. “And Larry’s a woman,” he says with a laugh. “It’s short for Larisa.”
She tilts her head. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
“Because I’mnice. And you seem nice. And because, like I said, Matt seems like the ultimate dickbag.” He holds up his phone. “You can chat with Larry yourself, see how you feel after that?”
She accepts his phone and chats for a few minutes with Larry, who has a warm voice, lightly laced with a Mexican accent, and insists she’d be delighted to have Ivy rent the now vacant apartment in her villa. Ivy hangs up and hands the phone back to Oliver.
