Page 11 of Holiday Unscripted
“Again, Nate, you would be wrong, since December is the least popular month to get married.”
“Who told you that?” Joshua asks her.
“Google,” she hisses at him. “Why can’t you be normal and get married in the fucking summer like everyone else?”
“We wanted to be different,” Joshua replies, looking over at Macy, who is socializing with her family and has no idea this showdown is taking place. “Macy loves winter.”
“What’s going on over here?” Jack comes closer to us and falls onto the couch next to Joshua. “It looks serious.”
“Mom and Dad are throwing me to the wolves,” Elizabeth exaggerates.
“Wow.” I look at Joshua, who laughs. “Suddenly I’m a wolf.”
“We are not throwing you to the wolves,” Denise clarifies. “She’s going to be staying with Nate.” She points to me.
“I never agreed to that.” She shakes her head. “I can stay with Jack.”
“I have two bedrooms and both are taken by Macy’s aunts.”
“Great, so you don’t care about your little sister”—she lays it on thick—“who spent the whole day flying.”
“In business class,” Jack and Joshua say at the same time and then share a high five.
“I hate them.” She looks at her father.
“Okay,” I start, getting up and looking at her, “let’s all calm down.”
“I’m cool,” Joshua says, “as a cucumber.”
“No one asked you,” she hisses at him. “I should kick your foot and see how calm as a cucumber you are.” Her eyes dart to him and then his foot, and he sits up ready to defend himself.
“Why don’t you go and get something to eat?” I look at her, ready to face her wrath. “Then we can go, I’m sure you’re tired.”
“Yes,” Zack agrees, “let’s go and get you something to eat. You sound hangry.” He laughs at his own joke. “And then Nate”—he points at me—“will take you to his house and tomorrow maybe we’ll have news about the hotel and, hopefully, everyone can go to their original assigned places.”
She looks down and then looks back up again. “I’m going to find another place to stay.”
“Why are you being so pigheaded?” Joshua asks. “Just stay at Nate’s house.”
“Yeah.” I sit back down next to Joshua and extend my arm across the back of the couch. “Just stay with me.”
We have a face-off in the middle of living room, with all eyes on us. “This is so much fun,” Jack goads, “the two of you.” We both look at him. “You guys always were like water and oil.”
“More like fire and ice,” Joshua corrects.
“You two,” Denise grits through clenched teeth, pointing at Jack and Joshua, “enough poking the bear.” She then points at Elizabeth.
“So now she’s a bear,” Jack teases, getting up and putting his arm around her. “Come on, sister,” he urges, “let’s get some food in you.” He slowly walks away with her.
The minute she’s in the kitchen and Macy’s parents go up to her, she smiles at them and I hear Zack and Denise let out a huge sigh. “Thank you so much, Nate,” Denise says. “We owe you big-time.”
“Don’t mention it.” I look at them and smile. “Glad I can do something to help.”
“You saved us.” Zack nods at me.
“For now,” Joshua adds, and Zack shakes his head, then turns to walk into the kitchen to see how Elizabeth is doing.
“Whatever you need”—I look at Joshua—“just let me know.”
