Page 73 of Vixen's Guide to Christmas
“I do. I have this thing called a job that you pay me to do. And last I checked, it’s in Nashville, where you are firmly planted. Therefore, that’s where I’ll be. Plus, I like it there. I’ve settled in.”
“But you don’t have to,” he says. “You’re my head of public relations. Yes, you have an office. But, tell me truthfully. How much do you have to do from that office setting?”
“I—” Shit. I see where he’s going. “Okay, a lot of the work I do for you could be done remotely. But! I have other clients in Nashville. What am I supposed to do, just hop on a plane once a week?”
“Yes,” he says plainly. “I don’t know if you know this, but I make a lot of money. I bought a plane—a plane thatyoutold me to buy—that can get me, or the people I care about, back and forth pretty quickly. Let’s say from Nashville to LaGuardia.”
“But—” I try to bring up a counterpoint, but it falls flat.
“Exactly.” I can’t see him, but I know he’s grinning from ear to ear, knowing he’s won this round. “All I’m saying is that you have options. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Which I know in your Type-A Katherine brain is what you think it has to be. All I’m saying is that before either of you make a decision that you think is final, maybe talk about it. See where you both stand after you’ve had time to breathe.”
He’s right. Today’s news, and the reaction to the news, was fueled by so many emotions. I jumped on Grayson for saying that he wasn’t thinking about this promotion, when in turn, I wasn’t thinking clearly either. I’m still firmly in the camp that he has to take this job, but…maybe it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
Maybe we can have it all?
“Kat?”
“Yeah?”
“If he’s it, even if you think for a second, that he could be the one. That you found your person. The one you want to livethis crazy life with? Then you figure it out. Don’t let this be your regret.”
Those last words smack me across the face.
Regret.
I didn’t want to regret not telling him how I felt. But now…now I know I’d regret not trying. Not fighting. Always wondering if I lose my one chance at love because of logistics.
“Thank you, Logan.”
“I’ll put the jet on hold. You just tell it where you want it to take you when you’re ready.”
“You’re the best, you know that, right?”
“I do, but it’s always nice hearing it again.”
This makes me laugh. “Love you. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, Katherine. Now go find him.”
When we hang up, I have a new feeling of optimism, but as soon as I stand up, the dread sinks back in.
Did he leave already? Once we were done crying, I got up and packed my bags. Staying in that room all day was going to be too much, so I grabbed my stuff and headed to the lobby. I figured I could wait here for my meeting with Declan and Howard before heading to the airport. I purposefully found a spot that hid me from the doors, so I couldn’t see when he left. I’m now regretting that decision.
I grab my phone and bring up his number, hoping that he’ll pick up when he sees my name. My heart sinks when it goes to voicemail.
“Fuck!” I yell, hoping there are no kids around. “Oh! Check in!”
I race over to the desk. “Hi, has anyone checked out of room 403?”
“And who might you be?”
In the five days I’ve been here, I’ve never seen this worker before. Just my luck. Also, I’m not being ageist, but if he hasto look up something in the computer, he might need to ask me what a computer is. “I’m also staying in that room. I was wondering if the person staying with me checked out yet.”
He takes his sweet time typing something into the computer. One slow finger at a time. “The only person on this room is Katherine Smith.”
“Well, yes, that’s me. But I was staying with a Grayson Ross as well. Has he checked out?”
“There’s no Grayson Ross on the room, ma’am.”
