“Look, man. I’m not trying to defraud AAA. It’s just –”
Big Al waved two grease-stained fingers out the window. “Eh, it’s the holidays. Your show was canceled, and I don’t have a clue how you ended up…” he laughed again, not even knowing where to start judging the situation. “…all I know is I had one disappointed little girl I had to pick up from school today. Had to take her to the mall, buy her a hot pretzelandcocoa, had to take her to all her favorite girl stores and buy her a bunch of crap plus that hat, and now I have glitter all over my seats. I’m a single dad, so I do what I gotta do. Including bringing her with me on my shift since her plans with friends to see the concert fell through. So I did all that…and now I’m gonna tow you to my garage, no questions asked.” He grinned a wiseass grin, and Avi saw the next question coming.What are you going to do for me, Rockstar?
Leah leaned over Avi, tin in hand. “How about some rugelach?”
Big Al’s eyes widened. As did Avi’s, in alarm. “I got this,” he whispered, getting out. From his pocket, he pulled his backstagelaminate. The tour was over anyway, and it was just a reminder of his stupid mistake back at the rest area.
He held up the two Labatt Blues still attached to their plastic rings. “For after your shift.” He offered the beer through the truck window. “And for sweet Lorelei?” He dangled the pass, and her father nodded approvingly.
The girl was out of the truck with a slam of the passenger door, her feet barely hitting the ground before running around the back of the truck, coming to a shy stop in front of him. She looked to be about twelve, a pink blur in her puffy coat and UGG boots.
“Hi, I’m Avi.” It was not necessary, but fun to watch her pretend not to freak out. He carefully draped the lanyard over the pompom of her Santa hat. “I’ve been wearing that every day for three months, so take good care of it.”
Lorelei nodded in awe. “Can I… give you a hug?”
Avi crouched, and she leaned in from the side.
“This is going to sound stupid,” she rasped. It was hard to hear her over the noise of the truck and the chains as her dad began to prepare Bertha for the flatbed. “And I’m too old for Santa. But when I saw him at the mall today, I kinda wished…that I would still get to see you.”
“Not stupid at all. I still wish for things all the time.” Avi assured her. “I even made a wish at the Falls today. But I’m not going to say what it was cuz I’m still waiting to see if it comes true.”
Jasmine
Where R U? LMK when you get to NJ and my cousin’s.
Gah, sorry Jaz! There’s been a slight hitch in the plan. Safe, but delayed on the road.
The Uber dropped them in a circular driveway, neon winking merrily around them. Half of the “B” in the motel’s logo sign was on the fritz, blinking “Pit O’ Honey” every so often. Despite that, and its empty parking lot, the place looked like a well-kept, cozy little Swiss chalet. And the price for two rooms was what she had originally budgeted to pay in a more familiar chain for one room.
Sharing one room with Avi Wolfson was not on her itinerary, her bucket list, or anywhere else on her mind. Especially after their dashboard confessional.
Whenever we’re in the same town, we’re in the same bed.
So that was the mysteriousS.
Sylvie.
Leah thought of her empty bed back home, her own wish for someone to look at her the way Avi was describing – like she was art worth capturing, worth keeping.
“Team Horowitz?” Avi asked now, at her side.
“For Team Horowitz,” Leah breathed, hiking her overnight bag higher on her shoulder.
A warm lobby fireplace greeted them, along with surprisingly diverse holiday decorations: an empty menorah on the counter, an unlit kinara for Kwanzaa on the mantel, and a Christmas tree in the process of being decked out by a couple who looked to be about her dad’s age.
“Welcome to the Bit O’ Honey! We’re the Bittners. You must be Leah Gellman and…”
Avi stepped up to shake the man’s hand. “Saul Horowitz,” he said, not missing a beat.
“Leah and Saul…let’s get you checked in.”
Leah handed over her credit card. Just plain old Leah Gellman. The one paying couldn’t go incognito, after all. Avi could disguise himself all he wanted, in dark glasses and as Tobin or Saul or a host of other names to pretend he wasn’t with her in such an unpretentious place.
She had to admit, he had been sweet with his young fan. And the hamster wheel analogy? She was getting glimpses of Avigdor Wolfson she hadn’t quite expected.
“Here we are…rooms 1 and 2.” Mr. Bittner handed a key off to each of them. “They are an adjoining suite.”
“For honeymooningménages à quatre?” Avi inquired.
