This had Billy laughing. She bent over and howled, standing and swiping a tear from her eye.
“What?”
“Come in,” was her answer.
Through all this we’d never left the foyer of her hotel room. With our hands still entwined, we rounded the corner and treaded into the living space.
“Holy…Christmas” flew from my mouth.
“I got a little carried away. You should see Ford’s place.”
“Have you slept?”
The room in front of me looked like something out of a movie or a department store. Lights trimmed every window and the perimeter of the gas fireplace. Garland wrapped in the same white twinkly lights lined the mantel, and in the corner was the most perfectly decorated Christmas tree I’d ever seen. Each one of the ornaments we picked appeared to be hung with exact precision, while the rest of the evergreen was dotted with glass icicles and topped with a rainbow star.
Christmas music played quietly in the background as I took in the wonder.
“Look up,” Billy whispered, and I did.
Right above us, dangling from the threshold, was a small bushel of mistletoe. I couldn’t believe my luck… “May I?”
She nodded, and my mouth was on hers. We stood like that, our clothed bodies melded to one another, kissing, while the world fell away.
“I’m sorry. Again,” I mumbled, breaking free from her lips. “I keep wanting to do right by you, and instead I mess up more.”
“You’re here now.”
“Frank’s not too happy about that…”
“Frank’s mad because of this.” Her arm swept over the room. “Plus, I went to Jamie and Ford’s place in the middle of the night to start there. Between my sending him on errands and his shlepping around with me, he’s in a mood.”
“Good to know. Although I’m probably part of the problem too.”
“Want to watch a movie?”
Classic Billy, moving on, acting like this was the norm—boy visits girl, they watch movie, she falls asleep in his lap.
Which was exactly what happened.
Halfway throughThe Holiday, Billy zonked out, her head on my shoulder and feet tucked under her. I let it play on for a while, savoring the moment when Jack Black as the semi-dorky coolish dude gets the girl, before getting up and gingerly carrying her to the bed in the other room. I left her in her black leggings and over-the-shoulder blouse, which had looked stunning and every bit not basic when I’d first seen her. I didn’t want to take any liberties.
With Billy under the covers, I walked back out to the living space turned Winter Wonderland, and promptly fell asleep on the couch.
I felt the sofa sink and opened one eye. Sitting by my feet was a just-woken-up, sexy as hell Billy, wrapped in a robe.
“Morning.” My voice came out scratchier than I imagined.
“Morning.” Billy’s tone was soft and unsure. “I fell asleep. Occupational hazard, and one I try not to let get around.”
“I mean, Cameron Diaz puts me to sleep too.”
She picked up the throw pillow and tossed it at me. “She’s a friend…”
“I’m just saying, she’s no Billy Conway.”
“I’m well aware. She’s better.”
“Not for me.”
