“That’s not really important right now.” Celeste hadn’t thought of it since they’d begun planning this last-minute trip the day before. They hadn’t bothered with the movie on the projector, focusing instead on finding hotels and trying to make arrangements for some time off.
“Of course it’s important.” Kristina sounded annoyed; the dim parking-lot lighting made seeing her expression difficult at best. “You were going to spend Christmas with Mike.”
“I always spend Christmas with him.”
“I don’t mean having him over for coffee and cookies, Mom. Hours and hours together. Dates, maybe.”
Celeste pushed down the bubble of anticipation that created. “We did have a date last night.”
“A real one?” Kristina’s tone couldn’t have been more enthusiastic.
“We had Indian food, at a restaurant, at our own table for two.”
“Mom!”
Celeste held her hand up. “Don’t get too excited. It wasn’t romantic, just friendly.”
“You two have always been friendly. When are you going to get to the kissing part? I’ve been waiting for years.”
Mike was walking back to the car.
“Don’t say that when he’s here,” Celeste said.
“I won’t have to. He’s been thinking about it for years. I guarantee it.”
Celeste hadn’t blushed since she was a teenager, but she was almost certain she was blushing right then.
Mike pulled the door open and leaned inside. “We’re all checked in, ladies. Let’s get our luggage taken up, and then we can go get something to eat.”
“I can stay here if you want,” Kristina said, “then you two can have another dinner date.”
Celeste ought to have known Kristina would jump right on this topic. Any of the kids would have. The only thing they liked more than Mike was giving their mother a hard time.
“Don’t sweat it, kid. You interrupted last night’s date too.” He motioned them out. “Let’s get our stuff in.”
They stepped out of the car and pulled the luggage from the trunk.
“Do I get to go along as chaperone?” Kristina asked. “Maybe sit between you guys in a booth or something?”
If she hadn’t been wholeheartedly relieved to see for herself that Kristina was doing well, Celeste likely would have been very annoyed at her daughter’s teasing. She shot Mike a look of mingled apology and amusement, hoping to mask her own embarrassment. “I’m thinking we should order in.”
Mike walked with her through the hotel doors. “Chinese?” he suggested. “I know you both like it.”
“Sounds good.”
Kristina kept up her teasing as they unpacked, while they waited for the delivery guy, and all through dinner. Celeste was actually relieved when Kristina asked if she could use the desk in the bedroom Celeste had claimed as her own to study for her finals the next day.
The moment she and Mike were alone again, she launched into a much-needed apology. “I shouldn’t have told her we had a date last night. She probably won’t ever let up.”
Mike laughed. “I’m just glad to see she’s her usual, goofy self. If we’d come here and she was somber and anxious, I would be worrying a whole lot more.”
“So would I.” She sat on the sofa next to him. “What do we do now?”
“About what? The creepy guy or Kristina’s offer to chaperone?”
Celeste dropped her head into her upturned hand. “This could be a long trip.”
Mike leaned back, slouching a little. “She’s always been a goofball. I love that about her.”
