“What else could it be?”
He lifts his free hand to my face, cupping my cheek, running his thumb over my lower lip. Our eyes meet; I swear he can see through me. “Do we have to decide now? Can we not just see what happens?”
My breathing hitches. “I suppose so.”
“Good,” he says, placing his lips on mine. The kiss is soft, gentle, and intimate… and over too quickly. My body aches for his touch again. “Christmas Eve, I’ll pick you up at seven. Now, I need to go before I push my luck.”
I snort.
He withdraws, then drains his glass in one swig before putting it on the table in front of us.
“Until then.”
He stands, grabs his jacket, and strolls over to the front door, disappearing through it without a backward glance. I stare after him, my lips still tingling. Whatever this is, it’s no longer pretend.
Chapter twenty-eight
Amy
“So, let me get this right?” Katie says.
I’m lying on my belly in bed chatting with her on my tablet, having just showered. My hair is wrapped in a towel, and I’m wearing my snuggly robe. Although I’m excited to see Ivan, the thought of getting dressed is unwelcome.
“You’re dating, but not dating. He’s giving you all the feels, but you’re not together. And,” she pauses for effect, “you’re going to his family’s Christmas Eve meal.”
“Yes,” I reply, trying to keep my face straight at her expression, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion. I miss my friend.
“That makes no sense.”
“We’re seeing how it goes. I’m not prepared to categorize our relationship,” I tell her.
“It’s a relationship now?” she snorts, shaking her head. “You really need to update your relationship status fromdivorcedtoit’s complicated.”
I roll my eyes. “In the loosest sense of the word,” I reply sharply, becoming annoyed with her prodding. “Anyway, how are you? What are your plans for the big day tomorrow?”
Her face falls. “Oh, Brad has a group of friends coming for Christmas dinner. There will be caterers, and God knows what else.” Her tone dims like fading sunshine. She glances off-screen, her voice barely a whisper. “It’s all so different here.”
“You could always come home,” I tell her, hopeful. The distance between us feels wider than the ocean.
She shakes her head. “No, this is where I’m meant to be,” she says with renewed determination. I don’t argue, not wanting to make her mad. “Okay, just remember, I’m here if you ever need me. Phone me anytime, day or night.”
She gives me a soft smile in return. “I’m fine, Amz.” A man’s voice drones behind her, and she immediately ends the call. The screen goes black. I’m left staring at myself.
That evening, I take in my reflection in the full-length mirror. My red dress wraps around my bosom, waist, and hips before fanning out gently and finishing just below my knees. Platinum blonde curls frame my softly bronzed face, complimented by bright red lips. Simple black kitten heels complete the look.
Festive, sure. But do I look like I’m trying too hard? I swipe another coat on my lips, praying it all comes together.
Ivan is due any minute to collect me for this Christmas meal. I’m nervous, terrified really. The man has the gift of silence between visits. The odd text message to confirm plans or details, but no good morning messages or a simple “How are you?”
It is in complete contrast to my ex-husband, who was constantly in touch. Hardly an hour went by with no contact, irrespective of where we both were, especially in the beginning. Ivan Harley is a whole different ballgame.
***
Ivan’s Auntie Meryl sits in the old red floral chair in the cramped living room of her shoebox-sized brick house, just two rooms on the ground floor and two above. Unchanged since the 1980s, the kind you see in every small town.
Her thinning gray hair is tightly permed against her head, and her withered body is swamped by the fern-green pleated skirt and wool jumper ensemble she wears. Her family gathers around her, waiting with bated breath for her to speak. It’s like she’s a mafia don, not an elderly woman.
“I can’t believe she still lives on her own,” I whisper to Ivan, sitting beside me on the sagging couch. His mouth opens, but he’s interrupted by his aunt.
