Hire a Santa
Hire a caterer
Hire a bartender
Maybe hire strippers (Is it that kind of party? But then again, what party isn’t?)
Decorate the mansion for Christmas
Okay, that was a start. I rolled out of bed and into clothes that at least looked clean. Downstairs, Mr. Tumnus was licking his bowl, which meant I wasn’t far behind Isaac and hopefully would not be interrupting his creative process if I barged into his studio now.
Thankfully the door was cracked and I didn’t have to do the mental gymnastics of deciding if I should knock.
When I peered inside, I found Isaac perched on the bench in front of his piano, staring at the foam wall ahead.
“Find any good inspo in the walls?” I asked.
He didn’t turn around. “That’s part of the process. Staring at the wall.”
I couldn’t argue with that, and even though for the last two days, I had wanted him to be sad and miserable, actually seeing it made my throat tighten.He did this to himself, I reminded myself.To us.But then I was the asshat who had made a rash love declaration. I didn’t think I’d ever stop swimming in the stew of my own regret.
He swiveled around then, hair falling from his bun, like it’d been in the same knot for days. “How are you?” he managed to ask.
I had to fight the urge to take care of him. “Fine. Thanks for feeding Mr.Tumnus the last couple of mornings.”
“He wouldn’t let me know peace until I did,” he said.
I stepped through the doorway. “We need a Christmas tree. For the party. So I need the truck.”
He nodded.
“And maybe your credit card, because I hadn’t exactly budgeted an engagement party into my monthly expenses.”
“I’ll come with you,” he said as he closed the lid of the piano.
“Are you sure you want to leave your cave?” I really, really would have rather done this by myself, but I wasn’t about to tell him that. Things were supposed to be normal.
“The walls aren’t talking back today,” he said quietly.
The Falling Pines Tree Farm was fucking picturesque. Below the grayish blue sky, the string lights zigzagged back and forth inside the canopy tent that was half full of Christmas trees, which was impressive for it being this late in the season.
