Annihilate Me: Holiday Edition (5 page)

“At
some point, I
’
ll
need to.
 
But if he does go to Maine, what are the
sleeping arrangements?”

“Each
of you would have your own room.”

“That
’
s good.
”

“Is
it?”

“Look,
at this point, if he
’
d just
make a move, I
’
m more
than ready to go there with him.
 
We
’
ve been dating for months now.
 
It
’
s
time for something to happen beyond a mere kiss at the end of the night.
 
It
’
s
time for a major next step.
 
Otherwise, we’ll likely end up being friends.”

“Do
you feel anything when he kisses you.”

“Right
down to my toes.”

“Do
you think he does?”

“Actually,
I do.
 
Which just makes this
situation even more fucked up.”

“Who
knows?
 
Maybe the powers of
Christmas magic will get you properly laid.”

“Right,”
she said.
 
“And in a house filled
with people who will hear every moan and groan.”

“Oh,
no,” I said.
 
“You haven
’
t been to the house.
 
It
’
s
big.
 
Not huge like some houses on
the coast, but it certainly isn’t small.
 
The bedrooms aren
’
t on top
of each other, either—they
’
re kind
of spread out over three levels, two of which are on the first level.
 
Those could be yours and Tank
’
s.
 
Each has its own attached bath, so you
’
d both have your own suite.
 
If you two did decide on that next step,
no one would know unless you started to howl at the moon.”

“You
know I’m a moaner.”

“Maybe
you could stifle it….”

“His
name is Tank.
 
Look at the size of
him.
 
If he’s anatomically correct,
which I certainly hope he is, I’ll be destroyed.”

“Just
bite your bottom lip.”

“I’d
cut through it.”

“Take
it out on the mattress.”

“If
Tank and I go there, Alex better have a supply of them.
 
There will be no stopping me.”

I
giggled at that.
 

“Look,
either way, I
’
m onboard,” she said.
 
“I really didn
’
t want to go home to see the rents just
yet.
 
I was hoping to do that in the
spring or summer, when the third book is out and I will have been gone a full
year.
 
I want them to see that they
were wrong about us lasting a year in New York.
 
That
’
s important to me because they doubted
whether we could do it, which we will.
 
So, at the very least, count me in, even if I turn out being a third
wheel.”

“So
long as I
’
m around, you’ll never be
the third wheel.
 
And I told you,
Blackwell and her two daughters will be there.
 
Alexa and
Daniella
are just a few years younger than us
, so
we’re all right around the same age, which
is great, even though Blackwell warned me that they can be difficult.”

“There’s
a surprise.”

“I
think she’s overreacting.”

“Blackwell?
 
Overreacting?
 
That never would have occurred to
me.
 
And by the way, if Tank bails,
poor Alex.
 
He’ll have to bear the
brunt of five women.”

“He
’
ll see it as a gift.
 
Knowing him, he
’
ll eat it up.”

“When
do you think we
’
ll know
about Tank
’
s decision?”

“He
might already have agreed.
 
Alex was
going to ask him this morning, but I haven
’
t talked with him yet.”

“Are
we cooking Christmas dinner?
 
That
would be fun.”

“Let
’
s just say that Blackwell is cooking it.”

“Oh,
no she isn
’
t.”

“Oh,
yes she is.
 
Her daughters pretty
much challenged her to do it.”

“They
did?”

“Let’s
just say that they have their issues.
 
But Blackwell wants to prove them wrong.
 
She wants to prove to them that she is
capable of making a proper holiday dinner from scratch.
 
She
’
s never done it before, and she told me that
it
’
s important to show them
that she has it in her.”

“That’s
a lot of work for one person, even an experienced cook.
 
She could fail big time.”

“That
’
s what I thought.
 
I suggested that you and I could help,
but she
’
s determined to do it
herself.
 
I respect what she’s
trying to do,
but you know she could end up overwhelmed. Remember the
planning? Our mothers used to make the pies the night before, then they’d focus
on the meal the next day. I don’t think Blackwell knows what she’s in for, but
that woman does have a track record of pulling off the impossible. Knowing her,
she’ll read everything she can, and march into that kitchen with an armload of
recipes and notes. Can she pull it off? Who knows? We're talking about a woman
who eats ice for lunch. Still, I wouldn’t bet against her
.”

Lisa
hesitated.
 
“I
’
d hate to see her embarrass herself in front
of her daughters.
 
Maybe she
’
ll let us help a little.”

“We
’
ll see.
 
She did say that if things got out of hand, she would call on us for
help.
 
But we
’
re talking Blackwell here—I don’t know
what it will take for her to pull that trigger.
 
She’s too proud, especially when faced
with a challenge.
 
I have a feeling
that she
’
ll lock herself in that
kitchen until either the bird—or her bird—is cooked.”
 

CHAPTER FOUR

When
I got off the phone with Lisa, I left my office to see if Alex was in his.
 
I looked over at Ann, who was clicking
away on her computer, and said, “Is he in?
 
If he is, I
’
m
sneaking inside.”

“He
’
s in.
 
And I have a feeling he
’
d love
to see you.”

I
went inside and closed the door behind me.
 
Alex was at his desk reading something on his computer.
 
When he saw me, his face brightened, he
stood up, and came over to me.
 
I thought
he looked dashing in his charcoal gray suit, which he
’
d paired with the red tie I
’
d bought him the week before.
 
He kissed me on the neck, then on the
lips, and then unexpectedly on the tips of each breast.

“You
’
re frisky!

“‘Tis
the season.”

We
kissed for a long moment before I had to pull myself together.
 
One more kiss, one more brush of his
stubble
against the base of my neck, and he might
as well have at me on the sofa.

“Hold
on there, cowboy.”

“Why?”

“Because
we
’
re in the middle of
a....ohhh, why do you always do that to me....”

He
brushed his lips close to my ear, one of the most sensitive parts of my body,
and then he kissed me again as he pressed his hand between my legs.
 
“Maybe later?” he said.

“Is
that even a question?”

“After
last night
’
s acrobatics, it is.”

“Then
you should already know the answer, although the next time we do that?
 
Let
’
s at least have some stage lighting.
 
If we’re going to be watched, I
’
d prefer to look my best.”
 

He
smiled at that and squeezed my butt.
 
The moment my nipples responded to that gesture, I pulled away from
him.
 
We needed to focus.
 

“Let
’
s be good and commiserate,” I said.
 
“If we
’
re going to pull this off, I have to be able
to think clearly, which I can
’
t do when
you do whatever it is that you do to me.
 
It
’s impossible.
”
 
I pointed at the sofa beside us.
 
“Don
’
t think I
’
m above throwing myself down on that.”

“Don
’
t think I
’
m above bending you over my desk.”

“Don
’
t think I
’
m above lying down on the floor and having
you strip off my clothes.”

“Don
’
t think I
’
m above ripping them off you before you even
have a chance to start.”
 

I
closed my eyes and tried to collect myself.
 
Worthless.
 
“OK, so now I totally want you.”

“Later.
 
Let
’
s talk first.”

“Oh,
so now he puts on the brakes.”

“I
believe you suggested that we commiserate?”

“Fine.
 
Blackwell and the girls are a go.”

“Great!”

“But
here
’
s the catch.
 
Daniella and Alexa challenged her to
cook Christmas dinner
alone.
”

“That
sounds like them.”

“She
said they can be rude.”

“I’ve
witnessed my share of that.”

“I’m
worried that she might fail.”

Alex
sat
on the arm of the sofa.
 
“Maybe she
’
ll surprise us.”

“It
could happen.
 
I know she wants to
prove them wrong.
 
Lisa and I are
prepared to step in and help if she needs it, but I have a feeling that she
’
ll keep us out.
 
She
’
s nothing if not determined.”

“Lisa
is coming?”

“She
is.
 
How about Tank?”

“He
’
ll be there.”

“Praise
Jesus,” I said.
 
“Lisa was worried
that he wouldn’t come.”

“What
’
s up with those two anyway?” he asked.
 
“I thought everything was going well.”

“I
don’t know.
 
There’s no question
that they like each other and that there’s a mutual attraction, but both have
been burned.
 
Getting over that hump
can take a lot of faith, as we both know well.”

“Maybe
this will do it for them.”

“I
hope so.
 
I told Lisa that if Tank
did come that they could have the two bedrooms on the first floor.
 
That way, if something should happen
between them—and let’s have a moment of silence that
something
happens between them—they can have their privacy.”

“Makes
sense to me.”

“So,
it looks as if this is going to happen.
 
What do we do next?”

“I
’
ll take care of everything.
 
Just a few phone calls, and the house
will be ready for everyone.”