Page 19 of Holidate Pursuit

“We’ll see if that’s possible, Mr. Burns. It’s interesting we didn’t hear anything about you until last month… after you were already engaged. We have a lot to discuss while you’re here.”

“I’m sure we do. I’m prepared to earn your trust by answering any questions you have. Lucy’s a remarkable woman, and I’m in love with your daughter, sir. I understand your apprehension about her future husband, but I assure you I’m the right man tostand by her side.” My gaze doesn’t leave his eyes as I make the statement I prepared on the way here.

“That’s a nice speech, but I’ll be the judge of that. In the meantime, you have a lot of ground to cover. Our acceptance of this marriage isn’t to be expected but earned.”

Their acceptance?What the fuck is his plan if they disapprove?

“Understood, sir.” If this situation weren’t fictional, I would have a much different response to this uptight asshole.

I avoid losing my cool thanks to Lucy, who seems to snap out of the fog she’s been in and intervenes. “Sorry I didn’t warn you. I was so excited when he showed up at the airport that I wasn’t thinking clearly, and it never crossed my mind to let you know. We’d like to freshen up before dinner, so do you mind if I give Justin a tour as I show him to his room?” She links her arm with mine and pulls me toward the hallway.

“That’s a good idea. Be down in an hour appropriately dressed,” her mom orders as Lucy drags me away.

We don’t make it far before Darryl appears out of nowhere. “Miss Lucy, I put you and Mr. Burns in the right-wing guest quarters. I assumed you would want your privacy,” he informs us with a bow—something I don’t think I’ll ever get used to.

“Oh, okay. I guess that makes sense. Thanks, Darryl,” she responds, dragging me onward. “See you all soon,” she yells over her shoulder since we’re already ten steps out of the room and booking it in the direction we came from.

“What does appropriate dress entail?” I ask Lucy, who’s let me go but is still frantically rushing through the house. My arm darts out to stop her. “Whoa, slow down there.”

“We have bigger issues to worry about than what clothes to wear. We’re expected to sleep in the same room,” she whispers in the foyer at the base of the stairs.

“What did you think was going to happen? We’re adults who have been dating and are currently engaged to be married. Did they think you were saving yourself for marriage, or do you suppose they know we’vealreadydone the deed?” I whisper back, my words dripping with sarcasm.

“Ugh. You’re so annoying. This wasn’t part of the plan.”

“No? What was part of the plan? Because I’m pretty sure you didn’t have one. You didn’t tell them I was coming, Lucy. How did you think me not knowing that information was in your favor? What the fuck?”

“This is ridiculous.” She puts her head in her hands. “Let’s just go back in there and tell them the truth. It’s not going to work anyway. I’m sorry I dragged you into this.” She looks up at me, and the torment on her face is unmistakable.

I know the right thing to do would be what she suggested, but the stubborn side of me won’t have it. I’ve made it this far—there’s no way I’m quitting.

“Oh, no, you don’t. I didn’t just lie through my teeth in there to turn back now. We’re sticking this out for better or worse, wifey, so you better give me that tour. Otherwise, I’ll be lost forever in this palace.” She groans, prompting me to continue, “I’ll let the rest drop for now, but you have some explaining to do later.” Boy, does she ever.

“Fine. I’ll show you enough to navigate your way, but keep up because dinner is in an hour, and you can’t be late around here.” She avoids commenting on my last words.

After a thirty-minute tour, Lucy opens the door to our room.Roomsis more appropriate, and to say they’re over the top is an understatement, which I’ve discovered applies to the entire place. A sizable sitting room greets us with a kitchenette and bar on one side. Opposite the door we entered, two stairs lower into a larger area housing a massive, oversized four-poster bed. The far wall is made entirely of glass, with a slidingdoor to the veranda overlooking the ocean. To the right is an en suite bathroom and larger-than-life walk-in closet, where the suitcases have already been emptied, our clothes hung and tucked away. The entire situation is extravagance at its finest.

“We only have twenty minutes to freshen up, so don’t dally. I’ll take the bathroom first.” She grabs a dress from one of the hangers, and the door closes to the bathroom right as I’m about to ask what to wear.

Judging by her choice, it’s formal, so I choose accordingly and change, deciding to give her space for now. When we return to the room later, there’ll be plenty of time for answers.

NOT SO SILENT NIGHT

Lucy

We survive dinner unscathed and are finally on the way to our room, calling it a day with five more to go. Surprisingly, Trevor was a good buffer at dinner, keeping the conversation from taking a nosedive at any point by taking over when necessary. I wasn’t expecting him to be so helpful after his animosity toward Justin at the airport, but he must have decided to save me from any more torture than necessary.

Mom and Dad drilled Justin about his business and made rude assumptions about its size and significance, but he did well to set them straight on all counts. He remained confident and poised throughout the entire inquisition. Justin’s pride in his company showed as he spoke of all he’s accomplished and the growth sustained since its inception.

He briefly discussed his service in the military, which I knew about, but further explained how it inspired him to pursue acareer in security. He noticeably avoided his childhood, other than where he grew up, sticking to his more recent years. Although I’m curious about his past, my parents didn’t seem fazed.

I’m sure Dad will dig deeper when he gets an opportunity for a one-on-one interrogation, but for now, Justin is holding his own, which is impressive for someone who walked into this blindly.

Speaking of, I’m dreading returning to our room where he’ll finally have me alone and will no doubt drill me about my elusiveness. I’ve done so well avoiding scrutiny, but now that the cat’s out of the bag, I’ll have no choice but to come clean about everything. Well, not everything, but more than I want to.

Being put in the same room is an unfortunate situation. I still can’t believe our sleeping arrangements didn’t occur to me sooner. A pep talk from myself would have been excellent preparation for the awkwardness. While the butterflies in my stomach are about to burst free, Justin opens the door to our room, ushering me through.

To make matters worse, there’s a printed schedule for the week waiting for us on the sitting room table, but on the flip side, there’s a bottle of chilled champagne to congratulate the newly engaged couple.

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