Page 35 of Past and Present

David looked grim but nodded. “Thanks for your help. I’ll talk to her before Emily and I get started in the dungeon.”

Lance clapped his hand on the man’s shoulder. “I’m going to take Riss upstairs and we’re going to work on this for you. You two enjoy the night and tell Tamara to try not to stress.”

Turning to Marissa, he said, “What do you say we go race to see who can scrub a porn site faster?”

Marissa grinned and clapped her hands. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

David shook his head. “You two are… strange. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

16

Sunday, December 23rd

Marissa

A knock woke Marissa from a weird dream, and she jerked upward in bed. “Who is it?” she called, looking to the other side of the bed. It was empty. Where the hell as Lance?

“It’s David Eastman. I’ve been sent to wake you up.”

Marissa grumbled but rolled out of bed and reached for a robe. She’d been up with Lance half the night hacking into porn sites and pulling down content that had been illegally uploaded. Technically they were breaking the law with their hacking, but she didn’t care. Not when it was for a friend.

She jerked open the door and David smirked. “Morning sleepyhead. Looks like you and Lance had a wild time last night.”

“Bite me,” she muttered. “Where is Lance?”

David shoved a hand in the pocket of his charcoal slacks. “He’s helping shovel some snow away from cabin doorways, so people aren’t trapped. It’s pretty nasty out there. I’ve been instructed to send you down the hall to Dakota’s room.”

Marissa glanced at her smart watch. “It’s barely seven-thirty.”

“I believe Lance’s exact words were, ‘tell her if she doesn’t get out of bed and get her ass down to Dakota’s room, I’ll drag her outside and force her to make naked snow angels while I drink hot coffee and watch.’” David shrugged and grinned. “I don’t know what you see in that guy.”

Marissa giggled. “He’s clearly up to something. You can tell him I was obedient for once. I’m going I’m going.”

“So, I shouldn’t mention that you told me to bite you?” David said with a wicked grin.

Marissa wrinkled her nose and shut the door in his face so she could put on more than a robe. Five minutes later, she was making her way down the hall to Dakota’s room.

When she knocked, the door flew open and she was yanked inside. Lana, Bethany, Isabelle, and Austin were all waiting inside with Dakota and they looked like they were about to attack her.

“What the hell is going on?” Marissa asked.

Austin shoved a piece of paper into her hand. “Read it.”

Marissa grumbled but looked down at the note. Her jaw went slack as she recognized Lance’s handwriting.

Marissa,

I know it’s not what we planned five years ago or even five days ago, but I would be honored if you would marry me today. I’ll be downstairs in the dungeon—which will be known as the Solitaire chapel for today—waiting for you at ten. I hope you’ll say yes.

Love always

Lance

P.S. It’s not really a request.

She smirked and Austin snatched the note from her hand while Bethany led her to a chair. “We’ve got less than three hours to make you into a pretty pretty princess,” Lana said.

Austin snorted. “Do you want her to punch you? We’re going to make her into a badass fucking Goddess.”

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