Page 29 of Hostile for the Holidays

Sadie’s in mid-conversation but her eyes meet mine.You okay?

I give her a quick nod before leaving the group. I can’t talk right now, I need a moment to collect my thoughts, so I head straight for the back of the bar where the Skee-Ball game is located. A game of Skee-Ball always puts things into perspective.

I pull out my credit card and swipe it on the card reader, then pull the lever to release the set of balls.

Before the game begins, the lights on the scoreboard flash with the initials of the top three highest scorers.

I blink. The top place holder isn’t SS for Stella St. James like it was a year ago. Staring back at me in the top spot are the initials JJ.

Jasper Jensen.

TEN

JASPER

Tonight,Stella is dressed in a fuzzy black sweater that looks like a cloud, and jeans that hug her ass perfectly. Her hair is styled in soft waves that make me want to reach out and run my fingers through it. She’s wearing large jeweled Christmas tree earrings that shimmer in the bar lights every time she turns her head. They’re similar in style to the wreaths she had been wearing on the plane.

She’s fucking gorgeous, even when she’s fuming mad, and right now, she’s furious.

I’d given her a moment to retreat after the New York news had settled over the group. Everyone thought it was sweet that I was making our long-distance relationship work by moving to New York. Everyone except Stella.

Now, I’ve made my way to the back of the bar where she’s standing at the Skee-Ball game, her face flush with anger.

She points at the Skee-Ball machine where the top score listed has initials JJ. That’s me.

“I can’t believe you took my Skee-Ball record.” Her mouth gapes open in disbelief.

“I didn’t take it. I beat you fair and square.” Over the years, I’ve gotten good at the game to stay competitive with Stella.“You’re a talented Skee-Ball player, I’m sure you’ll be back on top in no time.”

Her eyes light with her signature feisty spark and I know even before she opens her mouth that she’s going to make me pay for it.

“You’re right, I do have many talents, Jass.” She licks her lips, then nods toward the table across the bar. “Just ask Tanner Windell.”

I follow her gaze to find Tanner and a few of his friends seated by the pool tables. While I hate that Tanner has touched Stella, I know he’s not current competition.

“Tanner Windell is an idiot.”

“Doesn’t mean he wasn’t a good kisser.”

“What was that, eighth grade? Jesus, Stella. I hope you’ve been kissed properly since then.”

But I don’t mean a word of it because no guy wants the woman they’ve been in love with half their life to be kissed by another guy. I’m still annoyed by the position I found her and Daniel in earlier this evening. She said it was innocent, an accident, and I believed her, but that didn’t stop my blood from heating with jealousy.

“Of course, I have. Lots of times. Lots of proper kissing.” She abandons the Skee-Ball game, marching off with her espresso martini to a nearby table, and I follow. “Just so you know, dating in New York City is harder than you think it would be. There are millions of people. Finding the right person is like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

“Maybe you’re looking in the wrong place,” I challenge.

“Maybe you’re judgmental and condescending.”

I move to redirect the conversation.

“Thanks for the tip about dating in Manhattan. I’ll keep that in mind when I move there next month.”

“About that. Did you tell everyone that to mess with me? I thought you were there for business. A meeting or something?”

“My company is opening an office there.” I watch Stella’s face pinch like she’s tasted something sour. “Don’t look so disgusted. There are millions of people, right? I’m sure we’ll never run into each other.”

It’s not what I want, but it’s clearly what she thinks should happen. The clash of how I feel about Stella and the charade I have to keep up to fight with her is starting to exhaust me.

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