Page 51 of Santa Maybe
Querida.Didn’t that mean “dearest”? What was this guy’s game? Drew scowled, feeling surprisingly possessive. “She’s with me. As my date. I work with the bride and groom at Northlife Fitness.”
Alejandro lowered his voice. “Between you and me, they’re lucky they were able to book this ballroom on such short notice, but the bride’s parents have powerful connections. Very powerful. I’ve heard a few stories.”
Rosie smirked. “I’ll bet you have. But while we’re here, I want to thank you for sending all those guests our way.”
“To be honest, princesa, the whole ordeal has been a nightmare, constantly having to shuffle guests around. At least your little hotel gets to benefit.” He waved them away. “Now, go have fun. You’re not here to work.”
“You’ve got that right,” she said. “See you later, Alejandro.”
Once they reached the front of the line, Drew ordered a Moscow Mule for Rosie and a beer for himself. Other than Pepe’s margaritas, he wasn’t much of a cocktail guy. He ushered Rosie over to a high-top near the bar. “Do you need anything else?”
She cast her gaze toward a group of tuxedo-clad servers who were headed their way. “I’m hoping the guys in the penguin suits will pass by with trays of appetizers. I’m starving.” Her eyes danced in amusement as she sipped her drink. “Is it my imagination, or did I detect a hint of jealousy from you when I was talking to Alejandro?”
“Can you blame me? The guy called you ‘querida.’ And ‘princesa.’ Those are terms of endearment, right?”
Rosie snorted. “He does that with every woman he meets. I don’t mind, but Selena hates it. She thinks he’s being dismissive.” She smiled up at Drew. “You don’t have to worry. No one here could hold a candle to you.”
Her words made him feel like the luckiest guy in the room. “Thanks for coming. I’m so glad you’re here with me.”
“You’re very welcome. Hopefully, bringing me as your date will make this reception more bearable.”
“I’m way past that now. Tonight isn’t about my ex—or anyone else, for that matter. It’s about getting to spend an entire evening with you.”
“Thanks. Sorry I’ve been so busy this week.” She placed her hand over his. “Work has been so intense that I barely got my Christmas shopping done. Usually, I like checking out all the quirky shops on Johnson Street. Or spending hours at Munro’s Books, looking for the perfect gift for my dad. Instead, I had to order everything online. I also wanted to get a Christmas tree for my apartment, but I couldn’t even find the time to look for one.”
He squeezed her hand. “Do you want me to find one for you? It’s no problem.”
“Thanks, but I wouldn’t be home enough to enjoy it. I appreciate the offer, though. And I really appreciate you putting up with my insane schedule. Once the holidays let up, I’ll have more free time…” She paused, her expression clouding over. “But I guess it won’t matter since we’ll be done fake dating by then.”
The words hit him like a smack upside the head. Though he hadn’t forgotten the terms of their agreement, he hadn’t considered how he’d feel once it ended. How much he’d miss her friendship and support.
Did it have to end in January? Maybe they could keep up the pretense through Valentine’s Day. That way, she could placate her parents for another month and wouldn’t be forced to date some rando on the big day.
Rosie’s voice grounded him. “Drew? You okay? You were spacing out just now.”
He didn’t want to bring up his idea yet. Tonight, when they were in bed together, he could suggest it.
Instead, he pivoted to another issue that was weighing him down. “I was thinking about Christmas. It looks like I won’t be driving up island to see my folks this year.”
“I’m sorry. That’s tough, but I think you’re doing the right thing. I can’t believe your mom wanted you to loan her all that money.”
“It’s not the first time she’s asked. A few years ago, I loaned them two thousand dollars, but they never paid it back.” After a while, he’d stopped asking because it always led to more arguments. “Anyway, since I’m spending Christmas Eve with your family, I told Kate we’d do brunch on Christmas Day. You’re welcome to join us.”
“I wish, but in order to get Christmas Eve off, I said I’d come in to work the next day.”
The blare of trumpets interrupted them. Standing at the front of the ballroom were two of the hotel’s employees, dressed in heraldic livery of red and gold. They played a loud fanfare, capturing the attention of every guest in the room. Once they were done, the bride and groom made their grand entrance, followed by the rest of the wedding party.
Drew observed Evelyn without a hint of regret. While he couldn’t deny she looked breathtaking, clad in a strapless gown bejeweled with thousands of tiny crystals, he didn’t feel anything for her. No pang of anguish. No longing to be with her. Nothing.
Instead, he was immensely happy that he could spend the evening with Rosie.
Sure, their partnership had started out as a ruse—just to get him through this wedding—but it had turned into so much more. Maybe if he was lucky, she’d be willing to keep pretending for a little longer.
Twenty-Two
When Rosie had agreedto accompany Drew to Evelyn’s wedding, she’d thought his primary goal was to show his coworkers that he was thriving without his ex. To prove to all of them that he’d moved on and was now involved with someone else. But as the evening went on, Rosie realized he no longer cared what anyone thought of him. He washappyexactly as he was.
Around his fellow trainers, he was in high spirits, joking and sharing drinks with them. When Evelyn passed by their table, he greeted her pleasantly. At that moment, Rosie no longer felt like he was using her to make his ex jealous. She felt like hisgirlfriend. Like this was a real relationship.
