Page 26 of Holiday Romance
He sighs dramatically. “But is it really Christmas without one of my siblings barging in on me showering?”
“You guys have strange traditions.”
He gives me a halfhearted smile before returning my squeeze and letting me go. “What about your family?” he asks as I bring my hand awkwardly to my lap. “Are they going to be okay with this?”
“They’ll understand,” I say automatically. To be honest, I’ve been so focused on him, I haven’t even thought about them. “I’ll give them a call in a few hours when my parents are up but it’s Zoe they’ll be concerned about.”
“She’s due soon, isn’t she?”
“A couple more weeks.”
“And then you’ll be an auntie.” He seems cheered by that. “I’ll have to give you all my godparent tips.”
“I don’t need them. She picked one of her friends as the godmother. I sulked for a whole day.”
“As is your right. It’s a grave injustice.”
“That’s what I said. And she just—” I break off as my screen lights up on the seat between us, Gabriela’s name flashing in the darkness.
“Work stuff,” I explain before he can ask. I sigh, bringing the phone to my ear. “If this is about—”
“I just want you to know that I accept,” Gabriela interrupts in a rush.
“Accept what?”
“Position as best person in the whole freaking world.”
“Not following.”
“Michael’s friend’s partner works for Delta.”
I blink at the back of our driver’s head. “Okay?”
“Michael’s friend owes us a massive favor because Michael introduced said friendtosaid partner.”
“I’m really not—”
“I’ve traded in that favor for two standbys tonight.”
My breath catches as I realize what she’s saying. “You got us tickets home?”
Andrew’s head snaps my way just as Gabriela speaks again.
“Well, no,” she says. “I got you tickets to Buenos Aires.”
“Buenos Aires?”
“Where you get a connecting flight to Paris,” she continues, and I groan, knocking my head back against the seat. “Completely bypassing the storm on the east coast.”
“Gabriela—”
“No, it works out,” she says excitedly. “Overnight tonight to Argentina. You’ve got one stop in Atlanta. Then tomorrow at seven their time another overnight to Paris.”
“Paris isn’t in Ireland.”
“I know that dummy, but it’s nearer, isn’t it? You’ll be there on the twenty-third. Granted you’ll both be zombies, but you’ll be a lot closer there than you are now. Come on,” she adds when I don’t say anything. “I did it! You’ve got the air miles and you’ll get your refund for your first flight anyway.”
I will. And I do have the air miles. I have lots of air miles. I’ve been hoarding them for years, on some wild idea I’ll get a sudden impulse to go traveling. And heading south to bypass the storm that shows no sign of letting up is the only option right now. But that’s two to three days of solid traveling and all just to see my family for a holiday we don’t even care that much about. All just to…
