Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
“Come again?”
I slide my co-worker and friend a look over my shoulder as I put away a bottle of whiskey.
Since it’s Christmas Eve, we’re closing down the bar a couple of hours earlier. Everyone is eager to go home to their loved ones—in my case, that means a quick video call with Jada and Paul. It may not sound too exciting, but it’s more than enough for me.
Charlie, much like everybody else, can’t wait to leave The Lair for the day. He invited me out for drinks with his friends, but I told him I needed to catch up on sleep. For once, it wasn’t an excuse. When he asked why, I told him that I’m currently living in a hotel room because someone tried to break into my apartment.
Which explains the agape mouth and freaked-out look he’s giving me right now.
“I’m all right,” I insist. “I’m still looking for a place to live, but I’m sure something will come up soon.”
A girl can dream.
When a somber expression takes over his ever-smiling face, I know I should probably not be so optimistic.
“Allie…” he starts before letting out a deep breath. “Shit, Allie. I’m so sorry that happened to you. I live with my parents and my two younger siblings, but you can have my bedroom if you want. Our couch is pretty comfortable, so no biggie. You don’t have to pay for a hotel. That must be expensive.”
My heart swells. “Oh, Charlie. Thank you so much for offering, but I can’t do that.” I reach over the bar and squeeze his arm in a friendly gesture. “I promise I’m okay. The hotel is cheaper than you think.”
He doesn’t look or sound convinced. “You said Travis is staying with you?”
There’s no accusation in his voice, only curiosity and worry. Yet I feel my neck heating up, then my cheeks, and I lower my gaze to check something behind the bar that doesn’t exist.
“He’s staying in the room next door.”
Non-fraternization policies aren’t a thing in The Lair, clearly, as Jude and Sandra have been married for years. Still, nothing is going on between me and Travis besides maybe the beginning of an unlikely friendship. I don’t want people to think otherwise.
“That’s nice of him,” Charlie says. “Have you hooked up yet?”
What. The. Hell.
Charlie barks out a laugh. “Don’t give me that look. I was just asking a question.”
“What kind of question is that ?”
The traitor only shrugs. “You think I can’t see the tension? Smell it in the air?”
Now I’m wondering if my good friend, this boy who crawled his way into my heart and refused to let the strings of our friendship go, hit his head when I wasn’t looking. Because there’s no way he just said that.
My heart is beating too fast to say anything other than “You’re nuts.”
“That’s why you’re all red?”
I palm my cheeks, feeling the warmth of my skin. “I’m embarrassed. You’re insinuating I’m sleeping with the boss.”
“I wasn’t insinuating anything, Allie Cat. I’m just curious about your love life.”
I don’t think the glare I send him intimidates him in the slightest since he throws his head back in laughter.
“It’s not funny,” I say.
“But it is.”
I don’t know where Travis is, but if he comes out of nowhere and overhears Charlie, I will literally die on the spot.
“We haven’t hooked up.” I will my voice to sound steady as I look him in the eye. “In the past or ever. I’m not interested.”
He shakes his head in amusement. “You’re a little liar, aren’t you?”
Something clogs up my throat, and I remind myself he doesn’t know anything. He’s only joking about Travis.
I force a smile. “Maybe I’ll take you up on your offer and give some cockroaches a new place to live in your mattress.”
His laughter sounds so honest, I can’t bring myself to be angry with him. “You’re a gem, Allie Cat.”
“And you’re a pain in my ass,” I tease him, “but you’re a gem too.”
He raps his knuckles on the bar. “If you’re done here, I think we can start with the gift exchange.”
“Sure. Let me grab my present from the changing room, and I’ll meet you here.”
It takes us about fifteen minutes to get everything ready to close for the day, and then we’re all standing together in the main area of the bar. It feels a bit like school, and it makes me giddy.
“There are a few different ways to play the game,” Charlie starts. “Normally, we would put all our presents on one table, open the one with our name on it, and try to guess who it’s from. But since we all want to get out of here ASAP, we’ll do the shorter and slightly more boring version.”
“Thank God,” Jude mutters, making me chuckle.
Charlie’s eyes land on me. “Allie Cat, the woman of the hour, will you do the honors and start the game?”
“Me?” I thought he would tell Sandra to go first or even do it himself.
“Yep. Who’s the lucky bastard?” He slides his eyes in Sandra’s direction and winks. “Or lovely lady.”
“Kid,” Jude growls under his breath.
I hold out my present for him, a shy smile on my lips. “This is for you, Jude.”
His face lights up as he takes my gift. “Ah, I already know this is gonna be good. Thank you, Smith.”
I pray that my smile doesn’t waver at his nickname for me. “No biggie.”
Just like I suspected he would, he takes one look at the T-shirt that says, “Proud husband of a freaking amazing wife,” and roars with laughter. Sandra also laughs.
“This is perfect.” He beams, putting his hand on my shoulder and giving it a squeeze. “Thank you. I’m changing into this as soon as I get home.”
“The group chat would love a picture,” I say.
“You got it.”
Jude is next, and funny enough, his gift is for Sandra—a pair of shoes she’s been ogling for a couple of weeks that definitely go over the budget, but we all agree it’s okay because she’s his wife. Plus, they couldn’t be more adorable.
After planting a loving kiss on her husband’s cheek, Sandra holds out the small bag in her hand in Charlie’s direction. “For you, my sweet boy.”
Charlie’s eyes light up like a Christmas tree, but I’m barely paying attention. If I gave my present to Jude, Jude gave it to Sandra, and Sandra gave it to Charlie, that means… that means Travis could have a gift for me.
Not now, heart. Behave.
I’m brought back to the present moment by Charlie’s loud hoot. “Oh shit! Literally.”
When Charlie shows us his present—a roll of toilet paper that says, “This is the crappiest gift I could find,” over and over again—I lose it. Everyone else laughs, too, and I think I even see the smallest hint of a smile on Travis’s lips.
Charlie wraps his long arms around Sandra and gives her a loud kiss on top of her head. “Thank you, Sandra. I can’t wait to wipe my ass with this.”
After setting his precious roll of toilet paper aside, Charlie rubs his hands together and glances mischievously between me and Travis. “See, now the excitement will be lost because whoever I give my gift to will be the other person’s Secret Santa.”
“Just get on with it,” Travis, who hasn’t uttered a single word since we started, grunts.
Charlie puts his hands up in fake surrender. “Okay, okay.” He reaches behind him and grabs a small box. “I hope you won’t fire me for this, boss.”
My breathing stops.
Travis is my Secret Santa.
I ignore the frantic way my heart is beating as he tears up the gingerbread-house-themed wrapping paper and is left with a plain white box. Then he opens it.
Travis blinks once, twice, at the mug in his hands. I can’t hold the laughter in when I read the message. “This is what a grumpy boss looks like” sounds about as accurate as a mug for Travis can get.
“I’m still on the payroll, right?” Charlie asks.
If I didn’t have that grumpy-looking face memorized by now, I would’ve missed the slight upward tilt of the corner of his mouth and the way his stare goes a bit softer and more amused. But I don’t.
“You’re good.”
“Amazing news for me. But sadly, I think we know who your gift is for, boss.”
I’m not ready for Travis’s eyes to find mine, and I’m not ready for how quickly he loses that easygoing inch of a smile. I’m pretty sure I’m not imagining the sudden tightness of his jaw either.
“Bring it on, boss man,” I tell him with a smile. Maybe he’s nervous about giving me a gift—as if he hadn’t done much more for me already. But some people get all weird and awkward about giving or receiving stuff, so I understand. “I’ll like whatever you got me.”
Ignoring Charlie’s hawk-like stare pinballing between us, I focus on my boss as he grabs a smallish box wrapped in plain red wrapping paper and passes it to me without a word.
I tear up the wrapping paper, and my heart leaps at the sight of a book of math riddles and a gift voucher for Barbara’s bakery. “I love this, Travis. It’s perfect. Thank you.”
It really is. He knows math is my thing, and the fact that he remembered and put care into his gift makes my insides go all gooey.
As we make our way to the changing room, Jude thanks me again for the funny T-shirt, and I overhear Charlie telling Sandra how he can’t wait to take a shit. Fun mental picture right there.
After our gift exchange, Travis disappeared somewhere, and I haven’t seen him since. I don’t know if he’ll stay at the hotel tonight, too, but probably not. Nobody wants to spend the holidays away from home and their loved ones if they can prevent it, so I’d understand.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us, dear?” Sandra asks me before they head over to their car. She knows I spent the holidays alone last year and that this one will be no different. “I promise it’s no trouble. You like kids, right? Our grandson is coming over.”
I give her an apologetic smile. “I love kids, and thank you so much for offering, but I’m fine on my own. Really. I don’t celebrate Christmas anyway.”
The look she gives me is so full of pity, I suppress a wince. “It’d be a pleasure to have you over for dinner. If you change your mind, just call me or Jude.”
“Okay.” She knows I won’t, but I still appreciate her kindness. “Thank you again.”
“Of course.” She gives me another quick hug. “Take care, Allie, and happy holidays.”
“Merry Christmas to you guys.” I wave at her as she disappears down the street, following Jude and Charlie, who are chatting as they walk to their respective cars.
I’m zipping up my coat, ready to follow them, when an unmistakable voice stops me.
“Allie.”
I turn to him with a smile. “Yes, boss man?”
The tight look on his face tells me what his words don’t—he’s done being my babysitter. And I’m fine with it, really. So what if knowing he was right next door allowed me to sleep through the night and not wake up drenched in my own sweat? Big deal.
He moves until the tips of his boots nearly graze my sneakers. “I have something else for you.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
Wordlessly, he reaches into one of his pockets and gives me a key.
If this were a movie and I had been watching it, I would’ve understood what that key meant right away. But because this is my life—a life I’m starting to doubt is even real—my mind empties.
My eyes are on Travis as I hold up a single house key between my fingers. They may or may not be shaking a little.
“What is this?”
Nothing, not a single thing in this world, could’ve prepared me for the words that leave Travis’s mouth next.
“You’re moving in with me.”