Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
DANA
“It’s a spruce.” I sized it up. “Looks like it’s almost eighty feet, which means it would be at least seventy years old.”
“Seventy years old? That’s incredible. Imagine spending seventy years peacefully living your life in a quiet forest, only to be uprooted and placed in the center of one of the busiest cities in the world.” Emily gestured at the crowds bustling around us.
“I can relate,” I said.
Emily laughed. “Hopefully staying with us in Brooklyn hasn’t been quite as jarring.”
“No, of course not.”
“Do they make you feel homesick?” Emily nodded toward a row of tiny wooden Christmas chalet cabins.
I chuckled. “My house is a little more spacious than those tiny chalets, thanks very much!”
It was good to see Emily teasing me. Since speaking to Charles yesterday, she’d been unusually quiet.
She’d also pushed her food around on her plate at breakfast. Was the upcoming meeting with Rebecca bothering her, or was she having second thoughts about speaking out against Phillip?
Either way, hopefully ice skating would distract her.
We walked up to the railings surrounding the rink and looked down at the skaters below.
Some were clutching the sides, others were gracefully skating in time with the pop music playing over the speakers.
The iconic gold Rockefeller sculpture stretched out under the Christmas tree.
Around the railings, gold and silver flags waved in the afternoon breeze.
We stepped down the stairs to the rink and rented skates.
“This is such a quintessential New York experience,” Emily said as she pulled on her boots and then tugged the laces to tighten them. “I can’t believe I’ve never done it before.”
“You couldn’t ice skate until a month ago, so it’s not that surprising.” I laughed.
“Good point.”
I held out my hand to help Emily up. She took it without hesitation.
I tried not to smile. That was the second time in two days she’d held my hand in public, even if yesterday it had been under a table.
Maybe it didn’t mean anything—friends could hold hands, after all—but was it a sign she was slowly coming around to the idea of us being together in public?
If she was, then was there a chance she’d be open to properly dating, to extending our shelf life beyond Christmas, potentially indefinitely?
Warmth pulsed through my veins at the thought. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment.
I let my hand fall back to my side. I didn’t want to overstay my welcome until we’d discussed it and agreed on any new boundaries. Emily had enough on her plate right now, but hopefully once the meeting with Rebecca was over and Emily had recovered we could have that conversation.
On the ice, we started slowly as Emily adjusted. I kept pace with her, speeding up when she did.
“Hey, you’re getting really good,” I said after a few laps.
“I had an excellent teacher,” she said, grinning.
“You know, this is just what I needed,” she said. “Perfect stress release before the meeting.”
I shot her a glance. “How are you feeling about it?”
“Nervous. I know I’m making the right decision, but… Anyway, there’s no point dwelling on it. Let’s just enjoy this.”
We slid to the side of the ice rink to catch our breath.
“All the Christmas stuff isn’t too much for you?” Emily asked.
“I’ve just spent the last two days staying at one of the most Christmassy houses on one of the most Christmassy streets in the world. I can manage this.” I waved my hand around.
Emily grimaced. “I’m sorry, I hope it hasn’t all been too much. Perhaps it’s been a bit like exposure therapy?”
“You’re wearing me down, with all your Christmas cheer.” In fact, I hadn’t had any negative thoughts about Christmas since I’d been here.
She smiled back at me, her eyes sparkling.
God, I liked her. A lot. Too much. A twinge of fear pinched my heart.
Emily glided closer to me, until she was inches from my face.
She gazed at my mouth and bit her lip. Did she want to kiss me?
I wanted to kiss her.
She leaned in, and I held my breath, my heart quickening.
“Oh my god!”
Emily flinched and stepped back. My shoulders dropped.
Two women around our age skated toward us, wearing jeans and puffer jackets. Shit. Had they recognized Emily?
I followed their gaze. No, they were looking behind us, staring at a man in sunglasses, a black jacket and jeans, standing near one of the large potted trees just outside the rink talking to someone on his cell.
“Sorry about that,” Emily murmured. “They gave me quite a shock.” She gazed at the man, squinting. “I think that’s the host of that New York reality real estate show.”
“That’s okay,” I said, even though I wasn’t sure it was.
At least with our agreed arrangement—only until Christmas and no public affection—I had some certainty, an end date I could prepare myself for. But was Emily now considering changing the boundaries?
As soon as things were more settled for her, I would bring it up.
If there was any chance my hopes were valid, I needed to know.