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“What would you like to drink?” he asks close to my ear as everyone continues to belly ache about having to spend Christmas at a mansion in Maine with their extended family.
I shake my head. “Nothing, thank you.”
My knowledge of alcoholic beverages extends to the cooler section of the grocery store. I have no idea what to ask for, and it’s better if I keep a level head. I sit on the edge of the cushion furthest from the fireplace. It’s already too hot in here.
Everyone else makes their way back over to the couches to sit.
Ellory sits next to me.
“It is nice to meet you,” she says and pats my knee. “You’re so kind to make the trip out here at such short notice. Granted, we all only had five days to make arrangements, but you must be missing your family.”
I am. Not only Nana, but also my roommates. The Christmas before me looks bleak and lonely with Ginger and maybe Tori the only other people not working.
Instead of telling her the truth, I make up a pretty lie and hope I sell it. “No, I saw my grandma yesterday and she’s my only family. I’m happy to be here with Spencer and to meet all of you.”
Tori rolls her eyes. I tone down my chipper attitude. I don’t want it to seem like I’m tryingtoohard. As someone who participated in musical theater in high school, I feel like I’ve entered from stage right into a dramatic production where everyone has a script except for me. I was never great at improv.
“How long have you and Spencer been dating?” Gerald asks from the other couch, effectively making sure everyone is looking at me.
I rarely mind attention, but attention from these people makes me squirm. Especially when I’m not sure how to respond. Spencer and I have dated for five months out of the last twelve.
Lucky for me, Spencer answers. “Almost a year.” He sits on the arm of the couch next to me.
Tori narrows her eyes as she looks between us. “You’ve been dating for a year? And you’ve never told me about her?”
Spencer lays his hand on my shoulder and looks down at me with adoration. A+ for his acting skills. D- for laying a foundation for an engagement.
“We met at a New Year’s Eve party last year,” he says. “We spent hours talking. She was my first kiss of the year, and I knew it was serious.”
He leaves out two important points: I was hired to sing at that party and the kiss wasn’t over two seconds to celebrate the holiday. Spencer makes it sound like we shared a memorable, life-changing moment. Maybe under the watchful glare of his cousin, that’s for the best.
Tori taps her chin thoughtfully. “Weren’t you dating some model a few months ago?”
Spencer told his cousin about the model who wouldn’t let him watch her eat, but failed to mention me? Ouch.
“Layla and I broke up for a time,” Spencer says smoothly. “But we found our way back to each other.” He holds out his hand for mine. I take it and hold on tight. He’s the only thing familiar in this weird world I’ve walked into. “I love Layla. I know what we have will last.”
Maybe he needs to tone it down a little.
“Good luck in this family,” Tori mutters. She’s about to say more when the door flings open. She screams, which startles me, and I jump in my seat. She runs to the door.
When I turn to see who entered, she’s hugging a man. From the profile view, her head hides his face from me. Next to them stands a lanky teenager with long hair tucked behind his ears and a woman with thick, brown hair weaved through with gray. Her natural look is in stark contrast to the other women in the room. Her brown eyes glisten with tears.
This must be the aunt Spencer’s never met and her twosons. Marianne and … I realize Spencer never told me his other two cousins’ names.
Tori laughs thickly as she continues to hug the older cousin. “You doofus. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“I was hoping my mom would change her mind,” comes the muffled reply.
Dorian and Ellory move toward their sister and hugs are exchanged and tears shed, at least by Marianne and Ellory. Dorian seems to be focused on keeping a stiff upper lip.
Spencer tugs me toward Tori and the two younger arrivals.
When Tori finally pulls back, I catch my first glimpse of the new arrival. It’s funny, because this stranger reminds me a little of Owen. They share the same prominent cheekbones and dark hair and eyes, but the resemblance stops there. The new arrival has close cropped hair and a trimmed beard. He wears tailored gray slacks and a black button-up shirt. It’s just my mind playing tricks on me. I need to get Owen out of my head because I’m secretly engaged to someone else.
But then the stranger smiles, and he looksexactlylike my Owen.
It can’t be … until he laughs and I know it is.
