Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
“It’s still a huge leap from friends to lovers.”
“Maybe you should bring it up with Hudson and see how he feels about this.”
Lark and I moved about six inches forward in the coffee line, and I tried to change the subject. “Maybe I will, once he gets home from visiting his family in Illinois. For now though, I need to focus on my Christmas shopping. What should I get those two?”
“Instead of buying stuff, make a memory,” Lark said. “My boyfriend Dylan doesn’t need anything either, so my Christmas gift to him is a week at a beach house on the north coast.”
“Wasn’t that expensive?”
“Not in January. The website called it the storm watcher special, and it’s totally off-season for the beach. But it sounded super romantic to me—days and days curled up in front of the fireplace with my man, watching the storms roll in over the Pacific while we’re all warm and cozy and naked.”
I grinned at that last part and told him, “A getaway sounds great, especially since you two don’t get much alone-time.” In all, seven of us shared a funky pink Victorian. I loved it, but there really was no such thing as privacy. “Maybe I’ll borrow your idea and plan a trip somewhere.”
“Awesome!” We moved forward six more inches as he asked, “So, where would you like to go? A tropical island? A snowy cabin?”
“Someplace with snow, definitely. Do you think I could find a place for next week? I used to dream of a white Christmas when I was growing up in San Diego, and Hudson gets back on the twenty-fourth.”
“Maybe, and here’s a question for you. If his parents don’t know he’s in a relationship, how did he explain coming back to San Francisco on Christmas Eve, as opposed to staying with them through the holiday?”
“He made up a story about a social obligation on Christmas, something that could impact his fledgling career in broadcasting. Since his dad is obsessed with success, he was all for it.”
Lark asked, “Do you think he’ll ever tell his family about you?”
“I don’t know, but it’s more than just telling them he has a boyfriend. He knows coming out will cost him his relationship with his dad, and that’s what’s always stopped him. Hudson had a front row seat when his older brother Harper came out, so there’s no question how this would go over. On top of that, there’s added pressure when you’re in the public eye. Coming out draws attention, and Hudson’s a very private person.”
“That must be weird, knowing coming out would actually make the news.” I nodded in agreement.
Eventually, we reached the front of the line, then waited several more minutes for our order to come up. Once I finally had an iced coffee in hand and Lark had his extra-large hot chocolate with whipped cream, we took a seat and I brushed my long, pink bangs out of my eyes.
A moment later, an older woman in a cat sweatshirt approached us and asked me, “Aren’t you in that K-pop group? My granddaughter just loves you!”
I got this a lot, as if every cute, young guy of Korean descent was a member of BTS or something. After I convinced her I definitely wasn’t a celebrity and she wandered off, Lark told me, “It’s the pink hair. It makes you seem too fabulous not to be famous.”
“Possibly.”
He pulled his phone from his pocket and said, “Back to your Christmas list. I’m checking the site I used to find the beach house. How many days can you be away from your business?”
“A few, since our employees can run the place without us. Plus, we’re going to be closed from Christmas to New Year’s. Noah and I expected our doggie day care to be slow over the holidays, since a lot of our customers are traveling and either boarding their dogs or taking them along.”
“Perfect. I’m typing in those dates.” After a moment he exclaimed, “This place is so cute! Check it out.”
He turned the phone to show me a log cabin in a snowy landscape, and I murmured, “Oh wow, that looks like a holiday card.”
“It’s in the Sierras, so it’s not super far, and they had a last minute cancellation! It’s available starting on the twenty-third, and they rent it by the week. Do you think Hudson could escape from his family’s clutches a day early, so you could have your white Christmas?”
“Maybe. I’ll ask him.”
I pulled my phone from the pocket of my red hoodie and sent him a text. A moment later, Hudson replied: I was just about to message you. I’m on my way to the airport, because I had a huge fight with my parents and needed to get out of there. I’ll be back in San Francisco around nine p.m. I miss you, Kel, and I’m looking forward to seeing you tonight.