The Christmas Trade: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Iris Lim

Author:Iris Lim [Lim, Iris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Iris Lim
Published: 2021-12-01T18:30:00+00:00

• • •

It’s early December, and even the snow outside is determined to be difficult. With two weeks to Christmas, she’s run out of excuses to delay. Her parents have to know—and she’s just a little too relieved that her supposedly-for-real-now boyfriend is willing to make this call with her.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” he apologizes the moment he walks inside her apartment.

“No worries.” She smiles. “Hope you like pasta.”

“I definitely do.”

She smiles all the way to the kitchen.

After the second instance of someone recognizing him at The Mode, they’ve learned that it’s far better to have their meal conferences at her place. At least, this way, she gets to wind down first as she waits for his inevitably long work hours to end.

She even wonders, sometimes, how he used to manage dinner.

“Should I wait for a formal briefing before we do this?” He asks when they’ve settled down with their plates, tucked comfortably on both ends of her couch.

Lizzie smiles, albeit nervously. “I’ve honestly never done this before either.”

“You don’t talk to your parents?”

“I do. I mean—yeah.” She picks at her spaghetti. She hopes he likes her cooking. “I talk to them often, especially my mom. She’ll kill me if she doesn’t hear from me for a week. I mean, seriously, we’re all grown up, and we don’t need our parents, and we—”

She trails off at the tight look on his face.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” She scrambles to apologize just as his expression turns sad. How can she even consider—“I’m such a jerk. Oh my goodness!”

“It’s alright,” he says quietly.

“No, it’s not!” Lizzie slides her bowl on the coffee table. She scoots closer to him. “Will, I’m so sorry. I—I mean, of course—parents, no matter how difficult, are still better than no parents at all. And I can’t believe I was so insensitive, and I just—man, I’m so—”

“Lizzie, it’s fine.” He meets her eyes just as he covers her right hand with his left. He sports a small, sad smile. “I know you didn’t mean any harm.”

“Not at all—not one bit.”

“I know.”

She nods, glad for his graciousness. She picks up her bowl again when he starts eating from his.

Why is this strong, quiet man—this kind, handsome person—still single at his age? Why is he dating her, of all people?

Lizzie does her daily dose of very necessary self-reminding that he just needs help with the board. Because, of course, that’s the only reason he needs her at all. And he would never ever have asked her out if it weren’t for Charlotte’s schemes.

“Should be still early in the day for your family, shouldn’t it?” Will asks ten minutes later when they’re both mostly done eating. At least he looks like he enjoyed the food.

“Uhm, yeah.” Lizzie slides her phone on the coffee table, positioning it equidistantly between them. “They should be having their typical early dinner soon. At least with my sisters around, my mom’s reactions tend to be a little more tempered—just a little.”

Will smiles. He’s very charming when he smiles.

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