Charmed, I'm Sure by Christine Pope

Author:Christine Pope [Pope, Christine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dark Valentine Press

Chapter Ten

As expected, the estimates from both Marcelle for the catering and Tori for the flowers and other decor were in my inbox by ten o’clock the next morning. They both wished me a happy holiday, and said they’d be in touch later if I had any questions. Tori also said that she didn’t think she needed to come over to Allan’s for a walk-through as long as I sent her enough photos, and I replied that I’d take care of getting her images of the property and send them to her after Christmas.

All that handled, I made copies of the estimates for Allan and slipped them into a manila folder, which I placed in my tote bag. Also in that tote bag was what I liked to think of as my “emergency kit” — a personal one this time, not something intended for my brides. That kit contained a travel toothbrush and toothpaste, face wipes, travel-size deodorant, and a spare pair of underwear. No, I didn’t know for sure that I would be staying the night at Allan’s house…but I also didn’t know that I wouldn’t, either.

My mother called and asked if I wanted to come over that evening, even though the main festivities would be taking place on Christmas Day itself.

“I can’t,” I told her, cell phone held up to my ear with one hand while I had a small plastic watering can in the other. I made sure to only have very low-maintenance houseplants, but eventually even they needed some TLC. “I have a date.”

“‘A date’?” she repeated, sounding surprised. “On Christmas Eve? Who is it?”

“Um, a guy I met at the Lowell wedding,” I replied. “No one you would know.”

“Ah,” she said, which could have meant anything. I knew she did her best not to interfere in my love life — not that it was exactly a love life, but I didn’t know how else to think of it — but she’d expressed concern from time to time that I was skating a little too close to the edge with some of the men I’d dated. And maybe I had, but I was careful to keep things casual, always broke off a relationship if it looked like things were getting too serious. Of course, lately I’d skirted around the problem by not seeing anyone at all, and yet even that forced celibacy seemed to bother her on some level, as if she kept hoping I’d secretly discover I’d been gay the whole time.

That would have made my life a lot easier, but I knew it was never going to happen.

“He’s an agent,” I went on, taking care not to mention Allan by name. No, my mother didn’t haunt the celebrity gossip sites the way I did, but I figured it was better to be safe, just in case. “He’s launching his own agency in January and so will be super-busy. It’s perfect, really, because we can see each other over the holidays and then go our separate ways.

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