Pink Christmas by Tabatha Kiss

Author:Tabatha Kiss [Kiss, Tabatha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tabatha Kiss
Published: 2018-12-09T16:00:00+00:00

6

Phoebe

Max and I walk down the street hand-in-hand. It happens often nowadays but I’m honestly not sure if I’ll ever get used to it. Back home in Los Angeles, I felt like Max’s dirty little secret, constantly dodging his father and co-workers so we wouldn’t spark the Belle Academy alumni rumor mill.

But not here. Not on the snow-covered streets of New York City.

Here, we can just be us.

Stinky hops along the sidewalk in front of us, having the time of her life in the small piles of snow. Max and I laugh with a constant grip on her leash to keep her from running off.

We turn onto our street. I assume we’ll stop to let the dog in before heading back out but I instantly feel like something is off as we approach the door.

For one, we usually don’t knock on our own front door.

But Max pauses outside on our stoop and knocks twice.

“Did you forget your key?” I ask, reaching into my pocket for mine.

“No,” he answers.

“Then, why are we knocking?”

“I told you I knew a good place nearby for dinner.”

“This is our house.”

“I know.”

I grunt, somewhere between amusement and confusion. “Max, what—”

The front door swings open and Thad stands there. A breath catches in my throat as I look him up and down. I haven’t seen him dressed in a suit and tie since his airline pilot days — and even then he appeared wrinkled and worn out after a long day up in the sky.

Tonight, he’s perfectly pressed and clean-shaven with slicked back hair and that old, red checkerboard tie fitted around his neck.

“Good evening!” he greets. “Table for two? Right this way.”

He spins on his heels and marches through the foyer.

My lips twitch as I look at Max. “Uh…”

Max bends and unhooks Stinky’s leash, letting her bolt through the house to follow Thad before hooking his arm around mine and tugging me over the threshold.

“Come on,” he says.

I follow him. What girl wouldn’t?

I let all of my thoughts of doubt fade away and they disappear completely the moment the front door latches closed behind us.

We enter the dining room and my smile grows. The room is illuminated with little more than candles and strings of white Christmas lights. Just as Thad said, a table for only two is set up in the center with folded napkins and a small flower resting in a vase. My nose picks up the scent before I even get close. Jasmine.

Just like our first date.

Max sidles behind me and grips the collar on my coat. “Have a seat,” he says as he pulls it down my arms.

I lick my lips and nod, unable to fully vocalize anything just yet. As he deposits my coat in the closet by the door, I lower down into my chair, fold my hands into my lap, and I wait for him to come back.

Before he can, the door to the kitchen opens and Thad glides through it carrying a small tray on one hand with two small cups and a green bottle balanced on top.

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