Where most couples spend Friday evenings eating takeout and binge-watching a show while cuddling on the couch, Justin and I work. It wasn’t always this way. When we first started dating, we used to laugh and play and have so much fun I had a perma-smile on my face. We did normal stuff like going to movies, hiking in the mountains, and hanging out with friends. We were great together—the whole this-is-the-one complete fairytale. That honeymoon phase where you eat, breathe, and live for the other person were some of the best times of my dating life. Then we both got busy with work.
Justin has his blanket business, and I have property management.
Romantic, right?
My boss offloaded a bunch of responsibilities onto me. Justin went onShark Tank,striking a deal with Lori, launching his All-Weather Blanket from obscurity into high demand, and that’s when the craziness set in. Our relationship has been running on fumes for the last four months. But it’s just temporary. ‘A short-term problem for long-term stability’—Justin’s favorite line.
I close my laptop and push it to the side, sitting up with a newfound energy. “Let’s do something! We could binge-watch everyNational Lampoon’s Vacationmovie or at least watch throughChristmas Vacationbecause that’s the best one.”
I stare at Justin, waiting for some kind of acknowledgment that he heard me. The soft glow from his computer screen does all sorts of good things for his handsome face. It brightens his light-blue eyes and illuminates the stubble on his usually smooth jaw. This is my favorite version of him, with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his styled brown hair falling out of its perfect place, and wrinkles creasing the front of his button-down.
“Or we could go to one of the fancy resorts and sneak into their hot tub.” My eyes brighten. “Ooooh, let’s do that!” My fingers tickle his arm in what I hope is a seductive way, not an itsy-bitsy-spider way. “I can wear that hot-pink bikini you like so much, and we can gaze up at the stars and watch our breath in the cold air.”
His gaze moves from the sheet of numbers on the screen to me. “Huh?”
“Let’s go hot tubbing,” I repeat with the same enthusiastic smile that’s gone unnoticed.
“What time is it?” He checks his Apple watch. “Eh, it’s only ten twenty-five. I can’t go hot tubbing. I still have a couple of hours here. But you can go without me.”
My chin drops. “Sneak into a resort and go hot tubbing by myself?”
I hate being alone more than I hate spiders, snakes, nails on chalkboards, and creepy men in dark hallways. Mottos like ‘it takes two’ and the buddy system are what I live for. They are creeds I base my entire life around.
“It wouldn’t be fun to sneak in by myself.”
“Babe…” Justin glances over all the work in front of him and shrugs like he has no choice in the matter.
“That’s okay. We’ll do it another time.” I stand, keeping my voice upbeat as I pack my things. “Work hard now so we can play even harder next week, right?” I’m inwardly congratulating myself on my passive—yet smooth—transition into the conversation I’ve been avoiding.
His eyes bounce from the screen to me. “What?”
“Well”—I drag my fingers through my hair, flipping half my blonde bob over past the middle part, creating a wave—“tomorrow marks the beginning of the holiday season.”
“It’s still November.”
“Yeah, but tomorrow is the last Saturday in November, and that’s when my family goes to Irvine Ranch to cut down a tree.” Justin doesn’t seem to remember, so I continue. “My dad built their barn, so now he’s best buddies with Bob, the owner.”
“Right.” He nods in recollection. “Bob Irvine.”
“We go early to get the first pick on the best Christmas trees before everyone else. Plus, this year, my dad thinks he has a great idea for how Bob should arrange the trees.”
“Do you think Bob Irvine would want to sell the All-Weather Blanket at his ranch?” It’s the first time Justin has looked excited during this whole conversation. “I bet people would go crazy for my blankets in his gift shop.”
“Maybe.” I give a hopeful shrug. “We can ask him tomorrow when we go to his ranch to pick out a tree with my family.”
Justin’s excited expression crumbles like a broken candy cane. “I can’t go tomorrow. I have so much work to do. You’ll have to ask Bob Irvine for me.”
This is a negotiation. I can give him tree hunting in exchange for everything next week.
“Okay, well. What about next week? It’s Thanksgiving.” I casually place my hand on his shoulder and massage, as if I can relax him into being excited about the upcoming parties. “Wednesday night is our annual Turkey Stuff, then Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, the Christmas light parade on Friday, and turkey flautas on Saturday.”
And that’s just the next seven days.
Justin’s brows skyrocket. “There’s an activity every night?”
“No, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday are free.” More sweet smiling with a tone that’s an octave higher than my regular voice.
“That’s still a lot.”
