“Do you have money?” Her brows raise in such an innocent way that I’m not even bugged at how rude her comment sounds.
“I’m sure I can figure it out.”
“Then what do you want? How can I sweeten the deal so you’ll agree to do it?”
“You can’t sweeten the deal. There’s nothing that I want.”
“Oh, come on. Everyone wants something.”
“Not me.”
I mean, I want to have a better relationship with Justin, but fake-dating his girlfriend isn’t going to give me that.
“Well, then, do it for the rent,” she offers.
“So let me get this straight. You want to use me as your fake boyfriend to make your life easier in exchange for staying at my twin brother’s house during the holidays?”
“Okay, look.” She sighs. “I know it’s not a good deal for you, and I know it means spending a lot of time with my crazy family and me, and then there’s the lying…”
“Yes, there’s a lot of lying that goes into it.”
“Just don’t think about the lying. It’s not meant to be mean-spirited or hurt anyone. Think of it as a way to help your brother out. It would really mean a lot to Justin if you did this.”
“If it means so much to Justin, why isn’t he the one asking me to do it?”
“Fine. It means a lot to both of us.”
I shake my head, prepping to tell her no.
“Please!” she quickly adds, sensing my answer isn’t going her way.
“Sorry, I can’t do it. Things like this are fine every once in a while, but over the course of a month, it’s just not a good idea.”
Her entire countenance drops as she leans against the dresser. “You’re probably right. It’s not a good idea. I’m just so desperate for my family to like Justin that I’m not thinking straight.”
“They’ll like him—eventually—when he shows up.” Or he won’t show up, and you two will go your separate ways.
“I hope so.” She straightens, inching toward the door. “Well, sorry to bug you.” She grabs the handle and pulls the door shut as she exits.
I don’t move at first. I just stare absently at the shut door. Saying yes to their charade would’ve been easy. It’s not like I have anything going on. A holiday party here and there would’ve been fine, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
fourteen
CALEB
Out of all theplaces my parents could’ve picked to move to, Telluride was a pretty awesome choice. The mixture of terrain, scenery, and ski culture is right up my alley. I spent the day skiing, hitting the slopes with all the other non-shoppers. It was the perfect way to clear my head, get my heart pumping, and burn off some of my mom’s apple pie from last night's dinner.
When I got home, Justin had set up some sort of office at his house. The family room and dining room were overtaken by computer screens and All-Weather Blanket employees. I’m not sure why they decided to work from home instead of at their actual office. Maybe it made them feel better about working so hard on Black Friday. Either way, I wasn’t about to stay at his condo, where the business testosterone was at an all-time high.
After a hot shower, I drive into downtown Telluride, where Christmas lights decorate Main Street, and holiday wreaths hang on doors. Finding a parking spot is hard. It’s like the entire community is here for an event—I don’t even know what one. I guess I’ll be surprised by whatever small-town experience this city throws at me tonight.
I stop at an outdoor vendor, waiting in line for hot chocolate because what’s the Christmas season without a warm drink in your hand? Live holiday music plays a little farther down the street, and kids run up and down the sidewalks, weaving in and out of shoppers holding bags of sale items in each hand. I look around, taking it all in. The holiday ambiance is exactly what I didn’t know I needed. I thought I was coming to Telluride to build on family relationships, but as I look at all the families huddled together, I realize family relationships are deeply rooted in the small things like this. In tradition.
“Justin?” I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn to face Summer’s brother-in-law, Brian. “Dude, I’ve been calling your name for, like, twenty seconds.”
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t hear you.”
And my name’s not Justin, so that probably didn’t help either.
