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“Sounds like his son.”
“Hey, Seth isn’t like that. He actually wanted two trees this year. One for our bedroom too.” Ally’s smile jabbed a knife in my ribs, and heck if I knew why.
I was so happy for her. If anyone deserved true love, it was her and Seth. I was probably jealous. Probably wondering if I’d ever find that myself.
If ever a certain other Hamilton man could—
Nope. Aborted. Not going there. It was this dumb holiday. The day screwed with a happily swinging, single-ish lady with a hot, secret lover and made her think she wanted more.
I didn’t. I was happy just as things were.
“Oh, I know. I meant Oliver.” I followed Mr. Hamilton into his office and let out a laugh as I noticed he’d hung the little wooden heart dude with swinging legs off the corner of his desk. “Aww, it looks so cute there. You really don’t mind, sir?”
“Enough with that sir nonsense. Call me James.”
“Seriously?” Ally mumbled in my ear. “He just let me call him James a few months ago. Teacher’s pet.”
“Oh, but I couldn’t…” I said, waving at my face with my hand. I was going to overheat.
“You absolutely can, and you should. I think the rest of this is more fitting for my sons, however,” he added with a wink, passing the bags back to me.
I took them in shaky hands. I didn’t even know why I was so freaked out. Mr. Hamilton had always been kind to me, and I’d known him forever. But everything was different now.
At least I knew it was different. To him, it was same old, same old.
“Oliver will probably toss me out.” I tried to smile.
“If he gives you any trouble, you send him to me.” Mr. Hamilton glanced past me toward Ally. “Alison, you look peaked. Go sit down, why don’t you? Take a load off.”
“Also new,” Ally said in an undertone as we walked up the hall to Seth’s office after saying our goodbyes to the elder Hamilton. “I was joking with Seth he must be getting laid or something, because he was never that concerned about me before.”
“Hamilton baby bun in the oven.”
“Hmm, that may be true for me, but why is he being so nice to you?”
Don’t jinx me, please. I shut my eyes and nearly walked into the doorframe of Seth’s office. Wow, I was going for some clumsiness land and speed records today. “He’s always been nice.”
“Showoff. So, what do you have in mind
?” She braced her hands on her hips and considered. “I would suggest doing the bulk of your decorating in here. Seth’s less likely to have a kitten.”
“Oh, I know. That’s exactly why I bought so much to torture Oliver with.”
“You do seem to enjoy that. Even more lately.”
“What? No, I don’t. No more lately than usual.” I sorted through one of the bags, tossing twinkle lights, streamers, foil doodads, and other sundries on Seth’s desk. “How long do we have?”
“Until they’re back from their client meeting?” Ally consulted her watch. “Maybe half an hour. Oliver has another meeting at three, and you know how he is.” She rolled her eyes. “Must be back an hour early to ‘prepare’, no matter what. Just as well though, since I’m starving. We’re still on for Mario’s, right? Please say yes.”
“Of course. I’m going to smuggle out some of those rolls in my bag for a snack for later if they’re as good as everyone says.”
Ally laughed.
I rubbed my hands together. The best way to dismiss worrisome thoughts was to keep busy. And to enjoy annoying my lover. “Okay, let’s get to work. We don’t have a minute to waste.”
12
Oliver
