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The other two women fell silent, exchanging a look that included Paula. Paula realized she felt an affinity for these women, if only based on their mutual distaste for being excluded from the conversation.
She started to signal they should move away and leave the men to it. But Bastian had his arm firmly around her waist, Trey was still gripping his wife’s hand, and March was playing with Lia’s hair. She wondered if it was accidental or on purpose that they were effectively keeping the women from wandering off. Judging by how quickly they shook off the guests, she guessed the latter.
When the guests were gone, March turned to Lia. “I saw what you tried to do there, my darling. What happened to the loyalty?”
Trey, his face in his phone, said something beneath his breath to Maylin, then to all of them: “What do you say we move this show to the theater?”
“I thought you were heading out,” Bastian said to him.
“We can hang for a few.”
“There’s a theater in this place?” Paula said as they all headed up the grand staircase. “I don’t remember that on the tour.”
“I’m not surprised. They change it up each year to keep interest going.”
They entered what could only be described as a quaint, old-fashioned style movie theater with red draperies and grand, intricately carved wood boiseries. Aside from the ultra-modern wall-to-wall monitor that served as a movie screen, Paula could imagine she’d been transported into the silent movie era.
“We should all come here one day and watch something,” Maylin commented, plopping down on a velvet-backed chair. “We could have aHome Alonemarathon.”
“Home Alone? Are you a John Hughes fan?” Paula asked.
“Yeah. I love those big families. I highly advise you never to be abandoned as a baby,” she said with a wide smile. “It’ll make you into the worst sap.”
“That’s no excuse for John Hughes,” Trey told her. “Or any movie with John Candy.”
“Hey, I like John Hughes,” Paula said. “And IloveJohn Candy.”
Lia said, “I know!” and Maylin burst out, “Oh my god, John Candy was the best!”
“Were you serious?” Paula asked Maylin. “You were abandoned as a baby?”
“I totally was. And here I am alive and breathing, so fuck them, right? I amamazing!” Maylin spread out her arms.
“Don’t joke, you are amazing,” Trey said, squeezing her close.
“Who’s joking, dude?”
Smiling, Paula leaned against Bastian, vaguely aware that he had pulled her against him. She definitely noticed when his fingers began to wind through her hair at the nape of her neck. “What Christmas movies do you like?”
“Who are you asking?” he said.
“You,” she said huskily. His fingers wereallover her hair. Usually she hated people touching her hair, but at the moment? The sexy tingling it generated was making her stupid.
“It has to be Christmas movies?”
“Isn’t that what I said?” Paula said tartly.
There was a short silence. She noticed the others looking expectantly between Trey and Bastian. The two men said as one, “Bad Santa.”
Paula pulled away and made a puke face.
A smile in his voice, Bastian said, “Don't like dark comedies?”
“No, I do not.”
“So what’s yours?”
“Henry Winkler,American Christmas Carol,” she answered immediately. “It’s, ah, heartwarming.” She was distracted by the feel of Bastian’s fingers returning to stroke the base of her neck.
