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“I don’t think my sister had a clue how cold it gets here.” She rubs her gloved hands together.
I should’ve bought her better winter clothes while we were here. She’s trembling like a leaf and I’m afraid she’ll fly away with the next gust of wind.
“You’re not ready for a Chicago winter if you think this is cold.”
“I didn’t know I was expecting a Chicago winter anything.”
I smack one of her pom-poms. “You’re my date for the New Year’s Eve gala.”
“What kind of selfish people host a gala on New Year’s? Don’t people like to spend it with their families?”
“Sure, if they’re ninety and in a retirement home.” I grab her hand and cross the road with her. Despite her neon jacket, I don’t trust her not to get stuck in oncoming traffic because she’s amazed by all the lights and people.
“Do you ever ask instead of order? First, it was going to New York. Now it’s a gala for New Year’s. Do I have a choice when it comes to you?”
“Sure. Tonight you can decide how you want to have sex first.” I grin. The muscles in my face feel looser this time like I’m finally adjusting to this kind of gesture.
She smacks my arm with the edge of her scarf. “How generous of you.”
“Come on. We’re almost there. Just one more street over.”
We make it to Rockefeller Center. A crowd of people surrounds the massive tree dazzling with multicolored lights.
Zahra cranes her neck back to get a look at the seventy-five-foot-tall tree. “Wow. This puts the Dreamland tree to shame!”
I’m tempted to make the next tree at Dreamland as gigantic as this one to make her this happy.
I wrap my arm around her and tuck her into my side. “What do you think?”
“That this is the closest thing we have to magic. Seriously, how do they even find a tree that large? The North Pole?”
I choke on a laugh. “More like somewhere in Connecticut.”
“Way to ruin the dream.” Zahra stares up at the lights while I look at her. I’ve never cared for silly traditions like visiting the Rockefeller tree but watching Zahra smile as she experiences new things revives a damaged part of me. It makes me want to find other things that would amaze her if only to recreate the same kind of look of wonder on her face.
I’m screwed. Absolutely losing my goddamn mind.
Her eyes light up like the damn tree as she turns and checks out the ice-skating rink behind us. “So, how hard would it be to convince you to go ice skating right now?”
I can’t ice skate to save my life. Where Declan and Cal crushed their minor league hockey teams, I preferred more creative pastimes. I have a higher chance of chipping a tooth tonight than getting laid, yet I don’t care.
“Give me your terms.”
She rolls her eyes. “Everything is a deal for you.”
I tap her red nose. “You’re a fast learner.”
Her smile rivals the star at the top of the tree.
Yup. I’m royally screwed.
* * *
“There’s one last thing I want to do.” Zahra clutches onto my hand.
Snowflakes fall around us, covering our coats and hats.
“Ice skating wasn’t enough for you?”
