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“That’s not very encouraging,” I said. “You’d think people would ‘see the light’ or whatever and fix what was wrong in their lives.”
“Yeah, you would,” she said, looking a bit disappointed. “But people are creatures of habit.” She paused for a moment. “What would you want to have fixed if you thought you were going to die?”
“Well,” I said slowly. “I have enough money. More than enough, really. So, I don’t know, probably travel. Maybe try for some more personal connections.”
“What?” she said in a playfully sarcastic voice. “Old Ebenezer doesn’t have many personal connections?”
“Ebenezer?” I laughed. “That’s one I’ve never heard before.”
“Well, you came in and humbugged all over the cabin.”
“And I know that I’ve already said this,” I said, “but I’m sorry. It was really rude of me. I had no idea how much it meant to you.”
She gave me an appraising look, like she was deciding whether or not to believe me this time, or maybe whether or not to forgive me. She must have come to a positive conclusion, because she said, “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
“You’re welcome,” I said. “And no, I don’t have many personal connections. After Hannah left, I just had a hard time with it. And when I started making more money by working longer hours, it became a bit of an addiction. I guess I just started using money to fill the void that other people weren’t filling.”
“That’s… really sad,” she said.
“Sometimes,” I admitted. “Sometimes when I do go out with Dean, I try to be more open, but I guess I’m really out of practice or something because it always seems impossible.”
“I feel that, actually,” she said. “I always end up being a wallflower when we go out just because I’m weighing everyone against my education. ‘Isthisperson worth my GPA going down? What aboutthisone? Orthatone?’ And by the time I’ve finished all of my analyzing, it’s time to go home and I’m alone again. Not that I mind. Sometimes it seems easier.”
“It really does,” I replied. “Not at Christmas, though. My last five have been spent alone in my penthouse, working. And despite my incredible faux pas when I got here, I’m actually really grateful to not have to spend one more holiday alone.”
“I bet.”
I glanced around at the decorations, some of which I’d done myself the day before. “Most years I don’t even bother with decorations. I have a tiny little tree I put up sometimes, but most years, the only lights I bother with are the backlights on my laptop and television.”
“That’s also really sad,” she replied, and I could hear a note of pity in her voice, something I couldn’t stand.
“It is what it is,” I replied, suddenly noting how very warm I was. “Is it just me or is that fire doing a good job of making it a little toasty in here?”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Jenna said. Having already doffed her blanket, she reached for the bottom of her sweater, pulling it off overhead.
If I’d known what was about to happen, I’d have looked away or closed my eyes, but I didn’t expect her t-shirt to be attached to the wool of her sweater, and for me to get an eyeful of a very lacy bra—one I hadn’t seen in the bedroom yesterday.
I stared for a second while she struggled with the fabric, taking in an eyeful of her soft curves before she managed to get the sweater off and the t-shirt back in place. By the time her eyes were free again, I was pulling off my sweater, making suremyeyes were covered so she didn’t know I’d been staring.
Once we were both in short sleeves, I saw Jenna’s eyes go a little wide as she looked at me. Dean had always teased me for being so intent on being fit when I didn’t plan on dating, but the truth was, I didn’t do it to get girls. I did it because both of my parents died from health conditions really young, and I didn’t want to go the same way.
Of course, she wasn’t the only one eying the other with interest. Now that she was fully clothed, I allowed myself a moment to appreciate how beautiful she was, even after having slept on a lumpy couch.
But it wasonlyfor a moment as I thought about how her brother—my best friend—would react to me eyeballing his little sister, who was significantly younger than me.
“Is there anything to do around here besides reading and drinking cocoa?” I finally asked, breaking the silence but not the tension.
“Not as far as…” she started to say, but then her eyes lit up. “Wait!”
She stood and dashed from the room toward the hall without another word, and I was actually a bit concerned as to what I was waiting for. When she came back a moment later, she had something in her hand and, despite the way she was hugging herself, she was smiling.
“Holy hell,” she said. “It really is freezing in there.”
“In the bedrooms?”
“Yeah. Where I remembered I had… this!” She held up her hand to show me a pack of playing cards.
And that was when things started to really get interesting.
