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“I’m not sure about the train times. We should look.”
Jalen blinks at me. “Oh, boo-boo. Didn’t you hear Andreas saying a while ago that he’s going to order us a taxi and not to worry? My poor baby.”
Even though that’s incredibly extravagant, relief rushes through me. “What, really? That’s so nice.”
Andreas finishes getting his card back from the waitress, and she walks off to go get us our doggy bags. He shakes his head. “Actually, I was thinking about that.”
My heart drops. I knew it was too good to be true. No, it was toogreedy.Between the action figures and dinner, he’s been ridiculously generous tonight. He can’t pay for our taxi as well.
“It’s okay,” I assure him. “I’m sure we’ve still got time to make the last train if we hurry.”
He frowns at me for a second before his expression melts. He reaches out and doesn’t just place his hand over mine this time. He links our fingers together and rubs his thumb against my skin. “Oh, no, sweetheart. That’s not what I meant. I’d be happy to pay for a taxi to get you both home safe and sound, but, um…I’ve had another crazy idea.”
I don’t really understand where he’s going with this. I’m still buzzing from the champers and feeling anxious that we’ve overstepped. “Um, okay,” I say with a nervous giggle.
Andreas glances at Jalen, but Jalen lifts his eyebrows in confusion. I don’t think he knows what’s happening either.
“Do either of you have work tomorrow?”
It’s my turn to look at Jalen. “I don’t, no,” I say. My shifts are totally randomly assigned each week. It’s one of the things I hate most about my job. But for once, luck is on my side. I don’t have work again until ten o’clock on Sunday morning.
“Not me,” Jalen says with considerably more excitement. “Not until Monday.” I’m too nervous trying to imagine what Andreas is about to suggest.
He licks his lips and glances at Jalen again. Oh, no. Is this where he asks Jalen to stay and puts me in a taxi? If he does, that will befine!I make myself promise that I’ll be happy for my friend.
“I’ve really enjoyed entertaining you both tonight,” Andreas says. “It’s been my pleasure. So…I didn’t know if perhaps you wanted to stay at my place tonight instead of trekking it all the way back to Mount Druitt. I’ve got a spare room and a sofa,” he adds hastily, clarifying what he means by ‘stay over.’ “And then tomorrow, I thought it might be fun to go shopping for Christmas decorations for you guys. I couldn’t help but notice that your place doesn’t have any and, well, I really like the thought of doing that for you. But only if you think it would be fun.”
When I remember to breathe again, I realize that he’s nervous.He’snervous asking if he can spoil us with a Christmas shopping spree.
I’m so overwhelmed I could cry. Christmas with my family was always awful, but every year, I got my stupid hopes up thatthis yearit would be like you see in the movies. I so wanted my first holiday season with Jalen to be special, but we were too poor to do much about it.
Andreas winces. “It’s too much, isn’t it? I’m sorry. I’ll order you a cab. I never meant to make you feel?—”
“NO!”
It takes me a second to realize once again it’s me who’s spoken. I clear my throat. I might be overwhelmed and still not really sure why this man is being so impossibly kind, but I love Jalen too much to let this opportunity slip by. He left his whole family back in California to come live with me. To save me. He deserves everything. So I can accept Andreas’s magical offer if I’m doing it to give my best friend a little Christmas miracle.
“That sounds amazing,” I say, trying not to get emotional. I squeeze Andreas’s hand which is still entwined with mine. “Doesn’t it, Jay?”
Jalen’s mouth is hanging open. But he seems to notice that I’ve said yes, and suddenly breaks into a brilliant smile. “It sounds sugary sweet, Daddy-O,” he says, clapping his hands like a little kid. His choice of words seems a bit odd, but then again, he’s often coming out with Americanisms that surprise me.
Andreas looks between us with relief clear on his face. “Yeah? Not too much?”
“Just right,” I tell him earnestly.
My parents hated fun. They had no sense of adventure. And I won’t lie, the thought of doing something this wild would have most likely scared me senseless if I were sober. But I’ve had just enough Champagne to throw caution to the wind. Why not let a handsome man treat us? Just because I don’t understand why he’d be so kind to someone like me, I can easily see how he’d be dazzled by Jalen.
And we’ll be together, Jalen and I, so we can look after each other. I’m pretty sure this guy isn’t a madman, but if he gets dodgy, Jalen will take care of me.
Besides, I can’t go around thinking all strangers are out to get me, and Iespeciallycan’t keep thinking that any man who shows even the slightest kindness to me is some sort of pervert. That’s my mother talking, and she doesn’t get a say anymore.
No. I’m going to take a leap and go stay at Andreas’s place with my best friend and then maybe go buy a tree and some ornaments tomorrow. That sounds unbelievably wonderful.
I’m sure Andreas sees us as some sort of charity case. Or he really is trying to get with Jalen. Either way, I need to stop worrying about every little thing and do what Jay says. I need to have more fun, even if I don’t believe I’m lucky enough to deserve it.
It’s just one night, and then probably only tomorrow morning. How much trouble can we really get into?
CHAPTER5
