Inseparable

“Let me guess. Because you were so mean to me after the fact?”

I sat there and waited for the attack to begin. I had my lines ready in my head and would start hurling the insults faster than she could imagine.

“I was mad at the time but not too much anymore.” She put her chin back in her hand and looked up at me from beneath her long black lashes. “I am over it.”

“You’re over it?” I balked.

“Yes. Besides, it’s Christmas. Peace on Earth and all that good will toward men. I can’t hold a grudge at this time of year, can you?”

“I bet I could.” I murmured and she laughed.

“Well, I can’t, Lucas.” Her smile was so warm I wanted to jump into it. She was sitting facing me with her hands folded in her lap innocently pushing her breasts together and leaving her thighs slightly parted. Everything about her reminded me of that time in the garage. But this was different. It was like I was suddenly with a grown mature woman and she was turning me on. “Are you and your family doing anything special?”

I cringed at the word family. It took a split second for Tilly to catch on.

“Dare I ask?”

“Ask away.” I pouted.

“Jenna is still with your dad?”

“Yup. She’s got her family and some friends at the house right now. That’s why I’m figuring let it snow. Let it snow. Let it snow. I’m in no hurry to see any of them.”

“Did you know she was inviting all these people when you made your plans to come home?”

“Yes. That’s why I’m coming home on Christmas Eve and not last week. I thought I’d throw a couple of flies in the ointment.”

“Oh.” She looked down at her hands. “I’m coming home tonight because the fares are so much cheaper.”

I instantly felt like a jerk. But I wouldn’t let that feeling last for long.

“Are you hungry?”

She blinked at me.

“Well, I did have some French fries but I could…”

“Have you ever been in the VIP Lounge?”

“Sure. When I’m jet-setting to the United Arab Emirates I usually take the edge off with a visit to the VIP Lounge.”

I laughed at her. She never seemed to hold back and that was refreshing. How many people told me exactly what I wanted to hear all the time just on the off chance that I’d pick up the check. It was all so terribly boring. Tilly brought something fresh to the whole scene.

I took her by the hand and lead her through the airport to a set of closed doors with a very bored, very blonde female attendant guarding them. I reached into my wallet and pulled out a card. Handing it to her both Tilly and I watched her punch it into her tablet.

"Welcome, Mr. Prine." She said as she handed it back to me and opened the doors for Tilly and me to walk through.

“It really isn’t much.” I protested. “But it’s a little nicer than being so cramped with all the riff-raff.

“I found you loitering among the riff-raff out there.” Tilly teased. “But I will say that this is pretty swanky.”

I was actually having a good time watching Tilly’s eyes take everything in. We took a quiet table for two where I ordered us a couple glasses of champagne, shrimp cocktails, some antipasti with fresh bread and double chocolate cake.

“Are you sure you don’t want a steak or something?” I urged.

“No. This was fantastic.” She gushed.

“How about another glass of champagne?”