The Rivals

On the drive into the City, I filled Weston in on my trip. He gave me an update on Hotel Caroline, which was set to open just after the new year. Since he seemed to be in a good mood, I thought I’d broach another conversation I wanted to have.

“So…my grandmother is going to be eighty next month. My grandfather is throwing her a surprise party down in Florida.”

Weston glanced at me. “Oh yeah? That’s nice.”

“I thought maybe we could go down for the party.”

“We?”

“Yes, we.”

“You want me to come to a party filled with Sterlings.”

I nodded. “I do.”

“What do you think your grandfather would have to say about that?”

“I mentioned it to him. He’s…coming around.” That was true. Well, sort of. At least this time he hadn’t said over my dead body when I’d mentioned him getting to know the man I lived with. I took that as progress.

Weston tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “I’ll go if you want me to.”

My eyes widened. “You will?”

“It’s important to you, right?”

“Yeah. I know my grandfather would love you if he would just get to know you.”

Weston shook his head. “Why don’t we shoot for tolerating my presence, so you’re not disappointed, babe.”

I smiled. “Okay.”

After we got through the tunnel, Weston turned right instead of left. “Aren’t we going home?”

“I need to stop at The Countess.”

“What for?”

“Uhh… I had a package shipped there by accident. I ordered from your Prime account, and the last address you shipped to was there, and I didn’t notice.”

I yawned. “I’m tired. Is it important? I can just bring it home tomorrow after work.”

“Yeah. It’s important.”

“What is it?”

He was quiet for a minute. “None of your business. That’s what it is.”

I grinned. “It’s my Christmas present, isn’t it?”

We pulled up down the block from The Countess, and Weston parallel parked. He unbuckled and started to get out.

“I’ll just wait here,” I said.

“No.”

“What do you mean no? Why can’t I wait here?”

Weston raked a hand through his hair. “Because the package is in your office, and I don’t have the key.”

I reached for my purse, which I’d set on the floor. “Oh. I’ll give you my keys.”

Weston huffed. “Just come with me.”

“But I’m tired.”

“It won’t take more than a minute.”

I huffed. “Fine. But sometimes you’re annoying. You know that?”

He grumbled something as he exited the car, yet jogged around to open my door. When he took my hand to help me out, I noticed his palm was sweaty.

“I didn’t think your car had a heated steering wheel.”

“It doesn’t.”

“So why are your hands so sweaty?”

Weston made a face and tugged me to start walking. At the entrance to The Countess, he waved off the doorman and swung the door open for me. His mood had shifted from happy to grumpy really fast.

Inside, I walked four or five steps and then stopped. I blinked a few times, confused. “What…what is this?”

“What does it look like?”

“It looks like the biggest Christmas tree I’ve ever seen.”

Weston guided me closer. We stood a few feet in front of an enormous balsam fir, and I looked up. It towered over me, positioned between the two curved staircases that led to the second floor. It almost met the ceiling on the second story. It had to be thirty-feet high and made the entire lobby smell like Christmas.

“Do you like it?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I love it. It’s huge!”

Weston winked and leaned in to me. “I’ve heard that before.”

I laughed. “Seriously, I can’t believe you did this.”

Len from maintenance walked over. He had an extension cord in one hand and a plug to something in the other. He looked to Weston. “You ready?”

Weston nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”

Len connected the cords, and the entire tree lit up in white lights. I couldn’t even take a guess how many thousands had to be strung on it. A few seconds later, the tree started to twinkle. It looked absolutely magical. And I’d been so mesmerized by it all that I hadn’t noticed Weston moved. But when I did, the world seemed to stop.

Everything except the man down on one knee seemed to fade away.

I covered my mouth with my hands, and my eyes immediately began to water. “Oh my God, Weston! And I didn’t want to get out of the car!”

He chuckled. “That was obviously unplanned, but pretty damn fitting, don’t you think? We had to argue right before I came in to do this. We wouldn’t be us if everything was smiles and roses.”

I shook my head. “You’re right. We wouldn’t.”

Weston took a deep breath, and I watched as his chest rose and fell. He took my hand, and I finally understood why his palms were sweaty. They still were. My cocky man was nervous. I lifted my other hand to my chest and covered my racing heart. He’s not the only one.