Page 34 of Home for the Holidays

Leaning down, he pushes his card into the side pocket of my leggings.

“I’ll be back around two,” he says.

He offers to drive me to the nail salon, but I insist on taking the T across town. Once I’m on the subway car, though, surrounded by the stifling heat and the stench of body odor, I start to regret it.

He’s genuinely kind and thoughtful, if a bit heavy-handed with it. We can work on this.

Vanessa is waiting for me at the nail salon with Hailey MacGregor.

“Hey,” Van says, giving me a warm hug. “You know Hailey, right?”

“We met the other night.” I give the woman a brief hug and she returns it readily.

“Awesome. I’m trying to recruit more normal people to the club,” Van says.

My eyebrows go up. “The club?”

“Yeah. Attached to the players, but not necessarily part of the WAG lifestyle.”

“I love Melanie,” Hailey adds. “She’s just… a lot.”

“And a lot of the other girlfriends don’t like that I work for the team,” Van adds. “They think I should give up my job and flit around the city all day. Look, I love Sven, but even after we’re married, I’m still going to keep my job.”

I glance at her hand. There’s no ring there.

“We’re not in a rush.” She sounds defensive, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Hey, I get it,” I tell her. “I thought I was on the conveyor belt to marriage and babies until it suddenly collapsed. I get not wanting to rush into things.”

Sometimes I wish I’d forced the issue with Erik. If I’d given him an ultimatum, it would have been the end of things either way, because that’s not a basis for a healthy relationship. Who knows where I would have been if I’d walked away from him two years in, rather than spending six and a half years waiting on a “maybe soon.”

“Is that what you still want? Marriage and babies?” Hailey asks.

“I haven’t let myself think about it, honestly,” I tell her. “Jake isn’t⁠—”

Her eyebrows go up. “He isn’t what?”

“I don’t know if he’s the kind of guy who wants marriage and babies.” I shrug. “Right now, we’re just having fun. I’m still getting over my ex. We’re keeping things casual.”

She looks me up and down, clearly not believing me. “He’s bringing you to the party tonight. He is not keeping things casual.”

I pause. “What does that mean?”

“He likes you. He really likes you,” Hailey says. Why does she sound upset? “If this is just a passing thing for you⁠—”

I have to ask. “Do you have feelings for Jake?”

There’s a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach. I feel vaguely sick.

To my surprise, Hailey laughs. “No. He’s like a brother to me. He hangs out with Aidan and Sven a lot, so I’d say I know him fairly well. He’s a goofy, kind-hearted, over-grown man child. But when he loves, he loves hard.”

“I want to love him,” I whisper. “It’s just… it’s too soon.”

“Is it, though?” Van cocks her head. “I thought it was too soon for me and Sven. He’s in this for the long haul, but he’s made it clear the timeline is up to me. Can’t it be the same for you and Jake?”

Biting my lip, I think it over.

“Does it have to end in marriage and babies?” Hailey asks. “Can you be happy if it ends up with you in a committed partnership without the ceremony?”