Page 17 of Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
“Have I?”
“Have you…ever been to San Francisco?”
“I went to college at Berkeley, yeah.”
“Are you going to the concert?”
“Marcus hasn’t said. Do you think I should?”
I nod. “Yeah. It’ll be fun. A good way for you to get to know everyone.” Like Milo. “If nothing else, you can show me some of your favorite haunts.”
“Aren’t you from San Francisco? I thought I read that somewhere.”
“I haven’t lived there since I was a kid.”
Before I escaped to my favorite place in the world.
Juilliard.
Where my mother and sisters’ focus didn’t extend. Where Aunt Sarah visited me for the holidays and we formed our own family traditions.
“Oh.”
“What do you say? Will you show me around? Jessie’s supposed to come too. Maybe we can all hang out.”
She smiles at me. “I’d like that.”
“We’ll work out the details later. I need to pick my car up from the shop, but think about where we should go.”
“Okay.”
I wave my goodbye and head out into the lobby, hoping to catch a ride with Milo or maybe Finn if they haven’t taken off already. I stop short when I find Evan leaning against the wall in a cocky pose.
“Need a lift?”
“Not from you.”
“Your car isn’t here.” He says it like I’m not already aware of that fact.
“What do you care, Andrews?”
I head for the elevator, irritated when he follows.
“I brought you here.”
Like that’s an explanation. Or a reason to subject myself to his douchebaggery.
“So what? I can get myself to my car.”
The elevator dings open, and I step on, ready to push him off when he follows me.
Dammit.
“What do you say, princess?” he asks.
Is he serious?
“Are you kidding me? I would rather walk across broken glass the entire way than subject myself to a five-minute car ride with you. That’s what I say.”
