𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝

24 - It's Christmas!

~𝑴𝒚 𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒂 𝒐𝒇 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒂𝒔, 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆, 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔~

𝑩𝒐𝒃 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆.

*****
The reactions came in when Kaylee's words settled in.

Mia faced Dylan. "Club?"

Denzel palmed her forehead. "Dylan you still frequent clubs?"

Dylan ignored her, his hands still in his pocket, his body stiff as if frozen in time.

Emma stretched out her legs and yawned. "I really don't know why you guys are surprised."

Mia blinked, a disappointed look on her face. "Oh Dylan."

Kaylee looked confused as her eyes roamed the occupants in the room. Emma rose up and walked up to welcome her, while Denzel ushered her a sit. Stacey still stared, an uncomfortable lump in her throat. Dylan looked around as if searching for someone and when his eyes fell on hers, he shook his head and tried to free himself from the kids without injuring them.

Stacey inhaled and turned to go into the dining. She needed a cup of cold water. It wasn't her business anyway whether they met in a club or if he took her home after that. This was a contract and best she got it drilled in her head.

She had just made up her mind when she heard footsteps behind her, then felt Dylan's hold on her shoulder. He turned her to him and shook his head again. "It's not what you think."

She plastered on a blank expression and shrugged his hands off before picking up a cup. "How do you know what I'm thinking?"

He threaded his fingers through his hair, and paced before facing her. "I don't. . .well, it's just. . .nothing of the sort happened."

She filled up the cup, raised it to her lips and allowed the cold water to push down the lump in her throat. "You don't owe me any explanation if anything did happen. It's business. Remember?"

Dylan's eyes flickered as if hit before he shook his head. "Stacey, she's just someone I lended my -"

She didn't want to hear more. This whole thing was messing with her lines. Drawing in a breath, she lifted a hand and pressed it to his defined chest then raised her eyes to his. "As much as I want to believe you, right now, I don't. Something might have happened and you may fail to mention it which might end up coming back to affect our contract. Recall our deal this morning?"

His chest rose and fell under her hand before he tightened his jaw and nodded. She knew he remembered the snow incident.

"Great. Do this one thing for me don't bring this up again today. It's fine." She let her hands fall between them and stepped back from him. Her eyes fell on his gloved hands. A new black leather glove. She wasn't sure if he even remembered he gave her his mitten. Apparently, he was just being civilized and his usual kind self."Right. Remind me to give you your mittens later today, okay?"

His expression fell and he stretched out his hands. "Look, Stacey they. . ." His voice trailed out behind her as she walked out of the dining, away from him and the comfort she allowed herself to feel earlier today. It was all a mistake.

An hour later, with all of them getting ready to eat dinner around the Dining table, Kaylee chattering animatedly about her days with Denzel, Stacey decided she didn't like her. Normally, she wasn't a fan of people but Dylan's family that she had classified as wacky had been nothing but nice towards her. Just like they were towards Kaylee. Jane had waved at her before persuading her kids to greet. They hadn't said much but a simple hello, before she had complimented Joanne's eyes and Joanne instantly smiled at her. The opposite of what they did to her but she couldn't be bothered.