Stay A While | DR3 | BOOK 2

02 - All I Want For Christmas, Is...

"I love you," Daniel leaned in and whispered into my ear. "In every way possible, I love you, Alexa."

"I could never get tired of hearing you say that, Daniel."

--

A week had been spent with my nose to the grindstone. The bain of my existence; the last week before Christmas break. We had deals to wrap up before the longest break we all took off as a team. We had books to close, cars to send off, new inventory to get checked out. Get everything off the table, done and dusted, so we could start 2022 on a clean slate.

And this year, I had more employees to worry about. People that weren't exclusive to being direct members of my family that I could force to work until December 23rd. Even though Ben assured me he'd be open to doing so, and even though I was tempted to keep the office open, at least privately, for longer than the decided close date of December 16th; I wouldn't.

Rather, I should say, there was no way Rory would let me. Nor Daniel, for that matter, who had been left to entertain his entire family in Monaco alone for the week.

Not to mention that he had graciously offered to give up his annual Christmas visit back home to make things easier for me, work-wise. I insisted it didn't have to be this way; that I would fly down and meet him. How much I was looking forward to celebrating Christmas down under.

But Daniel being... well, Daniel— didn't want to hear any of it. He knew how much I valued this time, how important it was to me that everything was settled before the New Year. Before the big news I'd eventually reveal to the team. The biggest step yet for October MotorCars. Daniel was with me through the whole planning process, the only person that knew what I had in store for the business. My biggest cheerleader.

Thankfully his family were happy to make the trip up. Especially since it meant all of us being together; Dad and the boys getting acquainted with Grace and Joe. It was a good happy medium for everyone.

"You spend the entire year talking about how excited you are for Christmas, to see your family and eat good food and have time off, and all that. Now they're here and you're complaining?"

"Well because all they want is you," Daniel grunted quietly into the phone, his misery laced within every word. I laughed, even though it came at his expense. I was excited to have his parents, his sister, and the kids over for Christmas. Not that I hadn't ever met them before, though this would be the first time officially as Daniels girlfriend.

"Was that a Mariah Carey reference?" I questioned jokingly before humming the tune to the chorus of 'All I Want For Christmas is You.' Noah cocked his head at me in confusion as I plopped down onto my office chair. I leaned back as I laughed, sticking my tongue out at him childishly.

"When is your flight?" Daniel patiently let me laugh at my own joke before asking in a gentle voice.

I drew figure eights with the pen in my hand idly, smiling to myself. Truth was, as much as I needed to be here at work this week with everything coming up for next year, I missed Daniel more than anything. The idea of having our families all together under one roof, even just for a night, gave me an inexplainable rush of giddiness.

Dad and Leanne had already flown down to Monaco, stopping only briefly for two nights in London after Abu Dhabi to pack. That left my brothers, my nephew, Carlee, Molly, and I— who were heading out as early as we could manage. "I'll forward you the info. We're out of here first thing in the morning. We'll be landing in Nice by 7AM."

"It wouldn't be too much to ask if I could come by the condo and pick you up immediately, would it?"

I exhaled into a smile, shutting my eyes as I drew my bottom lip in. It felt nice to be wanted so badly. To be able to reciprocate freely. "I wouldn't have it any other way."