Christmas With the Best Man Read Online Free PDF Page B

other boys live in Springfield, not far from where we grew up, so they don’t stay at the house. We go to midnight mass.”
    “You’re Catholic?”
    “No, we just love the atmosphere of the church in the middle of the night. Have you ever been?”
    “No. We weren’t much for church.”
    “What would you be doing if we’d made it home?”
    He picked up the trash from their meal and carried it to the wastebasket. “Hanging out. Just like you.”
    “With family?” He’d never spoken of his family, which made her all that much more curious.
    “At my place in Austin. Just another day. I call my mom on Christmas morning. That’s about it.”
    His holiday sounded so lonely. “By choice?”
    “It’s not that big a deal to me. I can get a lot more work done, writing, checking on schedules and such. Everyone else is too busy doing other things to interrupt me.”
    Was that an act to cover up how he felt about being alone at Christmas? He wouldn’t meet her eye, which told her he was embarrassed or something. If he were acting, he’d be bold and in her face, that much she knew. “Then you should love spending the day here. No one could reach you if they tried.”
    He smiled as he sat beside her again. “Hand me one of those magazines.”
    She tossed him one of the gossip ones.
    “Well then. Let’s see who ran off with who.”
    “I didn’t see Vanessa and Harry in there.” When she, Bree and Kenzi met the guys, they were in St. Thomas. She and her friends were on a girls’ getaway. The band was there so Chaz could marry Vanessa Edwards. That hadn’t gone off quite like he’d planned.
    Joey elbowed her. “Be nice.”
    “That was nice. Everything then turned out perfectly, as our trip here proves. Chaz and Kenzi are perfect together.”
    “Here we go. ‘Soulmate Challenge. Are you two meant to be together?’”
    “Me and who? You’ll notice I came stag to this party.”
    “What the hell. We’ll take the quiz together. We’ll either be perfect for each other or perfectly awful.”
    “Whatever. How can we take it if we’re both right here? Any answer I give, you’ll say the opposite just for spite.”
    “Where’s your phone?” He pulled his phone from his jeans pocket.
    Jasmine took hers from the table beside the bed and opened a note app. “I’m ready when you are.”
    “Here we go. ‘Is your partner your best friend? A—we talk about common interests, but I already have a BFF. B—of course! I want to share everything with him. Or C—No. We hang out after sex but don’t have much in common.’”
    As she prepared to type, she caught him looking at her phone. “No peeking.”
    After a pause, he went on. “Next. ‘What does your mother think of your guy? A—she thinks he’s hot and wouldn’t mind dating him if we break up.’”
    “Ewww. Just ick.”  
    “‘B—she thinks I can do better. C—She thinks he’s just like my father.’”
    She stared off into space. Joey was supposed to be the guy in question. Her mom had been happy with her dad. She’d love Joey if she’d ever met him, and he was nothing like her dad. At all. Not in the least.
    Joey set the magazine on his lap. “This isn’t an essay question.”
    “All right, all right.” She typed a letter.
    “‘What’s your idea of the perfect partner? A—someone athletic, who loves the same kind of music, loves chick flicks and can cook something other than BBQ. B—Someone who loves and needs me. C—A hot bass player who writes sexy lyrics.’”
    “It doesn’t say that.”
    He laughed. “Okay, ‘someone intelligent who shares my ideals and goals.’”
    She thought for a minute. She knew what she wanted to answer. She stole a glance at him, then typed in an answer.
    “Last one. ‘Your partner might have to move for work.” He cleared his throat. “Um, yeah. You: A—end things right then. Long distance relationships never work. B—Start packing. Or C—Are happy for the career opportunity.’”
    Jasmine