How’d I do?
XO,
Lily
P.S.—Where do you spend the holidays?
FROM: N.R. Strickland <[email protected]>
TO: Lily G. <[email protected]>
DATE: December 17, 9:47pm
SUBJECT: Re: Happy Thanksgiving
Lily—
If I had the money, and if I weren’t currently in Skopje, Macedonia, I’d fly to New York right now so that we could spend the day together just how you described. It sounds perfect, but you left out one thing. I’d like to try a famous slice of New York pizza.
I usually spend the holiday wherever I’m on assignment. My boss would let me take time off to go home if I wanted to, but I don’t spend the holidays with family so there’s no point in taking a break if I don’t need to.
I used to spend the holidays with my best friend and his family while at university.
I know you’re reading this email and thinking that I must be a truly sorry person. But, really, I prefer to be alone, so don’t feel bad for me, okay?
——Strick
FROM: Lily G. <[email protected]>
TO: N.R. Strickland <[email protected]>
DATE: December 18, 10:19am
SUBJECT: Re: Happy Thanksgiving
Hi Strick,
It makes me very sad that you spend Christmas alone, but you asked me not to feel bad for you, so that’s all I’m going to say on the subject.
I spend a lot of time baking at my parents’ house over Christmas. If you were in the States, I’d save you some vanilla cookies.
XO,
Lily
FROM: N.R. Strickland <[email protected]>
TO: Lily G. <[email protected]>
DATE: December 20, 12:03am
SUBJECT: Re: Happy Thanksgiving
Thanks for the offer on the cookies. I’m sure they’re amazing.
FROM: Lily G. <[email protected]> TO: N.R. Strickland <[email protected]>
DATE: December 25, 10:19am
SUBJECT: Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas, Strick! I hope you’re feeling the Christmas spirit where you are. （I know that might be cheesy, but I’m cheesy all the time and even more so over the holidays.）
FROM: N.R. Strickland <[email protected]>
TO: Lily G. <[email protected]>
DATE: December 25, 8:54pm
SUBJECT: Re: Merry Christmas
It is quite cheesy, but I’ll give it a pass. Happy Christmas, Lily.
FROM: N.R. Strickland <[email protected]>
TO: Lily G. <[email protected]>
DATE: December 31, 6:01pm
SUBJECT: Happy New Year
Lily,
It’s after midnight here in Macedonia, so let me be the first to wish you a happy New Year.
I was invited to a party by a friend I met at my hostel. I managed to find a half-full bottle of champagne from the kitchen, which I’ve decided to keep for myself.
If you were here, I’d share it with you, and we wouldn’t really be able to understand the language everyone else was speaking, but that would be okay, because we’d sit in the corner, in our own world, drinking out of cheap, plastic champagne flutes. And when the clock struck midnight, we’d turn to each other and smile. I’d raise my eyebrow and you’d nod. Then we’d kiss. And we’d both think how happy we were to be there together.
FROM: N.R. Strickland <[email protected]>
TO: Lily G. <[email protected]>
DATE: December 31, 6:11pm
SUBJECT: Re: Happy New Year
Lily, I apologize for my last email. I’ve had too much to drink, and I never drink. I don’t know what I was thinking. I hope I haven’t ruined things. This is worse than the foot comments.
Forgive me?
FROM: Lily G. <[email protected]>
TO: N.R. Strickland <[email protected]>
DATE: January 1, 12:02am
SUBJECT: Re: Happy New Year
Hi Strick,
There’s nothing to forgive. Spending New Year’s with you, in the exact way you described—kiss and all—sounds pretty perfect to me.
I hope this year is good to you and that our emails continue.
Happy New Year!!!
XOXO,
Lily
FROM: N.R. Strickland <[email protected]>
TO: Lily G. <[email protected]>
DATE: January 8, 7:34pm
SUBJECT: Re: Happy New Year
Lily—
I’m glad my drunken email didn’t scare you away. For the record, completely sober, it’s still something I’d like to do.
This year is already off to a bizarre start. My agent might have actually done something with Elves, like garner legitimate interest from a US publisher. I don’t want to jinx it （and let’s be honest, I’m still pessimistic and doubtful）， so I won’t tell you details yet until it’s a for-sure thing. But if it does come to fruition, you’ll be the first to know.