“Binge-watching cheesy rom-coms and butchering my mom’s traditional Christmas recipes,” I said. “One of these days, I will make buko pandan as good as hers. What about you?”
“Binge-watching cheesy action movies and ordering takeout,” he quipped. Another silence fell.
Then, he asked, so quietly I almost didn’t hear him, “Why don’t you spend it with me?”
My eyes snapped up to his. “What?”
“Spend Christmas with me. We’ll both be in the city, and we can come to a compromise about the movies.”
My heart stuttered beneath the blow of my surprise.
Sex and dating was one thing. Spending the holidays together was another. My family may have pushed our celebration back for logistical purposes, but Christmas was sacred to us. Who we spent it with mattered.
Plus, Kai and I were already treading a fine line with our relationship. We were having fun now, but we came from different worlds. It was only a matter of time before everything exploded in our faces.
My chest pinched at the thought.
On the other hand…if what we had was destined to end, wouldn’t it make sense to enjoy every second while it lasted?
Don’t overthink. Do what feels right. My father’s advice drifted, unbidden, through my mind.
He’d been talking about music, but the same principle applied here.
I made a snap decision. It wasn’t what New Isabella should do, but New Isabella could shove it.
I brushed my lips over Kai’s with a smile. “I’d love to spend Christmas with you.”
CHAPTER 23
Kai
KAI
As much as I looked forward to spending the holidays with Isabella, we had one more occasion to celebrate before Christmas. She insisted we roll both into one, but I wasn’t having it.
“It’s your birthday. It should be celebrated separately.” I wrapped my arms around her waist and tucked my chin between her neck and shoulder. We sat on my bed, her back pressed against my front, our bodies loose and languid after her birthday party earlier that night.
“We already celebrated.” Isabella yawned. Her friends had rented a private room at an exclusive Italian restaurant, followed by a VIP experience at a nearby nightclub. “We don’t need to do it twice.”
“Tonight was your friends’ idea. It’s not the same.” Vivian had invited me out of courtesy, but her friends didn’t know about us, which meant we spent the night acting like simple acquaintances. I couldn’t kiss her, dance with her, or talk with her like I wanted. But she’d been happy, which was what mattered. “Name your wish,” I said, rubbing a lazy thumb over her skin. She was so warm and soft I could’ve held her here, like this, forever. “Anything you want.”
Isabella twisted her head to look at me. “Really? Anything?”
“Paris for breakfast and Barcelona for dinner? I could have my jet ready in an hour.”
Her laugh brushed my chest. “Kai, we are not going to Europe tomorrow.”
“I know. We’d go tonight.”
She pulled back to look at me fully. “Stop. We’re also not flying to Paris tonight.”
My mouth tugged up at the disbelief painted across her face. “Why not? It’s the weekend.” It was selfish, but I wanted to hoard all her smiles and laughs for myself. Since that wasn’t possible, I’d settle for making her smile the most. Her friends had their turn; now, it was mine. “We’d get there in time for breakfast croissants and a stroll in Montmartre. We could people watch, browse the books at Shakespeare and Company, go vintage shopping in the Marais…”
I spun a seductive portrait of Paris, my anticipation already spiking at the thought of a weekend getaway. No prying eyes, no unbreakable rules. Just us, enjoying the city together.
Isabella’s expression wavered for a split second before cementing with refusal. “Tempting, but I want something else. Something more normal.”
“Like a private performance at the Lincoln Center?” That was even easier than flying to Europe.
“No.” Isabella’s eyes gleamed with mischief, and that was when I knew, beyond a shadow of a
doubt, that I’d made a horrendous mistake. “I want to go to Coney Island.”
ISABELLA
Located on the southern tip of Brooklyn, between SeaGate and Brighton Beach, Coney Island was known for its amusement park, beaches, and boardwalk. During the summer, it swarmed with people, but in the winter, the rides shut down and the area turned into a ghost town.
That was what made it the perfect date spot for, say, a couple who was trying to stay under the radar.
“What do you think?” I chirped. “Isn’t this fun?”
“Fun isn’t the first word that came to mind,” Kai said dryly. He was dressed like a normal person today in a sweater and jeans. Yes, the sweater was cashmere, and yes, the jeans probably cost more than an average person’s monthly rent, but at least he’d ditched the suit and tie.
As sexy as he looked in business attire, he looked even better in casual wear.
“Oh, come on,” I said. “The beach sucks during the winter, but the hot dogs were good, right?”
“We could’ve gotten hot dogs in the city, love.”
“Not the same. Coney Island hot dogs hit different.”
Kai responded with a half-amused, half-exasperated glance.
We were walking down the boardwalk, the amusement park on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. It wasn’t that cold today compared to the previous weeks, but I didn’t protest when he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and drew me closer.
Warmth radiated through my body. I bit my lip, trying and failing to constrain a cheesy smile.
Paris sounded dreamy, but this was what I wanted. A nice, normal date where we could be a nice, normal couple. As much as I loved a good adventure, I thought normality was highly underrated.
“Thank you for coming here with me,” I said. “I know it’s not Europe, but I thought a more casual outing would be nice. It’s been a hectic few weeks.”
Kai’s face softened. “When I said anything, I meant it. That includes visiting Coney Island.” His mouth twisted with a small grimace.
A laugh burst between my lips. “Don’t be a snob. You sound like I’m making you swim the Atlantic in the dead of winter.”
“One, I’m an excellent swimmer even in extreme temperatures. Two, I’m not a snob. I simply have exacting taste.”
“If by exacting, you mean boring, then you’re correct.”
Our playful banter continued to the New York Aquarium, where I had a little too much fun with the interactive “touch tanks.” After much begging and cajoling, I convinced Kai to dip his hands in the water and touch the sea life.
“Are you afraid of fish?” I asked, suppressing another laugh at his wary expression.
“No, I’m not afraid of fish, but their texture—” He stopped when he saw my wide grin. “You’re a menace.”
“Maybe, but I’m also the birthday girl, so what I say goes. Now, how do you feel about octopi?”
For the next four hours, I dragged Kai around Coney Island. After the aquarium, we went ice skating and drank a few too many pints at a local brewery.