Keep Me In | DR3 | BOOK 1

08 - Christmas Break

"Oh well then Daniel, why don't you guys join us on Christmas Eve?! Lex? Room for two more?"

"We're having a casual dinner. Alexa's got a great place right on Larvotto Beach, she just renovated it too. It's got, what, like a million bedrooms or something."

"I would be honored."

--

-📍Larvotto, Monaco -

"Thank you, sir," I smiled, dismissing my driver as he unloaded my bag from his car in front of my apartment lobby. I only packed a medium-sized suitcase - I had clothing here anyway. It was a mild Sunday evening in Monaco, people wore sweaters as they walked along the promenade. There was a spot of fluffy silver clouds in the sky interrupting the lavender evening twilight. To say I was happy to be here instead of London was an understatement. I originally planned to fly in on Monday morning, however, I was able to book a flight last-minute to Nice, and got to Monaco with time to settle in by myself before my family arrived in the morning.

"Miranda," I nodded at the receptionist. Miranda and her husband Cooper had known me since I was in diapers. When Mom and Dad had visited here in their younger years, Miranda owned a bar they ended up frequenting. That's how they met. Dad always kept in touch with the Monegasque couple. When Miranda heard I was looking for a place to purchase in Monaco, she led me to the place I have now. I was just what I had wanted. "You're still in?"

"Alexa! How are you, my dear. I am about to leave. Off for the season. You are here for Christmas with family, yes?" Miranda stood, greeting me with a kiss on each cheek.

"They're all in tomorrow morning," I responded.

"Good, family time is good for you. I hate when you come here alone," Miranda shook her head, "You work too hard, I can tell. Don't run yourself dry, dear. Men are afraid of women that work hard."

"Coming from the most hardworking woman I know, I may take that seriously," I sighed. "And good, let them be," I whispered just audibly as I began walking towards the elevator.

"Merry Christmas, Miranda!" I yelled to her. She shook her head.

"Say hi to papa for me and Cooper!" she responded.

I stepped out of the shower, trying to decide whether to just settle in for the night or go to the grocery store. I've been hungry since before I boarded, and since I hadn't been here since the beginning of the month, all I really had here was some cereal. I checked the time on my phone; 8:46PM. Probably too late, by the time I got dressed, got to my car downstairs, and to the store, it will have closed.

"Take-out it is, then," I threw on biker shorts and an old Torro Rosso T-Shirt, and got comfy on the couch with a cup of tea. With sushi ordered, I turned on Netflix to 'Jeopardy' and picked up my phone to try and find some Christmas decorations in town.

My top priority was a tree, which would be hard to find with just 3 days 'till Christmas eve.

Growing up in Toronto, my Dad used to take my brothers and I every Christmas to the 'do-it-yourself' Christmas tree lot; a.k.a., 'a random forest with small pine trees that wasn't monitored so we could chop down anything' tree lot. We would pack an axe and pile into our pickup truck, and offroad into rural Ontario until we were just far enough for anyone to care. By this point, my brothers and I had usually spent our energy fighting, so Dad would just pick a tree, chop it down, throw it in the back, and we'd be on our way.