How she wished he would talk about his parents. Really, she would love to hear about anything. Everything. There seemed to be so much of him she didn’t know, didn’t even have a clue about. He was staying alone for Christmas, surely there was a story there. But whatever it was, it was his place to tell her. He was a private man and she wouldn’t pry. She would just have to be content enough to pick up the little stories here and there and piece them together herself.
“It’s not so much the busy part of the holiday that is the problem. Or maybe it’s how very unbusy it is. It’s just the four of us. Peter and I, his parents. And they’re nice people. Really lovely people. They’re Peter’s parents after all. But…” she trailed off and it seemed like she was about to give the exact same speech people gave her about her husband. ‘Nice but…’ She shook her head. “There’s only so much small talk and complaining about lack of grandchildren one woman can really take.” She shook her head. “I shouldn’t say such things. I know my family gives Peter a particularly big headache as well.”
“That’s what I said. But he thinks we’d have to invite them over one day and we might as well get it out of the way. Makes sense, of course, but I still don’t think they’d like it. I do.” She didn’t want him to think she disliked the building on any level. It was his decision to live there and his generosity that allowed his employees to as well. “Something about it, I’m not sure what. I really like living there. But the building is so very strange. If it’s not one strange thing happening, it’s another. And that’s not even talking about the elevator.”
They finally reached the restaurant and she followed his lead, stepping inside first and smiling as she took in the interior. Warm, inviting, and whatever they served smelled amazing. She was shrugging off her long coat as she turned to grin at him. “I think you made the perfect choice for this one.”