Sean walked in and looked suspicious, looking at the bed.
"Merry Christmas," Sean wished.
"Merry Christmas," Luke greeted back. Sean remained silent observing Luke closely.
"What?" Luke asked, pretneding to be sleepy, yawning, and scratching his head.
"Did you see Naila?" Sean asked. Naila lay still under the blanket, extremely embarrassed and worried of getting found with Luke after spending a night on his bed.
"What about Naila?" Luke yawned again.
"She is not home. The girls woke up and found her missing," Sean reported.
"What?" Luke pretended to be surprised.
"We do not have her number, can you try calling her?" Sean sounded concerned now.
Luke picked up his phone. "Oh, I know," he suddenly said. "She must have gone to the community centre. There is a cafe there. She gets coffee from there, it is a good place," he lied. "Why don't you guys walk around? I will join once I fresh up," he said and lay back again.
Sean looked at the bed again and agreed. "Okay. But come quick. It's Christmas," he said and left, closing the door behind him.
"That was close," Luke exhaled.
But Naila remianed under the blanket itself. Luke slowly slid under it when she did not come out.
"What are you doing?" He asked her, lying close to her, facing her.
"Nothing," she said. "I was almost caught."
"So what if you get caught?" He asked.
"I don't wish to embarrass you, us I mean," she corrected quickly.
"You don't embarrass..." but she stopped him as he moved closer.
"We should go," she reminded him, pushing his head back, placing her forefinger on his forehead.
"I know. But do you even know what you did to me?" He teased her.
"Wait, what did I do?" Her face looked shocked, eye grew large, in disbelief. He had a mischievous smile on his face.
"Try to recollect everything, I enjoyed it anyway, thank you," he said, touching her cheek lightly.
"Merry Christmas," He whispered in her ears. It tingled her, giving goosebumps. She remained still till he moved, unable to calm her heart. He removed the blanket and sat up.
Naila sat up and stepped out, she rushed to her room.
She walked into the washroom, locked the door, and looked at herself in the mirror. "What was that? And what does he mean I did something and he liked it? Why don't I remember anything?" She kept asking herself. She flushed red and her hesr kept pounding fast. "Leave it, leave it, get ready quickly," she prepared herself.
Around half an hour later, the team returned from that cafe. "Why did you not show up? The cafe was closed since it's Christmas," Jean called out.
"I was about to step out," Luke replied.
"Where is Naila then?"
"I'm here," Naila stepped out. She had freshened up. She held the hair dryer and walked out.
"When did you come back?" Millie asked.
"Around half an hour back," Naila lied. "Why?" She asked innocently.
"Luke said you went to the cafe," Jean spoke.
"I did. But I returned. It was closed since it's Christmas," Naila went with the story.
"But we did not see you," Jean said.
"I walked for sometime," Naila lied again and looked at Luke who stood watching from dining area.
"Fine," Jean let it go.
"Let's have breakfast, a Christmas breakfast" Matt suggested. "Men will cook. Ladies please assemble again at 9 AM," he confidently said.
"Wow, sexy," Millie teased Matt. Everybody cheered.
The three men in the room walked to the kitchen.
Around an hour later, the cottage was filled with the aroma of fresh pancakes, toasts, and cream.
Sean set the table. There were pancakes, French toast indeed, fresh strawberries, blueberries, banana, maple syrup and berry extracts, fresh cream, nutella and honey. Luke then brought a tray of drink. Glasses of orange juice.
"Anyone want fried eggs? He asked. "Naila I made one for you," he said then.
"Oh, thank you," Naila replied and sat down with other girls. Millie nudged Jean and Naila saw it. Table of six was filled for the first time. The chatter and laughter was loud but Naila enjoyed it.
"Merry Christmas," everyone clinged their glasses and wished each other. "Luke. We will leave tomorrow, together," Sean suddenly dropped the bomb. Everyone grew silent. Naila looked at Luke and Sean.
"I thought I don't have to get back till 28th," Luke wanted clarity.
"There is rehearsal," Sean reminded him. "Did you look into the songs?"
"Are you going to sing?" Naila asked looking curious.
"He sings well. He's got an opportunity to sing at the New Year gala night stage. A lot of celebrities are lined up too," Sean explained.
"I thought you just model," Naila appreciated. "This is great."
"His agency is trying to get him acting opportunities too, but he is rejecting the offers," Jean added.
"I already get a lot of work, I don't wish to be busier than this," Luke explained. "So you guys are staying today too?" Luke asked.
"Yes, we'll leave together tomorrow," Matt replied. Luke looked Naila. It looked like his wish wouldn't come true.
"Let's book at a restaurant for lunch," Sean proposed the idea. Everyone agreed to it.
"The weather is getting colder and colder," Millie said.
"I saw on the news that there's a chance for the storm," Naila said.
"Storm?" Luke looked excited. "Is not our event an outdoor stadium one? Organisers said it would not snow until January. Does this mean the show has to be cancelled?" He asked Sean.
Sean remained silent and walked away from the table to make a call. Luke most his hope again.
Everybody rested for some more time.
Naila held a cup of ginger tea and sat at the study, staring outside the window.
"What are you looking at?" Luke asked her.
"Nothing. Just..." Naila was caught off guard. She was thinking about her parents. She has not called them this whole week. The longest period she has not called them. "Enjoying the weather," she lied.
"I will be leaving tomorrow. Cannot say when I will return back," he told her. "Vacation is over and too short," he sighed.
"Adulthood is sh*t," Naila sipped her tea and stared outside the window again. She kind of felt disappointed to hear that he would not be back soon.
The team had lunch at a fancy restaurant and enjoyed Christmas. Everybody chose to stay sober and slept early that night, to leave early next morning. But Naila laid awake.
She just walked to the living room and sat in the dark. She opened her Instagram account and scrolled. She saw how Danish has posted new pictures.
"Naila," Naila jumped up, dropping her phone and turned around.