this sort of thing before and
don’t know where to start.”
“ I…um…that is…” Tyler turned
his wide gaze to Carmen then Nathan. Just what should he say?
“I…oh, wow… This is so sudden.”
Nathan grabbed the phone. “This is
Nathan Rudolph, President of Rudolph Vacation Enterprises. May I
ask who I’m speaking to?”
Tyler struggled to remember what it
was, specifically, that he was supposed to say that’d make them
back off from this nonsense about coming down. But his mind went
blank.
“ Sure, I can help you with
that,” Nathan said and motioned for Tyler to scoot over.
Wondering what his friend was doing,
Tyler moved aside and watched as Nathan pulled up the screen for
plane tickets.
“ What days did you want to
come?” Nathan asked.
Tyler frowned. “What are you
doing?”
“ Hmm… Christmas is a very
busy time of year. You’d be better off doing it sooner. You can get
a better deal that way.”
Gasping, Tyler grabbed Nathan’s arm.
“No. Say all the flights are booked.”
Ignoring him, Nathan typed in December
2 to December 16 as the dates for travel.
December 2? That was tomorrow! “You
can’t do this,” Tyler hissed and tried to seize the phone from
him.
Nathan, however, expertly dodged
him.
Tyler turned his gaze to Carmen. “Would
you please help?”
Carmen nodded and clicked the button to
notify Nathan he had another call coming in. “It’s an emergency!”
she called out, waving to get Nathan’s attention.
Nathan glanced at Tyler and held his
hand over the phone. “I know all about that trick.”
“ You’re speaking to
Tiffany’s dad,” Tyler whispered.
“ I know. He introduced
himself.”
“ So, don’t give him
tickets.”
“ Don’t be silly. I’m not
giving him tickets.”
Relieved, Tyler asked, “You’re
not?”
“ Nope. I’m selling them to
him at a discount. You know how expensive first class seats are?
Especially this time of year, and on this short notice?”
Tyler’s jaw dropped as Nathan removed
his hand and said, “I have good news, Mr. Clark. The tickets you
want are available, and since you caught us on a day we’re doing a
special discount, you only have to pay a thousand dollars for you
and your lovely wife.”
“ Nathan,” Tyler hissed and
tried to grab the phone from him again. Tiffany was going to kill
him if this went through. “I have to tell him I’m not really
married to his daughter.”
Nathan turned his back to him. “There’s
no need to thank me,” he told her dad. Then he chuckled at whatever
her dad said on the other end. “Alright, alright. If you insist on
giving me something, then I only ask you enjoy your visit with your
daughter and son-in-law.” Tyler made another move to grab the
phone, but Nathan quickly went around the desk. “I have an idea,
Mr. Clark. Why don’t you come over and take a tour of my business
so you can see what your son-in-law and daughter do
here?”
Tyler slapped his forehead and slouched
down in his chair. He hated this. As soon as Nathan got an idea,
there was no stopping him, no matter what was happening or who
suffered for it.
“ It’s no problem at all,”
Nathan said then paused. “If I can’t give my friend’s family
preferential treatment, then who can I give it to?” He paused
again. “Yes, Tyler and I have known each other since college. We
started out as roommates. I think of him as a brother.” He laughed.
“You’re right. That would make me an uncle to their children. And
when they have them, that’s exactly how I’ll think of them.” When
Nathan hung up, he turned to Tyler. “Her parents are
great.”
“ You’re killing me, Nathan,”
Tyler muttered, glaring at him.
“ Oh come on. They just want
to see their little girl with someone who deserves her, and I can’t
think of anyone more deserving than you. You’ll be perfect for
her.”
“ Why did you do
that?”
“ Do what?”
“ Get them
tickets.”
“ Because they
don’t know where to start.”
“ I…um…that is…” Tyler turned
his wide gaze to Carmen then Nathan. Just what should he say?
“I…oh, wow… This is so sudden.”
Nathan grabbed the phone. “This is
Nathan Rudolph, President of Rudolph Vacation Enterprises. May I
ask who I’m speaking to?”
Tyler struggled to remember what it
was, specifically, that he was supposed to say that’d make them
back off from this nonsense about coming down. But his mind went
blank.
“ Sure, I can help you with
that,” Nathan said and motioned for Tyler to scoot over.
Wondering what his friend was doing,
Tyler moved aside and watched as Nathan pulled up the screen for
plane tickets.
“ What days did you want to
come?” Nathan asked.
Tyler frowned. “What are you
doing?”
“ Hmm… Christmas is a very
busy time of year. You’d be better off doing it sooner. You can get
a better deal that way.”
Gasping, Tyler grabbed Nathan’s arm.
“No. Say all the flights are booked.”
Ignoring him, Nathan typed in December
2 to December 16 as the dates for travel.
December 2? That was tomorrow! “You
can’t do this,” Tyler hissed and tried to seize the phone from
him.
Nathan, however, expertly dodged
him.
Tyler turned his gaze to Carmen. “Would
you please help?”
Carmen nodded and clicked the button to
notify Nathan he had another call coming in. “It’s an emergency!”
she called out, waving to get Nathan’s attention.
Nathan glanced at Tyler and held his
hand over the phone. “I know all about that trick.”
“ You’re speaking to
Tiffany’s dad,” Tyler whispered.
“ I know. He introduced
himself.”
“ So, don’t give him
tickets.”
“ Don’t be silly. I’m not
giving him tickets.”
Relieved, Tyler asked, “You’re
not?”
“ Nope. I’m selling them to
him at a discount. You know how expensive first class seats are?
Especially this time of year, and on this short notice?”
Tyler’s jaw dropped as Nathan removed
his hand and said, “I have good news, Mr. Clark. The tickets you
want are available, and since you caught us on a day we’re doing a
special discount, you only have to pay a thousand dollars for you
and your lovely wife.”
“ Nathan,” Tyler hissed and
tried to grab the phone from him again. Tiffany was going to kill
him if this went through. “I have to tell him I’m not really
married to his daughter.”
Nathan turned his back to him. “There’s
no need to thank me,” he told her dad. Then he chuckled at whatever
her dad said on the other end. “Alright, alright. If you insist on
giving me something, then I only ask you enjoy your visit with your
daughter and son-in-law.” Tyler made another move to grab the
phone, but Nathan quickly went around the desk. “I have an idea,
Mr. Clark. Why don’t you come over and take a tour of my business
so you can see what your son-in-law and daughter do
here?”
Tyler slapped his forehead and slouched
down in his chair. He hated this. As soon as Nathan got an idea,
there was no stopping him, no matter what was happening or who
suffered for it.
“ It’s no problem at all,”
Nathan said then paused. “If I can’t give my friend’s family
preferential treatment, then who can I give it to?” He paused
again. “Yes, Tyler and I have known each other since college. We
started out as roommates. I think of him as a brother.” He laughed.
“You’re right. That would make me an uncle to their children. And
when they have them, that’s exactly how I’ll think of them.” When
Nathan hung up, he turned to Tyler. “Her parents are
great.”
“ You’re killing me, Nathan,”
Tyler muttered, glaring at him.
“ Oh come on. They just want
to see their little girl with someone who deserves her, and I can’t
think of anyone more deserving than you. You’ll be perfect for
her.”
“ Why did you do
that?”
“ Do what?”
“ Get them
tickets.”
“ Because they
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