Page 89 of How My Neighbour Stole Christmas
“No,” she says, her eyebrows turning down.
“Ah, you might not want to frown when looking up at me,” I say. “There are eyes everywhere, watching us.” I reach out and pick up a strand of her hair, twirling it with my finger. “Unless you want people to believe I’m the hopeless romantic with no shot at winning the heart of the out-of-towner? If that’s the case, by all means continue to frown because I’d love the sympathy.”
Smiling now, she says, “You realize how pathetic you are, right?”
“Pathetic…or incredibly intelligent?”
“Pathetic,” she replies just as Thachary comes up to us.
“Hey, funny seeing you two together,” he says as he wipes his hands on a bar towel.
I place my arm around Storee’s shoulders and bring her in close to my chest. “I took a chance and asked her out on a date. Somehow I got her to say yes.”
I can practically hear Storee’s internal eye roll.
Thachary looks between the two of us and smiles. “You know, I heard some rumblings about a possible romance between the two of you. Frank said he heard something from Tanya, but I didn’t believe it. Guess I was wrong. Happy for you two.”
“Thanks,” I say, “but it’s just one date, not sure where it will go after tonight.”
“Well, if I know anything about you, man, it’s that you don’t give up easily.” He smirks. “Mulled cider?”
“Two to go,” I say, squeezing Storee in close. “Going to take a walk down by the river.”
Thachary winks. “Smart choice, man. Frank told me they just finished the lights over there this morning in time for tonight.”
He grabs two to-go cups and then moves over toward a large kettle where they make the mulled cider and starts pouring us each a cup.
“Is the riverwalk where you’re going to bury my body?” Storee asks in an undertone.
“I thought about it,” I say. “But with it being lit up now, I couldn’t be discreet while I try to dispose of you.”
“Ah, so plan B is in action?”
“Yes, poisoning the mulled cider,” I say as Thachary tops our cups and brings them over to us.
“Put them on your tab?” he asks.
“Yup,” I say. “Thanks, man.”
“Anytime, and good luck.” He winks and then offers to help another couple. I hand Storee her cup, but she just eyes it.
“For the love of God, I didn’t poison it.”
“Can never be too sure,” she says.
“Just take it.”
After some more careful eyeing, she finally takes the cup from me but doesn’t drink.
“You’re going to regret not drinking this,” I say as I take a sip. The warm, spiced cider runs over my tongue and then down my throat. When she still doesn’t take a sip, I switch cups with her. “There, now you know it’s not poisoned.”
“Do you expect me to drink from this after your lips were on the rim?”
“Do you really think I’m that disgusting?” I ask. When she doesn’tanswer, I roll my eyes, set both cups on the bar, switch the lids, and then hand her back the “un-poisoned” cup. “There, happy?”
“We shall see. If I keel over, Taran knows it’s you.” She lifts the cup to her lips, blows, and then sips. I watch as her eyes light up before she glances down at her drink.
“Good, right? You can’t even lie. I can see it all over your face.”
