Page 143 of Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal
“That’s sweet.”
“And then I thought we’d head over to Prancer’s Libations. I have a table reserved for us. It can get busy at night, so I wanted to secure a place in the back.”
“Thoughtful. Thank you.”
“Of course. Had to impress you on our first date.”
“Would you call this our first date?” she asks as we walk past the post office. “You wouldn’t consider Cupid Christmas Night our first date?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I didn’t ask you out. We just happened to hang out that night.”
“And kiss.”
“Yes, and kiss, thanks to the mistletoe. But that wasn’t a date. Neither was last night at my house. This is a date. I asked you out, you said yes, and now we’re doing something together.”
“I see. Well then, I’m excited to be on our first date.”
I lean over and kiss the top of her head. “Me too.”
Betty
“Okay, I already love it in here,” I say as we step through the door of Antlers Antiques. The first thing that greets us is a gaggle of old animatronic Santa Clauses, all with their fair share of wear and tear... and charm.
“It’s a pretty unique place,” Atlas says as he places his hand on my lower back. “My mom has found quite a few things here that she’s used on the farm for decoration. Sherry Conrad owns the store. When she first opened, she’d scavenge garage sales and online forums looking for vintage Christmas decorations, and then as her reputation grew, people started bringing their items to her to sell.”
“Wow, I’m impressed,” I say as I run my hand over a vintage sign that saystrees. “This would look cute on your farm, right next to the old red truck you have on display that people take pictures in.”
He takes in the sign. “You know, you’re right. Adds a hint of green to the picture. I think I might grab it, surprise my mom.”
“And if you moved the truck over to that grove of trees that points you toward where to cut, it could be a really great photo opportunity that includes the entire farm, not just the truck. With the sign addition, I can see people using that as their Christmas card picture.”
He slowly turns to look at me. “Well, isn’t that a good idea?”
I smile. “I think it is.”
“Me too.”
“Give me one second.” He heads over to Sherry Conrad, who’s sitting at the cash register, reading on an e-reader. “Hey, Sherry, think I can have somesoldstickers?”
She glances up at Atlas, and I watch as she smiles brightly when her eyes meet his. “Of course, dear. Goodness, I didn’t even see you come in—” She glances in my direction and then looks back at Atlas. “Oh my, did you bring a lady friend with you?”
“I did,” he says. “A lady friend who is on a first date with me.”
Sherry presses her hand to her chest. “And you brought her here?”
“Yeah, trying to spark some inspiration in her, and it seems like I already have.” He holds up the stickers she gave him. “We’ll be around. Might have a few purchases today; we’ll see. Thattreesign I’m already claiming.”
“You know, you’re the first one I thought of when I saw it,” she says. “So glad you can give it a home.” Then she turns to me and wiggles her fingers. “Hello, dear. Have a look around and let me know if you have any questions. I added a new room in the back, all vintage gifts. Might be one of my favorite additions.”
“Looking forward to it,” I say as I move over to a section of old boxes and milk crates, my mind starting to run wild with ideas. Atlas joins me, placing his hand on my back again as I move around the crates. “These are so cool.”
“My mom uses those for display.”
“Yes, that’s where I’ve seen them before. I thought it was a cute way to add height to shelves.”
“Where would you use them?”
“I don’t know, but I definitely want to take a picture, maybe add it to a vision board.”
