Page 36 of Under The Meh-stletoe

December 23

Daniel

Iwalkedoutofmy office and into the night, after catching up with my typical workload. The party was set and ready for the next day and, so far, no new fires had interrupted my usual tasks.

This time of the day was typically my favorite. It was full of possibilities: did I want to go eat at the pub? Go visit with Eva and discuss how we could improve the town? Go home, cook, and read for the evening?

The answer came to me, crystal clear. I wanted to spend time with Alejandra.

No other visions accompanied it. Almost like it didn't matter to me how we spent the evening, I craved her company. But she'd texted me in the morning to say she would spend the day with Ren, so I couldn't do that.

I let my feet take me to rEvalution instead. It was only half-an-hour until closing time, and a lonely patron left just as I went in. The place was quiet now, except for Eva, who was cleaning up her workspace.

"Hey." I grabbed a duster Eva had left on the counter and took it to the shelves on the other side of the room. I spoke loud enough to be heard. "Closing up a few minutes early today?"

"Probably. I could use an early night."

"How about an actual vacation? I don't think you've taken time off since you opened this place last year."

"I'll go somewhere in the spring. Or fall. Depending on whether I can convince Ale to help me out here and how comfortable she gets running the show. Do you know what she'll end up doing in the long term? Aside from doing you, of course."

My lungs quaked and a forceful gust of air left me, halfway to a chuckle. "Wow. I gather you heard something."

"It's my job in our plans, isn't it? To keep my ears open for chatter around the town."

I made sure to move things around the shelves, cleaning around everything and organizing things into their place.

I ran the duster across the top trim. "Didn't know it would include keeping your ears open to rumors about my love life. But, no. I don't know what she wants to do in the long term, except help take care of Ren for the next few months."

"Love life, ah?"

I turned to her and crossed my arms, the duster hanging from my hand. "That's the part you focus on?"

She shrugged. "People think you two are cute. Leslie said she saw it coming from a mile away, the way you looked at her at the cookie competition. And the way Ale made you smile. You, the town's number one grump."

"Please." I scoffed. "I laugh. Once in a while."

"I don't think people knew that." A small smile appeared on her mouth.

She didn't look at me, but focused on wiping the counters.

I frowned. "You can erase that smile from your face. It's not a big deal."

"It isn't?"

"It is—"

I interrupted myself. Standing by the shelves at rEvalution, a limp duster in my hand, my brain short-circuited.

"It is," Eva repeated for me.

I sat on the armchair near me and grabbed the duster handle with both hands. "Oh, shit."

"Did you think this was a casual thing? Are you shocked?"

"I am shocked. Yes. Fuck." I rubbed my eyebrow with a hand. "I didn't want a relationship. They're too much effort."

"I agree with that, but since when are you afraid of working hard for what you want? You moved to Laguna Island knowing this would take years of perseverance. Why is a relationship different?"