“You don’t even know how much,” I agree with a chuckle.
Twenty-One
Amelia
Dinner with Charlie and Candice at Tuscany turns out to be the perfect double date for us. Isaac’s familiar with both of them, so he’s in his element. Comfortable. Candice has become a dear friend of mine and it’s fun catching up with her, one-on-one. She tells me all about their honeymoon in Hawaii, and I let her know what was going on around here. She’s not doing much fundraising committee activities this holiday season because of her wedding, and she had to admit that it’s a relief.
“I was always so busy doing everything before, especially during this time of year,” Candice confesses to me halfway through the meal. “It’s been nice to have a little time to myself for once.”
I send her a skeptical look. We might not have been friends for long, but I know how she operates. She’s the type who likes to stay busy. “Something else has been occupying all of your time, though. The wedding, for one.”
Candice waves a hand. “That’s finished.”
“Your husband then?”
Her cheeks turn pink. “He’s a never-ending project.”
We both laugh.
“You must be conjuring up something else for you to do,” I tease her.
“Well, I was playing matchmaker with you two.” She glances over at Isaac, who is busily chatting with Charlie, before returning her gaze to mine. “It appears my work is already done, though. You two seem very cozy.”
Isaac chooses that moment to reach out and squeeze my hand quickly as he listens to Charlie say something. He’s been doing it all night. Small gestures to let me know he’s thinking about me.
Now it’s my turn to blush.
“We get along,” I tell Candice, purposely vague.
“Oh, it’s more than that. You two make a fantastic couple,” Candice says excitedly. “Hmm, maybe I should consider starting a new matchmaking business.”
“I’ll give you a testimonial,” I say.
“Great!” Bubbly laughter escapes her. “Actually, I have been helping Charlie with the tree farm a lot lately. Victoria and I have been meeting and discussing new projects. A way to make Sullivan Tree Farm a year-round business versus just for the holiday season.”
“See, I knew you were up to something. And that sounds awesome. I was at the farm yesterday and Charlie told me they’re having schools come in for field trips to make wreaths,” I say.
“Yes, that was Victoria’s idea and it’s working out pretty well so far, though I know secretly it drives Charlie out of his mind. So many kids.” Candice rolls her eyes playfully.
“He’s a bit of a grump sometimes,” I say kindly, not wanting to insult her husband.
She laughs. “He’s a complete grouch. He often asks me how I can stand to be around him for so long.”
“You soften him,” I tell her with a smile. “He seems a lot happier now that you’re together. He seems a lot more mellow.”
“You seem happier too,” she observes, her voice lowering. “After you broke up with what’s-his-name, we were a little worried.”
“We? Like who?”
“All of us. Your last relationship was pretty…”
“Toxic?” I supply for her.
“Yes. Toxic.” She nods. “You were kind of grumpy too. Very down on love.”
More like down on life in general, but I don’t bother correcting her. “I was going through a rough time.”
“I know. And now you seem happy. We can all tell your mood is lighter,” she says.
“I feel lighter.” I send a quick glance in Isaac’s direction. “He’s partially responsible for it.”
“Isn’t that wonderful?” Candice beams.
“You guys helped me too,” I tell her, and when she frowns slightly, I explain further. “You and the rest of the girls. My friends.”
Her expression softens. “We’ve always been here for you, Amelia. Even when you tried to push us away.”
“I tried to push you away?”
She nods. “Definitely. I’m guessing it was because your relationship was falling apart and you didn’t want to admit it. To us or to yourself.”
Candice is right. I’d been unhappy with myself for a long time. A lot of that had to do with me hanging on to a failing relationship far beyond its expiration date. That wasn’t healthy. Neither was the constant fighting with Joe. He started to make me question all of my life choices. Not just our relationship, but also what I was doing with my life. Including working at the jewelry store.
I’ve realized this holiday season that I’m actually enjoying my job. The hustle and bustle and the constant stream of customers coming in every day. Assisting those customers in their quest to find that perfect gift for their loved ones. Helping my mother set up the store displays, which we change on a weekly basis. Coming up with new marketing ideas with Palmer, pleased when he agrees with my suggestions. Instead of dreading going to work every day, I wake up early and eager to get to the store. My change in mood has also improved my relationship with my family.
I don’t think that’s all because of Isaac, though he’s certainly brought joy into my life in such a short time. I firmly believe that I’ve brought joy into my life as well. After finally ending things with Joe, my eyes were opened. I came to the realization that I’m worth something. I deserved happiness. I didn’t need to feel miserable and sad all the time.
God, being in a horrible relationship can really mess a person up.
“You’re so right,” I admit. “I was suffering, and I was trying to hide it, though I don’t think I did a very good job. It’s embarrassing to realize you’ve devoted so much time and energy to someone, only for it to fall completely apart. You don’t want to give up on it, even when you know you should.”
“Well, look at you now,” she says brightly. “You’re so much happier. Maybe you had to go through the hard stuff first before you could truly appreciate yourself.”
She said the magic word—yourself. This isn’t about me finding a new relationship in order to be complete. I don’t need a man to make me happy or feel fulfilled. I can do that on my own.
Finding a nice supportive, and incredibly sexy man to stand by your side certainly helps matters too, though, I can’t lie.
“We have an announcement,” Charlie suddenly says. “Isaac and I have been talking, and he’s agreed to become our new customer service manager at Sullivan’s.”
Candice claps, the smile on her face brighter than the sun. “Oh my gosh, I knew you’d say yes! That’s wonderful. Congratulations, Isaac!”
Isaac sits there quietly with a giant smile on his face. I glance over at him, shocked and thrilled by Charlie’s declaration.
“What does this mean?” I ask him.
“This means he’s going to help me out and talk to all the disgruntled customers and make them happy,” Charlie explains. “I do a piss-poor job of it sometimes, and I need someone smoother than me. That’s this guy.” He nods toward Isaac.
I knew Isaac was good at his job, but I didn’t realize he was that great with customers. Instantly I remember when we ran into each other by accident, and how kind he was, even though I was kind of bitchy to him in return. He even gave me tips on how to get the sap out of my denim jacket, which actually worked, I might add.
“It means a promotion and a raise,” Charlie continues. “Isaac’s moving on up.”
“That’s wonderful,” I tell my dinner date, my gaze only for him.
Isaac smiles. “Not bad, huh? I was shocked when Charlie mentioned it to me.”
“And why would you be shocked?” Candice says, her tone lightly scolding. “You’ve been an asset at the farm since day one, according to Charlie. You’re always so kind and helpful. All the customers love you.”
“When they fill out our customer surveys, Isaac always gets the most mentions,” Charlie adds.
“You do?” I ask Isaac.
He shrugs, his cheeks turn
ing ruddy. “I suppose I do.”
“He’s being modest,” Candice says. “Everyone who comes to Sullivan’s loves Isaac. The kids, the little old ladies. The families he helps. He’s always so friendly and full of useful suggestions.”
“He knows how to make people smile,” Charlie adds. “Something I’m not particularly good at.”
“Stop. All of you.” Isaac’s face is now a deep red. “This is getting embarrassing.”
“Aww, he’s blushing.” I lean toward him and drop a kiss on his cheek. “You’re so cute.”
He turns toward me and presses his mouth fully to mine. “So are you.”
“Aw, you two are adorable!” Candice squeals.
Isaac chances a glance in Charlie’s direction as he pulls away from me. “Sorry, boss.”
Charlie waves a hand. “Don’t worry about it. We’re not on the clock.”
“As if you have any room to talk,” Candice mutters to her husband.
“Hey, don’t throw me under the bus,” Charlie says, yanking his wife toward him for a quick kiss. Candice laughs. I can’t help but laugh too.
We leave long after dinner is over, one of the last occupied tables in the restaurant. The Ricci brothers come over to talk to us for a few minutes before we leave, and the satisfied smile on Isaac’s face as we climb into his vehicle can’t be ignored.
“You seem happy,” I tell him when he starts the engine.
He glances over at me. “I am. It’s been a good night.”
“The promotion?” I ask, still thrilled for him. They didn’t even have a customer service manager before. Charlie created the position just for Isaac.
“The promotion and everything else, really. I feel good. I feel like I belong. Like I’ve found my place. My position in life,” he explains. “I know this probably won’t last forever, but I finally feel like I’ve got some purpose.”
I reach out and pat his thigh, marveling at the hard muscle beneath his trousers. “You’ve always had purpose, Isaac.”
“I just needed confirmation I guess,” he says with a shrug, sending me an intimate smile.
“I feel good too you know,” I tell him. “It’s been a fun holiday season for once. I’m enjoying working at the store.”
“Really?”
Nodding, I explain further. “I was so unhappy with everything else in my life, I thought I hated my job too. But now that everything’s so much lighter and easier, I feel…good. No more bad relationship to bring me down I guess.”
“I’m glad you’re happy.” He rests his hand on top of mine where it still sits on his leg. “It just isn’t about the promotion, though. You play a big part in this too, Amelia.”
My breathing hitches and I squeeze his hand. “I feel the same way about you.”
“You do?” He sounds hopeful.
I nod, my gaze finding his. “I’m having fun with you.”
“I’m having fun with you too,” he says with a grin.
“Want to come back to my apartment?” I ask.
He throws the car in drive and pulls away from the curb so quickly, the tires squeal, making me laugh.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Twenty-Two
Isaac
Those days leading up to Christmas only get busier and busier—for both me and Amelia. To the point that it’s difficult to make time to see each other. It’s not that we don’t want to see each other or we’re afraid—we’re past that, I think—it’s just that we’re both so exhausted all the time.
The tree farm business is booming. With my new position, I’m putting out fires and trying to please everyone, which isn’t as easy as I first thought it might be. Amelia’s on the grind too. Her family decided to extend the store hours for the last ten days before Christmas, and she’s working round the clock. We’re always promising each other it’ll get better after Christmas.
It feels like a special date on the calendar we’re both working towards.
We sneak in a few texts here and there. A nightly FaceTime call; it is so good to see her beautiful face. I feel a little dumbstruck every time I look her, though I don’t think she knows. Or if she does, she’s really good at playing it off. But damn, I can’t help but get swept away by her beauty every single time I see her. She’s beautiful. And this girl acts like she wants to be mine. It’s mind-boggling.
But finally.
Finally.
Our schedules somehow aligned and we made a date with each other.
The Saturday before Christmas, no less.
I show up at the doorstep of her apartment a few minutes early with a gift in hand. I hope she doesn’t think I’ve gone overboard, but come on. This gift isn’t that big of a deal. I have a feeling she’ll really like it though.
Stepping forward, I knock on the door and then stay planted on the Christmas-y doormat, waiting for her to answer.
The door swings open a few seconds later, and my mouth pops open at first sight. She’s so damn beautiful, it almost hurts to look at her. Her hair is down and hangs perfectly straight, and she’s got on this black, very soft-looking sweater that makes me want to touch her.
Oh, come on. She could be wearing anything—or nothing at all—and I’d always want to touch her.
Her gaze drops to the gift hanging from my hand and her face lights up as she lifts her head to flash me a brilliant smile. “Is that for me?”
I hold the thick, fresh pine wreath out to her. “Straight off of Sullivan Farms.”
“Oh my gosh.” She takes the wreath from me and brings it up to her face, taking a deep sniff, her eyes falling closed for a brief second. “It smells amazing.”
“That’s why I brought it for you. I knew you’d like it. Well, that and it looks good. One of the last wreaths we had left.” I smile.
She smiles back. “Come in. It’s cold.”
I step inside her apartment, and the moment the door is shut, she’s on me. We wrap our arms around each other and our mouths are fused. Kissing her feels like coming home—which is some straight-up corny shit and maybe it’s the season or whatever, but it’s true. She feels good. She feels right.
Right for me.
Once we finally come up for air I follow Amelia around the apartment, taking note of how clean and elegant the décor is, just like the woman who lives here. I watch as she clutches the wreath in both hands, her head swiveling left and right as she nibbles on her lower lip, looking for a place to put it.
“Most people hang their wreath on their front door,” I suggest.
“No. No way.” She shakes her head, smiling faintly. “I want it inside of my apartment so I can enjoy looking at it and smelling it.”
“Whatever floats your boat,” I tell her, making her laugh.
“I think it could go right there.” She points at a blank sliver of wall that flanks the right side of her sliding glass door. She glances over her shoulder with hopeful eyes. “Maybe you could hang it for me?”
I’d do anything for her if she keeps looking at me like that. I bet she knows it too. “You have a nail and hammer?”
“Yes, but I have one of those 3M sticky hooks I’d rather use instead,” she says. “You think it would support the wreath?”
“Let’s check it out.”
She goes and gets the hook from somewhere in her kitchen while I test the weight of the wreath in one hand. It’s pretty heavy. Can one of those little temporary hooks really hold this thing?
I give it a shot, rising up to press the sticky side of the hook firmly onto the wall after Amelia gives it to me. The wreath is massive. I got her one of the biggest ones we offer because why the hell not. For the first time in a while, I used my employee discount and purchased it for her.
After the hook is in place where she wants it to go, I carefully set the wreath on it, taking my time to release it, in case the greenery might plummet to the ground. I let go of the wreath slowly, backing away from it a few careful steps at a time, secretly pleased to see it remain in place
.
“There you go,” I say, turning to face her. “What do you think?”
“It’s gorgeous,” she says on a sigh. “I love the pinecones and the red ribbon.”
“We have more elaborately decorated ones, but I thought this one suited you best,” I tell her. Simple yet beautiful.
Like her.
Her smile turns more intimate. “Thank you. I wasn’t going to get myself a tree this year, so this is the next best thing.”
I shove my hands into the front pockets of my jeans, suddenly a little uncomfortable. More like feeling awkward. I don’t know why, considering we’ve admitted to each other that we want this relationship. I still feel a little out of my depth though sometimes.
More than anything, I just—I want to do right by this woman, and not scare her away. Or drive her away. I still worry about the rebound remark, though I remind myself constantly to get over it. She’s giving me a chance, just as I’ve done for her, and neither of us seem to be going anywhere. “I’m glad I could put a smile on your face, Amelia. It’s all I ever want to do.”
She’s silent for a moment. So am I.
Then she smiles.
And so do I.
“Are you tired?” she finally asks.
“Exhausted,” I answer.
“Me too.” She pauses. “You want to just stay here and order in a pizza? Maybe watch a movie?”
“That sounds perfect,” I say, relief filling me. It’s not that I don’t want to take her out and treat her right, but I am really tired. I’ve been going nonstop this last week and the upcoming week is more of the same thing, even as Christmas draws closer. You wouldn’t believe the amount of people who wait until the last minute to get a Christmas tree.
Amelia’s been at her family’s store pretty much every single day too. Working nonstop during the holidays for businesses like we do, it’s constantly busy. I can’t wait for December 25th, only because I won’t have to deal with anyone wanting a tree for another year.
We argue a little over the best pizza place in the area, until we finally come to an agreement. I order the pizza via the restaurant’s app, while Amelia goes about collecting plates and napkins, and also pulls an unopened bottle of wine from her pantry. I don’t bother reminding her I’m more of a beer man, though I am. I’m always up to give her fancy wine a try.
Blind Date (Dating Series Book 7) Page 14