“Huh?” Maren asked before hanging her head and covering her mouth with her scarf. Both of her cheeks turned fire-engine red. “I can’t tell you.”
I laughed. “That’s a yes. I had a feeling.”
She pulled the scarf away from her mouth. “Don’t hate me.”
I leaned in and pulled the scarf away from her face. “I could never hate you, Maren.”
“Never?” She raised both eyebrows.
“Never.”
“I love you.”
“I know.” I chuckled. “And I doubt you’ll remember any of this tomorrow.”
“Oh I will, Petey.” She hiccuped and giggled.
“My mom calls me Petey.”
“So?”
“So…never mind.” I shook my head. “Let’s get you back inside. You need some coffee…or a gallon of water. I want you to be able to enjoy Christmas Day with your family.”
I hopped out of the car and walked to the other side, opening her door and gently pulling her out of the seat. “Aren’t we gonna do it?”
“Here? Now?” I asked in shock.
“Why not?”
“For one, you’ll literally freeze your ass off.”
“Nope.” she shook her head dramatically before pulling on the hem of her coat. “I’ll keep this on!”
“And second, your entire family is right inside the shop waiting for you to come back in.”
“Whatever, they’re cleaning. Give me a better reason.” She went up on her tiptoes and poked my chest. “I’m waiting, McTavish.”
I put my hands on her cheeks and kissed her deeply. “I love you too much to do anything more than kiss you right now.”
“Why? I’m fiiiiine.”
“Yeah, you said that earlier.” I shook my head. “C’mon, Moscato. Let’s get you inside.”
She hiccuped and then giggled. And then giggled some more, and then hiccuped again. Within seconds, she was doubled over, her hands placed firmly on her thighs as she laughed and hiccuped over and over.
“What am I going to do with you?”
She stood up tall and extended both arms out wide. “Make LOVE to me, Peter! Right here, right now. I waaaannnnt you.”
More fits of laughter and hiccups followed. Ever so slowly, I was able to get her to walk back into her shop. It took several minutes to walk only a few feet, but I finally got her through the door.
“Peter, I thought you’d left,” Melody said.
“This one needs some water.” I nodded to Maren.
“Got it,” Melody said, walking to us and putting an arm around Maren’s waist.
“Wait, you’re going?” Maren asked.
“I have to. Melody’s going to take care of you. Drink as much water as you can, okay?”
Maren made an exaggerated pouty face with her bottom lip rolled over. “Fine, go. I’ll see you in my dreeeeeamss.”
“At least she’s a happy drunk, right?” Melody asked, and I nodded, watching them walk to the back of the store.
“Merry Christmas, Maren.”
“And a bonny Christmas to youuuuu,” she said before hiccuping and giggling. Another cycle had begun. I laughed to myself as she stumbled toward her candle room.
I watched them disappear behind the wood door of the workshop. Shaking my head, I braced myself for the cold that awaited me. Maren was in good hands, and it was time for me to get some much-needed sleep.
It was a bonny Christmas indeed.
Chapter 17
MAREN
“Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!”” Lyra boomed as she came running into the shop fifteen minutes before we were set to open on December twenty-sixth.
“It’s okay,” I reassured her. She was thirty minutes late, but she’d pitched in so much this holiday season, there was no way I was going to give her a hard time. “I’m almost done with the markdowns.”
“You are?” She sounded surprised as she grabbed an apron and threw it over her head.
“I woke up super early. Plus, we sold through so much of the Christmas stock, which is awesome.” I gestured to the display with a fresh 30% off sign for all holiday scents.
“Yeah, we usually have more. Have you looked at the numbers? Sounds like we may have had our best Christmas season yet.”
“Not yet. Haven’t had a chance.” I took a large sip of coffee and leaned forward to study Lyra. Something was off. Her hair was disheveled and her cheeks flushed.
“Did you stay at your place last night?”
“Umm…” She blinked several times.
“Details. Now.”
“I stayed at Hudson’s.” She crinkled her nose.
“And…”
“And…it was…good.”
“Just good?”
“I mean, yeah.” She hid behind her hair and stared down at her feet.
“What the hell, Lyra? Spill it.”
“I think my expectations were too high…like, I had him on this professor pedestal or something.”
“Was he bad in bed?” I pressed.
“Wow, someone’s not pulling any punches this morning. Yikes.” Lyra frowned and forced out an uncomfortable laugh before looking away.
“Sorry, but we’ve always been blunt with each other. Just tell me what’s going on.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I want to keep seeing him. It’s just that the sex is a little…underwhelming.”
“No chemistry?”
“Some…just not as much as I thought there’d be. I mean, I’ve had a thing for him for months, and then we finally do it and….I don’t know. I expected more, I guess. I mean, how many romance novels have we both read with that trope?”
“Tons. And they’re hot.”
“Right? Super hot.”
“But it wasn’t.”
She shook her head and plopped down on a footstool. “Not really. I faked it. And I never fake it…you know this.”
“I do.” Lyra believed very strongly that women shouldn’t fake their orgasms. Rather, a man should work harder to help her achieve them if what he was doing wasn’t producing results. “So unlike you.”
“Right?” She threw both arms up. “I’m disgusted with myself.”
“Oh stop. Some couples just need time to find their rhythm. Maybe that’s all this is.”
“Maybe.” She looked defeated. “He’s such a nice guy, though.”
“Well…sex isn’t everything.”
Lyra tilted her head, glowering at me. “C’mon, Mare. We both know how important sexual chemistry is. Don’t blow smoke up my ass.”
“Okay.” I crossed the room and crouched on the floor to be eye to eye with her. “Fine, sex is a big deal. Chemistry is super important, and if you’re already feeling this way, then it’s probably not heading in the best direction.”
“Ugh.” She hung her head in her hands. “I know. That’s exactly how I feel. He’s such a great guy, though. Great career, funny, charming… He’s the whole package!”
“So, give it a little more time. If you enjoy being with him, then why not?”
She sighed. “I guess. I mean, it could get better, right?”
“Stranger things have happened,” I said with a laugh. “Maybe you just need to relax a little? Stop thinking about it so much and let it happen naturally.”
“Maybe.”
Just then, there was a knock at the front door. A tall man with perfectly coifed hair, a tailored Oxford shirt, and tan skin was waving from the other side of the glass. Lyra gasped.
“That’s him,” she said, talking through clenched teeth. “Do you think he heard me?”
I stood up and walked to the door, looking back at Lyra. “Don’t be silly, of course not. Come on, introduce me.”
I opened the door and looked into the greenest eyes I’d ever seen. He was tall with a shy smile. “You must be Maren.”
“Yes.”
“Hi, I’m Hudson. I think I saw Lyra in there somewhere. She forgot this.” He held up her cell and spoke quickly, like someone who
was just a little bit nervous.
Lyra joined us at the door, “Hey,” she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Do you want to come in?”
“Sure,” he said, walking into the store. He spun around slowly, taking it all in. “This is a beautiful shop, Maren.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Can I get you some water? Coffee, maybe?”
“Oh no, I don’t want to impose. And I know you’re about to open.”
“We have a minute,” I said, extending a hand. He shook it with a warm smile on his face. “It’s great to meet you.”
His eyes lit up, and he wrapped an arm around Lyra. “Yes, she talks about you all the time. It’s Maren this and Maren that. I feel like I already know you.”
“All good things, I hope,” I said, doing my best to break the tension in the air. I looked at Lyra, who was swallowing again and again, but saying nothing.
“Oh yes,” Hudson said, squeezing Lyra’s shoulder. “Are you and your guy able to join us for New Year’s?”
“I haven’t had a chance to ask her yet,” Lyra said, looking at me and then back to Hudson, who was oblivious to her obvious uneasiness. “But I will. We’ll talk about it later today, I promise.”
Relax, Lyra, relax.
“No worries,” Hudson said, picking up a candle and bringing it to just below his nose. “Ooh, that’s nice. What is that?”
“Oak moss and amber, it’s a very popular scent. Have you read the Outlander books?”
“Afraid not, but I know a little bit about them.”
“Ah, yes, it’s inspired by that story.”
“Very cool, I love that your candles are inspired by fiction. What a novel idea.” He tipped his head forward, waiting for us to get the punch line. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d heard that joke more times than I could count, so I forced out the best laugh I could. Lyra looked mortified, but I couldn’t tell if it was because of my laugh or his joke.
“Lyra, do you like this one?” Hudson asked, sniffing it again.
“Yeah, it’s one of my favorites.”
“I’ll take two then, and the first Outlander book if you have it.” He pulled Lyra toward him and kissed her cheek, talking softly. “Maybe we can read it together.”
“I’ll grab that for you. Meet me at the register?”
“You bet.”
After ringing up his purchase, Lyra walked him to the door. They shared an awkward kiss before she sent him on his way and turned the CLOSED sign to OPEN. Closing the door behind her, she leaned into the glass, hanging her head.
“Go ahead.”
“Um…”
“That’s what I thought.”
“No, no, no. I was just processing my thoughts. He’s super sweet, Lyra.”
“Yep. He is.” She stared up at the ceiling. “What is my problem? I mean, he’s gorgeous, isn’t he?”
I nodded emphatically. “Very handsome. Debonair, actually.”
“So, what is it?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe he’s trying too hard? Or maybe your expectations are too high?”
“Maybe.” She pushed both hands into her pockets, “But I mean, you didn’t have any awkward stuff like this with Peter, right?”
I paused for a second, reflecting on my recent relationship. She was right, aside from our misunderstanding at the very beginning, we’ve been on the same page, and chemistry had never been a problem.
“No, but I did with Jackson.”
“Seriously? You never told me that!”
“I was embarrassed. We’ve come a long way in our friendship since then.”
“True. Even so, it’s hard to imagine anyone having trouble getting hot for Jackson. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a giant douche, but that man is gorgeous as hell.”
I rolled my eyes. “Very hot, yes, but chemistry isn’t just about looks. It’s about the connection, and Jackson and I always had to force it just a little more than either of us wanted to admit.”
“Yeah, and look at how that relationship ended. He treated you like garbage.”
I nodded. “I’ll give you that. But everyone’s different, and you have to give Hudson a real shot.”
“Fine, fine, fine.”
“Okay, here’s what you’re going to do,” I said, leaning my elbows onto the tall countertop of the cash register.
“I’m listening.”
“Tonight, you’re going to buy a bottle of wine…a big one.” I crinkled my nose. “Maybe two. And then you’re going to take it to his place. Get yourselves loosened up and see what happens. Maybe he’s just a proper gentleman and is trying to be respectful of your boundaries…especially because of your, um…situation… Maybe he’s afraid of crossing the line while he’s still your teacher.”
“Maybe.” She furrowed her brow. “I hadn’t thought of that. So you really think booze is the answer?
“Yes! I think you just need to check all your expectations at the door and enjoy him. And let him enjoy you.”
“In other words: Release the beast.”
“Um…sure, if that works for you, yeah.” I laughed, shaking my head. A customer entered the shop and we went back to arranging the closeout candles on the clearance shelves. Talk of Hudson and “releasing their beasts” would have to wait until the end of the day.
It was five minutes to closing when he walked through the door. Lyra and I were standing behind the register. I gasped the moment I saw him in his favorite navy-blue peacoat and coordinating scarf. Lyra leaned in and said under her breath, “Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Yikes.”
“Jackson, hey,” I said giving him a casual wave. He gave me an elongated blink as he strutted toward the counter.
Lyra turned her back to him and muttered through her teeth, “Seriously, no sexual chemistry?”
“Shhh,” I hissed, doing my best to act natural as he reached the counter. Lyra made a beeline for a customer who was wandering the romance section.
“Merry Christmas, beautiful,” he said with his signature wide grin and teeth so white they were almost blinding. Jackson took impeccable care of his body, and it showed.
“Merry Christmas, are you here to stock up on gingerbread candles?” I teased, knowing he’d never purchased anything from my shop, nor had he ever even faked an interest in the candles I created.
“Nah, you know that’s not my thing. No, I’m here for you.”
“For me?” I repeated, and a heavy feeling formed in my belly.
“Brought you something,” he said, handing me a familiar square box.
“Well, this is a surprise,” I said, already knowing exactly what was in the box. Each Christmas, Jackson gave me a bottle of Christian Dior perfume, never taking a moment to notice that I never wore fragrances. I worked with scents every day and naturally smelled like baked goods, flowers, fruits, and intoxicating blends all the time. The last thing I wanted to do was add perfume to that mix. It was sensory overload. But Jackson didn’t pay attention enough to who I was. All he saw was the brand name, and he was proud to be able to provide it to his girlfriend. Secretly, I wondered if his new girlfriend, Patrice, received one for Christmas too.
“You didn’t think I’d forget, did you?”
Feeling puzzled, I held the box but didn’t feel the need to open it. I wanted to be gracious and polite, but I really just wanted to know what on earth he was doing coming to the shop and bringing me presents almost a year after our breakup. Sweat built on the back of my neck as I pondered how to ask that very question without sounding rude.
“Thank you for the gift. Was there something else…?” I let my voice drop off as I waited in anticipation.
“Well, look what the garbage man dragged in,” Lyra said with her fakest smile.
Jackson rolled his eyes, refusing to look directly at Lyra. “Hilarious as always, Lyra.”
“I do aim to please,” she said, her voice snide. “We’re closing in one minute, just FYI.”
“Yeah, I’m not here as a customer.”
I did my best not to laugh, pressing my lips together firmly as I tapped my heel, waiting for Jackson to speak. Finally after a dramatic huff, he ended the suspense.
“I was thinking we could grab a drink.”
“Is there something you want to talk about?”
He raised one wicked eyebrow. “Maybe.”
“Jackson, what’s going on?”
“I just.” He paused to run his fingers through his black hair. “I miss you, Maren. Is that so wrong? I thought we said we’d stay friends.”
“We did.”
“Well, I’m not feeling very welcome at the moment.”
“Jackson, I’ve moved on. I’m happy…really happy, in fact—”
“That’s great.” He cut me off, his nostrils flared and his voice clipped. “No, it’s just at the yoga class you were seriously checking me out.”
I rolled my eyes. “Get over yourself, Jackson. That was months ago, and for the record, I was not checking you out. I don’t need to check you out. I have a boyfriend.”
He leaned in close, taking my hand. “Maren, c’mon, just one drink.”
“Sorry, I’m not interested.” I offered him a polite smile and held up the wrapped bottle of perfume. “Thank you for the gift, though. That was very…thoughtful.”
“Store is closing,” Lyra announced, louder than she normally would. I stifled a laugh as I watched her stroll confidently to join us at the register.
“Maybe some other time, then,” Jackson said, attempting to save face.
“Sure, maybe,” I said. He kissed my hand before placing his hands back inside his peacoat and walking to the door.
“Happy New Year, Maren.”
I looked to Lyra with wide eyes as I heard the door close behind him. “What the hell was that?”
“Girl, I don’t know. We literally haven’t discussed him in months and in he walks just hours after—”
“Hey,” a familiar voice said from the door.
“Peter, hey!” I said, placing Jackson’s gift on the counter and walking to my handsome boyfriend who was dressed in jeans, loafers, sweater, and his gray wool coat. “What a nice surprise!”
Melt With Me: A With Me In Seattle Universe Novel Page 16