by Karla Doyle
“Time’s up,” Rick said, pulling Kelly from thoughts he’d never seen coming.
The buzzer had gone off. Time was up for the ribs in the oven, but not for him. He glanced at the fridge, where Addie’s colorful, botanical calendar hung from an equally flowery magnet. Stuff he wouldn’t have thought to choose but couldn’t imagine his kitchen without.
Christmas was twelve days away. Twelve days to undo a lifetime of “just friends” with Addie. Twelve days to change the name she wrote on that gift’s tag. Twelve days to win the girl he just realized has always been the one for him.
Chapter 2
December 14
ADELINE
“Do you have any that are smaller?” Caroline had picked up each poinsettia plant in the store, and set each one down with a sigh.
“I’m guessing it’s for your mom?” Addie asked, leaving the workbench and floral arrangement she was creating for another customer.
Caroline nodded while surveying the lineup of poinsettias again. “I’m sure these will all be too big. Her room at Hope Lodge is pretty small.”
Adeline squeezed her friend’s hand. Car’s mom had been in the private nursing home since Car got divorced and moved to a one-bedroom apartment.
“I’ve got a couple of options that take less space, but still look festive. Follow me.” She led her friend through the store, pointing out a ceramic-potted Christmas cactus and a red Amaryllis on their way to the rear stockroom. “And then there are these.” She swept her arm toward the lineup of top-heavy, five-inch-tall, miniature poinsettias.
“Oh my gosh, they’re so…”
“Disturbingly adorable?”
Caroline laughed. “Yes.”
Sighing, Addie shrugged. “In the wholesale catalog, they only looked adorable, not oddly out of proportion. I ordered some in because I thought they’d be different and cute. A neat little Christmas novelty plant.”
“They are. Why don’t you have them out front, for people to see?”
“They’re harder to keep alive than the full-size poinsettias. I’ve already refunded most of the minis I’ve sold because they died within a week. I didn’t want anybody else to be dissatisfied, so I took the remainder off the sales floor. Now I’m basically keeping them hidden away like gremlins.” Laughing, she picked up the prettiest one. “You’re welcome to have one, if you want. Pick your favorite. No charge.”
“But won’t it die before Christmas?”
“Not if you follow the care instructions exactly. You visit your mom every day, right?” she asked, and her longtime friend nodded. “Then it’ll be fine. Just check the soil daily and make sure it always stays moist. As long as it doesn’t dry out, it should survive Christmas.”
“Sounds like the philosophy of everybody I serve at The Bristol.”
Adeline laughed. “Lots of people drinking their way through the holidays?”
“That’s the current excuse, I guess. I’m not complaining though. Tips are always better in December. It’s the January drinkers I’m not crazy about.” Caroline picked up one of the pots and turned it around in her hands. “Thank you for this. It’ll be just right in my mom’s room.”
“My pleasure. And, if that one dies, just come back and get another one. Heck, maybe come back and get another one anyway. Or more than one. I’d rather somebody enjoy them.”
“Thanks, I might do that. My worn-out, little apartment could use an infusion of holiday spirit.”
In that comment lay a potential solution to Adeline’s current predicament. Today was looking up.
“Here,” she said, relieving Caroline of the plant. “Let me put this in a sleeve so it’s protected from the weather.” Standing at the service counter, she called up what she hoped was a not-too-serious, yet, take-this-seriously tone. “On the subject of apartments, have you ever considered moving, maybe sharing a two-bedroom with a roommate? Someone you’ve known since kindergarten, someone you took dance classes with…”
Caroline’s eyes opened wide. “You?”
“That’s who I was thinking of, yes.”
“Wow.”
This was not going the way she’d hoped. She folded the paper over and stapled it, praying her expression looked more casual than the twisting in her gut. “I mean, it just popped into my head. Something to consider if you ever want to look for a different place.”
“I always want to look for a different place. My apartment is horrible. But decent, affordable rentals are hard to come by in town. Especially one-bedroom units.”
“Then maybe we really should be on the lookout for a two-bedroom to share.” The awkward silence that followed didn’t help the knot in her stomach. “Or not.” She raised her hands as if at gunpoint. “It was just an idea. No pressure or anything.”
“I’m interested, for sure. I’m surprised, that’s all. I didn’t expect you to move out of Kelly’s house.”
“I know, I’ve been there a long time. Practically forever, since I’ve only lived at my parents’ house, then at Kelly’s. But it has to happen eventually, right?”
Caroline tipped her head to one side. “Honestly, I would have guessed no. I had you and Kelly pegged as a permanent deal.”
“Why? Did you think neither of us would find a significant other we’d want to settle down with?”
“Um…I kind of thought you already had.”
“Kelly and I are just friends. That’s all we’ve ever been, and all we’ll ever be.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“Totally.” More like finally. She’d come to terms with her unrequited feelings, but getting over Kelly hadn’t been easy—unlike the stream of women who’d passed her bedroom door, on their way to his. They’d been plenty easy. But that was ancient history. Her crush, anyway. The stream of easy women parading to his bedroom was as current as last week’s Hope Harbor newspaper.
She shook off the memory of Melanie Easton’s too-loud-to-be-real moans that’d prevented a good night’s sleep ten days ago—not that she was keeping track—and met Caroline’s gaze. “Anyway, I have other reasons for wanting to move out.”
“Mind if I ask what? If I’m going to consider giving up my cheap-rent, hole-in-the wall apartment, I want to be sure you’re a roommate who’ll stick around to pay her half of a new one.”
“Of course, I totally get that.” Thank goodness she could count on Caroline not to gossip, because if this little story got out… “Okay.” She lowered her voice, despite the absence of other customers in her store. “When I got home from work last night, Kelly and Rick were acting weird toward me. I called them on it, then Rick said something stupid—”
“As Rick frequently does. When he’s at the bar, anyway.”
Adeline laughed. “Not only at the bar. He’s okay, though, aside from the occasional stupid comment, such as the one he made last night.”
“Was it his stupid comment that made you want to move out? I know he’s Kelly’s buddy, but I can’t imagine Kelly standing idly by while Rick acts like a dumbass toward you.”
“He didn’t. He saw that I was upset by Rick’s comment and he jumped right in.”
“Of course, he did,” Caroline said, adding a knowing wink.
“Because he’s my best friend. That’s all.”
“Whatever you say. If it wasn’t Rick’s ‘Rickness’ and there’s not a problem with Kelly, why are you suddenly looking to move out?”
“Kelly opened a package that was actually for me. Accidentally. He assumed it was one of his online orders and opened it without checking the label. He and Rick both saw what I’d ordered, and now I honestly don’t know how I’m going to look either of them in the eye.”
“Don’t keep me in suspense, hon. What on earth did you order that has you embarrassed enough to move out?”
Heat crept up her neck, firing her cheeks to what she imagined was a festive shade of red. “A sex toy. A…cock ring.” Her tongue could’ve been made of sand, her mouth was so dry. “One that vibrates
.”
Caroline had grown up in a respected, well-to-do family and spent her lifetime presenting a cultured kind of poise Addie had always admired. At this moment, though, as Caroline doubled over with laughter, that composure was nowhere to be seen.
“You see?” she asked. “And the worst part is, the cock ring isn’t even for me. I ordered it as a gift for my cousin’s wedding.”
“Oh, right. Jenna is having a Christmas Day wedding.” Caroline nodded. “I had to decline my invitation, but I’m sure it’ll be spectacular.”
“I’m sure it will. Jenna’s motto is ‘go big, or go bigger.’”
Caroline laughed. “So true. I always envied her confidence and determination. Back to the wedding gift, though. Didn’t Kelly and Rick believe you when you told them who it was for?”
“I didn’t tell them.”
“Why not?”
“Because I wasn’t sure which ridicule would be worse—being the girl who buys a guy a vibrating cock ring, or the girl whose sex life is so tame and lame, she has nobody to buy a cock ring for.”
“Oh, hon,” Car said, stepping around the counter to pull her into a hug. “You’re an amazing girl no matter who you are—or aren’t—buying sex toys for. Whether you tell Kelly the truth or not, this will blow over. Just like many of the people leaving The Bristol Hotel after Friday night’s pub crawl.”
She accepted the hug and the quick laugh Caroline’s joke provided. “Thanks for listening.”
“My pleasure.” One of Hope Harbor’s most beautiful blondes stepped away, making the zipper motion across her lips. “We never had this conversation.”
“Thank you.”
“And if you ever decide you truly want to move out of Kelly’s house, give me a call,” Car said, moving toward the door. “But I’m still rooting for the permanent deal for the two of you. You’d look so cute standing at the front of St. Paul’s together, maybe at your Christmas wedding.”
“Please. That’s never going to happen.” She smiled and waved at her friend through the window, letting the façade drop once Caroline was out of view. “Never going to happen,” she said again, as a reminder to herself. If she ever wanted to stand at the front of St. Paul’s in a white dress, she couldn’t backslide into indulging her feelings for Kelly.
Maybe she really should move out of his house. It’d be easier to move forward and find someone else if she wasn’t face-to-face with Kelly every morning and night. But she loved being face-to-face with him. The thought of daily life without his warm eyes, dimpled smiles, and make-everything-right-in-the-world hugs made her want to cry.
So, she’d cry for a while. The tears would dry up eventually. Then she’d finally, truly be over him, once and for all.
Decision made. She’d call Caroline about looking for rentals together. After the holidays. Because the only thing she loved more than sharing any random day with Kelly was sharing Christmas with him. If this was going to be their last year putting gifts under one tree, she was going to enjoy every minute, not waste time wallowing.
As for the cock ring… What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Heck, he probably hadn’t given it another thought once she disappeared into her room last night. Even if he had, he wouldn’t tease her about it. He was a good friend that way. A good friend every way, but never more.
December 14
KELLY
Having long days to fill with whatever he wanted was one of the great things about his winter hiatus from work. Having long days to dwell on things he couldn’t control was new to him—and the opposite of great.
Addie would be home any minute. Which should be no big deal, yet here he was, pacing the house, trying to figure out how to look as if he’d been casually living his life. In reality, he’d spent the last twelve hours analyzing his feelings. Torture. If this is how it felt to be a woman, he had an even greater appreciation for them.
The rumble of her van pulling into the driveway drew him to the window. Standing off to one side, he watched her get herself sorted before exiting the brightly decorated, Sunny Daze delivery van. She shifted her purse’s strap up her arm, followed by the dual straps of a fabric tote bag he knew from experience would be packed with paperwork. Next came her insulated lunch bag.
Everything loaded over one shoulder, she used her free arm to open the driver’s door, then patted her pocket before locking the van with the fob in her hand. He didn’t have to continue watching to find out what’d come next—a second pat at her left pocket, where she kept her phone. She always did that. She’d never forgotten her phone, but she always seemed to doubt that she’d remembered it. One of her quirks.
He’d seen her go through this ritual more times than he could count. On a few occasions, when he’d been waiting on her for some reason, he’d teased her about it. Mostly, he’d ignored it.
Watching her tonight, he wanted to kick himself for not taking the time to really see her all those times. The cute way she talked to herself throughout the habitual routine. How she practically glowed, despite the evening darkness surrounding her. How, even loaded down like a pack mule, she still moved with the flowing ease of a confident, beautiful woman.
He’d always found her pretty. As the years had stretched on, he’d appreciated her body too, though he’d trained himself to focus on her face instead of her curves. Not the easiest thing to do, especially on days she wore ass-molding jeans or painted-on leggings. The times he’d caught a glimpse of Addie in a little camisole top with no bra underneath, or her cut-off sweatpants that showed her sexy ass, had forever imprinted on his brain. But, he’d slapped on figurative blinders and ignored Addie’s womanliness as much as a decent, heterosexual man could.
He’d been a fucking saint not to ogle her all these years. A saint and a moron. Keeping Addie safely in the friend zone had left the door wide open for the recipient of her cock-ring purchase. Well, it wasn’t Christmas yet, goddammit.
He hopped over the back of the couch, landing in his usual place as Addie opened the front door. “Hey, you’re home.” Clicking off the TV he hadn’t been watching, he rose and moved to the front hall, where he relieved her of the lunch and tote bags. “I’ll take care of these.”
“Thanks…” She tilted her head, adding a narrowed gaze when he reached for her coat, before she could hang it up. “Is something going on? Why are you hovering by the door?”
Not by the door, he was hovering by her. Something he planned to do the remainder of the evening, as a test. But the test wouldn’t work if she got suspicious.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to crowd you. When I heard you pull in, I realized I hadn’t started cooking anything. Thought I’d catch you before you got your coat and boots off, and I’d take you out for dinner.”
Her cute features relaxed. “That’s very thoughtful, but you don’t have to cook for me every night, just because you’re home.”
“I like doing it.”
“You really miss feeding people during the winter, when The Horne Dog is closed, don’t you?”
Hearing Addie mention his business brought a smile to his face. She’d been his cheerleader since day one, encouraging him to purchase the grill shack at the pier when it came on the market. She’d also been the one to suggest using his old nickname as the business name, which had turned out great. He owed her for both things.
“I miss the adrenaline rush of work, but I enjoy cooking for you more than flipping burgers and hot dogs at the booth.”
“Awe, that’s so sweet.”
“It’s true.”
“Then I’m the luckiest girl in town,” she said, smiling up at him. “You can return to duty as my personal chef tomorrow. Tonight, I’ll just grab a plate of veggies. Or maybe that salad I saw in the fridge, if there’s any left.”
The salad he’d joked about with Rick. “Yeah, it’s still in there.” And would be until she ate it, since he’d made it especially for her. “But forget the salad. Let me take you out instead.”
Hands planted on
her hourglass hips, she drilled him with a narrowed gaze. “Are you trying to make up for what happened yesterday?” Women and their trick questions, where both a yes or no answer had equal potential for getting a man into shit.
“I just want to take my favorite girl out for dinner,” he said, opting for the non-answer answer. His focus dropped to her mouth as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, then let it slide free, all glistening, plump, and inviting as hell.
“Will it be the two of us? Or will Rick be tagging along, or joining us once we’re seated?” A rosy pink crept across her cheeks. “Because I don’t think I can handle more of his teasing about…you know.”
Oh, yeah, he knew. “Definitely no Rick. Just you and me. I promise not to let anybody else near you.”
“When you put it that way, how can I say no?”
“You can’t.” Heat swelled in his chest. The need to take care of her, yes, but more than that. He curled his hands around the bags’ straps before succumbing to his urge to pull her against his body. “I’ll put your stuff on your desk, then we can go.”
“Sounds like you’re hungry.”
“More than I realized.”
“Okay.” By her innocent smile, she was clearly oblivious to the double meaning in his words, or the growing bulge in his jeans. “Mind if I change my clothes and freshen up quickly?”
“Yeah, go ahead, do what you need to do.”
“I won’t keep you waiting long.” She squeezed past him in the small entryway, her ample tits brushing his biceps in the process.
A couple of days ago, the sensation wouldn’t have registered. He wouldn’t have noticed the blush on her face as she hurried away. His cock wouldn’t be rising to attention at the thought of her nipples hardening beneath her formfitting sweater. He wouldn’t be fighting the urge to follow her to her bedroom, where he’d speed up this test by kissing her sweet little mouth.