The Problem With Mistletoe

by Kyle Baxter

  “It’s cold. Sterile,” he said. It was also freezing. Surveying the room, he scowled when he didn’t see a thermostat on the wall. He’d have at least turned the heat on for a tour.

  Tandi pulled her wool coat tight and sat in one of the chairs. “Well, it’s not decorated. I’m sure with some Christmas cheer, it’ll improve.”

  The one mark in its favor was its view. The fresh snow made the town sparkle even under the overcast sky.

  With a finger he drew a frowny face on the window. “It has no personality. I wanted something more homey. It’s also tiny.”

  “Tiny?”

  David took it upon himself to stack several of the plastic chairs. With a grunt he slid them away. “After Dr. Horton cornered me, it occurred to me that this could become something. Especially with your name attached.”

  “Our name.” She stood and moved to the door.

  “Yours is the important one. People know you and this space just isn’t good enough for a Cooper event.” He looked at her sheepishly. “Is that elitist? Pretentious?”

  “Maybe, but you have a point. This space isn’t good enough for getting potential donors, but it may be too late. Christmas is only weeks away.”

  “We have to do something. I’m going to let the event planner know and start searching for something else.” David crossed his fingers.

  Afterward, they sat in the Java-N-Kava in the lobby. At least they have a coffee shop in the building. The chain, originally a mom-and-pop operation, was recently sold off to a much larger franchise.

  He looked at the logo on the cup. It and the napkins all had the national name. The corporation kept the coffee shop’s name, but only locally. An attempt to hold onto the goodwill of the community.

  Was that what would happen to Capili’s Restaurant? How did Alex feel about that? They hardly got into it last night before things got testy. He wanted to go back and apologize after all he did to save Eric from sliding into a busy street.

  Should he tell his mother Alex was back in town? She never approved of him. Not that David faulted her. Alex’s father always made things difficult for them. Don’t say anything yet. He’s only in town for a few weeks. Surely there’s no reason to bring it up. And besides, he needed to concentrate on the CYA party.

  His mind was a jumble where Alex was concerned. Glad to see him, but he was also hurt and angry he stayed away so long with no word. He didn’t even call when David’s father died. There was also the guilt. It was his fault Alex left. I pushed him away.

  David pondered this between sips of his frozen coffee drink, affogato style. “Of course, with whipped cream,” he answered the barista. Alex would be proud. We loved affogatos. David was already planning his HIIT cardio routine to burn it off later.

  “Where do you plan to search?” Tandi sipped on her Kava tea.

  David leaned back in his chair. “I have no idea. Everywhere?” Maybe one of the old warehouses near the river that they almost converted into loft apartments would serve.

  “That’s a firm plan,” she said sourly. She set her cup on a square napkin and aligned the edges parallel to the table.

  “Mom, I’ll get on it.” He twisted his knit cap in his hand under the table.

  “You’d better. Our name is on this charity, and that still means something in this town.”

  He glowered at her. “I will not disgrace the family name, Mother.”

  “Quit being dramatic. I just meant this is important, and it needs your full attention.” Her eyes watered.

  He took both her hands in his. “It’s also near and dear to me for obvious reasons.” A charity benefiting at-risk children, how could it not be? “We’ll take care of it.”

  With a sniffle, she dabbed at her eyes. “I know.” Her tone was contrite, something he was not used to. “It’s so close to the holidays . . . I’m just worried. I want this to work.”

  “Hey, I do too. Besides, this will be a nice feather in my cap when I interview for my promotion.” He grinned.

  “You mentioned that.” Tandi returned his smile. “What brought this on?”

  “It was you and Bonnie nudging me to move on. The current supervisor is retiring, so I thought I would throw my hat in the ring.” He stood and pulled his jacket on. “Now, I’m still not completely on board with the dating, but maybe it is time to do more than get by.”

  Chapter Seven

  Rollercoaster

  Taking deep breaths to calm himself, Alex walked back and forth in front of an empty house in the Old Quarter. It lay three blocks east of the restaurant on the riverside.

  The windows of the large two-story were protected by clear boarding. Originally, plywood hung over them, but the local homeowners’ association complained, concerned about property values.

  Though the neighbors preferred to see it occupied, it sat vacant for almost two years. Uncle Felix hired a service to come by and it kept the sidewalk and driveway clear of snow in winter and took care of the lawn in the spring and summer.

  As he walked around the front, he checked the windows and eaves for damage. It needed a new coat of paint, and the walk leading to the front door had minor damage, but that was the worst of it.

  He knew every corner, door, and shingle by heart. It’s my home . . . the home I ran away from. Inhaling deeply, he set his shoulders and strode up to the front door. With a shaky hand, he retrieved his house key, still on the same keychain it hung on when he left town.

  He felt a sharp pain in his chest and grimaced. Taking deep breaths through his nose, he counted to five and exhaled. Better.

  A noise made him turn with a jerk. Mrs. Brady walked by with her German Shepherd, giving him the eye.

  “Merry Christmas.” Alex forced his best pageant smile and waved. She broke out her own and waved back as she passed.

  His Bluetooth earpiece chose that moment to beep for an incoming call. After a quick check of the caller ID, he answered it, happy for the distraction.

  “Enrico, what’s up?” He struggled to make his voice casual. “No, I’m not doing anything.”

  He raced back down the sidewalk and opened the driver’s side door of his dad’s truck, a five-year-old SUV. Now his five-year-old SUV, he corrected himself. In the cab, he leaned over and stared out the passenger window at the house.

  Panic threatened to well up again. So many arguments between his parents in that house, so much shouting, and him never able to do anything right for his drunk father.

  What was left of his old life in there? Was his bed still there? Uncle Felix cleaned out most of it. That must have been hard.

  He felt a pang of guilt. When his father died, he was still too angry to come home. He left the dirty work to his uncle and aunt. Maybe going in there could wait.

  “Alex?” Enrico asked, making him jump.

  “Sorry, one minute . . .” Reaching over the seat, he dug out his messenger bag. Enrico was a friend from the office in New York and doing him a solid by picking up his workload so he could come home.

  But why he was here? Mama and Papa could sell the restaurant without him. True, he inherited a share of the restaurant when his father passed, but he did not physically need to be here.

  Of course, they did so much for him growing up that there was no choice but to return when Tiyo called. The tone in his voice was unmistakable; something was up. He and Aunt Claire were getting older. Maybe it was just time to retire. Maybe that was all there was to it.

  When Alex asked for help, Enrico immediately backed him up. He understood; he knew the importance of family.

  He scrolled through the documents on his tablet, looking for the correct banquet event order (BEO) form amid the clutter.

  “Hold on.” He went through the settings in his cloud storage folder and emailed Enrico. “I sent you a link to my files. I should have done that before. My apologies.”

  “You ran out of here like a bat out of hell. It’s okay.” Enrico’s voice was sympathetic over the earpiece.

  “I’
ll keep track of it, but text me any updates,” he said. “Thank you. Talk to you later.”

  Alex ended the call and looked at his old house again. He dug out the bottle of antacid tablets he kept in his messenger bag. The familiar pain and panic from his teenage years hung heavy on his heart and twisted his stomach. Not today, he thought, chewing the tablet. Opening the house would wait. He wasn’t in the headspace to deal with it today.

  Instead, he pulled up the app for businesses in Edgedale on his smartphone. There’s an app for that! He was amazed again that this was no longer the small town he grew up in. Searching the listings on dog shelters, he exulted in finding the one from his childhood still open.

  He started the truck and drove the four blocks to the shelter. It lay at the end of Weidy Road, just off the creek, the last storefront in an aging strip mall. Parking in the lot in front of the yellowed building, he chuckled. It looked exactly the same, if a little worse for wear. At least this place hasn’t changed.

  In high school he volunteered here. His father wouldn’t let him have a dog, so he came here. Walking and caring for the dogs comforted him. He ran to the shelter or to David when things got tough at home. And as things were tense with his old friend at the moment, Edgedale Dog Shelter was it!

  Walking in the front door, he heard the familiar ding-dong of the entry chime and immediately relaxed. A small Christmas tree hung upside down from the ceiling—avoiding demolition from the shelter’s house cat, and there was always at least one in residence.

  The teenage girl at the counter looked up at him. Behind her, several dogs ran around, tails wagging at his entrance. A large tabby jumped onto the work table. She observed him but kept her distance.

  “Can I help you?” The girl set her phone aside.

  “Do you have any dogs that need walking?” He stopped himself from giggling. How did that sound?

  “I’m sorry?” She looked confused.

  “Alex Capili?” a voice asked.

  He looked over to see a familiar face looking at him through a sliding window from the back of the store. He waved at her. “Hi, Maggie.”

  With a clatter, the petite woman rushed out of the back and through the swinging door of the counter to give him a hug. “Ohmygodhowareyou?”

  “I’m fine, Maggie. It’s good to see you.” He grinned.

  She waved to the girl. “Becky, this is Alex. He used to volunteer here back in the day.”

  The girl gave him a weak smile.

  “I heard you were in town.” Maggie ran her hands over him. “You put some meat on you. Looks good.”

  “How did you hear?”

  She snorted. “Edgedale may be a city now, thanks to your friends the Coopers, but the Quarter is still a small town.”

  Of course.

  “What brings you here? Not to see me, I’m sure.” She crossed her arms.

  He blushed at her directness. “I thought I’d see if there was a dog I could borrow?”

  Maggie put a sympathetic hand on his arm. “Went by the old house, did you?”

  “Okay, how did you hear that?” The town was small but not that small; he just left there.

  “I didn’t. I just know you. Wait here.” She disappeared into the back.

  Becky exchanged an awkward glance with him before retreating to her smartphone. Reappearing with a black Labrador Retriever, Maggie handed him the leash. “Here we go. This is Max.”

  Alex knelt and held his hand out, letting the dog approach and sniff him. The dog nuzzled his hand.

  “Good boy.”

  “He’s six years old.” She finished in a whisper. “His owner just passed.”

  “That’s hard. Has he been here long?” Max lay down and turned over for belly rubs from him.

  “A few months. As you know, most people are looking for pups.” She shook her head. “You could foster him while you’re in town.”

  Standing, he took the leash from her. “I’d love to, but I’m staying in the apartment over the restaurant.”

  She handed him a bone-shaped poop bag dispenser. “Not in your old house?”

  “Not yet, but I’m thinking about getting it ready to rent out or sell.”

  “That makes sense. It’s a good house and it’s sat empty way too long.” She put her hand on his back and led him to the door.

  “How long can I have him out?” He stepped onto the street, shivering in the cold. Max immediately tested his tether, pulling at him. Alex stood firm at the door but let the dog sniff at a nearby spot of some interest.

  “Keep him as long as you like, you know dogs, and he needs the exercise. I trust you.” Standing on her toes, she gave him another hug.

  “Thank you. I missed you.”

  “I missed you too, sweet boy.” She smacked him on the butt as he started down the sidewalk with Max happily tailing along.

  “Let’s go, boy,” he said, and Max snorted in response.

  They avoided the Christmas tree lot, much to Max’s dismay, but made it over to the dog walk in Rosner Park. They spent an hour running and jumping through the snow before heading back to the shelter. Alex was sorry to drop the dog off, but the upstairs apartment at the restaurant was ramshackle and not suitable for keeping a dog.

  Chapter Eight

  Sink In

  The next day at work, David’s phone rang. Recognizing the chime as the one he assigned his mother, he picked up immediately.

  Holding a hand over the receiver, he waved Zooey away, as she liked to listen in. Finally, he got up from the desk and left the nurses’ station. He walked around the corner and leaned against the wall in the corridor.

  “You voicemail sounded stressed. What’s wrong?” his mother asked. He heard her picking through paperwork on her desk while she talked over speakerphone.

  “I called Suzanne, the event coordinator for the Christmas party. She’s not happy we’re looking for a new venue, and she has a point.” He pulled his Bluetooth earpiece out, put it in, and turned it on. “It’s only three weeks away. Most places are booked.”

  “Are you having second thoughts about finding a new location?” The concern in her voice was evident.

  He picked at a spot on the wall where the paint was peeling. “No, just letting you know the lay of the land. I was also going over her designs for the party.”

  “And?”

  “Let’s just say I don’t like the look she’s going for. Maybe we should find someone else to run it.”

  “It’s a little late in the game,” Tandi said. There was a pause before she continued. “I may have been the one who dropped the ball on this. I let the event planner handle everything. I should’ve been more involved.”

  He rubbed his neck. “No, this is my baby. I took it on when I agreed to work with the CYA, and I will fix this.” David crossed his fingers in the air. Zooey smirked at the gesture as she left for her rounds.

  “You don’t have to shoulder it all.” Her voice was soft. He only rarely heard her like this.

  “Mom, it’ll all work out. I’m going looking for a new venue this afternoon.”

  “Thank you, dear. I’m counting you.”

  “Maybe I can be the event planner. The food is set. I just have to coordinate it, right?” Now that Zooey left, David moved back to the desk in the nurses’ station.

  “There is a bit more to it, dear. We’ll also have to decorate, and someone has to take point and run the actual event. We need someone calling the shots, and let’s be honest, dear, you’ve never been much of a decorator. You may be queer, but your design sense is alarmingly straight male, and by that, I mean sad.”

  “I’m not even sure what to say about that.”

  “I forgot to ask: how was Capili’s the other night?” Her professional tone returned.

  “The food is as wonderful as ever, and I saw Mama and Papa . . . And Alex is in town.” He winced, wondering what her reaction would be.

  “Alex Capili is back?” she asked. David imagined he could see her lean forward.
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  “He’s just visiting, Mom.”

  “You were never so happy as you were when you were with Alex.” There was something in her voice. Was it wistful?

  He shook his head vigorously. “I wasn’t with him.”

  Bryan walked by and gestured with his thumb back down the hall. Checking it out, David saw Dr. Horton headed their way. He needed to wrap this up.

  “Isn’t he in catering now?” she asked.

  David heard the gears turning. “No, Mother.”

  “I’m just saying.” The lilt of amusement colored her voice.

  He jabbed a finger in the air. “You didn’t like Alex. You even tried to persuade me not to hang out with him.”

  “That’s not true—this isn’t even about him. We may need a new party planner.”

  “Goodbye, Mom.” David felt his face flush. He didn’t want his old friend involved in his mess. That was not going to happen. He didn’t need him back in his life, with his smart remarks, wavy hair, and expressive eyes.

  Dr. Horton arrived just as he exited the station. “Sir, how are you?” He joined him in walking down the hall.

  “Excellent, and you?” The older man gave him an affectionate pat on the back.

  “I’m working my way there.” David forced a smile to match Horton’s.

  “I’m looking forward to that party.”

  His shoulders slumped. “Yes, sir, so am I.” What was he going to do about the space? That room was not good enough.

  Horton stopped. “You know, my wife’s company makes a lot of charitable donations. If she likes what she sees, they’d probably be on the hook to float something your way.”

  “That would be amazing.” David’s jaw dropped.

  Mr. Horton cuffed him on the shoulder again. “I’m heading to a meeting, but let’s have coffee this week.” He pointed a finger like a gun, aiming it at David, then turned down the corridor.

  “Will do, sir.” David waved. And it needs to be “spectacular,” he remembered with a groan. But this was good news.