Page 49 of Why Not Now?

I shake my head as he holds me closer, my hands sliding up his chest. “Do you know where all the mistletoe is hung in Vancouver?”

“I make it a point to know,” he says seriously before capturing my lips.

For a quarter of a second, I wonder what Adalie is thinking, seeing us kiss beneath the mistletoe, but then I surrender to him and his embrace, leaning in and opening my mouth to meet his tongue with mine.

I sigh and let myself get swept away with him, the crowd fading around us. When Derek breaks the kiss, I don’t catch the whimper before it can escape. He chuckles and leans down to whisper in my ear. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. There’s more for you later.” Then he turns to Adalie who scrunches her nose at him.

“You guys need a no making out rule, too.”

He laughs and kisses her cheek. Then we make our way to the food vendors where Derek buys me a huge soft pretzel and another spiced cider. Adalie also gets a refill on her drink and a hurricane potato. We stand at a table with a big umbrella to eat, taking shelter from the drizzling rain.

I let the magic of the atmosphere wash over me, people laughing, the choir singing “Deck the Halls,” the lights strung up, and Derek, pressed against my side, keeping me warm in the cold night.

Adalie pulls out her purchases to examine them again, telling me all about her brother and sister and why she thinks these will make good gifts for them, when Derek interrupts.

“Sorry, Adalie, but I see someone I need to talk to,” Derek says, taking a drink of his cider and setting it down, his eyes tracking someone on the other side of the market square.

“Who?” Adalie asks the question I desperately want to.

“The chocolate vendor. He stopped returning my calls, and he’s right over there.”

“Do you want us to come with you?” I ask.

He looks at me with a soft smile. “No, sweetheart. I just have to wrangle him into calling me tomorrow. You stay here with Adalie. I’ll be back before you finish your cider.”

He kisses me on the corner of my mouth like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Like we’re a couple and not friends-with-benefits. Then he’s gone to speak to the person and I’m left staring after him.

“So,” Adalie says, drawing my attention to her. “You and Derek.”

I blink, trying to think of what to say. “We’re… friends?”

She nods and smiles around the rim of her cup. Then she sets it down. “Friends who are fucking.”

“He told you?”

“We’re pretty open with each other. Especially if it could affect the business. And by we, I don’t mean me and him. I mean the five of us. I’d like to point something out. Something maybe you don’t want to hear.”

I brace myself for whatever she’s about to say next.

“I know another couple of people who are friends that fuck. Spencer and Lis.”

I shake my head. “That’s different. They’re so obviously in love with each other.”

She looks at me like I’m completely dense. “Yes, they are. Annoyingly, disgustingly, adorably in love.”

She doesn’t say anything else about it. I wonder what exactly she’s trying to tell me. Before I can answer, I hear my name and turn to see my neighbour Theresa coming toward us.

“Hey, Ava. I didn’t realize you’d be here,” she says when she reaches the table.

“Neither did I. I kind of got dragged.”

Theresa turns to Adalie. “Hi. I’m Theresa. I live next door to Ava.”

Adalie smiles and holds out her hand to shake. “Nice to meet you.”

Then Derek returns, his hand grazing the small of my back before he takes his place by my side.

Theresa’s eyes widen a fraction before she plasters on a smile. “Well. If it isn’t Derek. Long time.”

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