Page 32 of Lighting Up Christmas

As the last few customers left, he felt drained. Riley vibrated with energy, and she hadn’t had the caffeine jolt of an evening coffee.

The thought of wresting the wine barrel back in his truck and driving the nearly thirty minutes to his property held little appeal. Maybe another coffee was in order. And he owed Riley one since she’d given him hers, although maybe any more coffee and she’d start levitating.

“You did well.” Sophia joined them and looked around the pop-up. Riley handed Sophia the iPad and list she’d been keeping of everything sold and the vendor numbers.

“We sold out of wine,” Riley bragged.

“We?” Sophia raised her dark, arched brows. “Do you”—she waved her hand at both him and Riley—“want to keep the wine barrel and display here? I can sell some of your wine for the holidays if you’d like. It’s like consignment: no money up front, and we split the sales at the end of the shopping season. I can make different wine packages for you if you want to drop off some merchandise.”

Riley practically hopped. He was surprised she didn’t shout out theyesfor him.

“Thank you,” he said, sounding so formal he wanted to kick himself. “I would like to participate in that agreement if you could email me the details and expectations.”

“Riley knows everything you need to know, and I’m sure she’ll have plenty of expectations,” Sophia said drily.

Riley laughed, and Zhang found himself nearly smiling despite feeling as if a vampire had sucked everything out of him but his bones, and even those felt liquid. Crazy dumb. He could go at it hard on the Peloton for more than an hour and run formiles and miles, but a couple of hours at a party—even a small one—and he felt weak as a newborn kitten.

“And yes to the other offer,” Zhang said to Riley. Her eyes widened, and her mouth made an adorable O. She was so alive, such an open book, so soothing, no drama to navigate like he had with his mom and then Brin. Actually, he hadn’t navigated—he’d just turned off.

“Really?”

She sounded excited. Had he offered her something beyond helping with his website? He’d actually like to. She would be a solid choice to open his tasting room and manage it and oversee building the sales. But that was unlikely. She had her own business.

“You’re smiling,” she accused.

“Trick of light.”

“Ha ha.”

“Don’t tell anyone. My rep will be tattered.”

“Never,” she breathed, her eyes shining as she pretended to zip her lips. Riley looked around the store and then at Sophia in some unspoken communication that only women seemed to know how to instigate and comprehend.

“Do you have time for a quick walk?” Riley asked. “I’ve promised to help Sophia, but I always need a little quiet time after a sales event to settle and get my head on straight.”

“I’m the opposite. People drain me, and I need quiet time to recover, but it’s the same. I take a walk or a run.”

Riley nodded, and for the first time in a long time, Zhang felt like no one was expecting him to explain something he wouldn’t or perhaps couldn’t. Riley understood, and even better, she accepted.

Maybe it was true. Opposites really did attract.

The minute he had the thought, his heart stuttered. No. He wasn’t going there. This was business only. He couldn’t open himself up like that again.

“Whatever you’re thinking, stop,” Riley said, her voice low and sweet. “Let’s just take a walk. I hope the Goat is still open. I generously gave you my coffee tonight, and I don’t want to break tradition by not getting my peppermint mocha on the first day of the season.”

“I already mobile ordered it for you,” he said.

“Not only a god but a benevolent, mind-reading one.” Riley sighed.

The comment was so absurd, yet weirdly charming. He should be insulted and yet he laughed.

Chapter Seven

Imade himlaugh.

Riley felt her insides fizz like she’d just taken a deep swallow of a La Croix. She felt triumphant, though the feeling of accomplishment should be saved for more professional challenges. But she’d been trying to crack the ice that was Zhang Shi since she’d first accosted him.

Now they walked together down River Street, her holding the promised peppermint mocha she was trying to not moan over.

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