Page 43 of Promise Yule Be Mine
"Thank you sosomuch," I said again.
We'd finally called last orders and there was an end in sight.
"Are you sure you don't want me to stay? There's so much cleanup to do." Nova looked around the chaos all around the bar, left by diners and Trivia Night participants alike.
"I would feel rotten if after all that I made you clean up. Don't worry. I've got it. Go home and I'll see you tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have come up with a way to show you my gratitude by then."
Nova blew raspberries. "You don't need to find any way. I'm good. As long as you're still available for our little road trip."
I grimaced and he sighed.
"We're going to Springfield for the cake testing? Remember?"
Oops. I'd completely forgotten about that. In my defense he'd told me like four days ago or something, the night we’d done the invitations.
"Please tell me you're not working?" he said.
"I must have had the foresight because I'm not," I told him.
He breathed a sigh of relief. "Great. I'll pick you up at nine."
I gave him a captain's salute. He laughed, picked up his tote bag and went home.
It might have taken me forever to turn the bar back into its spotless self but it barely registered as I replayed the events of tonight over and over in my head.
True to his word,Nova was there at nine on the dot the next morning. He even brought me coffee from Jolly Java. I turned my nose up at it and he glared.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing," I said, taking the coffee from him. "It's just we've been boycotting Jolly Java in this household."
Nova groaned. "What? Why? Don't tell me you're one of the people who’s frustrating Rocco with their stubbornness?"
Rocco?
He was on first name basis with the new owner? What the hell?
Why do you care, Kody? He's not your boyfriend!
"Well, we were really close to Joelle and Holly who owned it before and he's taking all of their character out of their business."
"Well, he's got to make it his own. Are you telling me you haven't tried to put your signature on The White Elephant since you took over?"
I bit my lip.
"You haven't?"
"It's scary. What if people hate it?"
His grimace turned into sympathy and he brought his coffee closer to his face. "If people hate it you can always revert back to the old ways, but no risk, no reward."
"Maybe that's why everyone still goes to Mom and Dad for everything."
Nova nodded and I wondered for the millionth time how and why he'd entered my life too late.
Why couldn't I have met him before? What if he was the one?
"Can I use your bathroom before we go?"
