Page 42 of The Twelve Dates of Christmas
Kate banged her snowy boots off against the boot scraper outside the café door and went in. The Pear Tree was in full Christmas decorating mode. Christmas music belted out beneath the sound of the coffeemachine. Matt shouted instructions while making coffee. Carla and an excitable throng of customers stood on chairs to pin red, gold, and green baubles to the wooden ceiling beams. Matt saw Kate and smiled.
“There’s a free hot mince pie for everyone who helps with the decorations,” he told her.
“Ah,” said Kate. “That explains the enthusiasm.”
“Cappuccino?” asked Matt.
Kate shook her head. “Flat white, double shot.”
“Crikey!” said Matt. He continued, “I don’t think you’ll get your car up the hill today.”
“How did you know my car was down there?” asked Kate.
Matt grinned and tapped his nose.
“How was the date?” he asked.
Kate yawned and then yawned again immediately.
“That good, huh?” said Matt.
“It’s not what you think,” said Kate, stifling yet another yawn. “The car wouldn’t start. I had to be rescued.”
“By who?” Matt asked.
“By the guy who stood me up on the first date,” said Kate.
Matt pushed the coffee across the counter toward her, and Kate handed over the brownies. She plinked three lumps of brown sugar into the strong, dark liquid and swigged gratefully.
“Bit weird,” said Matt as he carefully transferred the squidgy brownies to a large plate and handed them to the PTA chairwoman, who’d stood impatiently by like a politician waiting for an important document.
“It was, a bit,” said Kate. “But in a good way.”
She watched the chairwoman lower the plate onto the table. The PTA members pushed their breakfast plates aside and delved toward the brownies.
“What about your actual date?” asked Matt.
“What?” said Kate, watching a woman in a striped jumper slap another woman’s hand away from an end piece of brownie. “Oh, he was brilliant!” said Kate, returning her attention to Matt.
“Wow,” said Matt.
“And one hundred percent gay,” said Kate. “But I’d definitely like to see him again. But with any luck I’ll be seeing Richard, previous-no-show and now car-hero, in a more romantic capacity.”
“Success all round, then,” said Matt.
Kate smiled. A cardboard box full of all things jingle bells clattered to the floor, sending glittery objects skittering across the café.
“Need an extra pair of hands?” she asked.
Matt grimaced.
“There’s as much coffee as you can handle in it if you would,” he said.
“You can help me if you like,” said Evelyn, wrestling a pythonlike garland out of a large cardboard box. “This needs to drape over the fireplace.”
Kate helped Evelyn uncoil the greenery and secure it to the mantel shelf.
“Who’s manning the shop?” asked Kate.
