Page 97 of I Need You Tonight
Chapter 38
Nicole
“Did you hear about the hot new music store owner?” Heidi asked me two days after Mason had breezed into the store, told me he loved me, and left. He’d sent me a text a few hours later, saying he was thinking about me. I’d responded that I missed him and was thinking about him. And that was that. I hadn’t heard from him since. Heidi had told me to give him time. Everything would work out the way it was supposed to.
“Since when do you pay attention to anything that has to do with that store?” I asked. I couldn’t remember a time when Heidi had ever needed to go there.
“Since Cindy told me about it yesterday. Her kids take piano lessons there.”
“I didn’t realize the business was for sale.” The last time I’d been there was with Mason. Since returning to Desert Springs, I’d purposely avoided the music store because of the memories associated with it.
“Apparently so,” she said, plucking a dead flower off a potted plant. “The owner and his wife decided to move to Alabama, where their grandkids live.” She removed another wilted blossom. “I thought maybe you could take a few things over there that you’ve made, see if he’d be interested in selling them in the store.” At what was no doubt an uncertain expression on my face, she added, “What would it hurt to try? The worst he can do is say no.”
“True. Okay, I’ll do it after work.”
“Why don’t you go now? I can handle things till you get back.”
“Are you sure?” At her nod, I selected a set of glass coasters and prints to take with me. Heidi grinned the entire time, leaving me to wonder what she was up to.
I arrived at the store at the same time as several mothers with their young kids, and I followed them inside. They walked to the back of the store and disappeared through another set of doors. A guy my age was standing behind the counter, writing something down on a piece of paper. His messy black hair had purple streaks in it, and his eyebrow held several hoops.
At my approach, he glanced up. “Hi. Can I help you with anything?”
I flashed him an uncertain smile, feeling out of my element here. I was used to selling things in Blooming Love, but this was nowhere near the same thing. “I came to talk to the new owner.”
“He’s not here right now. Is it something I can help you with? Or you can leave a message and he’ll get back to you.”
I handed him my business card. “I’m Nicole McCormick, part owner of Blooming Love, the floral boutique.” I quickly added the last part, so he didn’t think I meant an online dating website. “I’ve created a line of music-themed items I thought your boss might be interested in including in his inventory.” My mouth was dry; my palms, not so much.
I set the coasters on the counter, along with the selection of prints. “I can leave these with you and he can get back to me one way or another.”
The guy inspected them. “These are really good. I think I’ve heard about them. Aren’t you donating a portion of the proceeds to charity?”
“That’s right,” I said, smiling. At least word of what I was doing was getting out. I’d already landed a few orders because people who knew someone who’d battled an addiction were excited that I was helping the charity.
“I’ll be sure to tell him as soon as he returns. There’s a chance he might be interested. You never know.”
I thanked him and returned to Blooming Love, on the way back grabbing a couple of sandwiches from the deli as lunch for Heidi and me. The store was busy when I arrived, and I didn’t have a chance to talk to her until near the end of our workday. At one point her cellphone rang, and she disappeared into the back. She returned five minutes later, grinning like a cat who’d singlehandedly caught five canaries.
“Change of plans for tonight,” she said.
“We’re not seeing a movie?”
“Nope, we’re going to Mike’s Bar.”
My eyebrows shot up in puzzlement. “You want to go to a sports bar?” Since when did she like sports, other than watching her boyfriend play touch football?
“Turns out they have live music on Thursday nights. Well, more like it’s open mike night.”
This was even more baffling. “Since when do you like singing in front of a crowd? Or have you been taking music lessons on the sly?” The Heidi I knew and loved wasn’t a good singer. Not even close.
“No, but a friend of mine is singing tonight, and I want to be supportive. And I want you to meet him.”
I groaned. “You’re not trying to set me up again, are you? You promised me you wouldn’t do that anymore, because you and Cindy suck when it comes to finding me Mr. Right.”
She gave me the puppy dog eyes that always did me in. “Please? You won’t regret it. It’ll be fun. And if it isn’t, then we’ll leave.”
I let out a deep sigh. “Fine.” Given that I’d been hiding away in my house for so long, working hard on my designs, I figured it was time I returned to real life.
