Page 77 of Pushing Daisy
“Drinks?” Daisy suggests to Sloan, who huffs reluctantly, blowing a strand of hair into the air, but still nods in agreement.
They find a high-top table, where Daisy awkwardly climbs up on the stool. They always seem to be a smidge too high for her short legs to be able to sit easily, so she’s stuck shimmying up onto the seat and having to do a weird shuffle to seat herself properly. Sloan watches the maneuver with great interest and the tiniest bit of amusement visible through the upturned corner of her lip.
“Are you sure you’re okay with sharing a room again?” Daisy asks once settled.
“Yeah,” Sloan breathes. “I don’t have much of an option though, do I?”
“No, I guess not.” Daisy may have orchestrated their sharing of a room, but looking at Sloan and noting the defeated look about her, she’s concerned it may not have been the greatest idea. Being forced together seemed to have helped the first time, so she hoped this would provide them another opportunity to work through everything. Daisy needs to be able to tell her that she was wrong, that she didn’t mean she didn’t care about Sloan. Rather, it is the complete opposite. She cares too much and has been afraid to admit it.
“Good afternoon, I’m Calliope. Would you like to start with drinks?”
“I’ll have a chocolate martini, please,” Sloan says.
“That sounds delicious. I’ll have the same.”
“Wonderful. Will you be needing menus?” Calliope asks.
Daisy looks at Sloan, and she shakes her head slightly. “No, I think the drinks will be good,” Daisy responds.
“Great. I’ll be back shortly with two chocolate martinis.”
Calliope leaves, and silence falls over the table. Daisy watches Sloan as she fiddles with the place setting before her, readjusting the positioning of the cutlery, shifting it in such minuscule ways that if Daisy weren’t seeing her do it, it would look untouched. The light from the overhead lamps cast a warm glow over them, and as she lets the quiet continue to ride out, Daisy notices how the light picks up on the soft hints of red and gold in Sloan’s hair. She sparkles in pure beauty, and it’s taking everything in Daisy not to reach out and tuck the stray strand of Sloan’s dark tresses behind her ear. To stop herself, Daisy takes the cloth napkin from her place setting, unfolds it, and lays it across her lap. They may only be getting drinks, but it gives her hands something to do that’s not reaching out to touch the gorgeous witch across from her.
“So…” Sloan says, breaking the silence. “What’s the first thing on our itinerary after everyone arrives?”
Daisy pulls out the list from the folder they received to confirm.
Mixing Our Spirits Event Itinerary
Day 1: Friday
- 3:00-4:00 p.m. Guest arrival
- 4:00-6:00 p.m. Welcome message, cocktails, and passed appetizers in the main hall
- 6:00-8:00 p.m. Dinner service
- 8:30-10:30 p.m. Community movie night held in the garden
“Once guests get checked in, they will head to the main hall, and we will welcome them. You were still doing the welcome speech, correct?” Daisy asks.
“If that’s still okay with you?”
“Absolutely.”
“Cool,” Sloan replies.
Daisy takes a deep breath. She hadn’t planned on talking to Sloan about what is happening between them yet, but she doesn’t want this distance between them to be so readily apparent when the guests arrive. “I was wondering—” Daisy starts before being interrupted by Calliope with their drinks.
“Here you are. Are you certain you don’t want any food?”
“No, thank you,” Sloan replies, picking up her martini and sipping. “Perfect.”
“Wonderful. Well, flag me down if you change your mind or if you need anything else,” Calliope says before turning and making her way to another table.
Daisy sips her martini, hoping it will give her the courage to start again. Goddess, this is delicious. The alcohol flows smoothly over her tongue, like the silkiest chocolate she could ever imagine. “Great choice,” she says.
Sloan nods in agreement. “You were saying something?”
