Page 41 of The Midnight Book Club
Her face fell and she was about to correct herself when David spoke up.
“I know.You’d rather it was still Marigold’s.”He reached across the counter and squeezed her hand.“It’s okay.It’s yours now and it’s good that you’re starting to feel more at home there.”
Anxious not to be led into a discussion where she might make a mistake and share something about what had been happening in the shop after hours, she asked David what he was making for dinner.He launched into an explanation of the history of the recipe, making her smile as she imagined him standing in front of his students, enthusiastically describing some pivotal moment in history.She was so distracted she didn’t fully register that the doorbell had rung, especially since David chose that moment to change the subject.
“I really want you to give Oliver another try.”
“David,” she said, shaking her head in confusion at the shift in topic from historic recipes to Oliver.“Go back to stirring.We weren’t talking about him.”
“No, but we’re talking about him now.”David lowered his voice as he continued.“I think you two would really hit it off if you gave him another chance.”
Just like with Antonia, she was too humiliated to tell him about Oliver’s appearance at the shop—to fill him in on how Oliver had visited just to let her know that he had zero feelings for her whatsoever.But maybe if she was more firm than usual, she thought, David might get the message and stop his meddling.
“Please accept the fact that Oliver and I are never going to happen and stop pushing,” she insisted, her voice rising as she tried for a very stern tone.
David’s eyes flew to the doorway and back to Aurelia, widening dramatically before he said, “Oliver, welcome!Come in, let me get you a glass of wine.”
Aurelia’s back stiffened and she froze.The doorbell, she remembered suddenly.Oh, please tell me that wasn’tactuallyOliver arriving.That thought was quickly followed by,How loud was I just now?
With a sinking heart, she knew she’d been loud enough for her voice to carry down the hall.She was afraid to turn around and confirm that Oliver was there, that he’d just heard every word she’d said and how she’d said it.And what had she said, exactly?It was only seconds ago, but she barely remembered, though she was certain it had been something harsh since she’d wanted to discourage David.She winced and slowly turned to see that, yes, Oliver was standing just inside the kitchen, with James next to him and David handing him a glass of wine.
Oliver took a quick sip and Aurelia stood, preparing to apologize.
“It looks like they’ve tricked us both into another date,” he said, giving her a slow smile.“But I hear David’s a good cook, so at least we’ll get a meal out of it this time.”
Aurelia could have kissed him for trying to diffuse the awkward situation, then felt herself beginning to blush at the thought.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, her hand resting over her heart.“David is… relentless?Persistent?Annoying?”she offered.
David moved back to the stove and pulled a face that only she could see before waving his spoon again.
“Go off to the living room and drink your wine.Dinner should be ready soon and I’ll get it done faster without you in here distracting me.”
Aurelia inhaled, tamping down her annoyance at being sent away with Oliver.Still, she obeyed, knowing she had to make up for her outburst.James led the way down the hall, making theirs an odd little parade of awkward adults bearing wine glasses.
24
Oncetheyweresettledin the living room, everyone seemed to relax.Maybe it was because she and Oliver were both on their best behavior after what had happened in the kitchen, or maybe it was having James there as a buffer.
Dinner was more of the same—easy conversation and even laughter as they all enjoyed David’s excellent cooking and the wine that James kept pouring liberally.By the time David insisted that Aurelia and Oliver relax while he and James cleared the dishes, she managed to take it in stride that he was flagrantly trying to get them alone together.
“No, we’re fine,” David insisted as she and Oliver stood to help.“You two can chat.Oliver, did you know Aurelia is a writer?”
David disappeared with a pile of plates in hand, leaving them with his all-too-obvious conversational prompt.
“You’re a writer?”Oliver dutifully asked.
“I am.Sort of.I haven’t been writing lately, though.”
“Ah.There’s a routine to it, isn’t there?A habit you can fall out of, but also back into—when you’re ready?”
Aurelia tilted her head, thinking both about what he’d said and how he’d said it.He hadn’t asked why or pushed for a reason; he’d just accepted that sometimes writers don’t write.
“There is—that’s true.I guess I’m out of the habit for right now.”
“When you’re writing, what is it you love about it?What makes you keep coming back to it?”
Aurelia was surprised to see he looked like he really wanted to know.These were good questions—not the surface-level chatter of their date—so she took a moment to come up with a good answer.
