Page 76 of Cosy & Chill
While they hadn’t gone wild with Christmas decor, the shop floor looked festive with chains of lights draping the windows and the higher shelves. A bunch of mistletoe hung over the entrance and finished knits—cardigans, table runners, cushion covers, and blankets—draped the sofa and armchairs. Cinnamon and incense scented the air, and the familiar aromas unravelled the tight knot in Finn’s chest. He faced Leo and raised his glass. “To Cosy & Chill.”
Leo mimicked his gesture. “To us.”
Finn had drunk champagne only twice before, and never at nine o’clock in the morning. It didn’t matter. He took a sip and then snagged one of the little golden treats from Leo’s plate and popped it into his mouth. The promise of spring burst on his tongue, a mix of fresh cream, green grass, and the bright zing of lemon, balanced by thick, white chocolate and cool gold leaf. He took a sip of champagne, and the bubbles lifted the flavour of the ice cream to new heights.
“That is the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever tasted. You should win awards for this.”
“Right?” Leo grinned from ear to ear. “It doesn’t work with every champagne, but this one really does the trick. Try the other one.”
The truffle wrapped in edible copper leaf was not—as Finn had guessed—made from dark chocolate and raspberry ice cream. Instead, his mouth filled with the rich warmth of cinnamon-spiced plums and the sweetness of hazelnut ganache. “That is so unreal,” he moaned. “And moreish. I couldn’t say which one I like more.”
Leo shrugged. “I have plenty in the freezer for you to test later. First, we’ll see what our customers think.”
The church clock chimed as Leo spoke, and Finn took a hesitant step towards the locked front door and the knitted OPEN / CLOSED sign.
“Wait,” Leo said with enough urgency that Finn stopped. Leo stepped close and kissed him in the middle of the brightly lit store. “Now we’re ready to open.”
Leo hadn’t stopped moving all day, and not even on his busiest market day had he ever talked so much. The gift sets they’d created sold like hot cakes. By mid-afternoon, Finn’s shelves showed gaps, and Leo had a stack of orders for ice cream truffles to be delivered on Christmas Eve.
As far as he was concerned, their soft opening had been a total success.
Within an hour of opening, Finn had run the store like a natural, offering suggestions on colours, yarn, and garments to anyone who asked. It worked as well as a sales tool, as it had for his online store.
They closed at five, knowing they’d need to restock before opening the next morning. Leo wasn’t concerned about that just yet. He’d been in and out of the store the last couple of hours, and as he watched Finn lock the doors and turn out the lights, his heart beat absurdly fast, and his palms slicked with sweat.
“Finn?”
“That went well.” Finn laced his hands together over his head and stretched until his back cracked. “I didn’t think we’d get that many people in here without any fanfare.”
“It got busier as the day went on, did you notice? I’m wondering if people spread the word that we were open.”
“Looks like. I don’t mind how our customers find us. But… gods… I’m tired.”
“Go soak in the bath,” Leo suggested.
“We have so much to do.”
“It will wait. Go. Soak. And after…” He had practised this invitation last night, over and over, but now that Finn was watching him, the words weren’t coming. “Would you have dinner with me?” he asked. “We should celebrate how right you’ve been and… I need to explain some things.”
He hated that Finn curled into himself a little at his words.
“It’s nothing bad, I promise,” he said, cupping Finn’s cheek. “Nothing bad for us, I hope. There’s… stuff… I’ve not mentioned before and if we keep running a business together, you should know them.”
He forced himself to hold Finn’s gaze when all he wanted was run away and hide. Roisin was right. He couldn’t let his family get between them. If that meant a couple of uncomfortable hours rehashing unfinished business, then so be it. “Will you? Have dinner, I mean?”
Finn laid his hand over Leo’s where it cradled his cheek. “I’ll always listen when you’re ready to talk,” he said. “Of course, I’m having dinner with you.” He turned his head from side to side. “Any idea where Roisin is? I haven’t seen her since lunchtime.”
“Me neither. She took a phone call and left, that’s all I know. She didn’t say where she was going.”
“Oh well. When do you want to eat?”
“You’re starving, aren’t you?” Leo deduced. “You didn’t eat breakfast and had next to nothing for lunch. How about dinner in half an hour? We can make it an hour if you want a long soak.”
“Food in thirty would be awesome.”
“What about your bath?”
“An extended shower will do.” Finn whirled and disappeared up the stairs.
Leo watched him, replaying that smile before he shook himself and headed to the kitchen.
