Page 26 of Holiday Friend Zones
Darkness has a stranglehold on the town as the old gas lamps light up the street.Very few people are out as we head to one of the only other restaurants in town.
Pinecrest Pancake Emporium.
It’s sandwiched between a small boutique and a convenience store, with The Dusty Spur at the end of the block.As cold as it is tonight, I am surprised people are lining up to get inside.
Anticipation thrums through me at the thought of seeing Chase tonight.
No, not just seeing Chase.
But hopefully gettingmorewith him.
I want to hear him call me Honey again.To get to kiss him again.Do more with him.Take everything he’ll give me.
“What do you want?”Presley asks, elbowing me in the side.
“The usual.”
Nothing like banana walnut pancakes slathered in syrup and a coffee to carb load before heading to the bar.
“You seem distracted tonight,” Presley says, sliding into the booth.She sets the plastic tent with our number at the end of the table.
“Sorry.Tired, is all.”
She stretches, piling her dirty-blonde hair on top of her head.“I’m beat.Poppy has been keeping me up all week.”
“Why?”
“She thinks she’s hearing things in her room.”
I wince.“I take it that it’s hard for her to settle in?”
“I wish it weren’t, but she misses her room.”
“How about you?”I reach across the table and rest a hand on her arm.“How are you handling the separation?”
She fiddles with a sugar packet as two mugs of coffee are dropped off with our order.
“I wish I could have spared her from this, but I don’t want Poppy growing up with two parents who don’t love each other.”
From what she’s told me, they don’t even like each other at this point, but I don’t want to get into that.It’s been hard for her these last few months with her husband.Well, soon-to-be ex-husband.
I don’t wish what she’s going through on anyone.
“She’ll adjust.And if she needs a night with Aunt Rylee, send her my way.”
Presley cuts her pancakes into perfect pieces and forks a bite into her mouth.
“I might take you up on that.At least I still have her nanny for the next few weeks.”
“Ugh.Is Dan not going to help with that once the divorce is final?”
She shrugs.“Who knows?I can tell he’s going to be a dick about everything.”
“I’m sorry, babe.
“Enough talk about my sad life.Any plans this weekend?”
“Aside from work?No.”
