Now that I’m not rushing around, helping Frank and Wendy, his wife, serve a seemingly never-ending line of customers, the evening chill is settling in. I pull the sleeves of my Blissful Brews sweatshirt down past my hands to warm my icy fingers.
It’s only mid-October, but in Vermont, that’s practically winter. At night, the temperatures dipbelow freezing, and our first snow is predicted this coming weekend.
“Hazel.” Frank’s voice is gently scolding. “Why didn’t you bring a jacket?”
“I forgot,” I admit. “It was so nice when I left the house, I didn’t even think about it.”
“Second summer,” Wendy remarks as she returns to our table. She’s carrying a cardboard box filled with half-a-dozen soup samples in her hands. “Gets you every time. Those nice, sunny, seventy-degree afternoons that trick you into thinking it’s August instead of October.”
She sets the box down and gestures to it with a flourish. “I got some samples to share. Seafood chowder from The Laughing Goat, Italian beef stew from Mariano’s, and cheesy bacon soup from Breakfast Bliss.” Wendy glances at me with a smile. “You too, Hazel. I know you haven’t taken a break since we started.”
I immediately protest, “Oh, I don’t need?—”
“You’ve been working since noon,” Frank interrupts. “I think you’re due a break by now.”
With Frank and Wendy both staring at me wearing matchingdon’t arguefaces, I realize this is a battle I’m not going to win. So I take a sample cup of what looks like the Italian beef stew and step aside to take a taste of it.
Flavors explode in my mouth at the first bite—savory pot roast and tangy spices and rich red wine—and my stomach rumbles in appreciation.
A moment later, my phone buzzes in my pocket. Setting the soup aside, I pull out my phone to check the screen, smiling as I see Jess’s name displayed across it. Beneath her name is a short message.
Hey, do you want to hop online for a couple hours tonight? Kane’s working the three to eleven shift for a guy on vacation, so I’m just rattling around in the house by myself.
Before I can respond, a second text appears.
Sorry! I didn’t mean to make it sound like I just want to play because I’m home alone. I want to play with you. It feels like it’s been ages.
I know what she meant. And given what she went through not too long ago, I understand why being home alone makes her feel restless. I understand because I’ve been through it myself.
Nodding in silent agreement, I type out my response.
No worries! I’m finishing up work, but I should be home within the hour. If nine isn’t too late, I could hop online to play for a couple hours. I’ve been really wanting to try out those new dragon mounts. And to check out the new sky zone.
Three dots blink on the screen for a few seconds.
Me too! I’ve been looking at the different mount options ever since the expansion pack came out. And it looks like there are some pretty cool quests in the new zone.
The dragon mounts—virtual flying dragons, that is—are just a part ofTenebris Veil, the MMORPG Jess and I have been playing together for years. We started out meeting as two newly created wood elves tentatively joining up to complete a quest, but in the almost three years since, we’ve become real friends.
And not just friends online, but in-person, too. Though it took a couple of years to make it happen, we met for the first time this past summer, before Jess’s wedding. And she and her new husband, Kane, came out to Vermont last month for a visit.
It’s funny; I never saw myself as a gamer. And I never imagined my closest friend would end up being someone I met through an online game. But Jess and I just clicked from the start. I was the person she talked to about her secrets, and I opened up to her about mine.
I take another spoonful of soup before I send a reply.
Me too! I’ve had my eye on the red and black dragon. I read there’s a quest you can do that makes him breathe fire. How cool would that be?
As I wait for Jess’s response, I look around the town park again, smiling at the picturesque landscape it makes. The gazebo is all decorated with white lights, and a local acoustic band strums guitars inside it. The lamp posts glow softly, casting a warm glow on the path that winds through the grass. Just beyond the park, downtown is aglow with lights,since all the businesses extended their hours for the event.
From off to the left, a familiar figure approaches—dark-haired, tall, broad-shouldered, commanding attention without even trying—and my heart gives a little jolt.
It shouldn’t. I’ve told my heart countless times that just because Alec is handsome and smart and nice and has the most gorgeous smile I’ve ever seen, there’s no reason to get excited about it.
After all, I’m not looking for a relationship. And in all the times I’ve talked to Alec at Blissful Brews or around town, he’s never given any indication of wanting to date, either.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t admire the view, does it? Or enjoy talking with him, just like I do with most of my regulars?
Speaking of smiles, Alec flashes one at me as he draws closer. And my foolish heart jumps again, despite my repeated warnings.
