“At first, I was too shy to do it. Lately, circumstances.”
“How much do you like her?”
“This much.” He indicated the painting. He’d said he’d been channeling love while working on it.
He loved Molly. The admission pierced her with the chill of a metal stake. “Your mom told me that she drove you to some of my cross country meets before you were old enough to drive. Did you go to the meets... for me?”
He hesitated. “Yeah.”
“You never mentioned you were there.”
“We were friends and I liked to cheer for my friends. But I never liked to”—he shrugged—“publicize it.”
She wanted to throw herself into his arms and kiss him. He was irresistible. And she felt such a powerful pang of remorse that she hadn’t given him the time of day back when he’d liked her, that she needed to go. “I have to run. I’m on my way to a Christmas cookie exchange.”
“Sure. Thanks again.”
Leave, Shay!She walked to the door, stopping before the threshold even though she hadn’t intended to do so. She glanced back. “If things are going well between you and Molly after date one and date two, it’s likely that she might invite you over to her place.”
“You think?”
“I really do. So, I’m standing in for Molly and inviting you over to... eat pizza and watch a Christmas movie. That way, you’ll be able to do a dry run. And up your game when you go to Molly’s.” What was she doing? Was she embracing self-destruction with both arms? Yes. Yes, she was. “When are you available between now and the live nativity?”
“Sunday night.”
“That night’s good for me. I’ll text my address.”
“Shay.”
She waited.
He slid his hands in his pockets as was his habit. An artist, in his gorgeous studio, surrounded by his paintings. “Any advice for me? About what to do when and if Molly invites me to her apartment?”
“Act pleased but not too pleased.”
“Clear as mud.”
She chuckled. “It’s never a bad idea to bring a hostess gift. I’m more of a plant person, but most women would be delighted with flowers. If she’s making dinner, you could bring dessert. If she’s making dessert, you could offer to bring dinner. And, of course, any woman always appreciates the gift of stationery.”
“So... when I come over to your place on Sunday, I’ll bring dessert.”
“When you come over to my place, we’ll just be practicing, so you don’t need to bring anything. I have more peppermint popcorn than we can eat. I’m ordering pizza. And I already own a whole shop full of stationery.”
•••
Two days later, Gabe pulled free the “18” drawer on their house-shaped advent calendar. His eyes rounded when he saw four pieces of Hubba Bubba gum inside. “Yes!My favorite.”
“For you to enjoy during your after-work hours.” She’d outlawed Hubba Bubba during work because he was such an obnoxious smacker.
He thanked her and held the gum up to his nose, smiling as he inhaled the scent of pink sweetness.
“You’re a very strange person. At times, I wonder what I was thinking when I hired you.”
“Liar. You’ve never wondered what you were thinking when you hired me. I’m the best thing to happen to Papery since... you.”
She tidied a display of Christmas cocktail napkins.
“Have you told Connor how you feel about him yet?” Gabe asked, keeping the gum near his nose for a few more whiffs.
