“I told you we should have hung up the mistletoe right there!”Fleur said from the doorway.
“Bye mom!”Joise said.She stepped into her boots, grabbed her cane.Ares waved at Fleur and Carlos and held the door for Josie.
The night was clear and cool and not a snowflake in sight.
He opened Josie’s door for her, then tilted his head to the night sky.He wasn’t the praying sort but he exhaled, wanting fervently for this night to go as he planned.
Ares rested his hand comfortably on Josie’s thigh.The silence was comfortable as it stretched until Ares made the turn off to his destination.
"This isn't the way to your house."
"It isn't, no.I have one more stop to make.
"I don't want to question your driving skills but where are we going?"
"Do you trust me?”
"Yes."
His heart kept out of his chest and right into her hands, even if she couldn't see it.His throat became too thick for him to speak.
“What is this place?”
“You’ll find out,” he hopped out of the car, got her door and offered him her arm.
“It’s a tea shop?”Josie said, tilting her head.
“Yes.And I have the key,” Ares pulled it out of his pocket and opened the door.Inside the smell of cinnamon and yeast hung in the air.
He flipped on the light and it's like they stepped onto the set of a fantasy TV show.The floors were painted to look like they were the forest floor.The counter was all wooden facing.The tables where tree stumps and the stools were mushroom caps.Jars of tea leaves were behind the counter.
“What is this place?”Josie trailed a hand along a stool.
“My friend Finn, his sister Daisy owns this place.”
“It's so beautiful!”Josie surveyed it in a small circle.
“When Daisy started this place, so many people told her she’d fail.But she has a whole online business and now she rents out the property for events.I was told we can make ourselves drinks and help ourselves to the pastry.”
“Raspberry chocolate tea?I need that!”Josie went behind the counter, grabbed the jar and scooped some tea out into the glass tea pot that had been left there, as an invitation.“Pick one.”
Ares didn’t want to take her eyes off her.“Is it weird that I bought you here?You’re in the kitchen all the time.”He randomly shot his hand out and pulled out a jar of apple and ginger tea.
“This one.”
“It smells so good!”Josie busied herself measuring out the tea.“Is it weird?Maybe.It’s totally unexpected.I am in the kitchen all the time, but I chose that as a career.You might’ve noticed that I like playing in other people’s kitchens.This is cool.I feel like I’m on a set, about to serve a hobbit or something.”
Ares laughed, relief rolling through his veins.“Good.You look very cute behind that counter.I’ve been told that the dark chocolate cookies are a favourite.”
“You can grab them, use those tongs,” Josie instructed.
“Hopefully I don’t drop them.”
“We can work on your serving skills.”
“Is that so?”Ares got the cookies in the little bag, leaned over the counter.
“Yep.”
