We say our goodbyes as I walk to the end of the block where I parked by Kiki’s. I debate whether to grab lunch, but wanting to save a little money, I decide to head back home and make something there. Even though I’m supposed to be spending thistime away from the farm, I miss Thumper, and I sort of want to check on my mom.
As I’m getting into my car, I spy a figure with bright red hair out of my peripheral vision. I turn to get another glance, but whatever I thought I saw is gone.Funny.For a second, I thought it was the same person I saw running into the road the night of the speed dating event.
I shake it off, assuming it was a bird or something.
When I get back to the farm, my mother is hauling a bale of hay with her four by four. Our youngest cow, Julio, is keeping up with her at a trot, trying to grab a bite. I smile to myself as I head up to my apartment. I toss my bag on the bed and the paperback slips out, as if reminding me it’s there. Since there’s nothing for me to do at the moment, I guess there’s no harm in sampling the first chapter.
I flip through the pages, easily falling into the words on the page. It’s a quick read, and despite some of the cringey dialogue, the plot is holding my interest. The next time I lift my eyes from the page to glance at the clock, an hour has passed, and I managed to blast through the first three chapters.
The vampire lore is interesting. It’s pretty cliche, following all the typical tropes I’ve heard before, and none of it even remotely resembles the truth. At least, not the truth that Aidan has told me. And the male main character reminds menothingof Aidan, so I feel a bit less awkward reading it.
I keep reading through most of the afternoon, taking breaks here and there to make lunch and use the bathroom. I’m over halfway through the book when I see it’s time to head over to Bones for the watch party. I have zero interest in watching the Super Bowl, but I’m happy to have an excuse to hang out with my friends. Not to mention there’ll be great bar snacks.
I change into something more comfortable, knowing we’ll be there a while. I choose an oversized teal sweatshirt that matchesthe colors of the team we supposedly want to win and a pair of my favorite swishy pants. They’re just nylon joggers that have the texture of a 90s windbreaker, but I like referring to them by how they feel when I walk. Raegan has a pair, too. We bought them together on a trip to the mall.
Just as I’m walking out to my car, I get a text from Raegan. I slip into the passenger seat and check the message.
SUNDAY 6:58 P.M. Bones is closed. We’re moving the party to Aidan’s house.
It’s moments like this I miss having a flip phone, if only to slam it closed.
“Son of a bitch.”
Chapter Fifteen
AIDAN
According to everyone else, Bones is closed for a plumbing repair, but truthfully, I convinced Maurice to close up shop. We’ve had a few secret meetings since we last spoke about buying me the place, and he seems to have come around to the idea. It will take a little updating, and probably a fresh coat of paint, but the bones of the establishment are good.
Unfortunately, I’ll only be able to get away with closing the bar for a few days before people start asking questions. I’ve never publicized any of my philanthropic work, other than the donation I made to the park for a new walking trail.
This time, I don’t want it to look like charity. While part of me is doing this to take the burden from Maurice’s shoulders, I also really want to create something that’s mine. I’ve been thinking a lot about the plans I have for the renovation, and I’m really excited to get started. I’m just not sure how to break the news to everyone about Maurice stepping down. Shadow Hills doesn’t adjust well to change. Things have remained nearly the same since the day I moved here, and I hate to be the one to shake things up, but at the same time, I’m tired of everyone seeing me as the town hermit.
It’s just like Maurice told me; Bones is a watering hole for this town—an important staple of Shadow Hills and its people. If there’s a way for me to maintain the value of Bones and introduce myself as less of a loner, then that’s what I’m going to try to do. I just hope I can prove myself worthy of such a challenge.
This mindset is what gave me the brilliant idea to invite everyone over to my house for the Super Bowl party. It’s nerve-wracking, because up until this point, no one other than Raegan and Joanna have been inside my house, but my hope is that opening up my home will show that I’m willing to be open myself. I don’t want to be the loner everyone thinks I am anymore. I value the friendships I’ve built, and I want to show that I can be relied on.
I realize I need to prepare. I have no snacks, no drinks, and I’m not sure I even get the damn channel the game is playing on. I only recently decided to get cable tv, given how little I watch it.
I make a list of everything I’ll need and run to the grocery store. A petite old woman with long gray hair rings all my items up and gives me the senior discount. She thought it was hilarious. Then, once I’m home, I get to setting everything up. I can’t decide whether or not the coffee table should remain in the center of the room or out of the way; I move it three times. Still not satisfied, my mind wanders to the amount of seating options. I arrange the small lounge next to the couch, only this makes the room look crowded. After attempting a Jenga-like method of feng shui for fifteen minutes, I give up, leaving the room exactly as it was to begin with.
The next step is the food. I bought three types of pickles for a charcuterie board, having not been able to decide, and I made sure to buy several premade appetizers that didn’t require cooking from the store. Luckily, the type of food one serves for afootball game is simple: lots of dips, chips, and any meat that’s bite sized will do.
The ice maker is full and the drinks are in the fridge by the time I hear the first knock at my door. It’s Layton and Simone. Layton’s holding a giant bowl of fruit salad while Simone beams at me, eager to come inside.
“Do you have to invite us in?” she asks, channeling her mixed up knowledge of vampires on TV.
I pretend to be amused and laugh off her comment. “It’s actually the other way around.”
She shuffles her feet and sinks beneath hunched shoulders. “Whoops.”
I beckon them across the threshold and take the bowl from Layton, holding it awkwardly as the two of them stand in my living room. “You can take a seat anywhere you like,” I say, and we all relax a little.
I was just getting used to hanging out casually with the guys, so upgrading to hosting feels like I’ve skipped a few necessary steps in the learning process.
Layton’s eyes scan every inch of the sitting area, his mouth slightly agape. “Damn, Aidan. This place is nice.” He reaches to touch the low hanging chandelier and manages to tap one of the fixtures.
“Sorry, it’s a bit cramped,” I apologize, but he brushes it off. He’s taking in my house like it’s an amusement park rather than a museum, and I feel a little less like a specimen whose cage has been invaded.
