Sofia pointed at one of the drawings. "I thought you could put groups of blowups next to each other by theme. Every movie will have its own section and music. The trail would go between."
Eve looked through each picture. "This is a great idea, Sofia."
"Do you think you could do it?" she asked.
"We weren't sure if you had something else in mind." I didn't want to interfere if she already had plans. But I wanted Sofia to feel like she'd been heard.
Eve looked at Sofia. "I thought we'd just have one line of characters. But this is so much better. I love this."
"So we're doing it?" Sofia asked excitedly.
"We're doing it," Eve responded with a smile.
"Yes!" Then she looked around the room. "Where's the restroom?"
I pointed to the back where there were single-occupancy bathrooms.
When we were alone, I said, "You don't have to do it just because Sofia wanted to."
Eve shook her head. "It was a great idea. I can't believe I didn't think of that."
She respected Sofia and wanted to include her. "We're meeting tomorrow to get everything ready?"
"Yeah, I have all the electrical cords. But I'll need to order more speakers for the music." Eve wrote down a few notes on her phone.
"It's going to be great," I smiled, excited to get started on the project.
Her eyes widened slightly. "It's kind of crazy to do something like this so late in the season."
I sipped my hot chocolate. "Yeah, but you'll have it ready to go for next year. And everyone's going to love it."
"I love that you're so confident. I'm a little worried it's too much for me to handle."
I leaned back in the chair as Sofia returned. "You have the fire department helping you."
"I couldn't do it without you guys. Is there any way I can thank you?"
"The best way to a fireman's heart is?—"
"Through his stomach," Sofia interjected.
"I can do that." Eve pulled out her notes app again. "Food and drink. Check."
We sipped our hot chocolate and watched the holiday shoppers pass by on the sidewalk. It was a good opportunity for people to see us out as a couple, but I wasn't thinking about that anymore. I just wanted to spend time with Eve, and I was glad that Sofia provided me with the excuse to stop by.
CHAPTER 18
EVE
I'd pulled up the rental truck I'd filled with everything we'd need to set up the light trail. I shared the plan with the guys from the fire department and divided everyone into groups so that several guys worked on each theme.
I'd even asked Morgan Sterling, an electrician, to inspect the setup to ensure that everything was connected properly and safe.
The last thing I needed was a fire or something that could stop the holiday light trail before it started.
I ran from section to section, answering questions about placement. We adjusted the characters so the displays were attractive and tested everything to make sure it worked.
While Morgan inspected the connections, I ordered pizza and soda for the guys.
