Vivian raises her wine glass. “It absolutely does.”
I snort and slide onto one of the stools. “Sothisis book club.”
“Yes,” Vivian says solemnly. “We’re reading a very important novel calledCabernet.”
Her partner in crime lifts her glass. “Excellent vintage.”
“Juliette, meet Lucy,” Vivian adds, pouring a glass of wine for me. “We’ve been friends since high school, which means she knows all of my crimes.”
Lucy smiles sweetly. “And I’ve kept receipts.”
Vivian grins at Lucy. “Wait for this,” she says before she turns my way. “Lucy’s twin brother plays for the Dominion.”
“No. No?” I groan and tip my head back. “I’m surrounded.”
Lucy laughs. “Why? It’s just hockey.”
“I don’t know,” I say. “It may be ‘just’ hockey to you, but to me, it’s everywhere lately. At least in my universe, it is.”
“Well, I grew up with it,” Lucy says. “So I’ve been around it for as long as I can remember. My dad played. Uncles, too. Brothers played, of course, and I was a goalie on a junior league team for years.”
I stare at her. “You were?”
“Yeah,” she says, like this is a normal thing people casually drop into conversation. “If my brother was doing it, I figured I might as well. I loved it. I just stopped because I wanted other things.”
“That is extremely hot of you,” Vivian says, deeply impressed.
Lucy’s gaze shifts to me. “Wait. Is Sawyer Stockton doing community outreach at your shop?”
“Unfortunately,” I say, deadpan.
Lucy lights up. “Too funny.”
“Did you tell me you’re meeting up with him tonight?” Vivan asks.
“Yeah, we’re filming soon.” I glance at my watch. “In about ten minutes.”
“But it’s after hours,” Vivian says slowly.
Lucy squints. “You’re filming?”
“Or not.” Vivian snorts. “Maybe they’re going to dinner.”
“Can you imagine?” Lucy gasps. “Although, to be fair, Liam told me to stay away from Sawyer. Apparently, he dates like a guy in the throes of a midlife crisis."
“Well, rest assured we are not going out on a date tonight,” I say quickly. “We’re filming more content for the store. That’s it. I sold out of snake plants last weekend because Sawyer told people to go get one. Who sells out of snake plants? They’re not even cute.”
Vivian chokes on her wine.
“I mean,” I add, “no offense to snake plants. I’m sure if the Dominion PR team heard me say that, they’d make me apologize in a video while hugging one.”
Lucy is laughing. “So what kind of content are you filming?”
“We’re picking a new plant,” I say. “Sawyer’s going to do something with it, a plant care tip of some kind, and then we’ll post it. Apparently, that small act makes people buy things.”
“That’s amazing,” Vivian says.
“How is having extra homework for a few weeks amazing?”
