Cranberry Cove was still primarily Mom and Pop businesses, but until he re-opened Mythos Taverna, it had lacked that romantic getaway, unless you counted the spa that had just opened up. There was a need, and Darius had filled it. It was just taking longer than he hoped to get up to speed. He’d worked hard to create a romantic oasis, and knew that Larry was the man to lead his kitchen staff.
“Can I get you a drink? Coffee, tea?” Darius asked, hovering beside the table.
“Hot chocolate would be great, if you have it.”
“Two minutes. I make the best hot chocolate. Back in a flash.” He hurried into the kitchen and pulled out the milk and a pot.
“What are you doing in my kitchen?” Larry growled.
“Making hot chocolate for my date, and it’s my kitchen, not yours.” He countered, knowing Larry hadn’t meant any harm. They had an ongoing mock fight over who was in charge back here.
“Your date? Don’t mess with her this time, boy. I’ll whoop your backside if you hurt her again. Now get out. I’ll make it. Go sit with Poppy. I can’t believe you left your date alone. Idiot. Kids these days.”
Seconds later, his ears ringing with Larry’s warning, Darius found himself back in the seating area, empty handed and wondering if there was anybody in town who didn’t know he’d wronged Poppy. Shaking his head, he rejoined her. “Apparently, I’ve been kicked out of my own kitchen. We’ll get our drinks in a minute.”
Poppy laughed. She did that a lot. Grinned, smiled, chuckled, laughed. She was a joy to be around, literally. “Larry never did like to share his kitchen. I got kicked out a million times for trying to snitch a taste of something. I learned my lesson, and would casually mention that I was hungry just before my breaks. He’d make me a snack and it was always delicious. He’s an amazing chef. You’re lucky to have him.”
“That I am.”
“He probably shouldn’t have fed me so well. It certainly didn’t help with my weight issues.” She shrugged. “In all honesty my weight was my own fault. At our house, food was the solution to everything. Hungry? Eat. Happy? Celebrate with food. Mad? Eat your anger. Everything revolved around food. Strangely, I’m the only member of my family who was heavy. Even when my weight really began to climb at puberty, it didn’t stop me. The shame of being the fat kid didn’t stop me.”
“I’m sorry I added to that shame,” Darius said. “I was a jerk.” He had been just as bad as everyone else. No, he hadn’t ridiculed her or any of the other undesirables as they’d been known, the nerds or geeks. But he had ignored her, and then, when he finally realized he liked her for who she was, he’d done the unforgivable and left her waiting for him on prom night. “I can’t apologize enough for that.”
She waved off the apology. “Honestly, I’ll probably never get over that hurt. But I’ve forgiven you.”
“That doesn’t make sense. The two statements contradict each other.”
“Here you go,” Larry slid two steaming cups of whipped cream topped hot cocoa in front of them. “Food’ll be ready in a jiffy. Enjoy.” He was gone before they could thank him.
“This looks delicious.” She dipped a finger in the whipped cream and licked it off. “Yummy.”
He swallowed hard and tried to focus on the conversation they’d been having.
“It’s not actually contradictory,” Poppy said. “Parts of my past hurt, but the pain helped shape who I am today. You’re not the kid you were back then, and I’m not that girl. I won’t forget it, but I’ve moved on. Grown and changed. If I dwell on it, I’ll become hard and bitter. Instead, I let myself feel the pain when it hits, let it go, and move on. Neither of us benefit from holding a grudge.”
Her words hit home in a way he wasn’t expecting. He carried grudges and at times they made him crazy. He couldn’t see it being easy to forgive, but perhaps she was right to try. Besides, he wouldn’t be sitting here with her, wishing for another taste of her sweet, delicious lips, if she hadn’t been gracious enough to forgive him.
“I admire your attitude. You make me want to do the same.”
She smiled warmly at him. “It’s not easy, but it is worth it.” She sipped her cocoa and licked the topping off her lips. “Oh my gosh. This is heaven in a mug. I could get addicted to this. Guess I’ll have to add it to my treat list.”
“Treat list?”
“It’s complicated.”
“I’d like to hear it.” He really did want to hear about this list and why treats had to be on that list.
“I don’t deny myself anything, not in the food department. But if I ate everything I wanted, every time I wanted to, I’d be right back to being Pudgy Poppy. That’s not who I am anymore. I have a treat list made up of things I love that I only have occasionally. It’s a coping strategy and how I manage my weight without having to run fifteen miles a day, which will kill you by the way, just ask my feet. I tried it.”
“Is being thin important enough to run fifteen miles a day? You were pretty in high school, you still are.” She was beautiful now, a happier version of the beauty she had been. She stole his breath and made his heart pound.
“Thin is important, but not the way you think. I’m healthier now. My joints don’t hurt. My cholesterol is down. I had to learn to accept who I was back then, before I loved myself enough to get healthy. But I’ll say this. Everyone has to find what works for them. My dad’s mom thinks I’m fat, my mother thinks I’m skinny. I’m happy with who I am now. I’m proud of the changes I’ve made.”
Darius was at a loss for words. She was vehement in her defense of herself, and her changes. She was proud of what she’d done. Her pride in her achievements lifted his spirit. He knew how the opinions of others shaped your opinion of yourself. He’d lived that nightmare. He’d been gone from town over a year before he realized his mistakes led to a label that fueled more stupid behavior.
“I’m impressed with how you’ve changed, and your positive attitude. Recognizing your flaws is hard. Admitting them is harder. Change can be impossible.”
She raised her mug in a toast. “To change.”
“To change and recognizing the changes in others,” he countered, touching his mug to hers with a light clink.
