Page 53 of Christmas Coffee

Celyn

When I pull up in the silver SUV, Nova watches me climb out and meets me at the door of the hut. She ducks her blonde head out the door, her hat missing, and looks at the SUV before she backs up for me to pass through. “Where’s your car?”

“I got rid of it.” The downgrade didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. She looks at me like I’m nuts, so I add, “It’s easier to get around in a sports utility vehicle around here.”

That doesn’t help. Now she blinks at me like I hit my head. “You traded in your McLaren for a Hyundai?”

“Yeah, you like it?” I grin at her and place the brown paper bag on the counter and unpack our breakfast. Tendrils of steam escape from the sides of the paper. It’s still really cold in here.

I feel her eyes on the side of my face. “Are you putting the money into the Hottie Hut?”

I shake my head. “I can’t. The terms were specific about that.”

She places a hand on the counter, and taps her fingers. “So you just decided to sell it on a whim.”

I shake my head as I hand her a sandwich wrapped in white deli paper. Nova takes it and watches me as I explain. “It wasn’t a whim. It was time to move on.” I avoid her gaze because she’ll know what I’m thinking. That it’s time to stop acting like I can’t help you. I can. I will. I glance up at her and our gazes lock. Her beautiful face is caught somewhere between shock and awe.

Emerald eyes blink at me. “I would have thought you’d get a BMW or something more luxurious.” She takes her breakfast and folds back the paper before taking a bite. Then adds, “I made coffee. Want some?”

I nod as I lean back against the counter and devour my sandwich. I’ve been trying to think of a way to give her some money, but nothing comes to mind yet. Pride is a fickle thing. Present it correctly, and she’ll take it. Say it wrong, and I’m a dick waving cash in her face. I decide to wait until I have a plan—a way to offer it so she’ll accept it.

“Thank you,” I offer and take the steaming cup from her. “So, I’m thinking that today is going to be slow.”

She nods. “No one has come by. The Christmas tree guy is pacing a hole into the pavement across the way.”

I lift a brow and look out the icy windows, knowing how he feels. “And Shannon?”

She scoffs. “Shannon won’t show up in this weather. He’s probably still asleep.”

“Great, so I’ll get to fire him on Christmas Eve.”

She laughs at me. “You really think you’ll see him before Christmas, that’s funny. He’s not showing until the day after.” Her light brow lifts and disappears under the loose blonde bangs that frame her face.

“You’re probably right.” I sip the hot liquid and feel more awake, more alive, than I have in a long time. I’m not just going through the motions, not today. “Well, it looks like we’re going to have a slow day, so I’m going to run into the mall and grab a few things to make this space more comfortable for the day.”

I’m gone for about forty minutes and when I come back, I can’t get the door open. I drop two bags on the ground near the Hut and manage to wrap my index finger against the door without dropping everything else. Nova opens the door and steps back so I can enter. I’m carrying five of those humongous shopper bags on my arms. They snag on the cabinets and barely fit in through the door.

Nova teases, “Did you leave anything for the other shoppers? Seriously, Celyn, where are you going to put all that?”

When she says my name, I feel something warm ignite inside of me. I love it when she says my name. The compulsion to do something to make her say it again floods me. I drop the bags on the floor and turn to her. “It’s all going in here and then I’ll take it home when the weather passes.”

I pull out a double beanbag chair that’s covered in soft suede-like material, more blankets, another space heater, a dozen fuzzy socks, a soft cashmere sweater that’s bright red—I hand that to Nova. “I saw this and thought you’d like it.” She takes it from me and holds it up over her uniform. “Go grab your jeans and change.”

She pulls the sweater over her head and pulls off the tags, and then moves the HOT GIRL nametag to the sweater. “Yeah, I kind of got used to the costume.” She shrugs with a lopsided smile that’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. I want to lean in and kiss the corners of her lips. I push the thought away, ignoring it.

“Well, the red sweater with the fluffy blue skirt and shitkickers is quite the statement.” I wink at her.

She frowns. “I’m not wearing these all day if no one is here.” She attacks the pile of fuzzy socks, and pulls her boots off, replacing them with three pairs of socks piled up on her feet. “Fluffy!”

After she has those on, she pads over to me and looks over my shoulder. “What else did you get?”

She’s so close that I can smell her perfume. She shifts her weight, goes up on her toes, and places her hand on my shoulder. When she shifts, I feel her breast brush my back. I tense but try to act like it was nothing.

My voice sticks in my throat and comes out deeper than usual. “Chocolate.” I hand her a huge box of Godiva.

She squeals and plucks it from my hand and plops down in the beanbag chair, which takes up the entire floor. It’s wedged between the cabinets and big enough to lie on. She pops open the box and tosses a chocolate in her mouth, and closes her eyes, savoring the taste. When she looks up again, I pull out a few games and other snacks. I put them on the counter before falling down next to her on the beanbag chair. She laughs when the beans in the chair shift and push her a little higher than me, bouncing her slightly.

Nova hands over the box of chocolates, offering them to me. I shake my head. “No way am I going to take those away from you. This is the happiest I’ve seen you in weeks. Eat the whole thing.”