Jill laughed. “He’s been up since six and on the phone for the last hour. He got a new search in yesterday.”
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot you’re both doing some work remotely,” Emma said.
“Billy is more than I am. I have a few of the girls handling some of my clients and candidates while I’m out. It’s good experience for them and it gives me a break. There are a few things I am still following up on, but it’s been nice being able to relax and just enjoy working in the restaurant.”
“We’ll miss you guys when you go back. You should do this again over the summer,” Mandy suggested.
“I’d love to. I’ll have to work on Billy, but I think I can get him to come around.”
Chapter 13
Jared came by Gina’s cottage at four o’clock sharp. She heard his Jeep pull in and met him outside and hopped in the passenger seat for the drive out to Bartlett’s Farm to pick out a tree. They had a good selection and it didn’t take long for Gina to choose one that she liked. She went with a Douglas fir and Jared put it in the back of the Jeep and tied it down with a bungee cord to keep it in place.
When they got back to Gina’s, he carried it inside and she helped him get it placed into the stand and once it was locked in, they stepped back and admired the tree. It was a beauty. Boots sat on the coffee table, watching them. Gina reached into a paper shopping bag and rummaged around until she found what she was looking for, the angel topper.
“Could you please reach up and put this on top?”
“Of course.” He took the angel and easily secured it on the top of the tree.
“What about the rest? Do you want some help getting the ornaments on? The tree looks pretty naked,” Jared said.
“I’d love that. I didn’t want to bother you.”
“I don’t mind, and we have plenty of time still before dinner and trivia.”
They spent the next hour decorating the tree, hanging all the many ornaments that Gina had collected over the years. Jared strung the white lights around the tree and connected the end to the angel, so that when all the ornaments were on, Gina flipped the switch, and the whole tree and the angel glowed merrily.
“We did well,” Jared said, and Gina had to agree. The room looked festive now because of the bright and cheery tree.
Jared drove them to the Rose and Crown, the pub/restaurant where they were going to have dinner and play trivia.
There was a good crowd for trivia night, and the dining room was full, but they found two seats at the bar and both decided to get burgers. Gina sipped a cabernet while they waited, and Jared had a draft IPA. When he lifted his glass, she noticed a deep scratch on his hand.
“Did you do that getting the tree?” She felt bad that he might have hurt himself helping her.
He shook his head. “No, it’s from this morning. Paul and I went over to the restaurant to help carry in some cases of turkeys.” He explained about the food pantry and the broken freezer. “The box slipped and a sharp edge got me. It’s no big deal.”
Their burgers arrived soon after, and as they were eating, the trivia host came around to give them pencils and paper and asked them what their team name was.
“I hadn’t thought about that. What should we call ourselves?” Jared asked.
Gina thought for a moment. “Well, we both work at Mimi’s Place, so let’s go with that?”
“Sounds good.”
They finished eating just as trivia began and the theme for the week was Christmas. There were close to twenty teams playing, some with just one or two people and others with large groups of eight or more. Gina had played before with large teams. It was always fun but didn’t necessarily give an advantage when people didn’t agree on an answer.
“Okay everyone, here’s our first question…In the TV special How the Grinch Stole Christmas, what three words best describe the Grinch?”
Jared stared at Gina who was drawing a total blank. She knew this. She’d seen the movie a million times.
Jared’s eyes lit up. “Stink…”
“Stank, Stunk!” Gina said and laughed. As soon as he said the first word the others came to her. They turned their answer in and were happy when the host announced the answer. But, based on the cheers going up around them, she guessed that most teams got it right. They usually started out with an easy question.
It was fun playing with Jared because they usually either agreed or one of them knew the right answer easily when the other had no idea at all, so it balanced out. They were actually doing really well and coming into the last question they were in third place overall.
The trivia host addressed the room. “Okay, for the final question I need your wagers—remember, this time you can wager up to your total points if you wish.” They thought about it and decided to wager all but two points, so if the question was really hard and everyone missed it, they’d still have a few points. Jared wrote their wager down and brought the slip of paper to the host.
Although they were in third place, Gina knew how easy it was to miss the last question and lose everything. The final question was rarely easy.
“Okay, here we go. In the holiday movie A Christmas Story, what was the name of the next-door neighbors whose dogs ate the Christmas turkey?”
“Oh, I’m no help at all,” Gina said. “Would you believe that’s the one Christmas movie I haven’t seen?”
“My mother and I watch it every year and I’m still not sure. I want to say the Kravitz’s, but I’m not 100% sure.”
“Well, they say you should always go with your first answer.”
“Part of me is sure that’s the name of the neighbors but something about it seems off. I don’t know.”
“Turn it in and we’ll see.” The top three teams would win Rose and Crown gift cards, which was always nice as they could use it on their next visit.
“Okay, everyone, here’s your final answer. The next-door neighbors in A Christmas Story are not the Kravitz’s. A few of you said that. That’s from Bewitched, by the way. The correct answer is The Bumpuses.”
Jared groaned along with most of the room.
“Only two teams got it right. So, remaining in third place, with two points—Mimi’s Place!”
“Excellent!” Jared high-fived her and went up to collect their gift card.
The bartender dropped off their bill, and Jared threw a credit card down and handed it to him before Gina could even open her wallet.
“Are you sure? We can just split it,” she protested. She hoped he didn’t think she expected him to pay for both of them.
He handed her the gift card. “Hold on to this and we’ll use it next time.”
Gina tucked it in her wallet, and once Jared signed the slip, they left, along with most of the restaurant that was there for trivia.
“You were right by the way—your cookies were great with coffee. I polished off the last one this morning,” Jared said when he pulled into her driveway.
“I love them for breakfast. I have tons more. Come on up and I’ll give you some to take home.”
“Sure. If you have plenty, I’ll gladly take some off your hands.”
They went inside and Gina wrapped up a stack of cookies for Jared. She brought them over to where he was standing, admiring the tree. It looked beautiful, all decorated with the shimmering white lights.
“It really does look nice,” she said.
“Beautiful,” Jared said, but he wasn’t looking at the tree anymore. His eyes met Gina’s and something shifted in the air between them. He leaned toward her and she sucked in her breath, and then there was a loud crash and a howl as Boots toppled off the table beside the tree, taking the ornament that she was batting at with her.
They both laughed. “Well, I should probably get going,” Jared said.
“Here’s your cookies.” She handed them to him.
“Thanks. I’m off this Friday. We could do something if you’re off too, if you don’t have plans?”
She hesitated. T
here was no doubt this time that Jared was asking her on a date, and she wanted to go, but she couldn’t. Not this Friday.
“I’d love to. But I already have plans.”
His face fell, the disappointment clear. “Oh, okay. Maybe another time soon then. I’ll see you tomorrow at work.”
“Good night, Jared.”
Chapter 14
“Mom, are you going to get married to Matt?”
Mandy set her coffee cup down and looked at her daughter Brooke, who had a very serious and not happy expression. Blake chimed in with, “Are you going to have a baby, too?”
Jill sat at the kitchen table with them, watching the scene unfold with interest. It was Wednesday morning, and Mandy and Jill were having coffee and making plans to head off-island to do some Christmas shopping. When Cory dropped the kids off the night before, it had been late as they’d gone out to dinner and watched a movie, so they were half-asleep and ready for bed. He’d simply smiled and waved from the car before driving off. She wanted to shake him. He’d blindsided her by news she suspected was coming, but it would have been nice to hear it first from Cory so they could have discussed how to share both the engagement and pregnancy with the kids.
“Matt is a really nice guy and I’m enjoying his company. We haven’t talked about getting married. If we do decide to do that, it won’t be for a long time. And I don’t have any intention of having another baby.” She smiled. “I have my hands full with you two. Come here and give me a hug.”
They did and she hugged them both hard, then asked, “So, what exactly did your father say to you last night?”
“He was acting weird all day, weirder than usual,” Brooke began. “He hired a horse and carriage to come to the house and take us downtown to some fancy restaurant. And then at dinner, he had a bottle of champagne delivered and after the waiter opened it with a big pop, he got down on his knees! In the restaurant, with everyone looking. It was so embarrassing, Mom.”
“And then he asked Hannah to marry him. And she said yes, and started to cry,” Blake said.
“And after all that, she didn’t even have any champagne,” Brooke added. “That’s when Dad explained that she’s having a baby. So, he drank almost the whole bottle of champagne himself. And then the carriage drove us home. Don’t you think that’s weird, Mom? I mean, she’s really young and Dad seems kind of old to have another baby.”
Mandy tried not to laugh, because she agreed with her daughter. But, she was always careful not to be negative about Cory in front of them. “Your father seems very happy with Hannah, and it’s not unusual for older men to marry younger women and start a new family. It doesn’t mean he’ll love you any less.”
“Mom, we’re not worried about that. We just think it’s weird.”
“Yeah,” Blake agreed.
“Well, it is what it is. So, just make the best of it and be glad that your father is happy. On a different subject, I need your Christmas lists. Your aunt Jill and I are taking the ferry to Hyannis to do some shopping today.”
They ran off to get their lists and Jill shook her head. “Well, I suppose we knew that was coming. I didn’t really see him getting married again so soon.”
“I don’t think he was planning on it,” Mandy said dryly.
“Maybe he’ll do a better job this time? Learn from his mistakes and all?”
Mandy wondered if he would. “I hope so, for her sake.”
After they dropped the kids at school, Mandy and Jill took the fast ferry to Hyannis. She was surprised by how crowded the boat was for the time of year, but guessed there were a lot of people out doing Christmas shopping too. They called for an Uber as the boat entered Hyannis Harbor and slowed the engines. As they disembarked, they saw their Uber vehicle pull up and a few minutes later, were dropped at the Cape Cod Mall.
They had a good day of shopping, and Mandy was able to get through most of the kids’ wish lists. They had lunch at Not Your Average Joe’s, one of the few restaurants at the mall, and after they ate they walked over to Barnes and Noble for coffee and book browsing.
“Have you thought about what to get Matt?” Jill asked as they sat in the cafe area and sipped their coffees.
“Lots of thoughts, but no idea what to get him. It’s hard when he doesn’t need a thing and we’ve only been dating for a few months.”
“Yes, but you are pretty serious.”
“Which makes it even more difficult. Any suggestions?”
Jill thought for a moment. “Does he have any interesting hobbies?”
“He loves fishing. But I’m sure he has everything he needs, and I wouldn’t know what to look for anyway.”
“Hm. What about a coffee table book on fishing? Lots of big fish pictures? He might like that?”
“Maybe.” Mandy wasn’t convinced. A book didn’t seem like enough.
“Well, you could get him something else too. Get him something you’d like to see him in. That’s what I always do with Billy.”
Mandy laughed. “That’s not a bad idea. I did see a sweater in Nantucket Threads the other day that I thought would look great on him. It’s a deep, teal cashmere.”
“There you go! Get that and the book and you’re done.” Jill hesitated and said, “Unless you think he’s going really BIG. Like an engagement ring?”
“We’ve only been dating a few months!” Mandy was shocked at the suggestion. Cory moved fast, but she didn’t and she was pretty sure that Matt didn’t either. She couldn’t imagine that a ring was even on his mind.
“Well, it hasn’t been long for Cory either. Though she is pregnant.”
“Right. Cory’s situation is different. I think Matt and I are very much on the same page. I like the idea of a sweater. Do you want to help me find a book?”
“Sure, let’s go.”
Chapter 15
Gina was starting to panic a little by lunchtime on Friday. Alex’s company Christmas party was that night, at the Whitley Hotel, and she still hadn’t found a dress yet. She’d spent the morning going from shop to shop all over downtown Nantucket and just didn’t love anything that she’d seen. There were some dresses that would have looked lovely but their price tags were way out of her budget. That was one of the downsides of Nantucket—prices were higher than the norm because so many people that visited the island could easily afford it. She remembered when she first moved to Nantucket, she’d been out window shopping one day and stumbled into a shop that focused on cashmere sweaters and the prices were sky-high, way out of her budget.
Straight ahead was The Corner Table where she loved to go sometimes for lunch or coffee. The food was delicious and it was casual and cozy. Her stomach rumbled and she was tempted to stop in and take a break, but then she saw something in the window at Nantucket Threads that made her decide to hold on lunch and pop into Izzy’s shop instead.
Izzy and her sister, Mia, sometimes came into the bar at Mimi’s Place and she’d gotten to know them a bit. She’d been into Izzy’s store a bunch of times, and loved it. Nantucket Threads was an eclectic mix of clothing, from touristy sweatshirts with Nantucket stamped across the front, to cute shorts and sweaters and other casual clothes. She didn’t think she’d find dressier clothes, but she knew Izzy was always trying out new styles to see what might sell.
When she got closer to the shop, she paused outside to take a closer look at the window display and felt a happy thrill. There were two festive dresses and they were both gorgeous. One was sleeveless black silk that was cocktail length and the other was a rich red jersey fabric with a boat neck and three-quarter length sleeves. She loved both of them.
She stepped inside and a moment later, Izzy came over to help.
“Gina, nice to see you! Are you looking for anything in particular?”
“I need a dress for a Christmas party tonight, actually. At the Whitley Hotel, so fancier than I would normally wear. I’d like to try both of the ones in your window, if possible.”
“I just put those up today. It’s
a new designer. Come on back to the dressing room.”
Gina followed Izzy to the back of the store.
“I’ll be right back.”
A moment later, she returned with two dresses and hung them up in the room for Gina.
“Let me know on the sizing. I’m usually pretty good at guessing by looking at someone, but see what you think?”
Gina tried the black dress on first. It fit well and was flattering on. It was a basic black dress that she would definitely be able to wear again. She was relieved to finally find something that would work. And a glance at the price tag made her even happier. It was in the budget she’d hoped she’d find, which was below what she thought she’d have to pay on Nantucket. She appreciated that Izzy kept her prices reasonable, so that year-round people could afford her clothes as well as the tourists.
“Let me see when you try each one on,” Izzy called out.
Gina had been about to peel off the black dress and try on the red one, but instead she stepped out of the dressing room and twirled around so Izzy could see how the dress fit.
“That fits you perfectly. You’re going to the Whitley?”
Gina nodded.
“Well, that should do there. I haven’t been, but I hear it’s lovely. Let’s see how the red one looks.”
Gina went back in the dressing room and carefully took off the dress and hung it back up. She slipped the red dress over her head and immediately liked the smooth feel of the material as it shimmied into place. She turned and looked in the mirror and smiled. It was a gorgeous dress and the bright red color felt really festive. She opened the dressing room door and let Izzy have a look.
“Well, that’s it then. You have to get that dress. It looks amazing on you. The black one did too, but this one is really special. It’s very flattering. What do you think?”
“I agree. I love it!”
Izzy packed up the dress, and Gina paid then stopped at The Corner Table on her way home to get some soup to go. She could relax and take her time getting ready. She was starting to feel excited about going to the Whitley. Most people she knew had only heard about how exclusive and exquisite it was, but none had actually been.
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