by Jean Oram
She really needed to get a grip. It was clear she and Todd were only supposed to be friends. If she wasn’t careful, she’d push things past the line where things could get awkward and she’d lose the most important person in her life.
Tucking her hair behind her ears and trying not to feel envious, she watched as Mandy’s boyfriend drew her away with his arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck. Nicola had loved being single for the past few years and the way she’d been free to travel with Todd and then move to Blueberry Springs for her new job. If you were committed to someone it meant hard decisions when you wanted to change your life, and often led to limiting your options. She wasn’t ready for that. When she found someone, she needed to make sure he was like Todd. A man solid enough to say, Go! Be free! I’ll meet you back here at six. But if she found someone like Todd it would be like replacing him and she never wanted to do that. In fact, she couldn’t even imagine life without him.
Searching the room for Todd, she found him chatting with a different woman who blushed and giggled as they pushed tables into a long row. She knew him well enough to know that he was avoiding her.
Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Nicola blew her heart-shaped whistle to gather everyone’s attention.
“If you are signed up for speed dating, sit on this side of the room if you’re a guy. Gals on the other. When I blow my whistle at the end of three minutes, guys get up and move one chair to the right. Have fun and see if you can find someone interesting. Exchanging phone numbers is fine. And if you happen to get engaged to someone you meet today, you could win a five hundred dollar gift certificate good at any Blueberry Springs store. So, guys, no pressure.”
Chuckles rippled through the room, eyes twinkling at the possibility of love and money being found in the next thirty minutes.
“Any questions?” she asked.
“Nicola?” a man called from the back of the restaurant. “Will you marry me?”
He was cute and buff. Had to be a climber with shoulders like that. She caught another glance at the man.
“Devon Mattson!” she scolded. “I already turned you down today. Several times.” He’d ambushed her every time he saw her and she was starting to expect him as well as the adrenalin rush that came with each new proposal. It was harmless fun and unlike with Todd, she knew and remembered her role. Just play along, and don’t take the attention seriously. Her gaze flickered to Todd. He was keeping an eye on Devon and she wondered if her friend felt the same sting of unwanted jealousy she did when he attracted the opposite sex.
Man, she’d messed up letting the day get to her. She needed to figure out a way to get their friendship back on track again.
“You will be mine, Nicola.” Devon winked and grinned, taking a seat across from a rather intimidated looking woman at the end of the line. He reached across the table to shake her hand. “I’m Devon, single and devastatingly handsome in case those glasses of yours are dirty.”
“Please take your seats.” Nicola placed the whistle to her lips and raised a stopwatch.
“We’re short a woman,” Mandy pointed out.
“What? I thought we were short a man?”
Jen joined them, her nose ring twinkling under the overhead lights. She quickly counting the participants. “Yup. Short a woman.”
Todd had taken a seat in the lineup, still chatting with the woman he’d introduced himself to. He was pouring on the charm, but Nicola noticed he was already beginning to withdraw as he often did when the women got too interested. He’d liked to chase, but not catch.
“Todd?” Nicola asked, “Could you step out so we’re even?”
“I think you should step in,” he said, with a grin wicked enough to rival Devon’s.
What kind of twisted game was he playing?
“Then who will run the stopwatch?”
“I will,” Jen said. “Mandy has to run the cash register. She has customers.” She tugged the stopwatch and whistle from Nicola. “In you go.”
Nicola gave a dramatic sigh to the group who cheered her on. “Fine, fine,” she muttered. What was there to lose? She may as well jump in, if only to see what needed to be worked on for next year’s event. As well as find out what Todd was up to.
She took a seat at the end, across from a man old enough to be her grandfather. Jen blew the whistle. The man stared at her and smacked his gums. He seemed to have forgotten his false teeth.
Why had she chosen three minutes? Why not, say … one?
“Hi, I’m Nicola.”
“Reggie. I’m spoken for, but I’m keeping my options open.”
“And how’s that going for you?”
“Well …” He paused to consider her question. A gray-haired woman tottered over and yanked him up by the ear. Gran. Beth Wilkinson’s grandmother.
“What in tarnation’s name do you think you are doing, Reggie Max?”
Gran yanked on the sleeve of a man standing nearby and plunked him at the table in Reggie’s place, berating her boyfriend as she hauled him out into the crisp February afternoon.
Laughing, Nicola didn’t get a chance to introduce herself to the new recruit before Jen blew the whistle again and a man a little closer to her age took the seat opposite.
“My wife sent me,” he said.
What was it with married men and speed dating? Was Blueberry Springs a hotbed of extramarital affairs? If it was, she was sure she would have gotten fair warning from her aunts.
“She wanted me to see what a good catch she was,” said the man.
Well, this event was going downhill so fast she didn’t know whether to ride it out with a thrilled scream, or to bury her face in agony and horror.
Several long minutes later, Jen blew the whistle again and Nicola was faced with another man. As the half hour wore on, her prospects gradually got better. She even got a few phone numbers. When she looked down the line, she caught Todd’s eye. He gave a small smile and nod. Things were okay again.
Thank goodness.
Then came Devon. “Nicola, will you marry me?”
“No.”
“Jen, blow the whistle, please?”
Jen shook her head with false remorse. “Sorry, still two and a half minutes to go. Devon, tell her about your dog or your marathons or something.”
“Why do you want that prize so bad?” Nicola asked, before he repeated the things her aunts had already listed off while going through the town’s most eligible men roster they kept perpetually updated in their memory banks.
“Five hundred dollars could buy a lot of new climbing equipment at Wally’s. Well, two-fifty since I’d split it with you.” He gave her a warm grin.
Gran slipped by, whispering in Nicola’s ear, “If you ever mistake lust for love, there’s always divorce. I recommend going through several husbands until you find exactly the right one.”
“So romantic,” Nicola said dryly. “Where’s Reggie?”
“He needed a nap so I’m back to scope out my options. Just in case.” She smiled and tottered away to ask Mandy if she had any sherry.
“Is that a no?” Devon asked.
Nicola sighed. “Still a no.”
“Say that five times fast.” He leaned on his hands, watching her expectantly.
She laughed as Jen blew the whistle.
And then there was the man she hadn’t realized she’d been waiting for. Todd. The last man in line.
“Hi,” she put on a sultry voice, suddenly tired of her stupid event and uncertain of how to act in front of Todd without him taking things the wrong way. Best to play the goof. “What’s your name, big boy?”
He placed his strong forearms on the table and leaned closer. “I already like the sound of where you’re going with this small talk.”
“Odd and interesting name. Quite long as well. Do you have a nickname? Or shall I just call you Big Boy?”
She got a mischievous grin that relaxed her. “Any hobbies?” he asked.
“Anything my best friend Todd wants
to do.”
He broke eye contact, shifting away, chest tight with what appeared to be a pent up breath. “You really need to stop using that voice.”
Nicola sat straighter, feeling embarrassed. “Why?”
“Because it’s doing strange things to my mind and I might mistake my best friend for a girlfriend.”
And would that be so bad? a small voice in the back of her mind asked.
“You have one of those?”
“No. Not yet.”
“Yet?”
“I’ve taken myself off the market.” He cupped his hands over hers. His eyes were quiet, his face battling a variety of emotions as though he was caught between wanting to withdraw and wanting to get closer.
“Why?” she whispered, leaning in, heart racing.
The whistle blew and she flinched. Todd slid his hands back onto the table and Jen whisked her away to set up the next round of speed dating before she could figure out what Todd was up to and what it meant to their friendship.
* * *
The dance had started, the whole day a definite success. Nicola propped herself against the wall in the community center’s lobby and took a long, slow breath, waiting for Todd to join her after he finished returning a call to his dad. A few more hours to go, then she could go home and massage her aching feet.
“Congratulations,” her boss said, giving her a pleased smile. “You’ve done an amazing job.”
“Thanks. We’ve even made a profit.”
“People are happy and so am I. Take the rest of the night off,” he said with a wink, heading into the dance.
She wished she could call it a day, but she still had to pay the DJ and close up after everyone left. The very idea of staying on her feet for another four hours caused her to yawn. At least it looked as though she didn’t have to worry about whether she’d be kept on as Blueberry Springs’s community planner.
New couples came in from the cold, holding hands or chatting, heads tipped together in conversation.
The man she’d hired to come dressed as Cupid flitted through the lobby, pretending to shoot people with his plastic bow. People laughed and Nicola watched as he broke the ice between nervous singles, giving them something to talk about. Cupid was going on the do-again list for next year.
Stepping into the dance hall, Nicola hugged herself, watching as Trey asked a fellow high school cutie to dance. Nicola had ensured she talked about how awesome he’d been all day within the gal’s earshot after she noticed how he’d kept glancing over at the girl. The young couple joined others on the dance floor, moving behind Officer Malone who was looking resplendent in full uniform and dancing with his friend Amber. That woman seemed completely clueless about how much the man was gaga for her and Nicola wondered if it was because Amber was living with someone. Then again, not everyone got their happily ever after when it came to love. Kind of like her.
Nicola turned, feeling someone standing close.
“May I have this dance?” Todd gave a regal bow, hand extended.
“Just don’t propose. I’ve had enough of those for the day.”
“My dad was asking about you.”
“The fact that you mention this on the heels of proposal talk worries me,” she joked, feeling inexplicably nervous.
Todd gripped her waist, ballroom dancing them through the crowd which was jumping to a rap song.
“Yeah, he told me to make an honest woman of you, but I’ll have to tell him you said no.”
“Next time, bring a ring.”
“What makes you think I don’t have a ring?”
She stared him in the eye. He was messing with her and his seriousness faked. It had to be. There was no way he was thinking about taking the friends-to-lovers leap. Even after the uncertain hand-holding during speed dating.
“I’ve missed you,” he said, drawing her closer. The heat from his body warmed her and she looked up into his familiar dark gaze. So many memories. So many good times as friends.
“I’ve missed you, too, Todd.”
Without thinking, she curled up onto her tip toes and gently kissed his lips. She pulled back, her heart pounding, confused about how much she wanted this.
The look in Todd’s eyes went from affection to a hint of shock and surprise as well as something she couldn’t quite decipher. Something that looked a lot like him pulling that curtain across, blocking her out. Panic coursed through her and she broke free of his loose hold.
They were friends. Only friends. She’d stormed across an unspoken line, broken the contract. He didn’t want this. He wasn’t looking for a girlfriend. She was supposed to be the one woman he could joke and flirt with without her taking it the wrong way, and now she’d ruined it.
“I’m sorry. That was a mistake. All of this Valentine’s Day stuff got to me for a second. I only want to be friends,” she said quickly, waving her hands and giving a nervous laugh as she turned away, hoping the crowd would swallow her up. “I … have to go help the DJ. Good night.”
She heard Todd call to her as the dancers swept her away, but she didn’t turn back, afraid of what she’d find in her best friend’s eyes, and fearful of how much it would hurt to see.
She had been stupid, kissing him. If they tried being lovers and didn’t make it, she wouldn’t just lose a boyfriend, she’d lose everything. The very thought scared her so badly, she had trouble breathing. If given the choice, she’d deny herself love in order to not lose what they had together.
But it wouldn’t be easy. In her heart, she knew Todd was the only thing that had ever felt truly right in her life and that she was irreversibly, irrevocably, head over heels in love with him.
Turning, she glanced back, watching as he ran a hand through his hair, slowly sifting his way through the crowd. As though sensing she was watching, he looked over and their eyes met from across the dance floor. A current passed between them and Nicola thought in that moment that maybe he wanted her, too. That things were going to change for them. A couple moved, blocking her view and the connection broke. A moment later, when the path between them cleared, he was gone and Nicola was overcome with the sensation that she’d just lost everything.
The End
There’s more for Nicola and Todd in their novel—Tequila and Candy Drops! Click to find out what happens to them.
Whiskey and Gumdrop Hearts
Sweet Treats Story 2
By Jean Oram
NOTE: Contains spoilers for the novel Whiskey and Gumdrops
One woman. One man. One question.
Award-winning baker Mandy Mattson is tired of feeling as though she’s always leaning on her boyfriend Frankie Smith to make her dreams come true. Struggling to expand her new restaurant in hopes of becoming more financially secure, she doesn’t know what to do when her boyfriend asks for the one thing she doesn’t have— more time to spend with him.
When Frankie runs out of patience, Mandy finds herself having to choose between two dreams. Will she make the right choice? Or will she find a way to have her cake and eat it too?
Note to readers: This standalone short story is an ‘after story’ from Whiskey and Gumdrops and does include spoilers for that novel. It contains no cliffhangers and should be read second in the Blueberry Springs Valentine’s Day short story series.
Mandy Mattson yawned as she placed the day’s batch of her national award-winning whiskey and gumdrop brownies into her restaurant’s oven. Wiping her hands on her apron, she set about mixing up a quadruple batch for tomorrow. Blueberry Springs’s first ‘Love Extravaganza’ Valentine’s Day event would be taking place all over town and in the afternoon her café-style restaurant would be full of speed daters. Meaning she would need extra of pretty much everything that sold well such as her brownies.
Making sure her long blonde hair hadn’t escaped the hair net, she leaned down to inhale the bowl’s cocoa and butter combination. Nothing smelled as wonderful—other than her boyfriend Frankie Smith. He’d helped her get her restaurant off the grou
nd last year, and while the place was doing really well, the success still didn’t feel like her own. She owed too much to too many people—her boyfriend included.
Looking at the bowl of mixed batter she contemplated increasing the batch. More brownies sold meant more money going toward her debts. Sighing, she poured what she had into pans, not having the time nor extra pans to increase the already large batch. Wiping her hands on her apron, she checked on the brownies already in the oven. Ten more minutes to go. There was a light rap at the back door and she swung it open, expecting her brother, Ethan, who helped out in the mornings before going home to build websites in the afternoon. It would be a first having him arrive on time.
“Frankie!” Mandy wrapped her arms around her tall boyfriend, drawing him into the warmth of the kitchen, his arms a strong presence around her. His cheeks were rosy from the cold.
“I brought you something.” He placed two insulated cups on the counter and leaned in to give her a long, deep kiss. “I figured you likely hadn’t started the coffee maker yet with all you have to do for tomorrow.”
“Mmm. You’re wonderful.” She slid her hands around his neck, his winter coat getting in the way of feeling more skin. “Maybe you should step into my office. I have ten minutes until the next batch of brownies needs attention.”
“I’m going to need longer than a few measly minutes, Mandy Mattson.” He nibbled on her bottom lip then deepened the kiss, his mittened hands running up her ribs.
“Please?” She removed his mitts and tugged on his coat, trying to pull him toward her office off the kitchen.
“We have to stop meeting like this.” He kissed her neck, stopping her from drawing him away. He held her hands in his, leaching their heat. “Move in with me.”
At first she thought he was joking, testing the idea as he had several times before, but this time his eyes were serious.
