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“Will you be ready to go in an hour?” Rebecca asked when they cleared the table.
“Yeah.” Emily loaded the dishwasher while she ran through her clothing options, and quickly realized that the only thing she had that was dressy was her favorite black blazer. She’d pair it with black pants and a silver top that dipped just enough to reveal a hint of cleavage. A few waves in her hair and hopefully she’d be able to determine if Quinn was in any way interested.
Why? That was the question that she couldn’t stop asking as she climbed the stairs to go get ready. Why was she even bothering with this? She should just be happy that she’d met Quinn again after all these years and leave it alone. She’d dated plenty of women since Quinn had been a daily distraction.
Then why couldn’t she get Quinn out of her head all week?
12
Quinn stepped out of the taxi, arriving at the Christmas markets on the edge of town. Snow flurries lazily danced through the air in spiralling patterns. She inhaled deeply, taking in the intoxicating scent of mulled wine, gingerbread, and sugared almonds. The air was full of the festive aromas that could only be found at a traditional Christmas market.
Everywhere there were crowds; people laughing and talking excitedly as they moved from stall to stall searching for presents or holiday treats. All around there was an atmosphere of joy and anticipation tinged with a certain wistfulness. Quinn allowed herself to get swept up in it, letting go of the worries she’d been carrying for the last few months.
Whether she liked it or not, today was her fiftieth birthday, so she might as well embrace it.
She spotted her almost immediately; standing in the middle of it all like she belonged there, looking beautiful as ever, laughing with a stall owner who Quinn couldn’t see from where she was standing.
Emily’s candy cane red winter coat stood out, her hair tumbling across her shoulders. Quinn’s heart leaped at the sight and before she could figure out what to do and why she’d even reacted that way, Emily’s eyes locked onto her own from across the crowd.
It was a moment that Quinn might have thought she’d imagined. It was impossible to tell from this distance if Emily really had been looking at her specifically and not just in her direction, but even from this far away, Quinn could swear that she had been.
As Quinn found herself walking towards where she last saw Emily, at the opposite side of the market, Rebecca came into view. They were strolling along, side by side, and then Rebecca saw her, throwing her a wave with a cream-gloved hand.
“Hey,” Rebecca said as they finally met in the middle of the stalls. “I hope you don’t mind, but I invited Emily. Hopefully, you two aren’t sick of each other after spending so much time together already today.”
“Not at all,” Quinn said with a nervous chuckle, and Emily echoed the same sentiments. Quinn just noticed now that Emily was holding two cups and Rebecca had her own.
Someone called Rebecca’s name, and she turned to go talk to them, an older couple who were wrapped up in scarves and hats. While she was gone, Emily handed her extra cup to Quinn.
“It’s a gingerbread hot chocolate,” Emily said. “I had a friend who worked in the campus coffee shop, and she mentioned that because of you they kept a gingerbread latte on the menu all year long. Not just in December. You were her favorite customer, because that was her favorite drink too. So… I figured a hot chocolate with a hint of gingerbread would be a safe bet.”
Quinn was momentarily stunned by Emily’s thoughtfulness, her breath drawn in slowly as if inhaling the surprise. A small laugh escaped from Quinn too, part amazement at what Emily had done, and part appreciation.
“That’s really nice of you. Thank you,” Quinn said with a smile.
Emily shrugged her shoulders modestly. “I’ve only been here ten minutes, and I’m already freezing, so I thought this might keep us warm while we walk around. If we get walking around,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at her sister. “She knows everyone. We might have to abandon her or we’ll never get to the bar.”
“Is that the plan then?”
“To go to a bar?” Emily’s lips curved into a smile. “That’s what Rebecca said was happening. I think the markets were just an excuse to go out.”
Rebecca chose that moment to join them, linking her arm through Emily’s as she took a sip of her drink. “Sorry about that,” she said as they started walking, the snow still falling steadily. “Oh Quinn, before I forget. My mother extended the annual Christmas invitation. Do what you like with it, but I’m just doing what I’m told and making sure you know it’s still there this year.”
“Thanks,” Quinn said, bringing her cup to her lips and taking a drink of the rich hot chocolate. While she couldn’t really avoid feeling lonely at some point during Christmas, she’d never wanted to impose herself on Marie and her family.
“Oh,” Rebecca said, “There’s Maya’s stall up ahead on the right. I want to get one of her homemade candles for my mother.”
Quinn couldn’t miss the way Emily’s face dropped. It was subtle, but it was definitely there. A moment of panic maybe? Did that mean she really did have a thing for Maya?
Quinn tried to push away the feeling of jealousy that crept in as she watched Emily smile and chat easily with Maya once they reached her stall. It was entirely irrational to worry about who Emily was or wasn’t interested in. It didn’t matter. Emily would be headed back to New York City next month, and Quinn had never been one to go out with someone she knew had no chance of a future with, unlike Lucy.
Speaking of Lucy, that was her red hair up ahead, and then she turned, flashing Quinn a smile.
Quinn told Rebecca she wanted to go say hello, and she was glad of the excuse to leave Emily and Maya chatting without overhearing anymore of their conversation.
“Hey,” Lucy said with a grin, looking past her. “Isn’t that your student from the coffee shop?”
“Yes.” Quinn sipped her drink, letting the hot drink warm her as she suppressed a shiver.
