“Happy New Year!” Veronica said. I looked down at the screen and Baby Preston’s fat rosy cheeks filled the screen. He gurgled and cooed at the phone.
“Happy New Year, you cute little thing!” I cried, picking up my phone to get a better look at him.
“Why, thank you. Thank you very much!” Veronica said, flipping the camera back to her face.
I laughed. “Well, you look less cute, hot mama.”
“Ugh, I wish. Preston gave us a terrible stomach bug, and it pretty much wiped-out Gus. It’s not pretty over here. That’s why I’m calling so early. There is no way I’m making it to midnight to say Happy New Year,” Veronica lamented into the phone.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that!” I said as I propped up my phone on my dresser. I started clipping my hoop earrings in as we talked.
“Speaking of hot mama, where are you going? Your makeup and hair look great.”
“It’s not too much?” I asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
“Not at all. Are you getting this hot to meet a Creekstone townie?” Veronica asked.
“It’s for me,” I said with a bit of a righteous tone as I looked at myself in the mirror. Then I looked back at the phone and laughed. “I’m kidding. I just don’t want to always look like a librarian. Trent said people think I’ve turned into a hermit.”
“Uh huh.” Veronica said. “So, this has nothing to do with a certain super-hot real estate developer who you’ve been spending your entire week of vacation with?”
Veronica’s face radiated skepticism. I said, “Look, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think William was hot, but the guy told me he only dates casually, and I don’t even think he likes me like that.”
“Kit, this man has spent an entire week watching Christmas movies and football with you. He could have been anywhere this week,” Veronica said.
“We’re just friends,” I said.
I thought I was pretty convincing, but Veronica said, “Honestly, I think you should go out and have the best time in the world. This might be the exact thing you need. You said you don’t think William is going to stay in Creekstone, so maybe you should lean into this causal relationship thing? And since you loathe what he’s doing for work, it will be even easier to cut him off when you’re ready to move on.”
“I don’t know,” I said hesitantly. “I’m not sure I can do casual.”
“Girl,” Veronica said with a flat voice. “You’re doing it again. You always try to do things a certain way. Just relax and let fun happen to you.”
I sighed. “Well, it’s silly to even think about this. Nothing’s going to happen. I don’t think he likes me.”
“You’re delusional if you think you can look that good and any man isn’t going to try something. If that happens, we need a refresher on how to run game, my girl.”
“Thanks, I think?” I said with a chuckle.
“Everything doesn’t have to be so serious all the time, Kit. You have permission to enjoy yourself just for the sake of enjoying yourself,” Veronica said.
Preston started gurgling and Veronica said, “I have to run. Have a good time! Happy New Year’s Eve.”
Veronica was probably right. I had to admit that this week I’d spent a lot of time wondering what it would be like to kiss William. Maybe I could find out if I could just relax a little and let go of the pretense that every date needed to have the potential to lead somewhere.
I checked the time. I made my way downstairs. Instead of taking the back stairs, I went down the second-floor hallway, down the front steps to the foyer, and into the front room, where William was sitting, reading something on his phone. When I walked in the room, he stood up.
“Wow, you look beautiful,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets, the way he did when he was feeling a little nervous. I felt a flutter in my stomach when our eyes met. Maybe Veronica was right. Maybe William did like me.
“You look handsome, too,” I said. William always looked handsome. When I first met him, I thought he only owned business casual clothes, but this week, I was able to see a different side of William. He was wearing a black A Tribe Called Quest T-shirt, a pair of relaxed jeans, and Converse. The shirt was tight across his chest and around his biceps.
He pulled on a black zip-up hoodie. “Ready to go?”
We decided to walk to The Pub. By the time we got there, it was already busy. The bar was warm, and William and I immediately shed our jackets. People were crowded around the bar ordering drinks. A DJ was setting up in the corner, and the many televisions were showing a combo of sports coverage and NYE countdowns.
Trent, Sasha, Nick, and Melissa were at a table at the back of the bar. As soon as we approached them, Melissa jumped down and gave me a hug. “Hey, hot stuff!” I could tell she had been drinking because her cheeks were rosier than usual.
Sasha and Melissa both bubbled the usual “Hello,” and “How was your holiday?”
