“Oh, hi! Kit, I’m so glad you came. I wasn’t sure if you’d actually show up.” Aunt Rita laughed.
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” I asked. “I said I was going to come.”
“Well, honey, you aren’t exactly pro-development in Creekstone,” Aunt Rita said, a little under her breath. She turned to the man she was talking to and her smile returned. “Kit, I want to introduce you to Roger.”
I shook Roger’s hand. The man was holding his jacket in the other hand. He was neatly dressed with a flannel shirt tucked into his blue jeans. Roger looked to be quite a few years older than Aunt Rita, but I suspect she enjoyed being the younger, attractive person in the couple.
“Hi, Roger. I’m Kit Campbell—Rita’s niece. Nice to meet you.” I gave a little wave.
“Oh, yes, Kit. I’ve heard so much about you,” Roger said politely.
“Is that right?” I said, raising my eyebrows. I looked over at Aunt Rita who was pretending to fuss over the Angel ornaments on the tree. I leaned forward with a wink and said, “Well, of course, likewise.”
I had never heard of Roger in my entire life. This must be another one of Aunt Rita’s conquests from a dating app.
“Okay, well. I think the mayor is expecting us, so we have to run,” Aunt Rita said with a nervous laugh.
Roger spread his arms and gestured to suggest a hug. Aunt Rita forced a smile and giggle and allowed herself to be hugged. She looked at me over his shoulder and stuck her tongue out at me. I stifled a laugh.
I waved as Roger left the lobby. “Great to finally meet you, Roger!”
When I turned back to Aunt Rita, she was scowling at me. “You could have played that a little cooler.”
“Ha! Do you remember my prom night? You and mom were the antithesis of cool,” I said, crossing my arms. “I simply cannot be cool.”
Aunt Rita’s scowl broke in a grin. “He’s cute, though, right?”
“I mean, I guess, heis—in that retired lumberjack kind of way,” I said looking at the door he had exited out of. “I didn’t realize you were dating him.”
Aunt Rita waved her hands dismissively. “Oh, you know how it is. I’m just trying to find the right guy to spend Christmas, Kwanza, and New Year’s with. And then I’ll cut ties around Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend so I’m not tied down for Valentine’s Day. I like to be single by spring.”
“Wow. So, you’re just securing someone to spend the holidays with?” I said, in disbelief. “And you want that to be Roger? How does Roger feel about being the Holiday Honey?”
“Oh, please! It’s cuffing season. And don’t you worry one bit about Roger. He’s not exactly looking for his fourth wife. He just wants to have fun, sweetie.” Aunt Rita said with a sly smile. Aunt Rita smoothed her sweater out while looking at her reflection in a nearby window. “Besides, you could learn a thing or two, little Miss Never-Dating.”
“Hey!” I protested, but before I could say more, Nick walked up to us with an expectant look on his face.
“Ms. Rita. Kit. I think we’re ready to start in the conference room,” Nick said politely.
We followed behind Nick. Aunt Rita was slightly ahead of me. She was wearing a cute corduroy skirt, tights, and a sweater that I was pretty sure was mine. As we walked through the lobby, Aunt Rita raised her hand and gave her fingers a flirty waggle of a wave at two men walking out of the social security office. I rolled my eyes when she looked over her shoulder at me and gave me a wink.
Nick turned to me as we walked and asked, “How are things at the library, Kit?”
“Great. Things are busy as usual. Our circulation numbers are up. Trent is doing a great job with the programming,” I said, shifting into work mode. I knew that Nick may be young and a little goofy, but at the end of the day, he was the mayor, and the library depended on funding from the city every year.
“That’s great to hear,” Nick exclaimed as we entered the conference room, which was as festive as the rest of the building. A small Christmas tree stood in the corner of the room and tinsel and garland adorned every corner. When we entered, I saw that one person sat at the conference table waiting, the man from the coffee shop.
“This is Kit and Rita Campbell,” Nick introduced us. “They own the riverfront property at the end of the city limits.”
“That’s a wonderful property.” The man extended his hand and gave Aunt Rita a firm handshake, “Great to meet you. My name is William Philips from Braithway & Randall.”
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine,” Aunt Rita said flirtatiously.
William turned to me. I could tell from his expression that he recognized me from the coffee shop that morning. “Nice tosee you again,” he said with a curt nod and extended his hand. His hand was warm and soft, but his handshake was firm.
“Are you from the area?” Aunt Rita asked coyly. I gave Aunt Rita a look to tone down the flirting.
“I work out of our New York office, primarily,” William said. “But I do find myself in Atlanta quite a bit.”
