I focus on the ornament in my hand, lifting it to Lexi and avoiding her penetrating gaze. Then I bend toward the box of ornaments, fishing around for another one. Poppy and Oliver play happily at our feet, completely oblivious to the adult conversation going on above them.
Or at least I think they’re oblivious, until Poppy singsongs, “Jesse. Messy. Bessie. Guessie.”
I chuckle and add, “Fee fi fo Fessie.”
Poppy’s eyes go wide. “You know the Fee fi fo song?”
“I do, Poppy Bo Boppy.”
She giggles and smiles widely at me like we now share a secret language.
Lexi smiles. “You’re definitely the favorite aunt.”
“Bo boppy,” Oliver says, banging two plastic ornaments together and repeating it over and over. “Bo boppy. Bo boppy. Booooo boppy!”
“We’re not me and Jesse,” I say to Lexi, circling back to her assumption. “I mean—nothing has happened between us. We’re coworkers.”
“Didn’t he take you on a tour of town? On his day off? And didn’t you go to the carol sing together?”
“Not you too,” I practically groan. “The capacity to monitor others really is unmatched around here. Maybe you all should put your sleuthing skills to work and solve these petty thefts.”
Lexi laughs. “Sorry. We do tend to keep track of one another.”
“Is that what we’re calling it?” I quirk a brow. “Well, to answer you, yes. He took me around town—it was an orientation to Bordeaux of sorts.”
I don’t tell Lexi how Jesse brought a thermos of hot cocoa and we sat on a picnic bench out by the reservoir, sipping fromour mugs and chatting about everything and nothing for over an hour. Or how he drove me by the elementary school and we got on the swings and jumped off like we were kids. And I for sure don’t mention the way I hugged him on my porch after he walked me home from the carol sing. Normally, I would tell her. But I’m not even sure what Jesse and I are doing. And the way so many people around here seem to have an abundance of skewed opinions about him makes me a little overprotective of our privacy.
“That sounds sweet,” Lexi says. “Also seems like he’s pursuing you off the clock.”
“It was really sweet.” I ignore the second half of her assessment. Is he pursuing me? Or is he just being friendly?
Lexi’s staring at me like she can read my thoughts, so I add, “He’s made me feel welcome—at work and on my days off.”
“So, you wouldn’t turn him down if he wanted something more?”
Oliver grabs my pant leg and tugs, using me for leverage so he can stand up. He walks to another spot at the base of the tree, plops down and starts playing with the train set we’re going to set up on top of the tree skirt.
I throw Lexi a crumb. I don’t want to lie to her. I also don’t want to tell her everything while it’s still so new and uncertain. “As strange as this may seem to you, no. I wouldn’t turn him down. I like him. He’s sweet and thoughtful. And he’s handsome. He’s not like anyone I ever dated—totally not my usual type. But yeah. I like him.”
“The Little Mermaid likes Prince Eric,” Poppy informs me.
“Yes. But she also uses a fork to brush her hair,” I say. “So she’s not our role model.”
“Also, she doesn’t listen to her daddy.” Poppy’s face is so serious.
“Exactly,” I agree.
“Daddy. Dada. Daaaadaaaa,” Oliver adds.
Lexi and I burst into laughter.
“Future stand-up comedian,” I tell her, pointing to Oliver.
Lexi’s smile overflows with misguided excitement. “I like the idea of you and Jesse.”
“There’s a lot more to him than most of you have given credit,” I practically scold her. “But there’s nothe two of us. We’re just friends and coworkers.”
“That was me and Trevor—until it wasn’t.” She smiles as if Jesse and me ending up together is a foregone conclusion.
