Page 46 of Snowflakes and Ice Skates

I laughed. “You’re kidding me? She actually moved out?”

“She hasn’t taken everything yet, and she paid through January, but after that, I’m free of her forever.”

That was an intriguing option. Part of me wondered if Holly stayed because of me. We might not be close friends, but I don’t think she’d want to sublet the apartment if I wasn't comfortable with it. Which I wasn’t. I couldn’t afford the place on my own, but if I had another option, she’d be able to move in with her boyfriend without worrying about me.

Plus, Cora’s apartment was so much closer to the office. It wasn’t a bad idea. We were both lonely and both tired of living with people we didn’t know well.

“I’ll talk to her about it.”

She smiled and nodded, moving down the aisle. “We need some noisemakers, and then I think we’re done.”

There was a display at the front of the store with a selection of New Year’s specific party supplies, so we picked out some clappers and paper whistles before calling it good.

We checked out, and I helped Cora carry the bags to her building.

Her doorman greeted us. “Good evening, ladies.” He reached for the bags I was holding and opened the door for Cora.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thanks for your help.” She disappeared, and I turned to head back to my place. Cora’s building was much nicer than where I lived, and the added security of a doorman increased the appeal. My only concern was that we’d get sick of each other. Living together plus working together would mean a lot of time around each other. We’d have to be cautious of that and make sure to give each other space. She had her yoga classes, and I liked to visit the different city parks to read, so as long as we had our alone time, we could probably make it work.

Since I was close, I decided to check out the bookstore on thirty-second that Milly had mentioned. Stepping inside, I drew a deep breath and smiled as the smell of books and coffee pulled me deeper into the store. It was a narrow shop, but deeper than I expected. I started on the first aisle and slowly perused the packed shelves. When I turned the corner at the end of the row, I spotted a small sitting area. There was only one person taking up a chair. He held up his book, blocking his face, but something about him seemed familiar. I paused until he lowered the book to reach for his coffee.

“Lane?” I almost laughed at the coincidence.

His eyes met mine, and his smile appeared. “Hi, Taylor.”

I took the chair across from him and sat down. “You probably think I’m following you.”

He chuckled. “Definitely not.”

I smiled and looked around the nook. It was cozy, with various classic book covers covering the walls.

“Do you come here often?” I froze when I realized I just said those cheesy words aloud. “I mean…”

His laugh cut me off. “This is the first time I’ve been here.”

I shook my head, laughing with him. “Mine too. I was on my way home and decided to stop by.”

“Me too. I have a soft spot for bookstores.”

I smiled and leaned forward on my elbows. “Me too. I usually like to read in a park, but during the winter, there’s nothing better than finding a quiet corner and curling up for a while.”

“Exactly.” He nodded. “You haven’t found anything yet?”

I shook my head. “I’ve only been down one aisle. What are you reading?”

He held up the book so I could see the cover. It was by a well-known mystery author. “I haven’t read that one yet.”

“It’s pretty good so far. It’s the first in his new series that takes place in a small town. I always wonder how authors can limit themselves in that way. How many people can go missing in a small town without someone seeing something?”

I nodded. “That’s true. It must make it harder to write than a series in the city where people can disappear into the crowd.”

“Exactly.”

I smile, more pleased about us agreeing than I should be.

“What else do you like besides reading?” he asked as he set his book down next to him. I was honored he was willing to talk to me after I’d interrupted him. There was nothing worse than sinking into a great story and having to stop when someone speaks to you.