Page 68 of Mechanic’s Christmas Match

Ana looked up at him as they stepped into the warmth and fragrance of the coffee shop, not hiding her smile anymore.

“Right this way,” he told her, gesturing to the table by the big window. A small card that said Reserved leaned against the festive centerpiece.

“Oh,” Ana said. “Wow.”

He pulled out her chair for her, remembering the first time they came here and her advice to him about courtesy.

“Thank you,” Ana said. “I can’t believe you got Pete to hold this table.”

“It has sentimental value for me,” Rory admitted. “It’s the first place we ever shared a meal together, just the two of us.”

Ana’s smile broadened, and he wondered if he’d ever seen her happier.

Once they were settled, Holly came by to take their order, giving Rory a secret smile, like she was happy for him to finally be making his move.

And in a few minutes, they each had a bowl of pumpkin soup and half a turkey club sandwich in front of them, the conversation flowing freely as they enjoyed the meal.

It was hard not to think how completely different this was from the stiff meal he’d choked down on his date at the Village Green.

Suddenly, he found himself chuckling.

“What?” Ana asked.

“I was just thinking how much nicer this is than going out with Maggie,” he told her. “We were pretty awkward together. And now I know it’s because she had feelings for Arnold all along. And that’s why she ordered the kind of food you never order on a date.”

“What kind of food?” Ana asked, her eyes widening.

“She ordered garlic chicken, with onion soup as a side,” Rory laughed. “She definitely didn’t want to be in danger of a goodnight kiss.”

“Oh for heaven’s sake,” Ana said, giggling.

“I was no better,” Rory admitted.

“What did you order?” she asked.

“A whole rack of ribs, corn on the cob, and mashed potatoes,” he told her. “And I’m not a neat eater.”

“I can’t believe you both went on a date that neither of you wanted to be on,” Ana said. “But I have to ask, why did you say you were interested in her?”

“It seemed like you wanted me to be,” he admitted, feeling all the more a fool saying it out loud.

“No, before that,” Ana said. “At the shop.”

“I… I didn’t,” he said, genuinely confused.

“Of course you did,” she said, looking affronted. “You said, I saw something I liked in the window. And you winked at me.”

Rory nodded, still trying to understand.

“And Maggie was standing by the window,” she prompted him.

“Oh,” he said realizing. “Oh, no.”

“What?” she asked.

“When I was passing the store,” he told her, “you were standing in the window. I guess you were helping her. To be honest, I didn’t really notice anything else once I spotted you.”

“Oh, Rory,” Ana said.