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It was still a bit disconcerting to hear him so casually mention the woman, though, she reasoned, that was her being jealous. It was good he was on positive terms with his child’s mother. They had to co-parent and Sho had to be a grownup adult.
So that was that.
She realized both David and Baxter were looking at her, waiting for her to say something and she nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes, outside, that’s great. I’m going to see what I can do with this door. If this doesn’t work we’ll plan B it.”
“We have a plan B?” Bax said,sotto voce.
“Quiet, you.”
* * *
David wondered when exactly was the best time to share that he wanted to kiss Shoshana. Like, really kiss her. Maybe slip her the tongue. Wait, did anybody say that after they turned fourteen?
Never mind, he wanted to kiss her. Stick with that.
He’d first realized it somewhere around three that morning, when she’d managed to make a pun having to do with the word “coy” and men smelling fishy. As far as puns went, in context it had been quite good, but her delight in her own joke had been so genuine that he found himself wondering if she tasted as good as she sounded. Then, immediately he was thinking that it had been too long since he’d been on a real date.
That is to say, not a date arranged by a well-meaning woman at his synagogue who knew the perfect-in-theory person, who somehow managed to always be single when there was an available clergyperson around.
That was him being unkind. He did appreciate that so many people in his congregation wanted him to be happy. But it made it difficult to concentrate when one was forever being offered available women one had never actually asked for.
He would ask for Shoshana.
Hedidask for Shoshana, he realized.
Not in so many words, of course, but he distinctly remembered telling Abigail the first week he arrived that he would love to meet someone who wasn’t interested in chairing the annual Bunko fundraiser.
Shoshana was definitely not the type to do that.
He realized he wasn’t actually taking pictures of Dani, even though his daughter was going out of her way to pose as adorably as possible. He was obviously, unabashedly staring at Shoshana through the window. He shook himself, forcing his mind to pay attention to what he was supposed to be doing. He hadn’t been joking, Mariam would find this scene enchanting and he should take more pictures for her. She’d been concerned Dani wouldn’t find enriching activities in a small town the way she would in Baltimore.
Taxidermized Victorian mice were apparently very enriching. So there.
“Sho is pretty great,” someone said at his elbow and David jumped, looking up from his phone to see Baxter watching him. The man was amused, for sure, but he managed to exude bored disdain as he leaned against the birch tree in front of the store and inspected his nails. The look on the guy’s face clearly saidyou heard me, friend.
“It certainly seems that way,” he said after a moment, turning his attention back to his daughter. Standing in front of the store like this was.... interesting. He had a perfect view of his daughter, certainly, but from this angle he could just see Shoshana on her knees in front of the door.
“Just throwing it out there,” Baxter said, something light in his voice as though he had conversations like these about his boss all the time. David cocked his head, looking at him.
“Sorry, am I missing something? Did someone say she wasn’t?” He didn’t typically allow himself to be intimidated, he couldn’t and still be good at his job. But he got the impression this guy wanted him to be at the very least uncomfortable. He considered pointing out that it may be easier to convey intimidation when a person wasn’t wearing a purple velvet smoking jacket and decided against it.
Baxter looked at him for a long moment before his chin jerked to the side of the window where Shoshana could be seen, a mildly amused smirk on his face.
David was suddenly aware of Shoshana’s arms pumping in the air, it appeared in triumph. He supposed she’d managed to get the key out of the lock. Dani didn’t appear to notice. She was having a very serious conversation with a mouse dressed in a pink velvet dress and top hat.
“Looks like we’re having some success,” David said, trying to bring the conversation back to the chatty, impersonal ground it had been on when he’d first arrived at the store and Baxter had no idea who he was.
“Wonders never cease,” Baxter said, then sighed as though he were especially frustrated. “Listen, I’m no good at this big brother thing. She’s one of my best friends. She thinks you’re cute and she never thinks people are cute. I mean, not enough to stay interested for long. Don’t ruin her life.”
David’s mouth dropped open. Then he closed it.
The door to the showroom opened slowly and Dani turned to wave at Shoshana as though this were perfectly normal, and she hadn’t potentially caused a major disaster. Shoshana, for her part, was smiling, entering the small space and settling in next to her to inspect the mice.
David felt something tug in his chest, touched that she was indulging his kid when it would be so easy to scold her. He realized Baxter was watching him watching Shoshana and his ears burned.
“Really,” Baxter said, his hands together as though for prayer, “I’m begging you. Don’t fuck her up.”
