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Chapter 16
Abby
“Ijust don’t know. I mean, I definitely know that I want to get her a bottle of wine for Christmas. I just don’t know what kind. My knowledge of wine extends to knowing that it comes in red and white. That’s it.”
Abby smiled at her customer. “Well, not to worry. That’s where I come in. Now, let me ask you a few questions about your friend and her tastes…”
As Abby talked her customer through a set of questions she’d developed to help her determine great recommendations, the bell over the door chimed again and again.
Business had been good even before the holiday rush, and now it was pretty much booming. She’d even brought on seasonal staff to handle the register while she talked to customers. Everything was going so well, she felt like she should pinch herself to prove it wasn’t a dream.
Especially your love life, an inner voice teased. She pushed it aside, though. She wasn’t going to think about Jet right now. Not when she was helping a customer.
“So, you might consider this vintage. It’s sweet but a little crisp. Since she’s a wine virgin, it’s an excellent starter. Delicious flavor, subtle and not too overwhelming.”
“Sounds great,” he replied, studying the label. “I’ll take it. Thanks for your help.”
“You’re welcome. And, since it’s a gift, I’d also like to draw your attention to these velvet gift pouches. They’re hand-embroidered by a local artist, who also owns Everything Ella, downtown on Main. Each of them are one of a kind,” she said, gesturing toward the display rack near the front of the shop.
The bell over the door rang again, but the sound had been so constant throughout the busy day that she didn’t take any particular notice of it. Until customers started whispering and looking past her to the front of the shop, anyway.
She turned around to see what the commotion was about and smiled. It was Jet. Because, of course it was Jet.
There he stood, with his long and perfectly-shaggy hair, his piercing eyes, his tattoos and his leather wrist cuffs, his faded jeans and his motorcycle boots. God, even if he hadn’t been a famous bad boy rock star, he would’ve stood out from this crowd of suburban holiday shoppers like a single shining diamond against a sea of beige grains of sand.
To tell the truth, when she was with Jet, she felt kind of like a grain of sand herself compared to him. Until he looked at her. Then she saw herself reflected in his eyes, and she felt beautiful. Like the shiniest diamond in the world.
“Hey, you,” she said, her voice coming out softer than she’d meant it to. Damn, all it took was seeing him to turn her to mush now? He didn’t even have to say anything, or touch her? That was quite the development.
“Hey, yourself,” he replied. The grin on his face was a mirror of the goofy one she could feel on her own. God, could this really be happening to them? Were they turning into those annoying people who were so wrapped up in each other that soon they’d be ending phone conversations with the old, “you hang up first, no you hang up first,” routine?
The prospect of that bothered her much less than she’d have imagined it would.
She was about to ask him why he’d dropped by when one of the people who’d been browsing in the aisles sidestepped her and went up to Jet, her face flushed and hands nervously wringing in front of her.
“Oh my goodness, you’re Jet Valentine,” the woman gushed, and Abby had to smile. She’d actually smooshed the words all together so they came out sounding like one big word, a sort of “ohmygoodnessyou’rejetvalentine” rush of breath.
“Guilty as charged,” Jet replied, his charm in full effect.
“Can I…um…would it be okay if…uh….” the lady stammered.
Jet must’ve guessed what she wanted by the way she was fumbling with her phone. He jumped in, his voice gracious and friendly. “Would you like to take a selfie together?”
Abby thought she might melt into a little puddle of goo right there on the spot. How was he so sweet, when this kind of interaction must happen to him all the time? How did he keep from getting frustrated, or just tired?
Because, if he was either of those things, he didn’t let it show to the woman in front of him. In fact, you’d have thought he felt just as excited to have his picture taken together as she was.
When he handed the phone back to her, he said, “Make sure you tag me in that, okay?”
She nodded and hurried away, back to the group of people she’d come in with. After the first person had broken the ice, however, the flood of people wanting an autograph or picture together swept in. Now that they saw he was open to it, it seemed everyone had the courage to approach him.
Abby gave a little chuckle and caught his eye. “I’ll be in the office working on the books. Come on back when you’re done here, stud.”
He nodded and she went back through the storeroom to the tiny office she kept for herself in the corner. It was just big enough to hold her desk and a couple of filing cabinets, but that was all she needed. She hadn’t opened up a wine shop to spend all day back here on the computer. No, she loved talking to people. She spent as little time in the office as possible, she vastly preferred being out on the sales floor.
She brought the computer back from hibernation and put in her passcode, then pulled up QuickBooks. She spent the next half an hour or so entering in invoices and deposits, until she heard a soft knock at the door.
She leaned over and turned the knob then gave the door a little push with her foot. That was how small the space was, she didn’t even have to leave her chair to admit a guest.
