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“What about you? Billy taking you out?”
“We’re going to his favorite restaurant that he continuously thinks is mine. Close your eyes and imagine that beautiful restaurant in the distance…Behold, the Olive Garden.”
“Oh no, Billy.”
“Oh yes. At least there are unlimited breadsticks.”
“The key to any woman’s heart.” She turned. “Can you turn off my morning calendar? I’m gonna do a bit of research on the current leases on the Chelsea properties in question.”
“I’ll hang up a Do Not Disturb sign.”
Mindy was a rock star at her job and always had Leighton’s back.
As she settled and made a few key calls to the owner of several buildings along Sixteenth Street in Chelsea, she flashed back to thecute little coffee bar. It really was a shame to displace it. She got the feeling it was at home in the heart of the neighborhood and a cozy hangout to its regulars. “Nothing lasts forever,” she murmured and she crunched the numbers she’d been provided on her call. Still, this time it ate away at her a little more than others. That was strange. Business was business. Since when did she let her emotions factor in?
* * *
“Oh, Valentine’s Day. Damn you,” Jamie murmured to her alarm clock at four forty-five a.m. It had the nerve to say nothing back. No good morning kiss. No sweet nothings whispered in her ear. Not even a card or box of candy or saucy limerick. A deep sigh as she stared at her empty bedroom. That was okay. Single women everywhere had learned to turn a blind eye to the over-the-top displays of affection that showed up around every corner on February 14. It didn’t mean Bordeauxnuts could do the same. She was no marketing fool and would capitalize on every damn holiday she could, even if this one did make her feel much smaller for being unattached. The bar had had cardboard hearts hanging from the ceiling, a chalkboard decorated with Cupid and his arrows, and love jams going on subscription radio all month.
Jamie spent the morning selling caffeinated beverages and piping hot mini-doughnuts to her customers who arrived carrying flowers, stuffed bears, and giant cardboard hearts. It was quite the parade. But Jamie hadn’t ignored the holiday altogether. She’d ordered a bundle of cookies and brownies and had them delivered to her parents’ apartment, only to have her father call and ask the name of the chocolatier because he wanted to send a handwritten card complimenting them on their work.
“It’s a little place a few blocks away, but I promise you do not need to write to them, Dad. This is just what they do, especially on V-Day.”
“If everyone took that attitude, how would anyone know when they’d made a contribution to the world that someone else noted and appreciated? You must take the time, Jamie, to reach out to your fellow human.”
“Got it,” she said. He was right, as always. “I’m sure they would love to hear from you.”
“You’re a good girl to us, Jamie. Thank you for your thoughtful treats.”
“It’s just because I love you both and adore the way you love each other.”
“I’ll tell you a secret if I’m not keeping you from work.”
She had a line forming and her part-timer, Shannon, was in the weeds, but it would have to wait. She always made time for her dad. “Dying to hear it. Tell me.”
“Your mom has already eaten two brownies, but I’m about to pass her up and steal a third. Don’t tell.” He laughed, and she grinned, hand on her forehead. She was their only child, who they’d had a little bit later in life, putting them close to seventy now. The truth was, they got sweeter each year. There were no two people as earnest and adorable as her parents, who played intense gin on weeknights and took long walks no matter how cold or hot it was outside. She wanted a partnership like theirs one day.
“I promise I won’t tell her. Enjoy your day of romance.”
“Is that Jamie? Tell her you had more brownies!” Her mother’s voice drifted in from the distance.
“I did not!” he called back before returning to the call. “I hope you enjoy yours, too. I love you. Bye, sweetheart.”
It had been a boost to her morning, speaking with her father.
By early afternoon, they were approaching transition mode from quirky coffee bar to cozy little wine nook. In a couple of hours, she’d switch her board to highlight their featured flights and pours of the day. She tried to keep the specials fresh and interesting. Today, she had a Merlot and Behold flight she planned to roll out. She’d also chosen a really rich red blend to debut for the Valentine’s couples. They’d offer seven-dollar glasses from four to six, when they’d get hit hard by the after-work crowd before transitioning to customers in search of an after-dinner drink or bottle. At ten o’clock, they’d close for good, an appropriate time that put them in the semisophisticated column rather than the late-night party zone. Jamie, who’d opened, would sneak out once their happy hour hit its stride. Her capable team would take it from there. The only time she stuck around was when she was having too good a time to leave. She’d clock out and maybe enjoy a big, bold glass of red with whoever happened to be around. Sometimes that was better than going home to her empty apartment.
“Happy Valentine’s! What can I make you today?” Jamie raised her gaze to a familiar pair of brown eyes. Beautiful ones, like a doe in the woods serenely staring back at her. She blinked to clear her field of vision, but no, the woman remained. Not a mirage. Today her blond hair was pulled back to her neck and twisted in that fancy way Jamie could never quite master. Her own dark hair had a secret method of messily escaping anytime she pulled it back. “You’re back,” she blurted.
The woman’s eyebrows rose. “That’s right. You have a really good memory.”
The striking customer had no idea that she wasextramemorable to Jamie. Time to play it off. “Everyone always tells me that.” She touched her temple and the Sharpie behind her ear fell to the counter. Embarrassing. “Um, drink? I mean, what can I make you?” she asked, finding her normal stride. “It’s a holiday, so the sky’s the limit.” She grinned, hoping for friendly rather than strange.
The woman scanned the blackboard. “The Chocolate Kiss sounds promising. Love is in the air, after all.”
“Right,” Jamie said, proud of her mocha-coconut espresso drink and happy to hear the selection. Her stomach went tight, making her more aware of the flutter of butterfly wings, multiplying by the second. “That’s a fantastic choice. ’Tis the kissing season, right?”
“Exactly my thinking.” They shared a smile that didn’t feel so weird, which was nice. The woman—who Jamie was now calling Bambi’s Mother, because thoseeyes—changed it up on her. Instead of taking her drink to go, she found herself a table and took out a MacBook. What was happening? The blonde was staying? This wasn’t what Jamie had planned on. She’d worked to survive their brief exchange, but now she’d have to be a normal person for so much longer. Her regulars seemed to notice as well, shooting her do-you-see-who-is-seated-among-us stares. Eyes went wide. Seats were adjusted. Marjorie dropped her knitting needles with a clang onto the table. Seated just behind the woman, Genevieve, always the boldest personality, tossed an excited fist in the air. Marvin scratched his neck nervously, and Lisa and Chun quietly high-fived. They’d been infiltrated! Jamie held up both hands, palms out, sending the silent gesture to force them to keep calm.Nobody panic. Potential embarrassment loomed, and she had to get in front of it. After a squirmy moment or two, they slowly driftedback to their respective mornings. Ninety minutes later, when Bambi’s Mother took her leave, the dining area erupted in a flurry.
