Chapter 21
twenty-one
*LEO*
The walk down the mountain is so much faster than up. After dinner last night, Soren and I both dropped into bed and slept through the night. I can’t quite grasp all the things that happened. I told him my whole story, and he so easily accepted everything about me.
And the sex was awesome. I hope he is going to fuck me like that every night.
“We need to repeat this,” Soren says.
“Absolutely.” I toss a snowball for Barkley to chase. “Are you staying the night?”
He grins. “There is no way I am going to stay a night away from you from now on. Oh! And you haven’t seen my place yet. How about I pick you up tomorrow after work and we head there?”
“I’d love that!” I smile, feeling happy through and through. I can’t believe I came here all broken, just to find the man of my dreams. Also, I can’t believe how cheesy I sound, but I can’t help it. I have never felt so much at home as I do in this small town.
Thinking about the town reminds me of something. “Next weekend is the whole snowball fight competition and the fair, right?”
“Yes,” Soren grins. “Be prepared for the craziness. Each year it’s hilarious. Sometimes Robin even brings his ostrich. When he does, that bird usually randomly picks a fight with some buff guy yearly. Maybe it’s Robin’s flirting tactic?”
“Maybe,” I say warily, remembering my talk with Robin. I hope he is doing okay. I will make sure to give him a call today once I am back home. “Are you going to the fair?”
He smiles at me. “Well, I was hoping my hot boyfriend would be my date for it. So, will he?”
“Yes, he will.”
Obviously. It’s a no-brainer for me. There is no way I would want to miss this event, even more so when I can go with Soren. “Do you have work to do for the event?” Soren asks me. “You mentioned that the mayor contacted you.”
“Yes, I will meet with the man later today and discuss some ideas. I need to make some drafts soon.” I swallow slightly. I don’t need to use my graphic program; I can do it by hand.
“Will it be okay?” Soren asks quietly.
“I think it will,” I say. “After finally talking to you about everything, I feel a bit lighter. I… I am not hiding it anymore, and it makes it a bit easier, you know? Lessens the guilt.”
Soren looks thoughtful. “I think I get what you mean.”
The tone in his voice makes me curious. I can’t quite put my finger on it yet, but there is something. Soren talked about his ex last night, and Robin mentioned him too. I know there is more to it than I know.
I don’t want to pry too much, though, and decide to focus on something else. So I ask Soren to tell me about the silly snowball fight event, and the ridiculous dramas they have surrounding it every year. “How did that conflict even start? I mean, between East and West Sunhaven.”
“I have no idea,” he grins. “There are myths around it like some sort of Romeo and Juliet-ish story or two families that hated each other and then built a town each to show each other who is the best. But it’s been like that ever since I can remember.”
“This is so silly,” I chuckle. “But I am kind of here for it.”
“Robin keeps saying the same,” Soren sighs dramatically. “He usually gets really involved as well.”
“Are any of you joining the snowball fight?”
“God, no!” Soren exclaims. “Though they want us to join every year. That’s why Aspen barely leaves his coffee shop when the team members are being chosen.
He is scared they will hunt him down and guilt-trip him into joining.
Last year, they almost got him to join. Maybe this year they will be successful. ”
I grin. Aspen has a kind side to him, so I can easily see it happen that someone with sad puppy eyes could make him join such a silly battle. “And Robin never tried to convince him?”
“Oh, he did!” Soren laughs. “But he wasn’t successful. I guess he is too sassy to pull off the sad, helpless look.”
Soren keeps telling me about the previous years, and how the events played out. It really sounds ridiculous, but also fun. Truth to be told, I probably wouldn’t have joined such an event even as a visitor back in my old world, but now it feels so refreshing.
Maybe it’s true what Aspen and Soren are saying, and I am finally able to be myself.
The drive home is faster than expected, mainly because we didn’t have any fresh snowfall. I am also not as exhausted as last night, probably because I didn’t hike up a mountain for hours, then had a nervous breakdown and then steamy hot sex.
Though, I do want to repeat the latter.
“Leo,” Soren says when he helps me unload my backpack and Barkley, who apparently loves driving so much that he doesn’t want to get out of the car. When I turn to look at him, he pulls me into a kiss.
“I will visit a client briefly. You are with the mayor for the afternoon?” When I nod, he purses his lips. “How about I drive past an Italian restaurant on my way back,” he says. “Will grab something for us for dinner. Any preferences?”
“Pasta,” I say. “I don’t mind which one.”
“Got you,” Soren kisses me once more, pulling me close and squeezing my ass. “Have a fun afternoon and don’t let yourself get dragged into the town’s shenanigans too much.”
“I won’t. And if I do, then only willingly.”
I watch Soren drive off, my chest aching slightly to see him leave. “I am a lost cause,” I mutter towards Barkley. “Seriously, I am going to see him in a couple of hours.”
Barkley woofs before burying his head in the snow.
“Good idea. I should distract myself.”
At first, I put my stuff away, then make sure I groom Barkley properly, before it’s time to meet with the mayor.
Mayor Hector Martinez is nothing like I imagined him to be.
When I first heard his name, I thought he might be of Spanish heritage.
I had a sexy hunk in mind, maybe even someone slightly dangerous, due to the first name being Hector.
But the man I meet is white like a sheet and has messy hair, which he wears in a ponytail.
He is also much older than I anticipated him to be.
It’s on me, however. Serves me right for assuming, just because of a name.
We meet at Aspen’s coffeeshop, and from the moment he introduces himself to me with, “Just call me Hector,” with a loud laugh, I know I am going to like him.
“Your confused expression says it all,” he grins when we sit down. “You couldn’t believe it’s really me, huh?”
“No, I mean…” I stumble over my own words like always when I am a bit anxious. “It’s just the last name.”
He grins. “That’s my wife’s name. Mine was Smith, one of the most common names ever.”
“Oh, you took her name!”
“There was no chance I would let go of the chance of being called Martinez.”
“I wouldn’t either!”
Aspen approaches us with our coffee. “What else can I bring my favorite person?” he asks me.
Hector blinks. “What about me? I don’t get such a kind offer!”
“Well, ever since you tried to drag me into that snowball tournament you slipped down my list,” Aspen deadpans. “You are lucky to still be in my top 100.”
“It’s not my fault everyone wants you for that tournament. They know with your bulky frame, you might take home the win,” Hector says.
Aspen frowns. “What makes them think that’s true? I have zero skills!”
“Come on, you look like you were born a footballer,” Hector points out.
Aspen looks at me. “Tell him, Leo.”
“Well,” I clear my throat. “Aspen has many talents.”
My brother just grins. “That’s not what I meant. You don’t need to sugarcoat it.”
“Sports might not be one of them,” I add.
“No way. Is that an excuse?” Hector asks.
“No, I hate it,” Aspen says. “I do appreciate a good gym workout here and there, but team sports? No, I suck at it. Leo is much better at it.”
“What!?” I exclaim.
“You are,” he argues.
On Hector’s face, I can see the expression of a predator that’s just smelled blood. “Is that so?”
“Why again did you have to throw me under the bus?” I huff.
Aspen blinks before realization settles in. “Just so we are clear: You either get my brother for help with decoration or bother him for the snowball tournament. No way you get both.”
Hector sighs dramatically. “Well, our decorations are horrible…”
To underline his words, he shows me some pictures he brought along.
I have heard a bit from Soren, Robin and Aspen, but to see it in a picture, it’s even funnier.
One year, they had a Christmas figurine theme, but instead of going for some kitsch and fun and cute stuff, they made the town look like a horror show, and not the good type of it.
More like creepy gnomes everywhere. “This would have been good for Halloween,” I laugh. “But Christmas?”
“I know. It sounded good on paper, but once we saw the finished product. Well, you see for yourself.”
“What do you want to do this year?” I ask.
“Since we are running out of time, what do you suggest?”
“Classic,” I say. “It’s the easiest to do.
It doesn’t need to be like out of a movie.
It can have personality. Most of your decorations every year are bad, but they also have a fun tweak to them.
So I would keep the fun part, get rid of the creepiness, and add a classic touch.
On such short notice, there is not much more we can pull off. ”
“Do you think you could do the decoration for the fair and tournament?” he asks. “I know decorating the whole town is too much.”
“I can work on some concepts and will send them to you tomorrow or the day after. But can you truly pull it off? It’s only a week until the fair.”
“If I have your list, I will rally my volunteers around me, and we will make it happen,” Hector promises. “As for the town, we can focus on it next year. How much earlier would you need to start to make it happen?”
“Christmas planning for bigger events actually starts right after Christmas,” I tell him. “For a whole town, even a small one, I would probably start with the first concepts and brainstorming in March. Then we’d need to come up with a decision. Do you have a committee?”
“No,” he says. “But I guess by March I will have one.”
“Make sure to put different people into the committee. It’s important to have people in it who love the town but who come with their own visions. No one too stubborn, but if everyone comes with the same taste, I won’t get a feel for what the town truly wants.”
“Okay, I can do that,” he says. “And then?”
“Then I’d need a decision by June latest, and start the planning of the details.
The organizing of the material and whatever else falls in the summer.
As I said: latest. Christmas season starts right after Halloween.
In some cities, it actually starts much earlier, with the first preparations being done in September; just more toned down so as not to get in Halloween’s way. ”
Hector listens to me in awe. “I am so glad Aspen dragged you here into this town.”
Aspen grins. “I keep saying the same, just for different reasons.” He looks up when the doorbell chimes, and Robin comes in. “Oh, Robin.” He nods at us. “He wasn’t feeling well, so I looked after his bookstore. Let me check on him for a minute.”
“Sure,” I say. “Make sure he doesn’t overwork when he feels sick.”
“Look who is talking,” Aspen teases.
“This reminds me,” Hector intervenes. “What’s your price, Leo? This is legitimate work. I definitely want and need to pay you.”
“I have not thought about it yet,” I admit.
“I am sure you have some comparable numbers for how much planning such an event costs,” Hector says. “We paid a shit-ton of money during the last years for nothing, so I am not against paying the same to you for pulling off something that’d actually be good.”
My heart makes a tentative leap of joy. Being self-employed?
I haven’t even considered it. My mind was always set on design and marketing, but actually co-organizing an event, planning the whole decoration aspect and maybe even more of it sounds like something I would have a lot of fun with.
I guess I could branch out from there and help some of the smaller shops here and in adjacent towns.
And maybe I could pick up the marketing aspect again by designing logos and helping with social media.
“Think about it,” Hector says warmly.
“I will.”