8. Aspen
8
ASPEN
PHOENIX: I had to look up what an aioli is
ASPEN: What? Why?
PHOENIX: Because it’s on the menu for the event
ASPEN: It’s on the crabcake sliders
ASPEN: How do you not know what an aioli is?
PHOENIX: Never paid attention
ASPEN: This is weird
PHOENIX: What is?
ASPEN: You’re being nice
PHOENIX: I can be nice
ASPEN: Rarely
PHOENIX: I’m trying to be better
ASPEN: I guess you weren’t terrible when we had pizza
PHOENIX: Ouch
ASPEN: Just stating facts
PHOENIX: Facts or opinions?
ASPEN: Does it matter in this case?
PHOENIX: I guess not
ASPEN: Seriously, though—what’s with the change of heart? Do you secretly like Christmas?
PHOENIX: No
PHOENIX: Maybe
ASPEN: I hate that we can’t be friends
PHOENIX: We can’t
PHOENIX: But I can’t tell you why until after the event
ASPEN: But you’ll tell me?
PHOENIX: When we’re not locked in a small space where you have access to sharp objects? Yes.
ASPEN: You act like that’s something I would do
ASPEN: Do you know how hard it would be to clean up all the blood in a space like that?
PHOENIX: Not as well as you do apparently
ASPEN: (gif of woman doing a hair flip)
ASPEN: I know lots of things about lots of things
PHOENIX: Not scary at all
ASPEN: (eyeroll emoji) you’re not scared of me
PHOENIX: I might be
ASPEN: Are you flirting with me, Phoenix Banks?
H is silence is more telling than if he’d had the guts to answer, and that leaves me equally frustrated and amused. But I can’t dwell on it because instead of getting ready to go meet my sister for breakfast, I’ve been lying in bed texting Phoenix.
ASPEN: What are the odds you’ll drive all the way to me?
VIENNA: You’re making eggs benedict and bloody marys
ASPEN: Sold!
Chuckling, I climb out of bed and throw leggings and a sweatshirt on before tying up my hair in a messy bun. We’re only about an hour apart with traffic, so I don’t have much time. My baby sister has seen me in worse, and honestly, I’m just thankful I don’t have to put makeup on and leave the house.
Grabbing a pitcher from the cabinet, I mix everything up for Bloody Marys and put it back in the fridge until we’re ready.
“Creek” by Alli Walker fills the kitchen as I dance around, making home fries, bacon, and the hollandaise sauce, deciding I’ll wait until Vienna gets here before starting the eggs. But I’ve barely cut the sourdough bread before my sister bangs open the door, the wind stronger than her hold on the knob.
“Good morning to you too,” I deadpan as she rolls her eyes and muscles the door shut. Her cheeks are pink and she dumps her purse on the ground, followed by her knit hat and gloves.
“Stop looking at me like that; it shouldn’t be this cold.”
I snort and fill a mug of coffee and slide it across the island to her followed by the flavored creamer and a spoon. She dumps in an unhealthy amount of the dark chocolate peppermint, and I cringe as the color continues to lighten.
“How can you drink it like that?”
“I’m working like a hundred hours a day, and even though I don’t like it, I can’t survive without like six cups of it.”
“Pretty sure that’s what you’re supposed to do,” I tease as I swirl the water in the pot before dropping in the eggs to poach them.
“Between trying to get the flower shop up and running for the new year, taking care of Haven, and dealing with Wells, I’m exhausted.”
“I’ll just bet you are.” I snicker and she groans as I plate our breakfast and round the island to sit next to her. “How are things with the shop?”
“It’s fine but everything is moving slowly with the holiday, and it feels like one thing after another.”
“And Wells?” I ask, making a note to get out to Love Beach to help her set up and do whatever else she needs because I’m so damn proud of her. The Greene House will be the first florist shop in her town, and I can’t wait to send everyone from Magnolia Point her way.
She sighs. “It was a lot easier when we were just hooking up.” Noting my silence, her eyes narrow at me. “What’s going on with Phoenix?”
“Nothing. But he’s helping me work an event while Cora and Talon are on vacation.”
Vienna’s eyebrows are in her hairline, and a breakfast potato hangs off the end of her fork. “When were you gonna tell me that?”
“It’s not a big deal,” I grumble as her fork clatters to the plate and she gasps.
“Not a big deal is me giving Wells a blow job in the laundry room because he wore the shirt I love after I explicitly told him not to?—”
“We’re gonna come back to that,” I say pointedly as I slide off my chair and grab the pitcher from the fridge, filling the two glasses on the counter. She pauses her interrogation long enough to choose her garnishes before turning back to me.
“You’re going to be trapped in the food truck with Phoenix, the man you’ve been obsessing over since you moved here, and you think it’s not a big deal?”
“I have not been obsessing over him!” I hiss, because I’m not—not anymore. “He agreed to do it because Cora and Talon asked him, so now he’s being nice.”
“He’s bein’ nice!?” Vienna’s Tennessee twang is out in full force as she bounces in her seat, her enthusiasm making my lips twitch up into a smile. We might have moved away from home, but we couldn’t move away from each other.
Not really.
“Can we talk about you givin’ Wells a blow job because you liked his shirt?” I ask, not hiding the fact I’m absolutely judging her.
She’s my sister—it’s practically my job.
“It makes his eyes pop,” she says innocently like that explains everything.
“Hussy.” She snorts and throws a piece of her toast at me. “When do you have to go back?”
“Not until tonight.”
“Wanna watch Christmas movies with me?”
“Obviously.”
After cleaning up from breakfast, we refill our glasses and grab some snacks before heading for my room and climbing into bed. It’s just like when we were growing up, and right now, it’s exactly what I need.