Chapter 11
Clara
We'd agreed to meet at Belle's Bookshop because she had a room with a fireplace and comfortable furniture that was perfect for hanging out. She offered it to various book clubs and other groups, but when it was free, we liked to use it for our group.
I hadn't offered to bring anything tonight, and after reviewing our text exchange, it seemed like everything was covered. The sign in the bookstore door said Closed, but Belle had told us we could come inside when we arrived.
The lights in the bookstore were dim, but I followed the murmur of voices to the side room where a fire already burned in the fireplace.
Meg was pouring wine into a glass while Reina unwrapped a charcuterie board that had my mouth watering. I grabbed one green grape and popped it into my mouth.
Meg handed me a glass of white wine. "I'm assuming you need this."
I sipped the dry wine. "Thanks."
Belle sat in one of the overstuffed leather chairs. "Does this have something to do with that man you were with at my shop the other day?"
I’d called the meeting to talk about business but now that I was here, I wanted to vent about Beck. "Possibly."
Meg raised a brow. "What man?"
I sat on the couch. "Malcolm's friend Beck is in town. It's more of a business thing. He asked him to evaluate the business to determine if adding a brewery made sense."
Reina waggled her brows. "And what does this have to do with you? Why are you taking him around town?"
I rolled my eyes. "Mom insisted that I give him a tour of Christmas Town, as if I'm the only one who's able to do that."
"You work in town, so I guess that makes sense," Belle said.
Meg piled her plate high with fruit, cheese, and crackers. "Is there a reason why Malcolm can't show his friend around town?"
I nodded. "Why did she insist that it had to be me?"
"Were you giving him the tour when I saw you?"
"It was supposed to be, but now he's insisting that I didn't finish, and I have to take him out again."
The room grew quiet.
Belle narrowed her eyes. "He wants you to take him out again?"
"The first night, he insisted on getting dinner and showing him the bar. I didn't have time to show him everything in town."
Reina blinked. "You were going into the stores and shopping?"
Meg shook her head. "Keep it simple. Stay on the sidewalk and point. Don't go in stores, and there's absolutely no eating or drinking."
Meg could be a little cold when it came to relationships.
"But you'd still give him a second tour?"
She sat on the couch next to me. "I mean, I don't know what it's like to have family pressuring you to do things, or even a brother for that matter, so I can't give you good advice on this. But I wouldn't go out of my way for him. Do the bare minimum and get out of there."
"I think what Clara is trying to say is that she might enjoy his company." Belle's amused gaze swung to me. "Is that right?"
My face heated. "There might be something there, but nothing can happen. Did you miss the part where he's here to visit my brother?"
Reina leaned forward from her place on the other armchair. "Oh, this is getting good. You're attracted to your brother's friend, and you feel conflicted because your brothers would never be okay with you dating him?"
"That summarizes it perfectly," I said, getting up to grab a plate.
"Do you need permission to do what you want?" Belle asked. "Because you're a grown adult, and it shouldn't matter who you're attracted to. What say do your brothers get in your love life?"
"I'd say none. But they're trying to expand the business, and Beck is giving them advice. This could muddy the waters. Malcolm is looking for an investor. What if everything falls through because of me?" I piled my plate high with food.
"It complicates things," Belle agreed.
"The way I see it, you have two options: sleep with him and get him out of your system, or keep your distance. Fulfill your obligations, but don't let him get close." Meg was the queen of not getting close to anyone, including her friends.
She was quick with advice, which leaned toward keeping your distance and not getting your heart involved.
It seemed weird to be talking about this but not giving them all the information. But at the same time, I wasn't ready to share our one night with anyone. I didn't want anyone scrutinizing it, breaking it down, and dissecting every moment.
Belle sighed. "What if this is someone she could fall in love with?"
Meg rolled her eyes. "It's highly unlikely. He's friends with your brother. Nothing can happen anyway."
For Meg, it was simple. She never let her heart get involved, so there was nothing to think about.
Reina chewed her lower lip. "If I'd walked away from Morgan, where would I be? I'm so happy now. I wouldn't want to have passed on my chance at love because I was afraid."
Meg's nose wrinkled, and she turned away.
"Beck is only in town for a short time and has no desire to settle down. If he invests in the business, he'd consult from afar, and he wouldn't be here running the day-to-day," I said.
Meg shrugged like it was no big deal because, for her, it wasn't. "That changes things. Enjoy him while he's here, and then let him go."
"You make it sound so easy." I wish I could be more like her; she could get entangled with a man and never feel anything. I just wasn't built that way. The first one-night stand I ever had was already a testament to my inability to stay neutral.
Belle and Reina exchanged a look.
"What?" I asked them.
"It's just that you haven't dated anyone since your last boyfriend. We don't want you to get hurt. But at the same time, maybe it would be good for you to get back out there. If you're experimenting with someone who can't commit, it might be the perfect solution," Reina said.
"Who said he has to be the one? He could just be the rebound you need to get past your last boyfriend," Belle said easily.
"I've never done anything like that." I've only been in one long-term relationship. I didn't think I was built for anything less than a full commitment. I was testing my limits with whatever was going on with Beck.
"Have fun," Reina said simply.
A headache was forming at the base of my skull. "I'm not sure this cleared anything up for me. I feel more conflicted than ever."
Meg snorted. "That's because you're thinking with your brain instead of your body. What do you want?"
I wanted more of Beck. Another night to enjoy his body and everything his talented hands had to offer.
Meg smiled triumphantly. "That look on your face? That's the answer."
I sighed. "You don't think it's a bad idea to get involved with a guy who's friends with your brother? What if Malcolm finds out?"
"You can avoid that if he's only going to be here for a short time," Belle said reasonably. "You only see him at his place. You keep it a secret."
"I don't know," I said, sipping my wine.
"It could work if they only spent time together at his place. Where's he staying?" Belle asked.
"He has a cabin in the mountains," I said.
Meg smiled. "So it's secluded. That's perfect."
"What about my feelings? I'm not sure I can get involved with someone and not get my heart tangled up in him."
"Don't you think you deserve a little fun?" Belle asked. "You've been saying you feel stuck for a while. This could be the thing that makes you feel more alive."
I certainly felt more of everything when I was with Beck.
Every nerve ending was tingling, and my heart raced when he was around.
Whether we were verbally sparring or dancing around the idea of a repeat, I felt things I hadn't in a long time.
It was probably a warning to stay away from him.
But I'd consider what the girls said. I deserved some adventure in my life, and maybe Beck was just the guy to give it to me.
Beck opened the door at five minutes before closing time. The store was empty, and I was already counting the cash in the drawer. "What did you want to see today?"
"Everything," he said, coming to stand in front of the counter.
He seemingly took everything in, including the green dress I wore with tights and boots. "You always dress up to work in your store?"
"My grandmother said you should look the part. If I didn't take my job seriously, then no one would want to buy anything from my shop."
"That's good advice. Are you ready?"
"Almost." I put the cash in the pouch and grabbed my jacket and purse. Outside the wind was howling. "I think it's going to snow."
He opened the door for me. "I should go skiing while I'm here."
"Are you staying for the holidays?" I couldn't help but ask as I stepped past him.
"No." His answer was swift and curt. "I'm positive we can wrap this up before then."
"You're welcome to spend Christmas with my family." Didn't he say he didn't have a home base? Where would he go?
"I have a brother and a sister."
I licked my lip. Did that mean he'd spend the holidays with them, or was that a careful way to throw me off this line of questioning? I'd noticed that Beck wasn't free with stories of his past. "Do you see them often?"
"They're busy with their own lives."
Was that true, or was it something he'd assumed? I wasn't sure why I was so curious. It was probably because it felt like he was purposely leaving information out. He didn't want to talk about his family, and that was unsettling. "I can't imagine not seeing my brothers for the holidays."
"You're close."
One more reason why getting involved with Beck was a terrible idea, no matter what my friends thought.
My question was, what did he do on the holidays if he didn't see his siblings and turned down invitations from friends?
Did he spend them alone? I couldn't imagine being alone on Christmas.
But I didn't want to make him feel bad, so I changed the subject.
"This is the theater. It's the original, so it only has one screen.
Even though it's small, it's a great experience. "
"Are you saying I should go sometime?"