17. Tasha
CHAPTER 17
Tasha
“ S oooo…” Penny sidled up to me when I took my place behind my register Monday morning. “How’s Vlaaaaaaad?”
I shrugged coolly at her teasing singsong tone. “Same as he was when I texted you last night, I guess.”
“C’mon, Tasha.” Gabby flipped her chestnut side bangs and leaned against the back counter. “Tell us about your date. Monty said you didn’t get in till almost midnight.”
“When did you talk to Monty—er, Montgomery?” Behind her, the long hand on the clock ticked to 6 a.m. Jannell hadn’t even unlocked the front door yet.
Note to self: Think twice next time before arriving early to work.
Gabby’s amused expression revealed she’d noticed my slip-up. “We were texting when you got in last night. He’s got Mascot Media Day today.”
“Right.” He’d asked for my input on some of his ideas, which I freely gave while he watched me chop vegetables. He’d already spent a weekend in Florida to gather with some of the other mascots for what he playfully dubbed the ‘Shenanigans Summit.’
“So? The date?” Gabby prodded. “Monty said you didn’t give any details.”
Gabby and Monty’s close friendship had always annoyed me, especially once they began stunting together all those years ago.
Like we used to be.
Partner-close.
I didn’t want to be bitter about it anymore.
Jannell unlocked the door and flipped the sign, and customers began filing in. I turned away from her to close the discussion and stepped up to my assigned register.
Brenna and Brendan Trotter were the first in the door this morning. I waved them over.
“Mornin’, Tasha,” Brendan said, then addressed Penny and Gabby. “Ladies.”
They returned the greeting, and Penny frowned. “You’re up early. Morning skate isn’t until ten.”
“I’ve got a baby shower brunch at the barn today,” Brenna said. “We’re heading over to set up so he can help me move the tables before he goes to PT.” She and Penny locked eyes.
Now I was frowning. Brenna had never needed anyone to help her before. And Brendan was still recovering from the broken leg he’d sustained in the playoffs.
Penny’s eyes widened, as if she’d just received an unexpected telepathic message.
Brendan squeezed Brenna’s shoulder and cleared his throat. “My usual, please, Tasha, but decaf. Decaf for Bren, too.”
“We’re, um, trying to wean off caffeine,” Brenna explained, as her hand splayed over her flat stomach. She quickly dropped her hand, as if the fabric was molten lava.
It wasn’t my business to ask, but I’d bet my Crock-Pot the woman was pregnant.
Another Edge baby next summer.
I was happy for her and stretched my lips into a smile. “Montgomery finally got to you about how poisonous coffee is, huh?” I waggled my eyebrows and turned before she could confirm or deny. It was obvious they weren’t prepared to announce their news yet.
I selected mugs for each of them from the cubbies that made up our mug wall above the back counter. My Wife Is Hotter than Coffee and My Husband Is Hotter than Coffee were a new fun set Marie had gifted to her parents for their anniversary. I didn’t think Jannell would mind if Bren-squared used them.
Bren-squared. Why did every hockey couple have such cute nicknames? Way better than Coach Monsha.
Not that Monty and I were a couple.
I lightly affixed the printed order stickers to the sides of the mug handles and set them on the counter for Gabby or Jannell to fill, and we all continued with our routine. When I returned from my break after lunch, I was surprised to find Xavier and Vlad chatting up Penny at her register.
“There she is!” Penny gave me a light hip bump. “Our guys are here!”
She was already shipping Vlad and me? I snuck a glance to see how he’d reacted.
Vlad’s blinding smile gleamed like the sun reflecting off an unspoiled field of fresh snow.
I smiled back and suddenly felt tongue-tied. It wasn’t because I was smitten or crushing on him, but it wasn’t a natural reaction, and I probably should analyze why.
Nah. He was here, he was smitten, and that was all I needed, right?
“Tasha! I am sad. I have just learned your break is over. I was hoping we could sit for a minute?”
I shook my head. “Sorry. Afternoon rush is about to start, and Gabby still needs a break.” I signaled to her and nodded my head toward the kitchen door.
As she passed me, she squeezed my shoulder and winked.
Someone needed to tell her winking was creepy, especially from an elder Gen Zer.
Vlad pulled an envelope from the front center pocket of his hoodie. “For you, for later. I am looking forward to Friday night. My first American high school football game!”
I slid it into my apron pocket. “I told you, you don’t have to come,” I reminded him. “Your presence will make all the guys nervous and the girls giddy. Besides, I can’t make it to your preseason game tonight.”
“We’ll be there Friday, too, Tasha,” Xavier said. “Can’t miss the first home game for Palmer City High. Some of my camp athletes play for the team. And Penny wants to see your timeout routines and the halftime show.”
“I saw them practicing last week,” Penny said as she handed Xavier his pregame toffee coffee. “It’s going to be awesome!”
“I wish to as well,” Vlad interjected.
Now I grinned for real. “My kids are going to knock your socks off,” I said.
Vlad looked down. I peeked over the counter to find him wiggling his toes under the band of his team-issued slides. “Spider? Spill? Socks twisted? ”
He shook his head. “Knock socks off?”
“It means to impress,” Xavier filled in.
“Ah. English is weird.”
I laughed. “That it is.” I pointed down the counter. “Your order is up.” I went back to taking orders and waved goodbye to them when they left.
Gabby returned from her break thirty minutes later. “Have you opened the envelope yet?”
I shook my head no.
“What are you waiting for?” Penny asked.
I shrugged. “Privacy so I can read it alone?”
“Pretend we’re not here,” Gabby said.
I rolled my eyes.
“C’mon, Tasha,” Penny implored. “Aren’t you dying to know what’s in it?”
“I guess.” I pulled it from my pocket. “Fine, I’ll read it.”
The flap of the envelope was tucked in instead of sealed, so the peach-colored card inside was easy to extract. I lifted the flap to find a note scrawled in loopy script.
My cheeks flamed with fire as I silently read each word. My joy filled his soul? Was he talking about me?
I was pretty sure joy wasn’t a descriptor that anyone who knew me would use. I was cynical, critical, and sarcastic.
I cleared my throat and slipped the card back in the envelope, then met Penny and Gabby’s expectant expressions. “Just a note. He seems to like me.”
Penny clapped. “Yay!”
“Was it a poem?” Gabby asked.
I shook my head again. “The man barely knows English.” But the note was well-written. Maybe he ran it through an editing program .
“So what are your intentions with Vlad?” Gabby asked. “Dating, marriage, baby in a carriage?”
I shrugged. “Too early to tell, but it’d be nice not to have to work three jobs.” I pointed at my sister and cousin in turn. “I’d still work here for funsies, like you two do.”
Penny and Gabby exchanged a look.
“What?”
“Tasha, stop,” Penny pleaded. “You can’t marry a guy you don’t know just for his money.”
“Why not? You did.”
Penny winced. “No, I didn’t.”
“Okay. For his castle then.”
“Stop it, Tasha. We had a soul connection. We’d known each other for years. You don’t know anything about this guy. He could be part of a criminal family. And he barely speaks English.”
“Even better.” I closed my eyes and sighed. “I can grow to love him. Just like you grew to love Xavier.”
“I don’t like it.”
“You don’t have to,” I retorted, a little more firmly than I intended. “Sorry. But it could be mutually beneficial. I overheard him asking Xavier how long it took to become an American citizen. He doesn’t want to go back to the KHL if it doesn’t work out for him here.”
Penny gasped. “Tasha! He could be courting you for a path to citizenship!” In a very un-Penny-like move, she snatched the envelope from my pocket and pulled out the card, her eyes widening as she read. “This is a love letter.”
“Yeah? So?”
“Let me see!” Gabby reached for it, and Penny passed it to her .
I crossed my arms over my chest as they turned and locked concerned eyes on each other. “It’s just words,” I said.
“Very pretty words.” Gabby’s eyebrows lifted as she scanned the card. She handed it back to me, and I returned it to the safety of my pocket. “He has the soul of a poet.”
“If he even wrote it,” I said.
Gabby tapped her chin and turned back to Penny. “Maybe Xavier can verify that?”
Penny nodded. “I’ll see if he can find out without being so obvious.”
I shook my head. “Please. Let it go.”
“If you say so.” Penny shrugged.
I spun on my heel and retreated through the kitchen door to read the words again in privacy.
They were pretty words.
But did he mean them? And had he written them for me?
I really really hoped so.