Chapter 18
Wednesday, December 12
Hazel had continued to insist yesterday that Oliver was jealous, and as the afternoon had gone on, I’d noticed him glancing at me whenever he got up from his desk. His reaction was odd. Then again, until now, he’d seemed to assume I was still completely heartbroken and spending my days pining for him, especially because I wasn’t going home for the holidays. Maybe he was having a hard time adjusting to the fact that I was getting my life back together.
Anita had her own theory. When I’d spoken to my sister last night about the kitchenette interaction, she’d said, “Let me see if I’ve got this right. He doesn’t want to be with you anymore, but he doesn’t want you to be with anybody else. What an absolute jerk.”
Whatever the case, I decided to work from home today. I needed the space to sort through my feelings for Marco. Another benefit was spending more time with Dazey, who had taken to sleeping on my bed. This morning I’d woken up to find her curled between my feet, purring gently.
After breakfast, I unwrapped the twelfth parcel of my Advent calendar, finding an empty box on which Anita had stuck another task note. As I read it, my stomach did a full-on lurch.
Today’s mission: You’re going on a date!
This is not a drill! You’re skating at Crystal Kingdom on the corner of Navy & Winchester at 7:15 p.m. Have FUN ! Mystery man’s a great guy. I know you’ll like him.
P.S. I’m not joining you on this challenge, obvs.
Now I understood why she’d gifted me the voucher for my nails. Of course my sister had harbored ulterior and sneakier motives. I wanted to remind her we’d agreed she wouldn’t try sending me on any dates but could already hear her protesting how that was only the deal once I’d completed all the Advent calendar tasks. I still had half to go. Typical Anita, bending the rules until they almost snapped.
My heart fluttered at the prospect of being set up with a mystery man, but my next thought hit me like a truckload of Christmas trees.
Could it be Marco?
It had been almost two full days since I’d seen or spoken to him. I’d spent most of that time mulling over how much I missed him, remembering in vivid detail the exquisite softness of his lips, the gentle pressure of his hands on my back.
He’d confessed his feelings to me, and while I hadn’t pushed him away, I had asked for time. Wasn’t it unlikely then that he’d agree to be set up on a date? But if it wasn’t Marco, then who had Anita chosen? Panic rising, and a hundred percent convinced this was my sister’s worst Advent calendar task idea yet, I grabbed my phone and composed a message to her.
Hard pass on the mystery date. I’m skipping this one and
I stopped typing, remembering Oliver’s surprise when he’d seen me in the kitchen with my sparkly green nails and had found out I’d gone caroling. That was all it took to surprise my ex-boyfriend? We may have dated for a decade, and I’d long filed myself away in the somewhat predictable and cautious categories, but this was another level of mind-boggling.
Why couldn’t I go out tonight? I needed to show Anita—more importantly, myself—that I could do this without needing a pep talk first. As I pictured myself skating tonight, this time the nerves in my stomach gave way to something else.
When we were kids, Anita and I had regularly hung out at the local Pineville rink. I’d never mentioned this to anyone for fear of being teased, but I’d always felt envious of couples doing laps while holding hands. Back then, twelve-year-old me thought skating to music—typically Celine Dion and Whitney Houston ballads because the owners refused to play much else—was quintessentially romantic.
By the time Oliver and I had started dating a few years later and I was ready to become one of those couples I’d secretly admired, the rink had shut down and we’d never skated together. In the past, I’d often pictured myself holding his hand if we ever did get around to gliding across the ice, but now his face faded into the background, replaced by Marco’s.
Maybe going to the rink tonight would help, not only because I could fulfill teenage Callie’s wish, but also to gain more perspective, to check my gut reaction if I saw Marco. I was willing to try anything to help me navigate through my conflicting emotions.
A few hours later, I walked down Bloomfield Avenue, turning east on Winchester toward one of the town’s larger parks. From what I’d found online, this was Fallbrook’s third year creating the temporary outdoor Crystal Kingdom wonderland.
During the winter months, the winding trails leading through a multitude of cherry, oak, and elm trees and past an artificial pond and a beautifully hand-carved wooden pavilion were illuminated by thousands of fairy lights and turned into icy paths for skaters to enjoy. People came from miles around to lace up and explore the place in such a unique way, helping Crystal Kingdom recently win a few “Best Fallbrook Outdoor Activity” awards.
As I approached the corner of Navy Street, the crowd moving in the same direction grew and excited chatter filled the air. I could see the multicolored glow of the lights in the distance, but instead of more exhilaration surging, I felt a mass of nerves clambering to the surface, threatening to spin me on my heel.
I took a seat on one of the benches near the wooden skate rental hut and close to the trail entrance, where I people-watched, trying to ignore the anxiety repeatedly bubbling up my throat. Whenever a man who was alone walked in my direction, I debated whether he might be the person my sister had sent, except it was barely 7 p.m., and I’d arrived early. Moments later, my phone rang.
“Where are you?” Anita asked.
“At the skating rink. Exactly where you sent me.”
“I wondered if you’d go. When I didn’t hear from you, I figured you’d chickened out.”
Swallowing an annoyed sigh, I replied, “You don’t have to micromanage. I told you I’d do the calendar tasks, and I have so far, haven’t I?”
“Yes, but I thought this one might be too much for you.”
“I’m not that weak,” I said, voice a little terse. Biting back another sigh, I asked, “Will you at least tell me who’s coming?”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Anita laughed. “Wait and see.”
“Is it Marco?”
“Do you want it to be him?” she said slowly. “What’s going on between you two? Did something happen?”
“Kind of.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked gently.
“I kissed him Monday night,” I blurted, unable to keep the words in. “After caroling.”
“ What ?” my sister shrieked. “Why am I only hearing about this now?”
“This isn’t about you, Anita,” I said, my irritation shooting up again.
“Right, sorry. What was it like? Did he kiss you back?”
“Wonderful, and yes. He said he hasn’t stopped thinking about me since we met at the tree market.”
“I knew it,” Anita cried, triumphant. “Have you seen him since?”
“No. We haven’t messaged, either. I told him I needed time to think.”
“What’s there to think about? The guy’s gorgeous and kind, and you’re obviously into him. Oh, and he cooks. Why are you hesitating even for a nanosecond?”
“Because I don’t want to get hurt again,” I said. “Maybe we’re better off being friends.”
“Hmm…” Anita pondered this for a moment. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”
“It might be less confusing. Definitely less painful if things don’t work out. I’d likely never see him again, and if I did, it’d be awkward, like things are with Oliver these days.”
“You mean you want to play it safe,” my sister replied, but I didn’t answer. “Look, Callie, why not try having a good time tonight? It might help you figure stuff out.”
“That’s what I thought, too. So can you tell me who you’re sending?” I asked.
“Do you trust me? Because I’d love for it to be a surprise. Concentrate on your reaction when you see him. For the record, I didn’t tell him this is a date. I just asked if he’d go skating with you. Figured it’s less pressure that way.”
When I tried to protest, Anita repeated I should trust her and that she had to go because some people didn’t know their cobra loops from their California rolls. After we hung up, I almost started catastrophizing again when I heard my name.
“Callie,” Joe called out as he waved at me. “We meet again, thanks to Anita. It’s great to see you.”
“You, too,” I said, genuinely relieved my sister hadn’t sent a stranger, but my heart felt tinged with disappointment about it not being Marco after all.
“I’ve been looking forward to this for ages,” Joe said with a huge smile.
I frowned. “Did you already know about this evening when we saw you at the fire station, and when you rescued me from the roof?”
“Yup.”
“You sure can keep a secret.”
Joe chuckled. “Anita made me swear to keep quiet weeks ago when she told me about your Advent calendar. I gather the cookie-baking was part of it?”
“Yes, exactly.” I quickly filled him in on the other treats and tasks Anita had arranged for me so far.
“She’s creative,” he said. “I’m glad she asked me to join you tonight.”
“Me, too.”
“Great.” Joe beamed again. “Let’s get our skates.”
We joined the line in front of the wooden shack, chatting about the last time we’d been on the ice. Turned out Joe, who’d grown up in Fallbrook, had played hockey all the way from kindergarten to high school and had made the varsity team each year.
“I’m a huge sports fan,” Joe said. “Football, soccer, hockey. You name it, I’ve tried it or watched it. How about you?”
“Honestly, I’d be hard-pressed to name more than one team that plays anything,” I said with a laugh. “I haven’t skated in years, so you can pretend you don’t know me when I land on my butt. I won’t hold it against you.”
“First, I won’t let you fall,” he replied. “And second, I can take a few tumbles on purpose. Happy to make you look good. Not that you need any help.”
After a wobbly-legged start, during which I held onto the metal barriers at the beginning of the trail, I took Joe’s hand and began steadily, if not gracefully, gliding across the ice. Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe” rang out, increasing the merry atmosphere so much, it would only have surprised me to see Santa’s sleigh in the sky because it wasn’t yet Christmas Eve.
The song also reminded me of the holiday shot recipe Marco had shared with me the night we’d worked at the shelter, and the thought of him and his sense of community sent an unexpected pang of longing to my heart. When my phone buzzed in my pocket, I skidded to a halt and fished it out as Joe continued a little up ahead, giving me privacy.
Anita: How’s it going? Giving you food for thought?
Me: Joe’s great. He’s a friend.
Anita: That’s what you said about Marco
She was such a troublemaker, and I grinned as I tucked my phone into my pocket.
“Everything okay?” Joe asked.
“Perfect,” I replied. “Race you to the end.”
We spent the next hour skating, eating cinnamon sugar–dusted funnel cakes, and drinking decadent hot chocolate with whipped cream. The skate rental was for ninety minutes, and by the time we handed them back, it was almost nine.
“That was cool,” Joe said.
“It really was.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized I wasn’t ready to go home to an empty apartment, where all I’d do was go around in confused circles in my mind. Besides, I was having a surprisingly fun time with Joe. “Have you ever been to Game On?” I asked him.
“The sports bar on Kerr?” he replied, another smile lighting up his face. “They have the best wings in town.”
“Would you like to go for a little while?”
“I’m in, but on one condition,” he said. “We play a round of air hockey.”
“First, be careful what you wish for. Second, prepare for battle.”
“Fighting words, eh?” Joe smiled. “How can I possibly resist?”
—
Game On turned out to be a revelation. I’d completely forgotten that some of my colleagues went almost every Wednesday, and five minutes after I’d introduced Joe as one of my friends, they’d swiftly added us to their bowling lineup.
Within moments, I wished I hadn’t waited so long to hang out with them socially, something Oliver never wanted to do because, or so I suspected, he held a higher position and felt he had an image to maintain. After we’d lost the first match, Joe and I let loose on the air hockey table. He put up a good fight, but after I won three games in a row, he put his striker down.
“When did you get so darn good at this?” he asked.
“Misspent summers at the Pineville youth club. Plus, there was a table at a place near campus. I was the undefeated Richmond University air hockey champion two years straight.”
“I got hustled,” Joe said with another grin. “I thought you weren’t a sports fan.”
“I’m not, but I’ll always make an exception for air hockey, and I did warn you.” My smirk broadened. “Be thankful we didn’t play for cash.”
Another round of bowling ensued, which our team lost again, but it didn’t matter because my face almost hurt from all the smiling. I didn’t know how late it was until the staff announced via the loudspeakers that the place was closing at eleven-thirty, which was in half an hour.
Joe and I finished our drinks, said goodbye to the Whitlock & Blake team, and stepped outside. A few hours earlier, we’d established that we lived in opposite directions, so we each called a rideshare and stood under the entrance’s awning as we waited for the drivers.
Joe turned to me. “I had a really great time.”
“Me, too. Maybe we can join the group again sometime.”
“I’d like that.”
As Joe leaned in and surprised me with a soft kiss on the lips, something illuminating happened. Fireworks didn’t go off in my head. I didn’t find myself longing to wrap my arms around him and lose myself in desire, either. As kisses went, it was… nice . Comfortable. Safe. Somewhat reminiscent of how it had been with Oliver. Absolutely nowhere close to what I’d felt with Marco.
Before I had time to take a step back, the door to Game On opened behind us and Joe and I broke apart. A pony-tailed guy wearing a distressed red leather jacket sporting black and white stripes on the shoulders came outside carrying a take-out bag.
“Don’t mind me,” he said with a wry smirk. “You two carry on.”
Joe gave me a sheepish grin at the same time as a black Toyota pulled up to the curb, and once I’d matched the license plate with the rideshare app, I said, “This is me.”
“Good night, Callie,” Joe said. “See you soon.”
“Night, Joe.”
After I’d clambered into the backseat of the car and the driver pulled away, it seemed as if the forward motion was slowly clearing the path in my mind. Anita had been right all along. Seeing Joe tonight had helped me wade through the mess in my brain.
I’d had fun skating and at Game On with him. He was a super guy, but there was no spark, no attraction, and I instinctively knew friends was all we’d ever be. It was the exact opposite of how I felt about Marco, and I couldn’t wait any longer to speak to him. Mind made up, but fingers still trembling, I tapped on his number and pressed my phone to my ear.
“Callie,” he said when he picked up, and the single word only drove home how much I’d missed him these past two days.
“How are you?” I asked.
“Better now that you’ve called.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t before.”
“Don’t be,” Marco said. “I’m just glad you did.”
“Where are you?”
“Leaving Dessert Dudes. You?”
“I was at a bar,” I said. “Listen…can we meet?”
“Now?”
“If it’s too late—”
“Not at all. Tell me where.”
Not ten minutes later, we sat inside the almost-empty Odd Duck. I’d barely taken my eyes off Marco, only half registering the host’s warning about the restaurant closing at midnight. Now, we were huddled around a table near the pretty Christmas tree, sipping a decaf latte each, and I swear my heart skipped a hundred beats.
“I was so glad to hear your voice,” Marco said. “Even happier that you wanted to meet.”
“Me, too.” I hesitated and then added, “I’ve thought about you a lot. And our kiss.”
Marco nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it, too. Mostly about how incredible it felt, and how devastated I’d be if I could never do it again. I know you said you need time. I hope what happened between us didn’t complicate things more for you.”
“Only for a moment.” After taking a deep breath, I continued, “Truth is, I’d love to spend more time with you. Not because I need help with an Advent calendar task or because of Dessert Dudes’ accounts. I enjoy your company, a lot . I’d like to get to know you better.”
Marco stayed silent for a moment. “You would?”
“Yes,” I said, smiling. “ Yes . I felt so hurt after what happened with Oliver, and that made me terrified about even thinking of being involved with someone else, but I’m not anymore, and while I know I said I’d sworn off seeing anyone, I changed my mind…No, that’s not right. You changed my mind, and…” I laughed, suddenly aware of the fact that I was babbling and that Marco was staring at me, looking mesmerized. I took a breath and then another.
“Callie Meyer,” he said softly, leaning toward me. “Are you asking me on a date?”
“Yes,” I said. “Yes, I most definitely am. What do you think?”
“I think I can’t wait.”
“Tomorrow?” I asked, hoping I didn’t come across as too eager but not wanting to lose another moment to my indecision.
“Shoot. I can’t,” he said. “We’re backed up with orders, and there’s no way I can leave it all to Vince. It wouldn’t be fair. How about Friday?”
I wrinkled my nose. “As long as you don’t mind our first date potentially being an Advent calendar task dictated by my sister.”
Marco laughed and took my hands in his, bringing them softly to his lips as he murmured, “Sounds perfect to me. Count me in.”