Oliver pushed dressing around his plate. “I’m tired of Maplewood. It’s so small. There’s nothing fun to do here.”
I locked eyes with Tim. He stared helplessly at me. Tim and I had chatted a bit about his kid since I’d come home, and I’d picked up enough to realize he was having trouble with Oliver.
“I get it. I grew up here too and couldn’t wait to get out. The city’s fun, but now that I’m back, I’m realizing how much I appreciate about the town.”
“Sure, but you had time away at least. How come you haven’t gone back to Boston? I’d have left as fast as I could if I were you.”
Tim gently elbowed him. “Ollie, don’t be a nosy shit.”
Laughing, I shook my head. “It’s fine.” It was my turn to push my food around. “I haven’t found my next job yet.”
“There’s got to be, like, a million jobs in the city. You’ll find something,” Oliver said while chewing a big bite of dressing.
But ones I actually wanted? Not so much. The kid didn’t need to know that though.
“Any prospects?” Tim asked while slicing a piece of ham.
“Not yet.” I’d poked around listings but hadn’t gotten beyond that far yet. “I’m sure I’ll find something soon.”
“Then you can get back to the office and stop smelling like grease.” Tim grinned.
I laughed, but the words stung. What if I didn’t mind my clothes smelling like the diner?
THIRTEEN
AMOS
When the calendar flipped over to December yesterday, a cold rush swept into the area, bringing with it a frosty morning and the kind of chill that created cloud puffs when exhaling. I shoved my fists into my jacket pockets as I walked to The Striped Maple from Sparky’s.
As I passed by businesses along Maple Street, the Christmas season was visible everywhere. The Scoops on Maple window had a cute hand-painted scene of two reindeer enjoying ice cream sundaes with red and green candy on top. Bees in Santa hats hung from the Honey Spot window, and Special Blend smelled of peppermint mocha as I passed.
The Striped Maple’s front door, decked out with a large wreath, swung open, and a giggling couple exited. I caught the door before it closed and stepped inside to warmth that chased the chill from my skin. I hummed along to the Christmas music playing as I moved deeper into the pub to search for Mickey.
I found him at a tall table with someone I hadn’t met before. It must be Adrian, the pub owner we were scheduled to meet with. Adrian’s back was to me, and they were laughing at something and hadn’t noticed me. Patrons sat at several other tables, but it wasn’t busy.
When Mickey spotted me over Adrian’s shoulder, his smile grew. I waved and strode over.
“Whatever happened with that guy with the wardrobe malfunction on Halloween? Rory told us all about it.”
Mickey cleared his throat and darted a glance at me. “The duct tape in your office came in handy. Amos, hey.”
Adrian stood and turned toward me. He was a couple of inches taller than I was, with a lean build and short black hair. He wore a cozy-looking tan sweater that complemented his brown skin.
“Adrian? I’m Amos Flynn. It’s great to meet you.” I shook his hand. “Hey, Mickey.”
“Hi.” The corners of his eyes wrinkled with his big smile.
Adrian glanced between us with his eyebrows slightly raised. “Great to meet you too. It’s great to put a face with the name. I’ve gotten to know Sage, and glad to have the chance to finally meet you.” He gestured to the table that had a water pitcher and three glasses. “Can I get you something else to drink?”
“Water’s great, thanks.” I took a long drink. I’d worked the breakfast shift and hadn’t done a good job hydrating.
“I appreciate you agreeing to talk with us about a special event for the Holiday Hoopla,” I said after setting the glass down.
“We love to get involved with the town’s festivals. Mickey said something about a community dinner? I think I read about it onMaplewood Matters.”
Mickey explained the festival event and its nod to Red and Sparky.
“That’s a fun way to make the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Holiday Hoopla extra special. How can we help?”
