“Yeah. Within ten minutes, everyone in the diner was talking about it.” I hooked my teeth over my bottom lip and smiled sheepishly.
“Probably already onMaplewood Matters.”
I grinned. “I hadn’t checked, but you’re probably right. Have you ever seen Mabel?”
Mickey shook his head. “No, but a couple of my friends have sworn they’ve seen her. You?”
“Sage and I went camping by ourselves when I turned sixteen, and I saw her. I’m sure of it. Sage said it was a trick of the light in the trees, but Sage doesn’t believe in Bigfoot or Nessie. Blasphemy.”
His exaggerated gasp made me laugh. “There’s always one in every family.”
I chuckled. “How’d it go telling your family?” I sipped on my beer. It was a rich holiday ale with hints of ginger that warmed my throat.
“If there had been a pie around, I’m sure it would’ve ended up on the floor too. He’d damn near told several people by the end of the day. Ingrid and I had to keep interrupting him while he chatted with folks at the counter. The man can’t keep a secret.” Mickey shook his head and smiled fondly.
I couldn’t blame Joe. If I spent all day cooking behind the counter and chatting with customers, I’d want to talk about it too. Hell, I was having a hard time keeping it to myself while working at Sparky’s.
A server passed with a tray of food, which made my stomach rumble. “You know what would be delicious with this?” I lifted my drink. “That cheese. I’ve been dreaming about it. I’m still waiting for that special cheese hookup to come through.”
Mickey studied me with a seriousness that made me want to squirm. “How are you with secrets?”
“Bo told me a secret in second grade that I still haven’t told anyone. And, no, you won’t get it out of me. Not even with tickling.”
When Mickey waggled his fingers dangerously close to my sides, I twisted away, laughing. There was a playful side to him I hadn’t expected but seriously adored.
“I’m sure eight-year-old Bowie’s secrets were intense.” The smile slipped from his face as he swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing. “The cheese is mine. It’s a hobby, I guess. Making artisan cheese.”
It took me a moment to process his words. “You’ve got to be shitting me.You’remy cheese hookup? All I need to do is knock on your door for a steady supply of dairy heaven?” I closed my eyes and moaned. “I’ve never been more aroused.”
Mickey’s cheeks tinged pink. “You’re seriously being honest about how much you like it? My friends have been saying it for years, but…”
I tilted my head at the vulnerability in his voice. How could he not know how talented he was?
“Let’s put it this way. It’s so good that I am fully ready and willing to cross enemy lines, put on a Team Red’s shirt, and march my ass through the front door of your diner and order whatever burger it’s on. Do you make a bleu cheese? I’d sell my soul for a bacon bleu cheeseburger with that.”
Instead of the laughter I expected, a pained expression crossed his face. “While I appreciate the sentiment, it’s not on the menu.”
“How is it— Oh.” A few pieces fell into place. Reading between the lines of how Mickey talked about his dad and the diner, comments from people in town over the years about how resistant Joe was to change. I’d heard nothing had changed on Red’s menu in a decade, except for the prices.
That was all my brain needed to kick into brainstorming mode. Mickey had a problem, and I excelled at fixing things. I’d always been more of a big-picture person than a doer. “Could you make a bunch to have at the Christmas Eve dinner? You could be one of the partners, and it could help make a huge splash in town. I’m sure people would be knocking down your door to order some. Maybe the market in town would carry it? Ooh! They could do wine and cheese pairing menus with local wines. What about?—”
Mickey covered my hand with his, and I quieted at his soft touch.
“I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I’m not quite there yet. The Christmas Eve idea is a great one, but I don’t have the stock. I’m only doing small batches right now.”
“If I ran my own restaurant, I’d build a menu around your cheese.” I really would.
MAPLEWOOD MATTERS BLOG
DECEMBER 4
[GIF ofGood Morning, USAhosts laughing]
THIS IS NOT A DRILL. We’ve been sitting on this rumor, but we didn’t want to share it without confirmation. The city posted about it today, so it must be true!Good Morning, USAis coming to Maplewood! Get ready for our fifteen minutes of fame!
They’re coming to an unspecified Holiday Hoopla event as part of their Christmas Day episode. All we can rule out at this point is the New Year’s Eve party, but other than that, the other festival events are fair game.
Comment with which event you hope they come for!
