We finished the tree and put away the boxes in the garage before snuggling under the blankets on the couch with more wine and popcorn.
Luna turned on a movie and we kept chatting about old friends in town and what had been going on in her life. She casually dated but focused more on her classes and art, since it brought her so much peace. Luna always believed that we only had one life here and needed to make it the best we could. She’d always had so much balance in life, and I envied that about her.
“Are you going to want to leave, Avery?” Luna asked as we started another movie with fresh glasses of wine. “You look happy here.”
“I studied in college to be a pastry chef, Luna. I can make a name for myself doing that in New York and only go up from there. I just need to start over and put everything with Simon behind me. He failed, not me.” I told her, relaxing in the room’s warmth.
“That’s right. He did and you’re too talented to let that stop you from success. I’m just suggesting that you might not need to be in the city for success. I didn’t talk to you while you worked there, but it sounds like it was chaos to me.” That kind of life didn’t suit Luna, and I knew she’d always live in Lake Placid.
“That’s where things happen, Luna. It’s where I got my great reviews, and I could do it again. I could become famous,” I told her, trying to feel excited about what I told her. “I have a place there and everything. It’s just waiting for me to come home.”
“I don’t know. I’ve heard great things about your coffee cake from my clients at Peaks. Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that bring you the most success.” Luna shot me a knowing smile, and I blushed at the mention of the coffee cake. It was a hit at the lodge, and I could figure something out here.
“Am I supposed to keep dating three men forever? How would that even work?” I asked, trying to imagine it. I didn’t want to let anyone go, at least not right now. They all offered me different, wonderful things in my life.
“You can just play that by ear. Life has a way of working itself out.” Luna reminded me as I nodded, thinking the statement over.
I slept on her couch under a blanket, warm with a wine buzz. In the morning, we woke up and had some hot coffee with pastries before she walked me out to her studio.
It was beautiful and offered just enough space for Luna. There was natural light coming in from the many windows, and I knew she spent hours out here when she wasn’t teaching classes.
Luna mentioned doing one of the sip and paint classes in here down the line where people could bring their own drinks and follow her steps as she painted something. I’d seen those in New York, and they did well, and it would be a nice source of income for her if she did it.
She planned to clean up the studio and think about it when the weather was a little warmer. Luna wanted it to be comfortable for customers and nothing was more beautiful than Spring and Summer in Lake Placid.
I hugged her before I left later that morning, dressed for the lodge, tucking my overnight bag in the back of my car. I had a dinner date to look forward to and planned to spend the night with Ben tonight.
Depending on where we went for dinner, I had another change of clothes. Ben seemed like a simple man, and I didn’t think I’d need a fancy dress, but I had some slacks and a sweater tucked away just in case.
I made the coffee cake for the next two days at the restaurant and mixed up some cinnamon sugar beignets in the kitchen, offering samples to the workers to see what they thought. I hadn’t made them for a while and wanted them to be perfect for Ben, though I had more ideas for dessert than just pastry.
Everyone loved them and asked me to add them to the menu, making me smile. It was something I’d consider since they were easy to make, but tonight, they were someone special.
I got a text from Ben later that day to come to his place for dinner and a movie. I had to admit I felt intrigued to see his place and happily tucked my dessert and some hard cider in the back of the car to enjoy after dinner before heading in the direction my map app told me to go with a smile on my face.
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
BEN
I spent some time torn about what to do for our date tonight. I wanted to be alone with Avery since it was so cold out and we could have a warm fire at my place, but I settled on picking up dinner.
I went to the one Thai restaurant in town to grab a variety of food, knowing that she liked it as well. I could cook some simple things, but I just wanted to relax with her tonight and not worry about all that. I hadn’t been on any kind of date since the divorce and hoped this was good enough for Avery.
She deserved it.
I’d picked up my house before changing into some slacks and a warm Green Henley before leaving to get dinner. When I returned, I set the food on the counter and set up plates and silverware until there was a knock at the door.
I opened it to see Avery smiling at me with a bag in her hand. She dressed in gray slacks and a soft black sweater that clung to her curves, making me want to kiss her. Instead, I told her she looked beautiful and watched as she blushed.
I invited her in and offered her the bouquet of deep red roses I picked up on the way back home. She thanked me and mentioned she’d trade me the flowers for the dessert and hard cider she brought along to enjoy, and we did that as we made our way to the kitchen.
“I like your house. It’s such a traditional log cabin style for here but it’s beautiful. I’ve always loved these homes,” Avery told me, looking around the open kitchen and living room. I had a few couches in the room surrounding the fire and a big screen TV I treated myself to for those long nights inside on a snowy day. The original style of the house was perfect for me now that I have upgraded it to reflect the history.
“Thank you. It’s been a great place to live, and the three bedrooms have been a perfect size so far. That is my favorite feature by far.” I gestured towards the roaring fire that served as the focal point in the room and offered us warmth. “Shall we get started?”
We plated the food and grabbed cold bottles of the cider, settling in at my small dining room table for four. I dug into the spicy basil duck first, moaning at the perfect hint of spice in the first few bites. I wasn’t shy about telling Avery it was my favorite dish there and she agreed, laughing because it was the only place that served it nearby. We both liked everything there and continued eating as I asked her about her day.
“I helped at the restaurant a little today. I baked the coffee cake and the beignets I brought over when I wasn’t bussing tables and keeping things clean.” She smiled and took a sip of the spiced cider that went well with the food. “It was a busy day, but a good one.” Avery met my eyes, and we shared a long look. “How long have you lived here, Ben?”