“You don’t need to go home right away do you?”
“No, sir.” My pulse went a little erratic because a) starry, starry night, and b) a blanket and c) a handsome man. “What did you have in mind?”
“You’ll see.”
I glanced around for clues. His was an old model truck with a bench seat but he’d installed a small console on the floorboard underneath the radio complete with two cupholders. Both contained paper coffee cups with lids. “Are we going somewhere cold?” Someplace that would be more comfortable with a blanket and hot beverage to keep us warm?
“You’ll see,” was all he’d say.
Nick drove to the high school gymnasium. The parking lot was crowded with vehicles.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” he said a third time. He handed me a coffee cup, then took the other one, tucking the blanket under one arm.
Cheers erupted from the gym. A whistle blew.
“Are we…going to a high school basketball game?”
“Yep.” He walked at a slow pace, perhaps in deference to my injury. “Just one more thing we didn’t do when we were students here – attend a Homecoming game.”
And here I thought he was taking me out to park, sit on the tailgate and look at the stars.
Get a grip, girl. We’re besties.
And that’s the way I wanted it to stay. I sipped from the coffee cup, because boy did I need a jolt back to reality. “Hey! This is hot chocolate. And it’s not even spiked.”
“You’ve got to play by the rules, Al.” Nick smiled down at me and there was something about the way he looked at me that caught my breath. “Students, remember?”
If we were having a do-over of our high school years, I’d much rather pull Nick behind the tall hedges separating the gym lawn from the parking lot and steal a kiss. That’s what all the cool kids had done.
I sipped my hot chocolate while he paid for our tickets, which made me even more confused. He’d paid my way. Was this a date?
Nick found us seats on the bleachers in a high back corner. It was a girls basketball game. The home team was down by ten points after the third quarter. Not that either of us cared. Or were sports fans. Frankly, I was distracted by the fact that we were sitting hip-to-hip which was about the width of the blanket he’d brought as a cushion…for just that purpose?
This just wouldn’t do.
Darla walked past in her red coat and matching boots, heading toward the lobby. She glanced our way and waved.
I returned her greeting. Nick ignored her. I wasn’t displeased when she frowned before moving on. My best friend deserved someone better than Darla.
I cast about for some type of conversation. “Hey, before I forget, can you help me move boxes from my house to my mom’s shop tomorrow after our café shifts are over?”
“Sure. But it’ll cost you a favor.”
I liked the way he grinned. “What favor?”
“I don’t know yet. It’s a favor to be designated at a later date.”
“Okay.” That was mysterious and thrilling.
“Speaking of forgetting…” Nick pulled an envelope from his pocket. “I almost forgot to give you this.”
I gasped and snatched the Christmas card envelope from his hand. My pseudonym –Prancer– was written in the same neat handwriting and blue felt tip pen as my first card. “Rudolph replied to me?”
“Maybe. Or you could have received a card from someone else. We had a lot of card activity this afternoon after your social media post.”
“I hope my mother picked up hers.” I ripped into the envelope. The card design was the same – a reindeer tangled in Christmas lights. But the message… “The best gift is realizing what you already have. Rudolph.”