“I expect more from you, Charlie. There’s a lot on the line here—for everyone. And even though you pulled off a bit of a miracle in there today, you still need to pull it together. Got it?”
Cass knew Austin was right in one regard—her behavior was indeed completely out of character. And Charlie, if the situation were reversed, would never have let it get to this point. She’d never be standing in front of her boss, cowed and near tears. Cass swallowed hard and straightened her shoulders, knowing her only job right now was to convince Sasha her worries were for naught.
“Like I said, it won’t happen again. You have my word.”
* * *
? ? ?
Cass walked toward the car, distracted by thoughts of Austin and how ostentatious he was even when she outperformed him, as well as her promise to Sasha, and so it took her a moment to recognize the attractive, dark-haired couple ahead of her. She slowed and watched as Miguel stood beside an Uber, opening the car’s door for the beautiful woman Cass had seen him with in the audience. Jacintha, Miguel’s wife. As Cass watched, the two embraced before Jacintha got in the Uber and Miguel shut the door, waving as the car pulled away.
“Hey,” Miguel said, spotting her as he turned.
“Hey,” Cass replied, now standing beside Charlie’s Prius. “I can’t thank you enough for the recipe inspiration. You saved me.”
“I only greased the tins,” he said. Cass smiled at his clever baking reference. “You were the one who pulled it off. And the look on Austin’s face when he realized what was happening . . .” Miguel chuckled. “My sister and I were impressed. She’ll be so disappointed not to have met you in person. But she had to get back to work.”
“Your sister!” Cass exclaimed. “I mean, um, I’m sorry I missed the chance to meet her, too. Some other time, I hope.”
“I hope so, too,” Miguel said.
They stood looking at each other for a moment, and it seemed like Miguel was about to say something else. But then the moment was over.
“Well, I better get home. That was a long day.” She unlocked the car door, then added, “Thanks for coming today.”
“Thanks again for the tickets.”
“Bye, Miguel,” she said, getting into the Prius. Cass leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes.
A tapping sound at her window made her eyes fly open. Miguel.
Cass started the car and pressed the button to open the driver’s side window, giving Miguel a weak smile as she did. It didn’t even matter that she’d just discovered the beautiful Jacintha was his sister—there was no way he’d be interested in her, outside of her medical issue. Every single time they’d run into each other, she was in some sort of distress. He probably thought she was a complete disaster.
He rested his hands on the open window’s frame. “As a proper thank-you for today, would you like to have dinner with me? Maybe tomorrow night?”
“Oh.” Well, this was a surprise. And she couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do more. “I’d like that. A lot. More than you can possibly know.” Easy, Cass. It’s just dinner.
“I’ve got a local favorite,” Miguel said, flashing her a smile and those adorable dimples. “Fabrizio’s, about a block away from the Hive. Do you know it?”
Even though she wasn’t familiar with any of the restaurants in the neighborhood, Charlie would have been. “Sure. That place is great. So, tomorrow night. Is seven-thirty okay?”
“Seven-thirty it is.” Miguel tapped his palms twice against the window frame, and took a step back, his smile widening.
“Can’t wait,” Cass said, which was the truth. She’d been bone tired just moments before, fantasizing about getting back to her sister’s apartment to rest. But now she felt elated. Miguel waved as she pulled away, that smile the only thing on Cass’s mind as she drove back to Santa Monica, humming “All I Want for Christmas Is You” along to the radio.
8
Charlie
Thursday: 9 Days Until Christmas . . .
Starlight Peak
“Can I ask you about something?” It was early morning and Walter was mixing dough for the popular Woodburn Breads take-home gingerbread house sets.
“Sure thing,” Charlie said, sorting gumdrops, chocolates, and sprinkles into small containers for the kits.
“I wanted to talk to you about your sister.”
“Okay,” Charlie said, wondering where this conversation was heading.