Dear Santa(25)

“What?” Lindy asked, as a saucy grin spread over Peggy’s beautiful face.

She shrugged. “You don’t need to say a word, I can see everything was super just by your look.”

“You’re full of it.” Lindy immediately lowered her gaze, afraid of what her friend saw in her.

“I know what I know. You can deny all you want. Tell me everything, and don’t leave out the juicy details.” Peggy was relentless.

“Peggy!”

“Did he—”

Lindy wagged her index finger. “I’m not one to kiss and tell.”

“Ah, so there was kissing.” Peggy jiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“All right, I’ll admit it was a fabulously fun day.” The truth was, that afternoon and evening with Billy had been the best time Lindy could remember in a very long while.

“When are the two of you getting together next?”

    Her nosy friend wasn’t going to drop this until she got the details she wanted.

“He did ask you out again, didn’t he?”

“No, he didn’t.” Lindy neglected to mention how busy the Christmas holidays were for the restaurant. Companies had booked office parties, and every available table was reserved until Christmas and into the week that followed. It went without Billy needing to explain, although he had, that he couldn’t take time off until after Christmas, other than a few odd hours here and there. But he’d encouraged Lindy to stop by anytime.

Peggy looked insulted. “You mean to tell me Billy wined and dined you and let it go at that?”

“Yes. You’re putting more into this than warranted. Billy was thanking me for my help, is all.” No way was she mentioning the kiss they’d shared on the sleigh ride or the ones after he drove her home. That was private.

Because Peggy insisted, Lindy caved and filled her in on her day with Billy, the sleigh ride, and especially the dinner. Other than the kiss, she left out running into Celeste and Brian. She might have said something if Peggy hadn’t been so full of questions. Lindy had barely answered one and her friend fired off another, wanting in on every small detail.

When she’d finished, Peggy said, with that same I-know-you-better-than-you-think look, “You like Billy. Don’t bother to deny it.”

    “Really?”

“Yes, really. It’s obvious he feels the same way about you. Anyone with half a brain can see the two of you have chemistry.” She raised both hands and made explosion signs.

“You mean like Romeo and Juliet?” she teased. “Bogie and Bacall?”

“You think I’m joking. I saw the way you two looked at each other the other night. It’s sweet and makes me wish there was a man in my life.” She heaved a sigh loud enough to make Lindy laugh out loud.

The server delivered their salads. After all the indulgences of the day before, Lindy ate sparingly. Peggy was both tall and thin, and seemed not to worry about calories. Lindy envied her friend’s ability to eat any-and everything and still maintain her trim figure.

“You showed me your pictures from high school. How is it you weigh the same now as you did then?” Lindy asked.

Peggy shrugged. “Good genes.”

“Well, I have skinny jeans and they won’t fit if I continue to eat like I did yesterday.” She mentioned the dessert she’d had after the German dinner and how decadent it was.

“That sounds delicious.”

“It was.”

Peggy’s gaze narrowed. “You’re changing the subject.”

    “Not on purpose. I had a great time with Billy, but that’s as far as it goes. Remember, I’m in town only until after New Year’s, and then I need to return to Seattle. Billy knows that, too. Whatever this is can last these two weeks and no longer.”

“Do you have to go back to Seattle?” Peggy pushed out her bottom lip in a pout with the question.

The question caught Lindy up short. She hadn’t given moving back to Wenatchee a thought. To her surprise, she was immediately drawn to the idea. Reconnecting with Peggy and Billy, too, held a lot of appeal. As quickly as the thought came, reality set in. If her proposal was accepted, there was no way she could leave Media Blast, not after the hours and effort that had gone into the project.

“It’s a good thought,” she said, “but my life is in Seattle. I’m six months into a year lease on my apartment. I can’t up and move now, even if I wanted. Besides, I have a great job.”

“Didn’t you tell me how underappreciated you are?”

That was true. Still, Lindy was determined to prove herself, and she hoped this latest proposal would do it.

“I’ve been thinking,” Peggy said, growing serious. “I looked at what you did for Billy’s website and, Lindy, it’s fabulous. Have you ever thought about doing freelance work?”

She hadn’t, and shook her head.

    “I know several businesses that would like to have updated websites. You’d fill a real need.”

“I can’t do that, Peggy, not when I work for Media Blast.”

“Then don’t work for them. Move back to Wenatchee and go out on your own. Without a doubt you’d be a success.”

That would be a Jack-and-the-Beanstalk giant leap of faith, and not one Lindy was willing to take. “I don’t have the connections to do that.”