Approximately Yours (North Pole, Minnesota #3)(49)

She could totally picture it, the kiss. Danny and Elda were so awkward together, but all of that was just pent-up sexual tension. The mistletoe was the icebreaker. After that it was just a few quick steps to a full-blown romance.

Which was good, because that was the point of this whole thing. Elda needed someone worthy of her, and Danny needed someone who could open up to him and wouldn’t break his heart.

Holly placed her order—medium cinnamon latte—and Craig jumped in to pay before she could.

“You don’t have to,” she said.

“I want to.”

He was just being friendly. Craig had noticed that Holly was upset, and he was being nice. Holly accepted the drink, grateful for the kindness. North Pole was full of good people, people who looked out for one another. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

After retrieving her drink from Danny’s mom, Holly walked over to a table in the middle of the coffee shop, trying desperately to prevent her mind from conjuring up a mental image of whatever Elda and Danny might be doing right now. Holly was willing to bet they were at his house. Obviously his mom was working tonight, and they’d have the place to themselves. Holly shuddered as she reached for a chair. But Craig barreled over, nearly knocking her down, and pulled out a chair for her. Okay, so he was really leaning into this whole polite thing. “Thanks, Craig,” Holly said as she sat down.

Then Craig took the seat right next to her instead of sitting across the table, which was super odd and intimate. Their arms were right next to each other, nearly touching. She kept her eyes down on her drink, because if she turned her head, she and Craig would be practically nose to nose. She wrote it off as Craig being incredibly socially awkward, which was something Holly could empathize with. It probably hadn’t even occurred to him to take the seat across from her.

He kept talking about Game of Thrones for a few more minutes, and Holly worked hard to appear interested. When he stopped to breathe, she asked, “Is your showstopper ready?” Holly stared at the dried splash of coffee on the lid of her drink. It was shaped kind of like a reindeer, because of course it was.

“I’m about finished,” Craig said. “It looks amazing. I’m really proud—” He cut himself off. “But how is your showstopper doing?”

Holly stared at him for a beat. “It’s good.”

Craig, blinking, tilted his head as if ready to hang on her every word.

“Craig? Is this a date?”

He straightened up. “Oh.”

“I mean, if it is”—oh my God, what if it wasn’t and she was saying all this right now?—“I want to be upfront with you right from the start. I’m not interested. I like someone else.”

“Danny,” Craig said right away.

“Yeah.” Yikes. Maybe she’d been more obvious about her feelings than she thought.

“I always thought you two made more sense together than him and Esmerelda.” Craig straightened up, resuming his usual air of disdain for other people. “Besides, it’s fine. Dinesh thought you and I might make a good couple, but I get the feeling you don’t really like Game of Thrones. I can’t be with a girl like that.”

“Good, well, we’re on the same page.” Holly sipped her drink, waiting for Craig to move to the other side of the table. He did not.

After she finished her coffee, Holly dragged herself home to work on her showstopper. At least the caffeine jolt would keep her up all night. She needed every available second before judging started tomorrow at four.

But she reached a roadblock just outside her grandma’s house. A couple stood on the walkway, silhouetted in the moonlight. Holly’s heart was in her throat. It was Elda and Danny. They were standing close, talking, touching each other here and there like they were constantly checking to make sure the other was real.

But wait. This guy wasn’t wearing a cast, and he wasn’t using crutches. It was Dinesh. Dinesh was touching Elda’s hair and whispering in her ear. Elda was gazing at him like he was the Mona Lisa, and she was determined to figure out all of his secrets.

Holly marched right up to them. She pushed Elda’s shoulder, not hard, but firm enough so Elda would know she meant business.

“Hey.” Elda rubbed her arm. “What’s the matter?”

“What’s the matter?” Holly stared hard at Dinesh.

Elda ran her fingers through her hair and gave a slight smile to Dinesh. “Dinesh and I…” Elda grinned harder and shrugged.

Holly snapped Elda out of her Dinesh-induced haze. “Where’s Danny? What about the mistletoe?” Holly shuddered. She’d been picturing Danny kissing Elda for the past half hour.

Elda squeezed Holly’s hand. “I shot him down.”

“You what?” Holly snatched her hand back. That wasn’t how this was supposed to go. Elda and Danny were supposed to be on his couch right now rounding second base. It was the scenario she’d been preparing her brain for.

“Holly, I told you. Danny and I have nothing in common.” She nodded toward Dinesh. “I found someone who doesn’t mind the real me.”

Dinesh leaned in. “I more than ‘don’t mind’ her, to be clear.”

Holly folded her arms. “But the mistletoe. I saw you move on Danny like you were going to eat his face off.”