Ivy

I t’s Tuesday evening. Time has gone by excruciatingly slowly and, somehow, today has come at warp speed. I’m regretting that I agreed to come tonight, and on top of that uneasiness, I’m running late. I don’t know if you can say that when it’s on purpose. Telling Winnie I would come in front of Alder just to prove a point was a dark cloud over my day today. His looking like he did at work earlier was also a point of contention for me. To be so deeply attracted to a man who I feel so much annoyance toward makes my temples ache. Although, I’m not sure it's really him that I’m annoyed with or if it’s the way those damn butterflies let loose when he’s around.

Why do I feel so strongly about him? I’m not sure, and I don’t plan to think too seriously about it either. He’s annoyingly good-natured and takes everything I throw at him in stride. I find that unsettling. This morning, when he tried to make polite conversation with me, I told him that he had hat hair from his beanie and he should fix it. He didn’t. He looked like he stepped right out of a snowboarding magazine, and then, to no one’s surprise, he just laughed off my comment and ran his hand through his shaggy hair. The action made me jealous. Wishing I was running my hand through his thick strands. I shake my head at the memory and refocus.

I’m here to make an appearance. I would rather be back in my cabin, drinking wine in my cozy slippers. The long day is wearing on me, and being out in the cold, even in a town as charming as Silverthorne, is not how I would choose to spend my night. Walking into AJ’s is like walking into a movie scene. It’s just as I remember, but it’s also been transformed into everything I would have imagined a perfectly holiday-themed bar to be. The bar top is a slab of polished, live edge wood, and the bar stools are a thick black metal. Some tables are scattered around the small space that are a little hard to see with all the people packed in. There must be a big turnout since there’s live music tonight. I make my way to the counter and spot Buck. He’s chatting up a woman at the end of the bar. Wait, I think that’s Marilyn from the hotel the other night. That makes me smile. I have a feeling he was a ladies’ man when he was younger.

With eyes that sparkle with mischief, he greets me. “Hey there! What can I get you, hun?” He smiles, and his eyes almost disappear with the action. I grin back.

“Hi! Can I get a glass of white?” I ask, and his smile widens.

“Course you can!” he replies and grabs a wine glass from where it hangs over his head. “It’s nice to see you again, how long are you here for? Will you be in town for the festival?” he asks, selecting a chilled bottle from the small fridge behind the bar .

“Um, I’m actually here for a bit. I just started working at The Edgemont,” I tell him.

“No kidding! You’ve probably met Jack then. He’s around here somewhere. He’s one of the resort managers.” I nod before replying.

“I do know him. He was actually one of the first people I met since I’ve been here. Apart from you and Marilyn.” I nod my head in her direction.

“And Alder Holloway,” he says, setting my glass in front of me. “He was here the night we met, too, if I remember correctly.” He poses the last sentence like a question, even though I’m fairly certain nothing really gets by this man. “The snowstorm had him stuck in town, I think.” I open my mouth to confirm but shut it when the hair on my neck alerts me to someone's presence. Then I take a breath in through my nose. Citrusy and warm. It makes my mouth water, and that annoys the hell out of me.

“You asking about me, ?” he rumbles softly at my side. I roll my eyes then turn toward him. “You know you can ask me anything. You don’t have to question our local bartender. I’ll tell you anything you wanna know,” he teases.

“No.” The word comes out a little more forceful than I wanted it to, and I’m wishing I sounded less defensive. Even more so after seeing the smirk on his face.

“Hey, Alder. How ya doing tonight, son?” the man behind the bar asks him. He doesn’t look away from me as he answers, still smiling.

“Good, Buck. Real good.” He faces him then. “And you?”

“Oh, you know me, I can’t complain. Getting things ready for my booth at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony this weekend. ”

“Beer and Chili. It hits every time, Buck.” He winks at Buck and they both chuckle. I’m not sure what that means, but I smile.

“Good to know. I’ll have some seasonal IPA’s this year and mulled wine and ciders to try too,” he says excitedly. “Be sure to stop by, .” He winks one of his crinkly eyes at me and goes to his next patron. Leaving me alone with Alder. I take a sip of my wine and look around the room. It’s loud and filled with chatter, but there isn’t a band playing like I thought there would be.

“Do you want me to show you to our table?” Alder asks me. No.

“Sure,” I say and grab my glass of wine from the bar top.

“Right this way, princess.” I narrow my eyes at him, but he just starts walking through the crowd. I follow him while looking at all the lights in here. The green hanging lamps over the tables are composed of mosaic glass, and there are hanging twinkle lights above us to really sell the Christmas vibe. I glance at the people tucked into their tables and booths, talking amongst themselves and laughing. It’s so freaking cute in here. There are red and green bows, wreaths, and fairy lights. I’m ogling a Christmas tree with all cream and gold trimmings when I smack into a wall, almost spilling my drink. Only it’s not a wall; it’s Alder who’s stopped at our table.

“Hi, !” A sweet voice cuts through my embarrassment.

“Hey, Winnie,” I greet her as she scoots closer to Rhett who shifts closer to another man. A very attractive man. He’s gorgeous. I’m not sure how to describe his eyes. They’re hazel, but they seem to be dancing. Bright. Wild. What are they feeding the men here? I muse to myself.

“Sit down!” she encourages me. I do, and Alder sits across from me. “How are you?” she asks me. She has her curly hair down tonight, and Rhett is talking to the man who I don’t know while absently playing with a lock of it. It frames her delicate face perfectly. It highlights her kind eyes and sweet smile.

“I’m good. It was a long day, but I got a lot done.” I smile as I’m speaking to her, then follow up by asking her the same.

“How are things at your bakery? I’m not sure if I told you, but I’ve had dreams about that latte, and I loved visiting. I’ll probably be a frequent flier,” I joke.

She beams. “Thank you so much for saying that! I hope you’ll be back as often as you can. I’m glad you decided to come out tonight.” She smiles as she says it, and she’s making me feel marginally better about my decision.

“I’m glad too,” I tell her honestly. “So when does the live music start?” I ask.

Winnie looks at Alder and grins. “The first act starts in five minutes,” she answers, and I look over and catch his eye roll. I’m feeling like I may be in the dark about something.

“Okay, what am I missing?” I ask, looking between them, but before I get an answer, a blonde woman in green scrubs hugs Winnie from behind, and they both squeal.

“Mare! You made it!” Winnie yells. “I thought you were stuck at the hospital tonight.”

“Grant covered for me so I could come to see the show.”

“Oh, it’s Grant now? Not Mr. Steal Your Food?” she asks, and I look up at the scoff that comes from across the table. The man with the wild eyes is who the sound came from. He pushes his chair back and stands.

“I’m getting another pitcher,” he says under his breath and leaves. Mare continues like she didn’t hear him .

“That was months ago. We’re past that now. He apologized for all that,” she says, waving her hand in the air.

“No, I remember the phone call about the apology. I just don’t remember the name update,” Winnie tells her friend. “Speaking of names,” she starts and motions toward me. “This is . , this is Marigold.”

“Hi, . It’s so nice to meet you. God, you’re gorgeous.” I laugh, this coming from the actual angel before me. Sapphire-blue eyes and blonde hair combined with her delicate nose and berry-pink lips. The woman is an oil painting. I’m not the biggest history buff, but the saying the face that launch’d a thousand ships comes to mind. Her smile turns just a little strained, and I fear I’ve been quiet too long, so I rush to fill the silence.

“Hi, Marigold. It’s nice to meet you too.”

“So how did you end up out with these guys?” she asks, and Winnie answers.

“She came into the bakery a couple of days ago, and we hit it off.” My chest warms a little at the casual way she says it, and I’m fighting a blush. It’s very unlike me. “And then I found out that she works with Alder at The Edgemont,” she finishes.

“You mean you’re stuck up on that mountain with him?” She nods at Alder, who I hadn’t noticed leave our table. He’s walking over to the small stage in the corner that I assumed was for the live entertainment tonight.

“Yeah. Uh, what’s he doing?” I ask, and Rhett answers.

“You’re in for a real treat tonight, . The official welcome to Silverthorne, if you will,” he tells me, sitting back in his chair and curling his arm around the back of Winnie’s.

“Truly,” Winnie comments with a laugh. “This is The Holloway men's bread and butter.”

Mare takes the vacant seat, and then the lights flicker, signaling that the show is about to begin. Oh Lord, I don’t think I’m ready for what’s about to happen. The lights dim, and the crowd quiets. I look around, trying to get a good look at what’s going on, then a lone light shines down above the stage. When Alder’s profile comes into view, the crowd goes wild. Oh, god.

The first few notes of an ’80s power ballad start, and he tips his head into the spotlight, bringing the mic to his lips. He starts singing in a low but building voice. In a smooth and practiced motion, he starts tapping his heel to the beat, which draws my eyes to his very tight rear end covered by very-fitted blue jeans. Oh my lord. The tips of my ears are hot. I tuck my hair behind my left ear and hear “I’m not like the other girls” in my head. Now my cheeks turn hot as well.

Alder is giving the crowd what they want. He’s swaying his hips and scanning his eyes over all of us as he sings. He stops when he meets my eyes and sings a particularly sexual line, gotta love the ’80s. He keeps his gaze trained on me. The dimple that I’ve thought about too many times since arriving in town is on full display. He knows he’s hot, and he knows I think so. I get the feeling of eyes on me. More than those of the man up on the stage, and I avert mine to the side to find most of the faces in this bar turned to mine. The warmth in my ears and face has now spread to my neck.

Attention in any form can be dangerous, but attention from Alder Holloway may be catastrophic. I’m used to being watched. I’ve always liked attention. In therapy, we talked a lot about that. I guess it’s something I didn’t get from the right people in my life growing up. It’s that Daddy-didn’t-notice-me effect. I’ve sought it out in different ways, mostly self-destructive. Exhibit A: my marriage to someone thirteen years older than me at twenty. Are you there, Daddy Issues? It’s me, . I begin to relax as the show goes on. I’m encouraged to let loose by all the cheering that’s happening around the room. The people can’t get enough. I count myself in that group.

Alder’s song comes to an end and someone else gets up on the stage after. I’m smiling so big that my cheeks are starting to hurt. My sides burn with each wave of laughter. Marigold leans across the table to lay her hand on my arm, and Winnie is leaning into my side. I’ve had a great evening with these people who I barely know who have made such an effort to make me feel included. I’ll think about this later and how it’s a little sad that I haven’t had this much fun with anyone else in a long time. For now, I let their laughter and casual affection keep my chest warm and the smile on my face.

I look at Alder then at the man he’s laughing with. The man who keeps bringing us pitchers of beer. I’ve discovered his name is Colt through his conversation with everyone at the table with me, and he’s Winnie’s brother. He looks up and winks at me. Although I typically find men winking at me grounds for letting my bitch flag fly, when he does it, it’s incredibly charming. So is the friendly smile he wears. I smile back at him. I hear a throat clear and slide my eyes back to Alder’s icy-blue ones. I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen him annoyed. Or is that jealousy I see?

“So, . How long are you here for?” Colt asks.

“Too long for you, Colt,” Alder answers him without breaking our eye contact. Colt makes a sound half-snort and half-laugh. “Are you ready to head out yet?” he asks me.

“I drove myself. So you don’t need to worry about when I’m ready,” I tell him.

“The roads may be slick again, and it would be easier for me to follow you now than have to find you on the side of the road later,” he tells me with a smug smile. My cheeks heat. Lover Boy has some bite to him after all. Let’s play then. I bite the corner of my bottom lip and give him a confused look.

“But what if I wasn’t planning on going home at all?” I ask innocently. His smile falters just for a moment, but then a smirk takes its place.

“If you wanted me to take you to my place, then you could have just said that,” he says. I think I may finally understand that saying “shooting daggers out of your eyes” because I feel like I want to throw something at him.

“Sorry, Lover Boy. I don’t think you and I would be a good mix,” I tell him.

“No?” he questions. “Hmm…that’s not the impression I got the other night,” he states as the main lights in the bar come back on, and being a redhead has never been more inconvenient. I know my blush is on full display. I played right into that.

I look around, and the whole table pretends to be looking anywhere but at us. Rhett and Winnie both take sips of their drinks, Rhett muttering something about “ this bar and jealousy” under his breath. Great. That embarrassing bit of info would be my cue. I swallow.

“Thanks for inviting me tonight, I think I better head out,” I say to Winnie. “I’ll see you around.” I grab my coat and slide out of my seat. A hand on my arm stops me, and I turn to see the adorable tiny brunette pulling me into a hug. My throat tightens.

“Please come by the bakery soon! I have some new coffee and treats I’d love for you to try, and we can hang out,” she replies.

“Yes! And we’re having a wine night on Friday! Say you’ll come,” Mare chimes in. I nod and smile, not sure if my voice is shaky. Then I make a beeline for the door. I hear harsh whispers as I open the door and step out into the now-dark sidewalk. I take a deep breath. I don’t think I’ve been embarrassed in a solid decade. I don’t really do embarrassed. I don’t do very many negative emotions actually. I walk toward my parked SUV and hit the fob to unlock it. I open the door and go to sit when I sense someone at my back.

I swing my elbow as hard as I can, and I make a direct hit to someone’s jaw.

“Oh, fuck!” I hear my attacker's muffled voice. I grab the pepper spray attached to my key fob and click it open, ready to spray and knee this piece of shit in the balls.

“Back off, motherfu—Alder?”