Page 44 of The Christmas Keepsake
Hollis:Maybe we should do it again sometime.
Mallory:Hot cocoa?
Hollis:Not necessarily. I was thinking more about joining me for a shopping date.
Mallory’s brain stumbled on that unusual request. If Savannah invited her to go shopping, that would be different.
Hollis:I typically go shopping for the boys home and buy some things on the kids’ holiday wish list. Shopping isn’t exactly my favorite thing, but with you…
Mallory’s heart melted in a puddle of goo. He’d said “shopping date” though, which made her hesitate. Thed-word was daunting. Was he asking for help or for something different?
Mallory:Maybe so.
Hollis:How about this weekend?
Her hand shook as she clutched the cell phone in her hand. Before responding, she clicked out of her chat with Hollis and opened her ongoing text thread with Savannah.
Mallory:S.O.S.!
Mallory saw the little gray dots begin to bounce on her screen, letting her know that Savannah was responding.
Savannah:What’s up? Everything okay?
Mallory:No. Maybe. I think Hollis just asked me out.
Savannah:What?!?!?! Finally! You said yes, right?
Mallory:No. Not yet. I’m not sure I’m going to. I’m not even sure if it would be a date… I can’t date Hollis.
Savannah:Why not?
Mallory considered her reasons. Because she was busy. Tired. Stressed. Because Nan needed her. And dating seemed like one more job. Because this was Hollis. He was her friend, and they had too much history. Another text came in from Savannah.
Savannah:Psst… Hollis is texting Evan right now. He’s freaking because he asked you out and now you’re ghosting him.
Mallory let out a squeal. She was taking too long trying to decide what to do.
Savannah:Just say yes. What’s the worst that could happen?
It was supposed to be a comforting thought when people askedthat question, but for Mallory, all the worst-case scenarios flooded her mind. The absolute worst-case would be losing Hollis as a friend. She valued having him in her life so much. What if they were awkward? What if the chemistry wasn’t there? What if things happened between them and they crossed the uncrossable line? There’d be no going back.
Savannah sent another text.
Savannah:You’re torturing Hollis. Say yes and put that poor man out of his misery. Say yes, Mal. You need this—a reason to smile.
Wow. Had her life become that serious? She knew the answer was yes, and she knew that Hollis was the main reason she found herself smiling lately.
Mallory:Okay, fine. I’ll go out with him. But you have to rescue me if it’s a disaster.
Savannah:You’re my best friend. I’ll always rescue you. But this is Hollis. If it’s awkward, you just tell him. Then he’ll come home, whine to Evan, and I’ll tell you every word.
Savannah followed that text up with a laughing face emoji.
Savannah:How perfect that both of you have best friends to spy on the other. This will be so much fun.
Mallory fidgeted with the hem of her sweater as she stood in front of her bedroom mirror. Her heart raced as she glanced at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time in the past hour. Hollis would be here any minute to pick her up for their shopping date. She couldn’t deny the butterflies in her stomach or the warmth that spread through her chest at the thought of him.
No. They were friends. Feeling this way about him was already crossing a line.
