Page 1 of Love at First Slice
Prologue
Mark Cosecha
“So, what do you have planned for Thanksgiving, boss?” the young teacher asked. I took a beat before I answered so my voice wouldn’t be laced with frustration.
“Lyle, I told you to call me Mark,” I said with a tight smile I hoped to god looked polite somehow. But I could bet it didn’t. This is what I got for taking a job in a small mountain town when my life in the city went to shit.
“Mark, right,” he corrected himself. “So, Thanksgiving? Heading back to Seattle to visit family?” I was proud of myself for not wincing. Family. I didn’t have that anymore.
“No.” I shook my head. I turned and noticed one of the fourth-grade teachers watching us closely. Obviously listening in on our conversation.
“Why not?” she asked, and I blinked. She had never started any kind of conversation with me before. A phone rang, and Lyle stood.
“Oh, umm… Shit, sorry, boss— I mean Mark. Gotta take this.” He left, leaving Miss. Nuñez and me alone in the faculty break room.
“Is it the holiday travel?” she asked. “Because I could understand hat. Especially if traveling during the holidays iseven half as bad as it seems on TV.” I shook my head without being able to stop myself.
“No. Umm, I don’t have family in Seattle.” For the first time in a really long time, the words felt heavy in my gut. My parents had passed a long time ago, and while I had two brothers, we were hardly what you called close. Edgar was in the military and overseas. He’d been the first to leave, enlisting the moment he’d turned eighteen. I couldn’t remember the last time I saw him. And Jacob… well, Jacob and I hadn’t seen each other in at least a decade. Last I’d heard he lived in Montana, but I was probably wrong on that.
“Oh. Are you going somewhere else?” I frowned. I had heard Moonlit Pines was a gossipy bunch and had experienced some of it, but never in such an obvious way.
“No, I’ll stay in town,” I clipped. My irritation seeped into my voice but was quickly replaced by guilt when I saw the hurt shine in her eyes.” I’m sorry. I didn’t?—“
“It’s okay.” She smiled, putting a hand up. “I shouldn’t have pried.”
“My brothers and I aren’t close,” I blurted. She blinked, quietly giving me the opportunity to expand. Something I didn’t do. Not ever, but fuck, I had no idea why I suddenly felt the need to share. “My parents passed away a long time ago, and the family I did have was my ex’s family. I didn’t get them in the breakup, obviously.”
I often wondered if I’d stayed with Carrie as long as I had not because I loved her but because I loved her family.
“I think I might pick up a turkey dinner from the diner or something,” I added, trying not to sound pathetic and lonely. But something about the way she stared at me made me feel that was exactly what I’d inadvertently done.
“You’re all alone?” Her brown eyes were big and wide.
“I’m not?—"
“You should come to our Friendsgiving,”
“Friendsgiving?”
“Yeah!” She smiled brightly before clearing her throat. “You see… my friends and I, we get together because, well, I don’t have family.” She winced, and my heart clenched for her. She was a great teacher, dedicated, and it was obvious her students loved her. “Or I guess you could say I didn’t. This whole thing started after my grandma passed away and we went away to college. Rosie knew how hard holiday breaks were for me… I mean, you don’t need to know all that.” She blushed. “But Friendsgiving, you should come!”
“Oh. Umm…” I frowned. “Sure. Thanks.” I surprised the two of us by accepting. “What can I bring?” I found myself offering.
“Wine.” She grinned. “Bring wine.”
“And you’re sure this is going to be okay with your friends?” I asked, trying to maneuver my way out of this somehow.
“Absolutely.” She might have been smiling, but something told me she was lying. “The more the merrier!” she added with a shrug. An alarm rang on her phone. “Oh! Lunch is almost over. I should head back to my classroom. I’ll give you the information before Friday!” she said with a wave I returned.
Friendsgiving. With strangers.What the hell did I just get myself into?
1.Abundancia ‘Abby’ Ramirez
“So, what do you think?” Tabitha asked. I couldn’t wipe the frown off my face.
“Wait, you got roped into asking your boss into spending Friendsgiving with us? Your hot boss?” Ember asked as I sat straighter on the incredibly comfortable couch at Brewster, Tab’s new guy’s place.
Yup! We are hanging out at her boyfriend’s house.
