had given her purpose.
He grinned and waved at her, and she did the same. He was branded in her life, and as she walked away, she wished once more that she could afford to buy Gus’s building and start her own restaurant.
She arrived at the Lakeside Community Center a few minutes later, the large bag of day-old bread starting to get heavy. With dinner in only an hour, Nikki got to work chopping, dicing, and slicing.
In front of her, more volunteers set up tables and chairs for the anticipated crowd. Wednesdays were notorious for having an unpredictable number of people to feed. Nikki hadn’t been volunteering long, but she loved making large quantities of food and setting them up buffet-style for whoever came.
As she put the finishing touches on an almond rice pilaf, she had a brief flash of herself eating here every Wednesday. She really needed a job, and for the first time in years, she’d have to consider other options besides cooking.
Dinner started, distracting her from her personal troubles, and she went out into the crowd after most of the people had been through the line. There was a fantastic turnout tonight, with nearly every chair full and most of the food gone.
She collected an empty basket from one table. “Let me get you some more bread.” It did her heart good to be here volunteering instead of lounging at home feeling sorry for herself.
She approached the serving area and spotted Beth, the center’s director. A petite woman with red hair she always secured in a bun, Beth wore a smile all the time but used a commanding voice when giving directions. Nikki had never known anyone to disobey her.
“Wow, such a big turnout today, huh?” Nikki eyed the bin of Valentine’s Day decorations in Beth’s hands.
She set them in an empty spot at the end of the paper goods table. “Well, that’s because you’re here.”
“Uh, what?” Nikki cocked her hip as she lifted her eyebrows.
“People love your cooking. Once word got out that you volunteer here on Wednesdays, everyone comes. You’re like a rock star chef to those in need.” She beamed at Nikki like she’d solved world hunger singlehandedly. All she’d done was make some chicken.
A well of resentment opened up in her soul. “Well, at least someone appreciates my cooking.” She had a hard time keeping her voice even, and she dropped her gaze to the gaudy Valentine’s Day items in the bin. The roses looked like a giant had sat on them. “Wow, Valentine’s Day already, huh?”
Beth beamed into the offending box of red and pink. “Yeah it’s coming up.” She sighed. “I think we’ll get some volunteers to help us decorate once we’re done.”
“Count me in.” Even though Nikki would rather not celebrate Valentine’s Day in any way, her alternative was going home to an empty apartment and waiting up for Angela so they could talk about Holly Hanson’s. Again.
“Okay.” Beth pulled out the smashed roses, and Nikki took that as her cue to get the breadbasket refilled the way she’d said she would.
The next afternoon, Nikki couldn’t avoid her situation any longer. She fired up the laptop and got herself over to an online job board. Her second love was dogs, and she found a dog walker position in only a few minutes.
The sound of Angela’s footsteps came closer as she left her bedroom and entered the kitchen. “What are you doing?” She looked at the computer screen and then Nikki for an explanation.
Nikki turned from the bar where she’d been doing her job research. “Well, given that my job hunting isn’t going so well, I figured I might need to get a ‘day job,’ so to speak.” She twisted her fingers together the way she did when her nerves got the better of her.
Angela finished securing her dark hair in a ponytail. “A day job?” She wore her black work pants and a white shirt, which contrasted with her dark skin. Nikki couldn’t escape her friend’s light green eyes, and a little flutter stole through her stomach.
“Yeah, you know, something where I can earn a paycheck while I continue to search for my dream job.” She waved her hands like there were birds flying through the apartment. She consciously lowered them to her sides. “And since I’m pretty good with dogs, I figured maybe…I could be a dog walker?” Why she’d framed the last part of her sentence as a question, she wasn’t sure. Maybe because she wasn’t sure about anything in her life right now.
“Nikki, you can’t just give up.”
“I’m not giving up,” she assured Angela. “I’m just considering other options. I’ve got to pay the rent somehow.”
Angela moved over to the kitchen table where her purse sat and pulled out her keys. “Well, I wish I could help you out. I’m just not making the kind of tips I thought I would.”
Nikki cocked her head, concerned about her friend. “Bad tippers at a place like Holly Hanson’s?” That made no sense. Men like the Silent Supervisor went there...oh, wait. Actually, Nikki couldn’t see him leaving that great of tip. But still. Even fifteen percent of a hundred-dollar ticket was good money.
Angela shouldered her purse. “No, the tips are fine. There’s just not enough of them. Business is down.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. And surprising.”
“Hey, if you don’t have any plans later, maybe you could come by at closing, grab a glass of wine?”
Nikki shook her head, her face scrunching into a distasteful grimace.
But Angela wouldn’t be deterred, and she knew where to hit Nikki hard. “If Holly’s there, maybe I can introduce you.”
“Really?” Nikki wasn’t sure what she’d say to the woman, but the possibility of meeting her was too exciting to pass up.
“Yeah, I mean, considering you idolize her, maybe you might want to meet her?”
“Yeah, absolutely.” She edged forward a little. “I just hope I don’t make a fool of myself and start to ramble.”
Angela remained straight-faced as she shook her head. “No, I can’t imagine that,” she said with more sarcasm in her voice than actual air.
Nikki scoffed as she rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah?”
“Okay, I can imagine it a little bit. But that’s why we love you! I’ll see you at ten.”
“Mm-hm.” Nikki nodded her head in short, little bursts as Angela walked out. She turned back to her laptop, which still showed the cute little pug that needed a dog walker. “Okay.”
She exhaled, but her enthusiasm for staying up until ten didn’t wane. Her eyes traveled to the cookbook she’d be cooking dinner from that night.
Holly Brings the Heat! sat there, and Nikki’s smile grew at the same rate as her anxiety. “Holly Hanson,” she whispered.
She whipped around and went into the bathroom. She looked at her own face and practiced not saying anything. She counted to ten, thinking about Holly’s
