I See You

Lily waded through the snow bank that was constantly growing outside her shop. Of course the sun had yet to rise and she was balancing a stack of cookie containers that hid half of her face. She loathed winter, but loathed falling into the snow even more.

Yes, business was booming, but that seemed to be the only thing going for her. She knew she should be grateful this time of year, especially with Thanksgiving having just passed, but that was easier said than done when you’re alone on the holidays.

Her bakery was dark as she made her way past the few small tables scattered at the front, moving with memorized ease to the back room where she could hit the lights. It would still be awhile until she opened up, but she needed to start baking now if she wanted to fill orders, have enough to bring to tonight’s festival, and still have something to sell to walk-ins.

This was her favorite part of the day, when she could drift into mindlessness and bake without interruption. There was something comforting about being in the quiet kitchen, with just the sounds of mixers filling her ears.

By the time she opened up and her first customer walked in, she had nearly filled her case and started working on orders and the festival treats in tandem. Then before she knew it, it was after the lunch rush, and she was nearly finished baking for the day.

“Afternoon Lily,” she heard from the counter in the front of the store. She knew that voice and had to force her face into a pleasant smile.

She knew this smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Hey there, Hudson. What brings you in?”

Hudson ran the only other bakery in town and always found some way to try and compete wherever she was concerned. It made it easier for her to ignore how handsome he was.

“Oh just checking to see if you were making it tonight,” he said, leaning casually on the side of the case separating them.

“Why wouldn’t I?” I said, knowing I sounded defensive and couldn’t stop it.

He gave me a crooked grin and half shrugged replying, “Didn’t know if you’d throw in the towel this time.” Hudson winked and sauntered out the door before Lily could get another word out. Not that she knew what she’d have said anyways.

She decided to try and forget about Hudson and just focus on getting everything packed up for the Holly-Day Festival, or Holly Fest, as locals called it. She would have to close a bit early, but she typically made more sales to the festival goers than she would at this time of evening in her shop.

Of course the snow bank had grown, again, and her boot filled with icy cold slush, wetting through her sock completely. Lily tried to take a deep breath and keep going. Her mind was on selling her cookies and treats and she would not let a little snow ruin that. Even if it ruined her mood.

Thankfully the festival was mostly snow free. It was held in the parking lot of the event center and was completely plowed before the wooden stalls were were lined up. Holly Fest was set up like a European Christmas market, with an assortment of goods and treats, all made by local small businesses. This was probably one of her favorite nights of the holiday season, and maybe even winter altogether.

Lily walked through the stalls decked with lights and garland, her baked goods pulled behind her in a wagon, and nodded to familiar faces, all giving her a smile or wave in return. She stopped at her normal spot, but the stall was already filled by a local woodworker with little wooden cars out front. As she turned to find someone to point her in the right direction, she nearly ran into the person she needed to find.

“Oh, thank fates, Trish!” Lily said. “I can’t find my stall. Did you move it?”

Lily could tell by Trish’s grimace that she was not going to like what she was about to hear. Would she be moved in the back or near the bathrooms or something?

“So sorry Lily!” Trish looked through her map, but Lily knew she was stalling. “It looks like we booked too many vendors this year and I was hoping you’d save my hide.”

“Save your hide how?” She narrowed her eyes at on of her oldest friends. Lily was used to Trish’s forgetfulness, but also knew that she wasn’t always as forgetful as she would like others to believe.

“Would you be willing to share a booth this year?”

“That’s all?” Lily asked. “That’s easy enough, just tell me where.”

Trish’s whole body relaxed at the words and a smile lit up her face. “You’re right up front in booth three. You’ll be sharing with Hudson. Thanks so much!”

She was gone before Lily’s mind could fully process her words. Trish has been trying to get her and Hudson together for years without luck.

There was no way this was an accident.

Lucky for Trish, she was too far away and time was ticking if Lily wanted to unpack before paying customers started to arrive. She was not about to give Hudson the satisfaction.

Lily made her way back down the stalls to her new spot and saw that Hudson was already set up, leaving half the space empty for her.

“Hey there partner.” he greeted her.

“Hey, looks like we’re stuck together.” See? She could be nice. Well, maybe nice wasn’t the right word. She should try a bit harder if they were going to be working side by side all night.

She set up her baked goods in relative quiet, Holly Fest not picking up until after supper time and Hudson keeping to himself. When she was finished, it seemed as if he couldn’t stand the silence any longer as he started rambling on about the festival in prior years; how many shoppers there were, the different vendors and even the weather.

Lily kept up with the polite chit chat for the most part, not sure where his chattiness came from. He typically kept their interactions to him heckling her over their bakeries.

The night was passing slowly and she realized it had only been an hour since the festival began.

“I’m selling more cakes than you.” Hudson said out of the blue.

The exclamation startled Lily out of her daydreaming and she took a second to fully register what he had said.

“Well, yea, Hudson. You typically outsell me in cakes.” Her eyebrows pulled together as she looked up at him. A man really should not be as good looking as he was and know how to bake at the same time. It wasn’t fair to the mere mortals.

“What do you mean?” he said.

“You sell more cakes, but I sell more cookies. I usually don’t make as many cakes when I know you’ll be around. Your cakes are good.” How did he not notice this, she wondered. Though of course he probably didn’t keep track of what she sold like she did him.

“Oh.” he said.

She knew she started to scowl when he turned away. That’s all he had to say to her compliment? She was really trying here, but he was proving to be just the shallow competitor he usually was.

Lily took a deep breath and decided to just let it go and keep trying to charm the shoppers.

Soon it started snowing and for once Lily was happy for it. It always put people in the holiday spirit and holiday spirit usually meant more sales. Her cookie decorating kits were selling well this year and she was hoping they would sell out before the night was over.

After several costumers came and went, Hudson broke the silence once again. “You’re right.”

These were words Lily loved to hear, even if she didn’t know what she was right about. “That’s probably true, but about what, exactly?”

This made him laugh and she could swear he relaxed, though she hadn’t been aware he hadn’t been relaxed this whole time. He had this casual way of carrying himself that made him hard to read.

“About the cakes and cookies. You’re selling way more cookies than me.” He said in as easy going manner. “Though I’m not surprised. I’ve tried yours one year and now I’m always temped to buy yours instead of eating mine.”

She felt like all she could do was blink up at him. He’d never said anything complimentary about her baking. She had no idea he had ever even tried anything she had made before.

The openness on his face was hard for her to process, but she was finally able to get out, “Uh, thanks.”

Uh, thanks? What kind of response was that? Lily guessed it was one that came from total bewilderment. She had no idea Hudson ever really acknowledged her as real competition.

The conversation flowed more organically after that and it seemed like they might have turned a corner and could possibly be friendlier from here on out.

When they weren’t chatting to each other or friendly customers, she found herself watching him more closely than before. His careful movements as he set out more baked goods, never passing over onto her side, shouldn’t have surprised her, but it did.

She left herself truly look at him. She always acknowledged that he was handsome, but had she noticed how his lips were a perfect bow shape or how freckles fell over his nose and cheeks like the snowflakes falling around them? Maybe it was the rosiness from the cold, making these things stick out to her more than usual. Or maybe it was just being stuck with him in close proximity for longer than she had ever been before.

Lily’s eyes flicked over when she saw someone approaching and she swear she saw a knowing gleam in her friend’s eye.

“Looks like this worked out perfectly!” Trish said to them both, but she gave a little wink to Hudson and was gone again before Lily could say anything. How was she constantly doing that? Lily really needed to work on her reaction speed today. Maybe she’d just blame it on the cold.

“What was that?” Lily finally said, leaning against the front of the stall and looking up at Hudson.

His cheeks seemed to get more rosy as he reached up and fidgeted with his beanie. “What do you mean?”

She leveled him with a look that said precisely that he knew what she meant.

Hudson scowled in Trish’s direction, making Lily bite back a smile at how similar their reactions were to Trish’s antics.

“I might have asked her to hire an extra vendor this year.” He said, still looking away from Lily.

“Why would you do that? A friend need a space after it was full or something?” Lily relaxed her stance, realizing that she might have been reading too much into things.

“Not exactly,” he fidgeted again, shifting feet, “I asked so that we would be put together.”

“I’m not following,” She said. “You hate me.”

His head whipped around to meet her eyes. “No, you hate me.”

“Only because you act so high and mighty all the time.”

“So you admit you hate me?” His tone was serious but she could see his eyes softening.

“I admit nothing.” She said. “Why did you want us to share a stall this year?” Lily wasn’t going to let him get out of this one.

Hudson seemed to lose a bit of his playfulness again when he responded, “I was hoping you’d see me.”

Lily’s heart stopped and she just blinked at him. Everyone saw him, he had to know that. But she was fooling herself if she truly thought he meant that literally and she knew it. Maybe she hadn’t truly seen him until tonight, but maybe that was changing.

“I see you Hudson.”