if you dare

 Odin did his best to do something new. They went to the disco after just one drink. 

"Oh, it's just not me," Stu begged to differ on Valentine's arrangements, but before Odin could discuss it, Stu was out on the lit floor showing all his dance moves.

It made Odin laugh. He didn't have a dancing bone in his body, but he swayed to the music and held Shelly close as if he might lose her. Naturally, it was mostly singles at the place and the music thumped its own madness that did get the adrenaline going. Half an hour later they were ready to move on to a late-night breakfast even if it was only nine in the evening.

"That one place I was thinking of, only opens at midnight," Odin told them over sausages and waffles.

Shelly rolled her eyes at that.

"No thank you," Mia agreed. They had to work tomorrow.

"Right," He smiled at the notion that after the late-night meal it was best to get down to the essential lovemaking. Of course, Stu looked as if he might drop off to sleep before they left the diner.

"I wonder what Kate is up to?" Mia said out of the blue.

"Oh, she was supposed to already be married by now," Stu yawned with a shrug as he kept his hand up to prop himself for the conversation while he nursed a cup of coffee. 

"Really?" Odin was big-eyed about it. "Kate and Brad?" He thought that was over.

"Oh, you know, it's on again, off again with those two. I thought that ship had set sail and they'd be around the world a time or two." Shelly sounded down about it.

"It seems..I've seen him in my building," Odin told them. "Not sure what his job is, since I don't know him all that well." Perhaps he could find out. Of course, at the moment all he could think on was getting that love machine going and hoping Shelly wouldn't go to sleep on him.

Same old song

 "OK, so I feel a little bad for Kate." Shelly was even-lipped after she heard the news from Mia about Kate's wedding not happening. Yet, she wasn't that sorry. "I bet it's old news." She shook her head as she paced in her little office away from the growing crowd looking for last-minute Valentines. Of course, most were just going for those cheap Valentines' cards. It was nice to have the macaroon sale, yet they weren't making that much profit. They were from the bakery where Stu worked.

Shelly hugged herself hard. "They thrive in this kind of thing."

"What?" Mia looked at her a bit lost.

"Oh, you know, Brad and Kate," Shelly fumed. "I think of how many times I thought, 'oh  I want that' but I don't."

Still, she felt she should do something for Kate. "Give her an inch and she'll take miles of my time."

"Oh, you know, she was there for you," Mia made light of it.

Shelly plopped herself down in her office chair as if she would stay put there until Odin dragged her away.

"No she wasn't," Shelly snapped. "She only needed me for the rent."

"You might be right," Mia nodded. "But she was a friend."

Shelly sighed heavily.

"We could invite her out," Mia shrugged. "A girls' night out."

"No way!" Shelly looked up at her a little bug-eyed. "Valentines is..is..well, sacred."

Mia got a good laugh. "OK, let's wait til the weekend. I wouldn't want to mess with you and Odin's sacred holiday."

"What about you and Stu?" Shelly winced.

"Um, we'll see." She sounded as if it was just another day for them. "We might cook something up."

"Oh really?" Shelly shot her a look.

"You know what it's like, we'll hit the pub and have a few drinks. All of us." Mia reminded her they could include Kate but of course, Shelly said NEVER.

"I don't want to spoil it." Shelly was a matter of fact. "They'll probably get back together eventually."

Granted, they tell you so

 Stu winced as he saw her come into the bakery. How did Kate know he worked here? He hadn't mentioned it. Hell, they hardly talked. He knew she was Shelly's friend. Although, he would have never imagined Kate being anyone's life partner. Not even Brad's.

Of course, he was nowhere in sight. She asked for a coffee and an Eccles. It was the last one.

"Aren't you going to ask?" She looked up at him as she bit into the fruit-filled puff pastry.

"About what?" Stu thought they might as well be strangers.

"Shell? Is she still with O.D.?" She wanted to know.

"Well, of course." Stu hugged himself. "Why wouldn't she?"

"Um, it'll never work out, you know," Kate sounded as if she'd be back wanting to be in her good graces, perhaps.

"Is that so?" He felt like keeping mum from Mia, but she'd get it out of him. No matter what. Somehow, life was different with Mia. He didn't want to say it, but maybe she brought out the best in him. "Maybe Odin is dear to our sweet Shelly, you know."

"Did he take her to the shore?" Kate wanted to know.

"Why would he?" Stu couldn't help but smile. "Not that I know of." He shook his head.

"They won't tie the knot." Kate was certain. 

Stu nodded. "What of it?" He knew here on this sunny cold morning he was conversing more than he had in ages, but the old miss who ran the shop was sure to scurry him somewhere. 

"I was to be married today," Kate said rather sadly.

Stu gave her a sigh and went to wait on a customer. He couldn't spend his whole day with somebody he wasn't even supposed to know.

When teatime is not enough ❤️

 

"Why is January so long?" Shelly practically wailed.

"Because it's winter," Mia shrugged with a sigh. Yes, it seemed sales were down for the month. The holidays were over.

"Precisely!" Shelly practically smashed her desk with her little fist. She meant business.

"But Valentine's day is coming?" Mia's smart smile was to the rescue.

"And?" Shelly smiled as if she needed a sure win for the holidays. "What do you propose?" After all, it was the two of them and she was certain tea would not help this brainstorm. "Maybe we need to go to the pub."

"I don't think so," Mia begged to differ. "We'll never get ahead, that way." After all, it might have been closing time at the bookshop, but it was a totally bad idea. "Weren't you on the boys' tails about this anyway?" Mia made herself comfortable in the hard chair across from Shelly's desk. "This is no time for a party, baby."

Shelly gave Mia a stiff upper chin. No one was to call her baby. No one. She was still the boss, wasn't she?

"I say we need a drink," she was adamant.

"No, we don't. We'll never get this sorted if we don't do it now." Mia gave her the eye. "Think about it, what do lovers need."

"Self-help books?" Shelly couldn't help but pull from her clouded consciousness.

"Possibly," Mia nodded as she smoothed down her sweater.

"Um, Colleen Hoover?" Shelly made a face of disgust.

"Oh, her books are already flying off the shelf." Mia shrugged. Shelly nodded. Mia mentioned Stu could make heart-shaped macarons. 

Shelly thought that would work. "And poetry mic night," Shelly said that would be a good lead into Valentine's day. Maybe they could put the love poetry books at half-price.

"I like it," Mia said she'd looked through the new romantic authors to display too. Finally, she asked about Brad and Kate. Were they on again?

"I haven't asked," Shelly didn't mean to be a snob, but she was certain Kate felt that way about her. "She is working. I bet he cheated on her. Why can't she get some balls like Miley Cyrus? You know like that new song of hers, Flowers."

"I don't think I've heard it?" Mia looked at her blankly.

"I guess we could have an anti-valentines day display, too." Shelly smiled at her effort to make February a good month, after all.