Can't Love Christmas

Forty

It was nearly time for the 11:00 toast before she got back to the bar to search for food. The alcohol sloshed her stomach around and made her uncomfortable.

Rowan greeted her with a smile as soon as she got there. "I'm going to take a quick break now. How were the tots?"

"Oh, I didn't get any. I was chatting with Charlene when they came out and the others ate them all."

"Oh. Have you had anything to eat then?"

"Not since dinner."

"Dammit Cinders. You need some food if you've been doing shots."

"Well, I've only had two shots and two drinks. I'm okay."

"I'll go make you some food."

"No, you're on your break. Besides, you pay someone to do the cooking, so you might as well let him cook. I'll just grab a bag of chips or something." 

In response, he reached under the bar and pulled out a bag of sun chips and handed them to her, along with a bottle of water. "Please finish both of these."

"He's such a mother hen sometimes." Hannah spoke from the corner of the bar.

"You can say that again." the women laughed together.

"Seriously though, eat those, or he's going to lock you in his office with a full dinner."

"Yeah, I can see him doing that. Remind me why we put up with him again?"

"Because he's the best guy in this whole town."

"That's true." Ash opened the bag of chips and started eating. Hannah seemed content to sit quietly for a few minutes while she ate the first few chips. "So where's Oakley tonight?"

"He's with his Mama. They were having a party with all of his cousins, so I'm going to facetime him at midnight, but figured I should get out and enjoy some festivities tonight."

They chat until it's nearly time for the next toast. Just as the triangle rings for the 4th time, Rowan slides a shot glass across the bar to each of them. It's full of a dark brown liquid, and Ash eyes it dubiously.

She's about to ask what it is when the "Gimme a K!" calls out, so with a shout, she picks up the small glass, clinks with Rowan and Hannah, and downs it without smelling it first. It burns all the way up her nose on it's way down, but more of a carbonation burn than alcohol. "What the hell?" she mutters while she stares into the bottom of the glass.

Rowan is smirking. "You needed a drink in a glass. I didn't have time to ask what you wanted, so I poured you a coke like we were having."

"Why do you do shots of coke?"

"Tradition."

Ash rolled her eyes. "That can't be your reason for every single thing tonight."

"But it's true! The carbonation gives you a similar discomfort to what you might get with alcohol, but obviously without the alcohol. We've been doing it for years."

"Fair enough. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, do you need any more food?"

"Do you have any tots?"

He bites his lip as if unsure the answer. "I might. I'll check."

When they eventually arrive she digs in, and the sauce is divine. She moans and Hannah chuckles.

"Yeah, they're a special holiday menu item. He's addicted to tots so that's why he won't keep them around all year."

"I can understand that."

"But I've never seen him do that before. For anyone."

"Do what?"

"Give away his new years day tots. He always saves a serving for himself to make tomorrow. It's one of his personal traditions. I know they sold out of tots an hour ago, so I think he must have given you some or all of his tots."

"No." The tots felt like lead in her stomach.

"I didn't mean to ruin them for you! No, I just wanted you to know. He cares about you. A lot. I don't even get the last tots from him. And I've tried."

"I'm going to have to give these back to him then."

Hannah snorted. "Good luck with that."

As Rowan came back behind the bar, she tried to share the tots, but Rowan just looked offended, and refused.

Ash turned to interrogation instead. "Rowan, did you just make me your new years day tots?"

He tried to play dumb. "My what? Of course not."

"Rowan."

With a heavy sigh he nodded. "It was a bad idea to ever let you two talk to each other."

Hannah just smiled at him and he blushed and flicked the bar towel in her general direction. "Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I need to get the champagne ready for the next toast. Eat the tots, and stop telling her all my secrets, you menace!"

Hannah laughed while he walked away, and Ash picked at the tots, hesitantly at first, but then with gusto.

A few minutes later, Rowan hefted a case of champagne onto the counter and reached underneath to pull out boxes of plastic flutes. With Mandy's help they poured all the glasses and loaded them onto trays. Brittany stayed behind the bar and poured for those who came up, while Rowan and Mandy walked around and handed them out. They repeated the process twice more and then stashed the trays behind the bar.

It was 11:45pm and Hannah excused herself to the office to call Oakley. Ash held up her glass of champagne, studying the imperfections in the cheap plastic, when Rowan snuck behind her.

"Hey Cinders, will you come with me for a moment?"

"What?"

"You don't have to of course, I just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes before the mayhem starts in here. If you wanted to get back to the others I understand."

Her heart sunk as she remembered the one last thing they had to discuss before the end of the night.

She slid off the stool and followed him towards the back door, leaving her champagne behind.