David grabbed the last block of baking chocolate as a woman came screeching down the aisle. He recognized her instantly as his neighbor from across the street, Leighanne. She was a short, slight woman in her late twenties with long black hair, dark skin, and large, light brown eyes.

“No, no, no!” she muttered searching the shelves, standing on tiptoe trying to see if there was anything left. “Damnit!”

“Looks like we both suck at this Thanksgiving thing.”

She looked up at him, recognition making her shoulders sag, and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I guess. I was gonna make something chocolatey”

“Don’t worry, Leighanne, I’m sure Rigby’s down the road still has plenty of chocolate.” He checked his watch. “And I think they’ll be open for another hour. You have plenty of time.”

“You know they overcharge for certain products around the holidays. The insane prices at that hipster market are why everyone comes here. Why don’t you give me that box you have and go to Rigby’s if you like them so much?”

“Sorry, on a time crunch. I have to be at Mrs. Berkin’s for Thanksgiving in a few hours, and I need to mix this all up and get it in the oven. Have a great Thanksgiving, Leighanne.” David turned to head toward the checkout counter. He didn’t feel bad about not giving her the chocolate, as on more than one occasion Leighanne had woken him and all the neighbors up with her loud band practices. What kind of band practices at six in the morning on a Sunday?

“Don’t you mean at Ophelia Croft’s house?”

David stumbled a bit before looking back at Leighanne. Was she teasing him? Had she seen him and Ophi—Ms. Croft—getting out of his car? Shit, maybe she’d seen what they’d done in the car. No, that wasn’t right. Leighanne’s band had been playing at the Halloween party that night. He tried to act normally.

“What do you mean?”

Leighanne walked up the aisle to meet him. “That’s where I’m going for dinner as well. I couldn’t get a flight to my cousin’s place in California. Procrastinated buying a ticket too long. Mrs. Berkin invited everyone who doesn’t have a place to go over to her house.”

“I know; I’m in the same boat. But, why did you mention Ms. Croft?”

“Mrs. Berkin slipped on ice and hurt her hip. She’s at the hospital with her family for the night, and Ophelia, crazy and honestly awesome woman that she is, volunteered to host the dinner. You didn’t get the message?”

“Was there an e-mail or something sent around?”

“We’re a small town in Connecticut, David. This was all word of mouth.”

“Oh. No, I didn’t get the message. I shouldn’t go. Ms. Croft might not know I’m coming and probably won’t have enough chairs or food.”

“Stop being an idiot, Principal David,” Leighanne teased. David was sure she meant to be kind. She hooked her arm through David’s and walked him to the checkout. “This is great!”

“It is?” David didn’t feel great. He felt nauseated.

“We’ll go together and can say we brought whatever dessert you’re bringing together. You’ll need to make two so it looked like we planned this; then I won’t need to get chocolate at that overpriced Rigby’s.”

“Fine,” he said grudgingly, realizing this was going to be a long night. “But I was also going to bring some aged whiskey. You’re in charge of that now.”

“Deal.” Leighanne smiled up at him but stopped for a moment, pulling him to the side of the long checkout line. “Are you okay, David? You look pale.”

“Yeah, just, it’s nothing. I’m good. I haven’t had my coffee yet.”

“Oh. Okay.” She kept staring up at him, not looking appeased. “Let’s buy this stuff, then head out.”

They purchased the chocolate, then went their separate ways, agreeing to meet at Ms. Croft’s house by three. David appreciated Leighanne’s concern, and was also relieved his fears of her seeing him and Ms. Croft together weren’t justified. But he had no idea how he would enter that house, let alone look Ms. Croft in the eye.

The night with her had been amazing, thrilling. It had been everything he imagined it might have been and more. She was brave and uninhibited with her desires, and for the first time in a long time he’d felt comfortable enough to let go and be with someone, not worried about ruining the pristine image he projected to the world.

And then morning had come, and she’d looked at him like he was a stranger. Some switch had been flicked, something in her mind that prompted her to run, and it pissed him off. On more than one occasion over the past few weeks, he’d gotten in his car, fully intending to drive to her place and tell her that he was damn sure they were meant for each other and that she needed to get over her shit. Then he realized the kids would be there and her siblings were probably over, and he didn’t think it would be a good idea for the high school principal to fuck their Ophi in front of her entire family.

It was odd he hadn’t seen her since Halloween. They usually ran into each other all the time, but either she was going out of her way to avoid him, or there was some outside force keeping them apart. Maybe they had needed this time of separation. Maybe absence had made her heart grow fonder? When it came down to it, she refused to return his calls, and he kept coming up with excuses to stop driving to her place with the intent of making her talk to him face-to-face. But none of it mattered now. They were going to see each other tonight, and they were going to have it out, other dinner attendees be damned.

David was in love with Ophelia, and this Thanksgiving would either be the absolute worst of his life or the best. Feeling fortified, he drove the short distance home and made not one, but two chocolate pies.