Page 25 of Naughty Elf: Shimmersnap

“I’ll be right there,” I said to my boss.

He left us alone, thankfully.

Shimmersnap wrung his hands in his lap.

“Can we… Can we talk later?” I asked.

Shimmersnap jerked his head up and searched my face. Looking for clues as to what I wanted to talk about? Which direction did he want the conversation to go?

“Of course,” he said.

“I made a mistake.”

His shoulders slumped.

“The first time, I mean. When I pushed you away. If you’re interested—”

“I’m interested.” He perked up and color filled his cheeks, looking more like the Shimmersnap I knew.

Hope glimmered in my chest like a tiny sparkle burning light into my dark. I smiled. “We’ll find a way,” I said. “Even if itmeans we can’t work together, I’d rather be with you outside of work.”

“Me too.”

I wanted to kiss him. To pull him into my arms, but my boss was insistent that he needed me, and he knocked on the door again. “Walter, let’s go, please!”

“I have to go,” I said.

Shimmersnap grinned. “I’ll be waiting.”

Chapter 15

Shimmersnap

I had heard horror stories about human Santa events—crowds of crazed children, anxious parents, lines that stretched on for what seemed like days, and kids who were too excited to contain themselves. I mean, who wouldn’t be thrilled to see Santa? I grew up around the man, and I was still excited whenever he said hi to me. I always thought those stories were a bit exaggerated, just a tall tale that elf parents told their children to get them to behave, but now, experiencing it firsthand, I realized just how real they were. And how tame they had been.

Reality was so much worse.

Of course, I had dressed for the occasion. I wore candy-cane-striped sparkle leggings and a white shirt with a glittery snowflake front and center. I even found an elf hat that looked suspiciously like the one I wore as an elf figurine. Hopefully, it wasn’t close enough for Walter to make any connections.

Then there were my boots. Green leather with red fur cuffs and the twirly toe, complete with one of the official Santa jingle bells.

When I arrived, the children were already lined up, eagerly waiting for their moment with Santa. They were all dressed in their best, and I was pleased to see many of them wearing sparkles. I approved wholeheartedly. The excitement in the air was contagious, and I could feel it in my bones. I was practically bouncing on my feet.

“This is insanity,” Walter muttered beside me. “All this just to sit on the big guy’s lap?”

“It’s more than that,” I said. “They’re telling him their hopes, their dreams, what they really want this year.”

“I want to find my elf,” he said quietly, almost as if admitting a secret.

I put my arm around him and squeezed. If only he knew that I was his elf, standing right next to him. “Well, maybe we can tell Santa that.”

Santa number thirty-five, who was currently waving at the children in line, was doing an excellent job of building the hype. It was as if the kids knew that he was the real deal. Not all of these events had a real Santa, but sometimes one of the Santas would be the genuine article, visiting to spread a little extra cheer. I didn’t know Santa thirty-five personally, but he seemed like a good fellow. All Santas were. It was part of the job.

“So what’s our role here?” Walter asked, looking around at the organized chaos.

“Wrangle and contain,” I said, trying not to laugh. “We keep the kids entertained and make sure the line runs smoothly.”

“How the hell are we supposed to do that?”

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