Page 15 of The Grumpiest Elf

“That would help. Thank you, Sarah. You said you were going to ask for my help with something. Somehow I don’t think it’s chatting while you straighten displays.”

She purses her lips. “I mean, Idoenjoy chatting with you while we straighten displays, so if you wanted to help out so I can get out of here faster, I wouldn’t be sad. But no, that’s not what I wanted.”

Since I genuinely don’t mind helping her, I hop off the stool and come around the counter. “Why don’t we work while you tell me what you need.”

She gives me a bright smile and wraps her arms around my torso. “You’re the best, Dylan.”

“That’s not what you were saying when I came in.”

She waves that away, stepping back and pointing at the display she wants me to start on. A few boxes of ornaments are tipped over on their sides, and the unboxed ones hanging on hooks are a bit mixed up, so I set things to rights, moving down the aisle as Sarah talks. “That’s because you were all mopey and annoyed the minute I opened my mouth. This version of you is much more pleasant. Seriously.” She pokes her head around from the end cap to look at me. “You know I love you, man, but when you’re in a mood, you’re no fun to be around. If you need to talk, though, I’m here. Pop by whenever you need.”

“Thanks.” It comes out sounding more like a grumble than a genuine expression of gratitude, but Sarah knows me well enough to know I mean it.

“So you know about that event Mom and Dad got hired to work this week, right?” she asks.

“Yeah. Mom has me taking the set over and working the event too.”

“Oh, right. Okay. The new event coordinator over there is needing additional decorations and someone to set it all up. She’ll be on hand, of course, but it sounds like it’s a bigger job that has to be put together a little more last minute than they’re equipped for, and I was wondering if you’d help me go decorate the day before? I’ll pay you, of course,” she hurries to say. “Maybe not as good as Mom and Dad do for the elf part. And you’d only have to deal with me and her and whoever she has on staff helping. It’s hanging ornaments on a tree and running Christmas lights around the room and stuff. Nothing difficult. We just need more hands.”

“Can I wear normal clothes?”

That makes her laugh. “Of course. We’reprepping. We’re not going to be at the event. Well, I mean, I guess you will, but not until later. Actually, since you’re the one setting up the Workshop, it’ll be really handy to have you there. That way you can tell Kim—she’s the event coordinator—how much space you’ll need and where the best place to set it up is.”

I grunt in response, and we’re both quiet a moment as we continue straightening the display racks. For mid-December, things aren’t in too bad of shape. Sometimes it looks like a hurricane’s been through the store. “Was it slower today than normal?” I ask, pitching my voice loud enough so Sarah can hear me wherever she might be.

“No. Busy as ever. In fact, I think we’re ahead on profit for this year.”

“Oh, nice,” I say appreciatively. “Did you get Shane to come in and straighten up on his lunch break then?”

She laughs. “No chance of that. It’d take his whole lunch break just to get into the store at that time with the crowds. But I’ll take your curiosity over how the store’s in not-so-bad shape as a compliment. I straighten throughout the day as much as I can, and any slow-ish moment where no one needs my direct attention, I’m doing this. What needs restocking in that aisle?”

I walk back down the aisle, telling her what needs replenishing, and we head back to the stock room together to grab what’s needed.

“So,” she says, her voice suddenly sly and putting me on high alert as we carry boxes of ornaments back out to the front. “Tell me about the new girl. She seems nice.”

When I grunt in response, she smacks my shoulder. “Seriously, dude. What’s with the caveman routine?”

I make a show of rubbing my shoulder, even though it didn’t hurt at all. “Ow. And what are you talking about?”

She makes a dumb face and grunts and points and says, “Me man. Me not use word. Me just make noise.” Then she rolls her eyes as she goes back to replenishing the shelves. “I’ve been getting grunts from you all night. Use your words, bro. You can do it. It won’t hurt. I promise.”

I snort. “Says you.”

That makes her laugh again, and I grin, but she’s not so easily distracted. “So what’s the problem? You like her and she’s not giving you the time of day?”

“No,” I protest immediately, my voice more sullen than I intended, which only makes Sarah laugh more.

“Ohhhh. I see how it is.”

“No you don’t.”

She pauses, studying me for a moment, and I know I’m scowling. I just can’t help it, though. “Then enlighten me,” she says softly, though there’s no disguising the challenge in her voice. When I don’t immediately answer, she says, “You know I only want to help, right? And besides, who else are you going to go to for advice about girls? Nora?”

That makes me chuckle, and she bumps me with her shoulder. “There we go,” she encourages. “Nothing against Nora, of course, and maybe she would have something helpful to contribute at this point in her life, but have I ever steered you wrong?”

Sarah’s who I went to in high school whenever I needed advice about girls. My parents too, at least some, but only if whatever Sarah suggested didn’t work as well as I wanted it to.

“Well, there was that one time with Jenny Nash …”

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