Page 50 of Yule Know It When You See It
“It’s a pretty open forum tonight, folks. No crazy antics like Pin the Tail on the Reindeer or holiday-themed Twister or anything.” Mary pauses for laughter that I know isn’t as roaring as she planned for. “All I ask is to have fun, eat, drink, be merry. And please,pleasemake use of the dancefloor. Enjoy, everyone!”
I nab a cup with a metallic blue bow attached and ladle some punch into it. After sipping, I breathe out a sigh. If there’s alcohol in this, it’s so little I could chug the entire bowl and not feel a buzz.
Rob, Mary’s favorite sweater man, sidles beside me and pulls a flask from inside his jacket. “Won’t tattle on me, will you?”
My gaze stays forward to keep watch, and I hold my cup behind my back. “Not if you give me a little snort of that.”
“You bet,” Rob says, laughing. “Mary’s intentions are always so sound at these things but almosttoopure for my tastes. She’s a good kid, though.”
“Yeah. And uh, thanks.” I can’t think of anything else to say because, to be frank, I don’t give a rat’s ass about Rob. Nor do I feel like making small talk with him. After lifting the cup to him in a gesture of gratitude, I shove one hand in my pocket and blend with the outskirts of the crowd.
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Treeblasts from the DJ booth, and I try not to groan. Instead, I shove my nose in my cup and sip the alcoholic punch, thanks to Sweater Rob. Familiar scents have the hairs on my arm standing on end—cinnamon, vanilla, and pine. I immediately swivel, searching, hoping the source is her. Ithasto be her.
The fluorescent office lights turn off, rotating in red, green, and white lights replacing them, spinning, flashing, and strobing throughout the space. I see flowing red hair through the seas of bobbing bodies haphazardly dancing to the music, but when I reach that same spot, there’s nothing.
I’m on full alert now, following the scent like a hound dog, flashes of auburn hair becoming mirages through the bouncing lights to the point I want to stop and roar her name. But I don’t have to because the next turn I take collides us straight into each other.
Theo gasps and slaps a hand over her cup, keeping its contents from spilling. “Can you please watch where you’re—” Her gaze lands on my chest, laughing at first, but her expression melts into shock as she realizes my eyes are much further up and who it is she bumped into. Desiree is at her side and she bears a similar expression.
“Can we talk?” My jaw tightens, and I direct the words straight at Theo.
Theo lifts her chin and taps her finger against her cup. “Des and I were in the middle of a crucial conversation.”
“Nope. We’re done. She’s all yours.” Desiree nudges Theo in my direction, giving her wide eyes.
Theo mouths something to her, but once Desiree is out of sight, she relents and turns back to me. “Axel, what are you doing here?”
She looks beautiful and adorable in her dark green dress, skirt billowing and falling to mid-thigh. The top hugs her curves and compliments her boobs, sleeves long but stopping right below her elbow.
“I do believe I work here, Theo. Or have you forgotten that, since you’ve been avoiding me the past thirty-six hours?” Taking a risk, I move my gaze away from her, pretending to glance around the room, and casually sip my drink as if her ignoring me hasn’t bothered me.
She guffaws and drapes one arm across her stomach, sipping from the cup with her other hand, a light blue bow stuck to hers. “It’s for good reason, and youknowit.”
Alright. Itissomething I did, but I have no clue as to what. It’s a start?
“Honestly? I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I snap my gaze back to hers, scraping the callus on my right forefinger against my cup, waiting for her to elaborate.
She rolls her eyes so profusely that her neck follows. “Hey, look, Naomi’s been eyeballing your backside for the past several minutes. Maybe you should talk to her. I’m sure she’d gladly go home with you tonight, Norseman.”
My mouth begins to form the word “what,” and the second I glance over my shoulder, Naomi has her groping hand on it, and Theo has disappeared. “Theo,” I yell into the crowd, not caring if it’s too loud or not.
“I’m over here coming onto you and you yell out someone else’s name?” Naomi snickers, and pokes a bright red fingernail to my nose. “Youdolike playing hard to get.”
Gently but with enough firmness to tell her I mean business, I take hold of Naomi’s wrists. “Naomi, I’ll tell you for the last time that I’m not interested. And just because this is a holiday party, not during work hours, doesn’t mean that’ll change a damn thing. Are weclear?”
Naomi blinks in disbelief, her petite arms twisting within my touch, and I let go, holding my palms up. “Jesus. Fine. Have it your way.” She turns, making sure to slap me in the face with her hair as a final declaration of what she thinks of me.
Finally. How kind of her.
I’m pushing through co-workers, ignoring their grunts and yelps of protest. I spot Theo leaning against a wall away from everyone and chatting with Desiree. When Theo’s gaze lands on me, I swear she looks elated that I’m sans Naomi and came looking forher. Or it could be my imagination running away with itself.
Desiree smiles at me and waves before nudging Theo’s arm, urging her toward me.
Note to self: You owe Desiree a grandJulgift.
Theo folds her arms in a huff when she lands in front of me, leaving two feet of space between us. She forces her gaze away and toward the tree—her lifeline, her calm.
“Theo, you’ll have to level with me here.” My cup is now empty, and I rest it on the nearest desk before throwing my arms out at my sides. “Lay it on me.”
