Page 60 of Yule Know It When You See It
“Did you book us on the holiday train, Ax?” I affectionately slap him with my glove.
He grins and kisses my cheek after pulling me to his side. “Yes, I did. Ready to board the Polar Express?”
Laughing and jumping, I hold his hand and enter the train filled to the brim with other passengers seeking holiday cheer so close to Christmas. We find our assigned seats, and I’m so excited I can’t seem to find it in me to sit back. I’m wringing my hands on the railing and turning every which way, wondering who or what will happen next. I’m like a kid again, and the train may as well be freaking Disney World.
The workers dressed as elves come through the train with candy and small boxes wrapped in green and red foil wrapping paper. Each box has a Chicago keychain or magnet inside. And though they more than likely cost a buck a piece, the sentiment is adorable, and I know I’ll cherish mine for years to come. We singJingle Bells,Santa Claus is Coming to Town, andLet it Snow, all the while zipping through a circular tour of the city, the lights within the car timed to the beat of the music.
When the ride pulls to a stop, they advise us that Santa will be waiting for anyone who wants to meet him, and the small children in our car scream with delight. We’re on the approach now, and I tackle Ax, him catching me with those muscular arms just below my butt cheeks. I hold his face with both hands and kiss him, the faint sounds of holiday music still hanging in the air from the train.
“Takk,” I whisper.
Axel peels back, surprised. “Did you just speak Norwegian?”
“I think you meanNorsk.” I chew on my lip, happily still suspended in the air.
“You—are you—” Axel doesn’t know what to say, and the bewilderment in his intense eyes has me reeling.
“I started learning on Duolingo. That’s my secondJulgift, Ax.”
Axel’s eyes take on a gentleness and awe that I’ve yet to see. “Du er en skatt.”
Blinking, not knowing what he said aside from some form of “you are,” I tap the back of his neck. “I’m only on unit two, Ax.”
A roaring chuckle thunders from his chest, and with me still in his arms, he trots down the approach.
* * *
The next day is Christmas Eve, and we’re all begrudgingly in the office. Axel and I, most of all, look like we’ve just been told zombies are real and stampeding through lower Whacker Drive. We try everything not to look at each other longingly and don’t dare to be in the same vicinity because all we want to do is hold hands, kiss, or touch a part of us to something of the other. It’s ridiculous as much as it is romantic, and I decide I cannot and will never be able to get enough of this man.
“So,” Desiree croons, dragging out the “o” and leaning a hip on my desk. “How wasyourweekend?”
Rupert appears next, leaning on his forearms in front of me. “And leave no stone unturned.”
A glance at Axel, who is already eyeballing these two knuckleheads, has me biting back a smile. “It was a very relaxing, thought-provoking weekend. Thank you. And how was yours?”
“Oh, you’re no fun,” Rupert scoffs and pushes from the desk.
Desiree snickers and brushes my hair over one shoulder. “You’re so full of shit. Your skin is flushed just thinking about yourrelaxedweekend, and your posture is so lackadaisical it’s almost meltingmeinto the floor.”
I steal another look at Axel, and Rupert points in my face. “Ah ha. I would’ve been so miffed if we covered for you with Simone, and you didn’t even get la—”
Simone storms from her office, cutting Rupert’s sentence. “Everyone, gather around, we’re having a staff meeting.Now.”
The tone in her voice has my throat tightening. Had our stories inexplicably sucked? Did she wait all that time, poured all her resources into it, for absolutely nothing?
Gulping, I stand, and Axel is beside me within two strides. We stand near each other but not so close as to make it seem like we’retogether. But I can’t help my body’s constant instinct to lean toward him.
“As you all know, the special holiday e-magazine posted this morning,” Simone starts, holding a stapled packet of papers in her hand that she shoves under one arm as she talks. “And I have to say, I’ve never seen numbers like this in such a short time.”
Numbers? High numbers? Low numbers? The anticipation is killing me and all I want is to grab Axel’s hand and hold onto it for dear life.
“We’ve broken a record, and we have these two to thank for it.” Simone nudges her head at me and Axel.
The words don’t register immediately, and it doesn’t fully dawn on me until Axel’s hands are on my shoulders, jostling me. “Did you hear that, Romance? Our pieces are ahit.”
“Really?” I whisper, gleaming up at him.
“There was a reason I waited until the last minute to assign you the holiday story this year, Romance.” Simone folds her arms, chin raising with pride. “I wanted this to feel real. For you to pull from authentic experiences.”
