Page 61 of Yule Know It When You See It
My fingers grow tingly and a tic bounces in my cheek. Where is she going with this?
“This has gone over so well in fact—” Simone appears in front of us and slaps down the papers with so many numbers on them they all blend as I stare at them. “I’m making you two permanent partners. I figure we’ll do these quarterly and publish them collected at the end of each year starting next year as a physical holiday anthology special.”
“Pretty sure they’re alreadypermanentpartners,” Rupert says behind us, whistling.
Axel clears his throat and coughs into his fist. “I—ma’am—don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
“No thanks necessary. They were fabulous combined pieces, and readers became feral for it.” Simone flicks something from her nail, looking between us as if waiting for us to say or do something.
Was she waiting for my gratitude as well?
“Um, yes. Thank you, Simone. It was an enjoyable piece to work on, and I can’t wait to write more with Axel.” I tap my fingers together behind my back.
“Something you two want to tell me?” Simone’s expression borders on impatience mixed with a complete lack of enthusiasm.
Axel looks around us as if the answer lies somewhere within the sea of cubicles. “I’m sorry?”
“Look—” Simone sighs, closes the distance between us, now standing toe-to-toe. “—I have no policy against dating within the workplace, but just do me a favor?” She lowers her face and raises a silver-tipped pointy fingernail. “No more late-night office rendezvous? Therearecameras in here.” Nonchalantly, she moves her finger to each office corner.
My entire body flushes with heat, and I force a laugh. “Yes. Yes, ma’am. Sorry, ma’am.”
Axel’s hand finds my lower back, and he rubs it. “It won’t happen again, boss.”
Did she knowingly set us up? This doesn’t seem like her.
“Simone, did you play match-maker?” My hands are a flighty mess when I ask this.
Simone scrunches her nose. “God, no. That was an unintended bonus.”
“I—” Axel starts, scratching the back of his neck. “Thank—you?”
Simone taps the stack of papers before turning on her heel and heading back to her office. “Oh, and everyone, to celebrate this milestone, I’m giving you all the rest of the week off. Enjoy your holiday.”
And Simone’s heart grew three times this day.
Whoops and cheers burst through the office, and the floor becomes chaotic, with chairs being rolled to desks, jackets being grabbed, and computers shutting down. Everyone moves with urgency as if Simone would reappear and take it back.
“So, Axel, have any brooding Viking brothers by chance?” Desiree asks, sidling beside us with her arms folded.
Axel laughs, his bright blue eyes glistening. “A much younger brother, but he lives in Norway, I’m afraid. However, I do have a lawyer friend.”
Desiree snaps her gaze to me, her hands dropping at her sides before looking back to Axel. “What kind of lawyer?”
Axel nudges me with his elbow. “Criminal prosecutor.”
“He’s married, isn’t he?” Rupert chimes in.
“No, no. Very much single.” Axel kisses my temple, and the action is so effortless that my heart springs into pirouettes.
“Don’t you have all the luck?” Rupert says, sticking his tongue out at Desiree.
Des narrows her eyes before pretending to grab his tongue. Rupert sucks it back in his mouth, and they both laugh.
“Anything in particular you want to do tomorrow, Romance?” Axel nuzzles into my neck, his breath coating my skin there.
“What would you normally do?”
“It’s normally pretty relaxed with my family. We’d open some presents in the morning, eat a ham lunch-slash-dinner, nap, and see where the night takes us over warmed mugs ofgløgg.”
