Page 27 of Resisting Fate
She stifled a sigh. She’d have to buy another set of tights on her lunch break. Unless they had extras lying around somewhere. She approached Mrs. Claus standing to the side, smiling and waving at the children walking past Santa’s Workshop.
“Any chance there’s more candy cane tights around here?” Missy asked her.
“They’re too cheap to order extras,” the woman responded in a rough smoker’s voice. “Try the Christmas shop on the second floor.”
Okay, she’d take the elevator not far from here, book it to the shop, book it to the locker room, and be back before any random Christmas shopper could recognize her.
Her boss appeared again, hands behind his back, all business as he did a tour of Santa’s Workshop, checking on the merry situation. He took one look at her and rushed over. “You’re on break. Fix the tights situation, preferably with a candy cane pattern. Rudolph would also be good.” He pulled out his wallet and handed her a twenty-dollar bill. “I’ll deduct it from your paycheck.”
“Thanks,” she bit out. She took off the awful nose, then the pointy hat, tucking the nose inside. She went to set it on the shelf behind the photo counter when he stopped her.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded. “Keep the hat on your person at all times. You know how many kids would love to play with this? And I can tell you right now elf hats don’t come cheap.”
“Okay, okay.” She tucked the hat under her arm and quickly skirted the crowd of kids, slipping around a candy cane column, the glass elevator in the center of the mall within sight. The elevator was packed, so she figured she’d squeeze into the middle for maximum camouflage. The escalator was too risky—a long walk away and she’d be in plain view of any and all curious shoppers.
She hurried as fast as she could in pointy elf shoes, feeling decidedly more duck-like than she wanted to think about, and hit the elevator button.Come on, come on.
“Missy Higgins, this must be fate!”
No-o-o-o!
~ ~ ~
Ben didn’t bother to keep the laughter from his voice. “You know,” he drawled, “I’ve always had this secret elf fantasy. Maybe we should see what happens.”
Missy the elf turned, scratching her bright pink cheek with her middle finger.
He barked out a laugh. It had been two days since their hookup, and he’d planned on calling her today to see if she wanted to grab a bite to eat. He’d missed her, not just the sex. She was funny and smart, a tough woman who gave as good as she got, which made her easy to be around. He could relax with her, no bending over backwards to avoid hurting sensitive feelings. And he’d never met anyone who, like him, was adopted as a baby and orphaned a second time. That seemed special, a unique common reference. Plus fate made them keep running into each other. Now he just had to charm the elf panties off her. Did elves wear panties?
He gave her an appreciative once-over. She was a sight. The green velvet dress with fake white fur along the edges and a red sash around her small waist were sexy if you were into the elf look, which he definitely was now that it was on her. Nice and snug too with a short fluffy skirt.
Her eyes flashed. “Shut up.”
A small laugh escaped. “I didn’t say anything.”
A few more people joined them, waiting for the elevator, an elderly man and a mom pushing a toddler in a stroller. No one could keep their eyes off Missy. She stared straight ahead, her cheeks and neck pink.
The elevator doors opened, and a pile of strollers rolled out, parents behind them. He let everyone go in ahead of him and then followed Missy inside.
“Where ya headed?” he asked.
“To the Christmas store.”
“To the Christmas store!” he exclaimed. “Is that where the mall elves go to build toys?”
The elderly gentleman laughed quietly. The toddler in the stroller stared up at Missy in awe.
“Yes,” she said through her teeth. Her cheeks dotted with red on top of the pink; even her nose was red. Clearly she was embarrassed to be caught elfing on the side. He should play nice.
Naughty was his middle name.
“Why is your nose red?” he asked. “I’ve never seen anyone blush like that.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she bit out.
Silence fell, everyone in the elevator discreetly checking out the disgruntled elf, him included.
The elevator doors opened and they stepped out. He kept stride with Missy doing her best to motor through the mall in those ridiculous curly-toed shoes.
