Page 29 of Resisting Fate
He grinned. “What’re you buying?”
“Candy cane tights or Rudolph. My stupid tights have a hole.”
He’d noticed but refrained from commenting what with all the other great stuff she had going on. “I thought you were doing a goth elf look.”
She cracked a smile. “I need something that goes with this.” She held open the hat to show him a red Rudolph nose. He pressed his lips into a flat line. Good thing he hadn’t seen her wearing that too or he wouldn’t have been able to stop laughing.
She whirled and went into the store. He took a deep breath and followed into the ninth circle of hell. The music was deafening, something about a Christmas donkey, bright lights flashing on Christmas trees dazzled the eyes in the worst way, and a giant inflatable snowman with a clear belly full of snowmen bizarrely took center stage.
He stopped behind her at the novelty socks and tights section. “What size are you?”
She startled. “Geez, Ben, make some noise before you sneak up on someone.”
“I’m not exactly stealth. You were just lost in the beauty of…are these mistletoe tights? Hell yeah. I’ll meet you under there.”
“Under where?” she asked absently.
He chuckled.
“How old are you again?” She grabbed a pair of white tights with little Christmas trees. “Close enough.”
“I’m thirty-one going down on…how old are you?”
She pursed her lips, trying not to smile, her eyes dancing with amusement before she headed toward the register.
He followed. “Yeah, don’t worry about the mistletoe tights. I have a good feeling about those elf panties.”
She shot him a dark look. “Shh.”
He gave her his dimpled elf-panty-melting smile.
She shook her head, laughing as she took her place at the end of a long line.
“What do you want for lunch?” he asked. “I’ll get it while you change your tights.”
She turned to him, a light of surprise in her eyes. “That would actually be really helpful. I usually pack a lunch, but I didn’t have the energy to grocery shop last night.”
“See, I can be thoughtful, considerate…” He paused, trying to think up more good stuff women liked, when she finished for him.
“Don’t forget modest. Can you get me a taco salad at the Mexican place in the food court?”
“Sí, sí, senorita. On me, okay?”
She nodded and smiled. “Gracias.”
“Give me your phone. I’ll put my number in so you can text me when you get to the food court.”
She pulled it from a side pocket in her skirt and handed it over. Now this was progress. He entered his number and handed it back. “See ya soon.”
She shifted forward in line. “See ya.”
Twenty minutes later, his phone vibrated with a text from Missy.All set.
Just about to pay. Where are you?
Sitting across from Yo-Fro.
He turned, scanning the crowded space, and spotted her. She looked worn out, head resting in her hand. Guilt stabbed at him. Here she was working hard on a second shift and he’d been not-so-secretly laughing at her.
