Page 14 of The Santa Rules
“I got this.” Summer cracks her knuckles. “Mall Santas are Santa’s helpers. Since he’s so busy at the North Pole, he sends out helpers in his place so he can keep toy production on schedule. And his helpers collect wishes and lists for him and report back. It’s an easy way to explain why all the Santas look different.”
“You’ve really thought of everything,” I say.
Lucy smiles understandingly. “I wanted to keep the magic alive with my kids but didn’t want them to feel left out when their peers got more from Santa than they did. Not everyone can afford to go all out. If my kids ask Santa for something that is a hard no, I simply tell them we opted out of that service or that it’s not included with our tier. I explained that I chose the smallest option because we didn’t need much from Santa and wanted him to provide more to others who needed it or chose it.”
“The emphasis is on giving and not receiving, then?” I ask. The innuendo is unintentional, but all four women burst into laughter.
“He’s a keeper,” Summer says on a laugh.
Wiping a tear from her eye, Lucy continues. “I never wanted my kids to feel unloved or less than because I couldn’tafford to get them an Xbox. But I also didn’t want to shame other parents from going all out with their Santa-giving, so I chose to word it in a way that emphasized that some parents choose to have Santa take care of everything for them.”
Bella leans in, and her sweet mint scent permeates my nostrils as warmth spreads in my chest. “And if someone has a tradition that you don’t, you can use the rules to explain it. For example, I used to hang wrapping paper in the entryway and Isaac would run through it on Christmas morning like a football player coming out of a locker room. It was a fun way to keep him from peeking under the tree while also building suspense.”
“I remember you guys doing that!” Lucy says.
Bella’s cheeks pinken. “Yeah, it was the source of a lot of fights. Despite the fact that we hung it every year, Jake acted like it was the first time every time and could never get the angle right.”
Summer slaps her hands over her mouth trying to contain her laughter, and I chuckle.
“Don’t say it!” Bella laughs.
“That’s what she said.” I say, and the table loses it. Everyone’s laughing, but anger swirls in my gut at her comment about her ex. Why does that bother me? Am I jealous?
Once they regain their composure, I ask, “What else do The Santa Rules cover?”
“Was that not enough? We invented a set of rules to keep the magic of Santa alive. That’s no small feat,” Raven says matter-of-factly.
I hold up my hands in defeat. “You’re right. This is awesome. Thank you.”
“Ooh, a man who not only can easily admit when he’s wrong, but says those magic words. Lock him down, Bella,” Summer says as she jokingly fans herself, and my eyes flick to Bella’s. Has she been talking about me to her friends? Is she into me? From how red her face is, I’m going to say yes.
Lucy leans in, pulling the focus off her friend. “Do you have a brother as handsome as you?”
“Sorry, just a sister.”
The music shifts in the bar, the upbeat pop replaced with the opening notes of “Santa Baby” as Bella groans, downing the rest of her cider.
“Here it comes,” Raven says.
“Gird your loins,” Summer agrees.
I look around in confusion.
“I hate this song!” Bella exclaims.
“What’s wrong with this song? I thought you loved all things Christmas?” I ask.
“I’m down for a little sexy Santa.” Lucy waggles her eyebrows.
Bella lets out a sigh, her shoulders slowly relaxing. “A sexy Santa can get it. I’m all for a sexy bearded man who lets me sit on his lap.”
My dick twitches at her words, and images of her bouncing on my lap flood my brain. Me thrusting up into her while she grinds her clit against me, her tits jiggling with every thrust. I blink several times, clearing the thought and looking at her, but she refuses to make eye contact with me as she continues.
“That’s not the part that bothers me. It’s the way the woman focuses on what Santa can do for her. I’m fine with an older man lavishing gifts on his woman. And if the song wasn’t about Santa, I’d have no problem with it. It’s the way it focuses onme, me, me. Give me this, buy me that. I deserve this, I want that. It is the antithesis of the spirit of Christmas. It focuses on what she gets and not the spirit of giving.”
“Holy shit, you’re totally right.” Suddenly I feel like I know this woman on a deeper level, and I can’t explain it. She’s just talking about a song she hates, but the way she’s describing it is so much more. Bella is thoughtful and cares deeply about others, and I want to know everything I can about her.
“Speaking of songs,” Summer says, breaking the spell. “Circling back to The Santa Rules, you can also use them to explain the creepy parts of that Santa song.”
