Page 9 of How to Lose an Omega in Twelve Days
He smiled at me and shrugged one shoulder. “Tis the… Just doing my job, helping out a guest.”
I smiled back at him, but inwardly my mind was going a mile a minute. I was positive he was going to say ‘tis the season. Why not say it? And why would that be the first response from someone who claimed to not enjoy the holidays? Yes, I was sure now that Shaun had once enjoyed the season. Santa had picked the perfect person for me to help.
Chapter Four
Shaun
I couldn’t say what possessed me to offer to take Theo to the Christmas Market. Maybe I just wanted an excuse to go myself. That and he was really cute… Whatever the reason, we got off the bus and followed the crowd in the direction of holiday music and delicious smells.
Theo’s enthusiasm for the Christmas Market was almost infectious. He practically danced from stall to stall, ooo-ing and ahh-ing over the wares, beaming from ear to ear like a child in a… well, like a child at a Christmas Market.
Unfortunately, I was convinced that he was yet another spy hired by my father. His insistence to grill me about Christmas was evidence of that. As we looked for a vendor with masks, I wondered if Theo’s excitement was genuine or if he was putting on an act. As much I as loved Christmas, I didn’t think even I gotthisgiddy at markets. Maybe he was faking it all to get me to lower my guard.
So, I did my best to act indifferent. But, even though I knew my father had hired this guy, and even though I was growing increasingly pissed about it, Theo was… adorable. Every once in a while I forgot it was all for show and caught myself smiling at his enthusiasm and enjoying the market.
At last we found some masks. Theo actually gasped when he found one of a reindeer. It was brown, but edged with red and white velvet. A pair of short antlers curved up from the sides and the whole thing was completed by a red set of velvet reins, draped over the shoulders of the mannequin wearing it.
“Oh, this is amazing,” Theo breathed, running his fingers over it.
I already had a boring, plain mask, but while I waited for him to make his purchase, a snow leopard mask caught my eye.My father couldn’t get mad about that, could he? He certainly couldn’t complain that a snow leopard was too Christmasy. Just as I talked myself out of it, Theo returned with his carefully wrapped package.
“That’s beautiful!” he said. “I love snow leopards. They’re so graceful and… and fluffy.”
I laughed and caught myself right before thanking him. He was human, after all, I couldn’t go and tell him I was a snow leopard.
“Going to buy it?”
“Why not?” I said, losing my argument with myself.
After my mask was paid for, we headed for the sweater section. The entire way there I intended to drop off Theo and do my own errands, but I felt compelled to stay with him. By the time we had browsed a dozen stalls, and each bought a sweater, we were both hungry. We followed our noses to the food court and ate lunch together.
After that we browsed until we heard the call that the final bus was heading up to the resort.
“Oh crap,” I groaned. “I forgot to get my toothpaste.” How had I lost track of the time that badly?!
“Is that what you needed to buy?” Theo asked.
“Among other things, but that’s the pressing one.” I could get by without everything else I had forgotten, but I needed toothpaste before bed.
“You could swing by my room for a dollop… if you… if you want,” he said shyly.
“Oh, thanks!”
“I’m surprised the lodge doesn’t sell any.”
“Yeah…” I considered it. The lodge didn’t have a shop at all. There was nothing but a rack of t-shirts and postcards in the lobby, and some board wax and other ski supplies in the rental area. “I should do something about that…”
The ambient music cut off and a voice replaced it. “Last call! The last bus for Balsam Haven leaves in five minutes.”
“Oh no!” we cried.
As we jogged together toward the exit, it started snowing lightly. Like several other patrons, we decided to take a short cutthrougha skating rink. I couldn’t say who reached out first, but my hand caught Theo’s and we half-slid, half-ran across the ice together, laughing and skidding as we went.
We went past several more rows of vendors and all the way to the bus stop before I realized we were still holding hands. I let go quickly and acted like I was checking my bags. We lined up to board and ended up being separated.
For just a moment, I considered trying to swap seats.
“What the hell are you doing, Shaun?” I hissed to myself.
