Page 65 of Santa Has a Six-Pack
But that’s not it.
I just plain want her in my life.
When I don’t answer, he says, “Penny said she wanted to be friends, right?”
I sigh. “Yeah?”
“So here’s a wild idea.” He pauses for dramatic effect. “Why don’t you actually try being her friend?”
I scrub my hands over my face and stare up at the ceiling.
“For what it’s worth,” Gene continues. “I have personal experience being Matt Barbera’s friend. He’s pretty good at it.”
I smile. “Thanks, man.”
Damnit, he’s right.
I hate it when Eugene’s right.
Get ready, Penny Whitaker. Matt Barbera is about to become your new BFF.
Chapter 17
Penny
“Penn?” Keira’s voice carries across the storage room.
It’s Saturday morning—another lap-sitting event is happening downstairs—and I am currently upstairs, elbow deep in a cardboard box full of Christmas panties.
“In here!” I shout, my voice muffled as I dive into the box headfirst.
“What are you doing?” she asks when she reaches me, my feet tipping in the air. She yanks my skirt down where it’s riding up my thighs.
I emerge from the box, out of breath. “Looking for XL Ho panties. A lady needed an extra-large yesterday, and I promised her I’d find her some this weekend. I’ll be damned if our plus-sized customers can only find small and extra small options available at our store.”
“I wasn’t aware we carried ‘ho panties,’” Keira says.
“They say ho, ho, ho on the butt,” I explain. “Those suckers fly off the shelves this time of year. They market themselves.”
“Cool, cool,” she says, not sounding all that interested. “When I asked what you’re doing just now, I was really asking ‘why are you up here in storage with your ass in the air when you should be in Santa’s Village handling Matthew?’”
“Matthew?” I scoff. “Since when do you call him Matthew? I mean, is that even his full name?”
“I would assume so.”
“Could be Matthias,” I say. “Or Mathilda. Mattholomew, maybe?”
Keira looks at me curiously. “You’re hiding from him, huh?”
“Hiding from who?”
“Mattholomew.” She smiles.
“I’m not hiding from anyone,” I say and promptly dive back into the box.
If I’ve learned anything this week, there is no hiding from Matt Barbera. He’s everywhere. But the scary thing is, I no longer seem to mind. In fact, I look forward to seeing him. At Herald’s. At Holiday Schmoliday rehearsal (I still can’t believe that is the actual title). And at this very moment, I’m actively hoping Keira will ask me to do her another favor and film more workouts with Matt so I can begrudgingly say yes and see him at Bossfit too.
For the record, I can’t stand Bossfit.
