Page 6 of Jingl
He’s laughing at me as I run the last few steps to get to him.
Storage bags of fluffy fake snow with speckles of silver glitter overflows around us. I love how it helps transform this wing of the mall into something magical. Santa’s throne is huge and the dark green velvet is still wrapped in protective cloth. Jack Winters—the owner of Frostdale Mall, and pretty much all of Frostdale itself—sprung for a good quality Santa seat years ago. Momentarily distracted, I look around. It’ll take time, but by the end of the day, this place is going to be a beautiful winter wonderland fit for the king of the North Pole.
Alec squeezes my shoulder, bringing me back into the here and now. “I forget how excited you get seeing everything.”
My eyes snap to him, taking in every feature. Alec is drop dead gorgeous. He’s a photographer, but he could be a model if he wanted. Dark hair, dark eyes, an easy smile. Unfortunately, I latched on to him as a teen in need of an older brother mentor type. He fit the bill, and I just never let go.
“Alrighty, sparkle cheeks, lay it all on me.”
“I don’t know.” I throw my head back. “Trace thinks I’m cute and my brain is all like, what is happening? You know the part in that creepy stop motion Rudolph movie where Clarice calls Rudolph cute, and he gets so excited that he flies? Then his disguise falls off and the other reindeers mock him. I’m just waiting for something to happen. It’s not exactly the same. But there’s no turning back. Is there?” My chest is on fire.
“Hey. Hey. Take a deep breath.” Alec squeezes my arms. “I’ve gotten real good at cuddling lately. If you need some cuddles?” He eyes the bags of fluffy fake snow. “Platonic cuddles, of course.”
The idea is so absurd, I burst out laughing. “I think I’m good? But…” I drop my head and whisper, “whatdoI do?”
Alec shrugs. “You can do a lot or a little. Message him back something cute. You’re a damn flirt. Play it up and see if he plays back.”
I shake my head. “Not happening.”
“Why not?” Alec cocks his brow as he places his hands on his hips.
I throw my hands down. “Fine, fine. You know how I feel about him.” What I keep denying to even myself most days.
“Like the crisp air on a pretty spring day. Like the most pleasant fall evening. Like hot apple pie with ice cream. Like the most delicate snowflakes falling on Christmas morning. You love him.”
My cheeks burn as I look around to make sure no one heard all that. At several points of my life, I’d said all that about Trace to Alec and I have to growl at younger me for being so flowery and poetic.
“I love him enough that I don’t want to ruin everything we have. I can’t encourage him. He’s just moving back. I… might be lead pianist. We have the mall. I have classes.”
Alec snorts and grabs my shoulders. “What are you so afraid of?”
“Everything? I don’t know. And maybe he just thinks I’m cute, and that’s all there is to it. I think he’s—”
“The cutest guy you ever met,” he imitates a younger voice, using more of my past words against me. “I’ve known you a long time. Shoot your damn shot already.” Alec squeezes my arm one more time. “Come on, show me how this goes.”
“Hey!” Nate shows up with a bag of what I hope are sugar cookies. He’s on his third year of elf-ing and makesthe besttreats. “Hope I’m not late.” He lifts a to-go cup to his lips as he holds out the bag of treats. “Figured I can bribe you for forgiveness with cookies.”
Alec snatches the bag and opens it with a moan before grabbing a cookie and sinking his teeth in.
“You’re supposed to share,” Nate says. The dimples in his cheeks pop when he grins at Alec hoarding the sweets.
“I’ll hand them over when Shae tells Trace how he feels.”
My mouth drops open. “That’s so unfair!”
Nate snickers. “Still keeping quiet?”
“Yep,” Alec says. “And this morning he got a text from Trace that said—”
“Hey boys,” Jack Winters strolls into the space. I’ve known him a long time and though he’s a local celebrity because he’s loaded and his family founded the city, I know he’s just a down-to-earth kind of guy. Flora, his two-year-old daughter, squirms in his arms.
“Down!” Flora demands.
Jack chuckles and kneels. “You have to be good. We’ll put the wrist leash on.”
But before he can dig it out, Flora squeals and darts to me. “Gee Gee!”
I drop to my knees and scoop her up. “That’s right. Jingle.”
