Page 21 of The Best Little Christmas Shop
‘Yes.
Maybe.
I returned my concentration to my phone. ‘Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!’ I was staring at the laughing face emoticon put in the comments to the elf picture by one of my ex-colleagues at the Formula One team.
Dan leant over. ‘Ooh… shared. Good advertising. Well done, Lex.’
‘Nooo, it’s not! Sodding Facebook. All it’s done is advertised what an idiot I look. That’s now popping up on the timeline of various team members, other teams, and drivers! I’m a bloody laughing stock!’
Dan wrapped an arm around me. ‘No, you’re not.’
‘No one who sees that will ever take me seriously.’
‘It’s Christmas and you’re helping out yourfamily. You’re dressed as an elf, Lex. It could certainly be worse.’
‘How could it possibly be worse?’
‘Oh, talk of the devil. Here comes Cal.’
Great. It just got worse.
‘Hello.’
I waved a large-gloved hand. ‘Hi.’
‘Hey, Dan, how are you?’ Cal and my brother shook hands as I glanced back towards the shop front, wondering if I could make a run for it. My gaze drifted down to my oversized,curly-toed shoes. Running was most definitely out of the question.
‘Lexi!’ George appeared from a group of children and came charging towards me. Instinctively, I bent down and caught him, lifting him up and swinging him around for a moment before popping him back down. His cherubic little cheeks were rosy from the cold and excitement and his bobble hat kept slipping a little over his eyes. Calbent and tugged the hat back a bit.
‘You look like a real elf!’
‘What makes you think I’m not a real one?’
George giggled. ‘You’re too big.’
‘I’ll have you know that Father Christmas likes all sorts of shapes and sizes when it comes to elves, just as he should.’
‘But you don’t have a beard.’
‘That’s because I’m a girl.’
He thought about that one for a minute, then shook his head, stillgiggling. ‘I don’t really think you’re an elf but I like that you look like one.’
Dan crouched down to join us. ‘I heard a rumour –’
I shot him a glance and beneath the fake facial hair I could see the lines around his eyes crinkle.
‘– that the elves inside the shop have some free cake and biscuits. Do you want to come and see if that’s true?’
George looked up at his dad. Cal nodded. ‘I’llbe in in a minute.’
Dan bent down. ‘It’s kind of busy in there so up you jump. We don’t want someone stepping on you now, do we?’
‘No! I definitely don’t want to be stepped on,’ George said, all seriousness. Cal smothered a smile.
With barely any effort, Dan hefted George onto his back and trudged into the shop, lifting his feet high with each step in order to accommodate the ridiculous shoes.
‘How are you?’ Cal asked, his eyes scanning my face.
