Page 26 of The Holiday Grump
Wayne sat up, frowning. “In the middle of the night?”
Eileen grinned. “Yes! We think it might have been an angel. Or an elf! Christmas is coming, after all.”
Wayne stared back, his bushy eyebrows knitted. “Who would do that? It makes no sense!”
Eileen’s lips quirked. “Well, that’s why we’re thinking an elf.”
I wasn’t sure if she believed in magical things or just enjoyed taunting him. Maybe it was both.
I nearly fell off my chair when she suddenly whipped around and pinned her gaze on me. “Noelle! I haven’t forgotten your drink. Hang on…”
I nodded, a half-smile frozen on my face, as she rushed back behind the counter. Did she know it was me? Did the café have security cameras? I hadn’t even thought of that.
“I would have cleared the steps, had sheasked,” Wayne grumbled, half to himself, half to me.
“Mmm.” I nodded in agreement.
A moment later, Eileen delivered my coffee. Nothing about her behavior seemed suspicious, so I relaxed a little. Maybe I was imagining things.
Hugging the steaming paper cup to my chest, I walked back to the store. My store. It was starting to feel slightly “mine” now that I’d begun putting things on the shelves.Everything on the ship was pretty much nailed down, for obvious reasons, so you couldn’t do a whole lot to personalize your space. It was funny how the simple act of deciding where something should go could make you feel at home.
I worked all day, only stopping for some crackers and cheese from my dwindling stash. I didn’t drink anything after my coffee to avoid needing to use the bathroom. In the afternoon, the store looked a lot better. The shelves were stacked, and the cardboard boxes flattened into a neat pile.
Despite my inadequate liquid intake, by the time the Christmas lights flickered on behind the window, my bladder was full. I also had a mild headache, probably from dehydration. Accepting my fate, I threw on my coat and grabbed the bookstore key. But as I reached for the door handle, I got a fright. Someone stood right outside my window. In fact, they were pushing the door as I pulled it, resulting in the door flinging open with a violent force, the bell over it ringing like an alarm. I looked up at a middle-aged Korean man with fluffy earmuffs and a concerned expression.
“Hello.” The man bowed slightly and peered at the room around me.
“Hello?”
“You must be Noelle. I am In-soo Young. Good work.” He nodded graciously.
Mr. Young—my boss! I’d never met him in person, only via email and phone. I sucked in a sharp breath, trying to pull myself together.
“Thank you so much for this opportunity.” I backed away from the door to allow him to explore the shop. “Ihaven’t put up all the prices yet. I’m still sorting out the best placements for everything. I didn’t know you were coming.”
The older man flashed me a wicked smile. “I come like a thief in the night. You won’t know when…” He slowed down his movements until he came to a halt, peeking at me from behind a shelf, then suddenly jumped, eyes bulging.
He probably thought he was hilarious, but I was far too wired for this comedy show. When he jumped, I jerked like a startled rabbit, nearly peeing my pants.
Mr. Young laughed, holding his stomach. “That’s right. I do spot checks. You won’t see me coming.”
Oh great.
I sucked in deep breaths, trying to settle my heart rate and hold the smile on my face. “Of course,” I said. “It’s your store.”
Mr. Young explored the space, running his finger down each shelf, straightening boxes of fairy lights, and switching the order of ornaments I’d hung on a display stand. Then he pivoted on his heels and headed to the back room.
My heart pounded like I was in the middle of a proper anxiety attack. Maybe I was. It had been a long time since my last one, but I recognized the signs. I sprinted for the door and got there at the same time, but there was nothing I could do.
My boss opened the door, and there they were—my belongings, scattered across the room. There was the backpack, half open on the floor by the window, with an open toiletry bag next to it. Two sweaters teetered on top of the boxes on the desk, and the towel I’d borrowed from Fredrik hung over the edge of the bed, next to a laundry bag full of used underwear. Asheerlaundry bag. That was where I’dstuffed my delicates, waiting for the next trip to the laundromat.
Mr. Young turned around to face me, looking alarmed. “You sleep here?”
I shook my head. “No! No. Of course not. You said it’s?—”
“Not allowed! Building code is for retail use only. You will get us kicked out.”
Pearls of sweat gathered between my shoulder blades as my heart hammered on. “No, I understand. This is not what it looks like.” I cringed at the cliché line.
