Page 421 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
“You’ve literally never looked cuter, Tinsel. I can’t help it.”
I looked him up and down. “At least one of us looks good. I have to say, red velvet isn’t your look, Chadwick.”
He tugged at the lapel of his suit and smoothed it out. “At least I don’t have to wear it for long.”
Hugh chimed in as the photographer settled behind the camera. “Actually, sir, you have to keep it on after this. You and Ms. Miller will be heading straight to Rockefeller Center for the lighting ceremony.”
“Wonderful,” Chadwick grumbled, and I was glad that he seemed, at least momentarily, as put out by this whole thing as I was. “Smile, Ms. Miller. No, not your pretty smile. Your dorky elf smile.”
“Dorky elf smile?” I wondered aloud.
He chuckled and turned to me while the photographer snapped photo after photo, lighting the room up with every flash. “Yeah, try showing all your teeth, like a kid learning to smile for the first time.”
I rolled my eyes.
The camera flashed.
Chadwick reached behind my head, pinched both of my pigtails in each hand, and held them up while he grinned at the camera and I scowled.
Another camera flash.
The photographer nodded. “Good. Very good! Keep doing things like that.”
Yep. It was official.
I was in Hell.
CHAPTER 6
CHADWICK
In the back of the limo, I poured Tinsely and myself a glass of champagne.
She watched me with her lips pressed together and one candy cane striped leg crossed over the other. Minutes ago she’d been bouncing one foot to the beat of the music, and when I laughed at the bell jingling on the toe of her shoe, she’d promptly gone still and started to brood. I’d never seen someone who could look so adorable when they were angry.
I handed her one of the glasses of bubbly and she arched an eyebrow.
“Are we allowed to drink?” she asked.
“Why not?”
“Because we’re on the clock.”
“Tinsel, I’m your boss now, and I say drink the damn champagne. You’re going to need it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Chuckling, I leaned back against the seat and looked out the tinted windows of the limo as we approached Rockefeller Center. The sidewalks were jam packed with pedestrians and traffic was almost at a standstill. “Elves are supposed to be chipper and cheerful, right? The champagne will help loosen you up. You’ve had your stockings in a knot since you put that outfit on.”
“Can you blame me?” She scowled.
“Personally, I think you look adorable.”
She scoffed. “Oh, well then let me put my worries aside now that I’ve been validated by New York City’s biggest player who would chase after anything in spandex.”
“I have standards.”
“Suuure you do.” She sipped her champagne and left a red imprint of her lips on the rim of the crystal flute.
