Page 453 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
I hissed at her to be quiet when Hugh shot us a curious glance.
She giggled. “You two go on without me. I’m actually going to use the ladies’ room before I go. Have fun with Naughty Santa today, Tinsel.”
I prickled. “Don’t call me that, Aleena! I don’t want it to stick!”
“Already stuck, babe, sorry,” she called over her shoulder.
I shot a dark look at Hugh as we got on the elevator.
He gave me a weak shrug. “It’s true. Everyone calls you Tinsel behind your back.”
I sighed. “Damn it. Of course they do.”
Hugh busied himself with his phone while we rode down to the lobby, where Chadwick stood waiting for us, chatting with the building’s security guard, Josh.
Josh looked up when he saw me coming and smiled. “Ms. Miller, I have to say, these costumes of yours keep getting better and better.”
“Nobody asked, Josh,” I said with a teasing smile.
He chuckled.
Chadwick straightened and looked dashing as ever in his velvet suit. He wore the matching Santa hat, and as he looked back and forth between Josh and me, the cotton ball on the end of it swished back and forth behind him. “She’s cute, huh?”
“Quite,” Josh agreed.
I blushed and started walking toward the doors. “Let’s go, Mr. Bamford. We have work to do.”
He tugged at the lapel of his jacket. “Mr. Bamford? It’s Naughty Santa, little elf.”
I hid my smile and rolled my eyes while Andrew, our beloved doorman, opened the front doors for me. He at least had the wisdom to say nothing about my costume. Instead, he wished me a good day as he did every time we saw each other, and I hurried out of the cold into the back of the limo pulled over to the curb.
Chadwick slid in the back of the limo and pumped his eyebrows. “Finally, I have you to myself.”
Blushing, I opened my mouth to say something sassy but promptly closed it again when Hugh got in after Chadwick.
We both stared at his assistant.
Hugh looked back and forth between us. “What?”
“Are you coming with us?” Chadwick asked.
“Yes,” he said, his voice full of uncertainty. “Why?”
Chadwick shot me a devilish little smile before taking Hugh’s phone and calendar away from him, turning them upside down, and passing them back. “You know what, Hughie? I don’t think I show you enough gratitude for how hard you work around here. We’d be lost without you, me especially. I think you’ve earned the day off. What do you say to that?”
Hugh frowned. “I like working, sir.”
“I know you do.” Chadwick patted Hugh on the shoulder while simultaneously sliding across the seat and not so subtly pushing Hugh to the door. “But you’re going to burn yourself out, champ. Take the day off—paid of course. Really, you’ve earned it. Tinsely and I will be just fine at the market. Take it as a chance to get some Christmas shopping done. What do you say?”
Hugh stumbled out of the door and got his footing on the curb. “Well, I, uh…” He trailed off, rubbed the back of his neck, and looked down the street. “If you insist, sir. There’s this waitress I’ve been trying to catch but her shift is always when I’m working.”
Chadwick leaned out the back of the limo to grab the door. “A Christmas love story, would you look at that? Off you go. Good luck. Whatever you do, don’t invite her to stay for drinks at her own restaurant.”
“That’s bad?”
Chadwick sighed. “Take her somewhere new, Hughie. Woo her. Put in a little effort. You’ve got this.”
With that, Chadwick slammed the door and bellowed for the driver to go.
