Page 466 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
I felt my cheeks burn and tried not to smile. “And how is that?”
Aleena cut the bottom half of the price tag off the slippers and folded up a gift receipt. She stapled it to the top of the still attached tag and began wrapping. “Like he’s realizing how dumb he is for never noticing you before,” she said simply. “Like he wants to eat you.”
“Eat me?” I laughed.
Her eyes flicked up. “Has he?”
“Has he what?” I asked innocently.
“Eaten you?”
“Aleena,” I scolded. “He’s our boss!”
“That’s not a no.”
I grappled with what to say. If I admitted out loud that Chadwick and I had hooked up, there would be no going back to how things used to be. Then again, would there be any going back even if I didn’t tell Aleena? I could never pretend that Chadwick and I hadn’t shared some exquisite moments, and I certainly couldn’t pretend that I didn’t want to share more.
I swallowed. “Fine. It’s not a no.”
Aleena rolled back and kicked her feet in the air as she squealed. “Oh my gosh! I knew it! I can’t believe you kept this from me. Okay, okay, I kid. I understand why you didn’t tell me, but holy shit, Tinsely, this is huge! Wait, I have to know, is he huge?” She pumped her eyebrows.
“I’m not telling you that.”
She let out a gleeful shriek. “Okay, well what will you tell me? Is he good? He must be. How did it happen? Where did it happen? Is it going to happen again? Are you two an item?”
“Hold your horses.” I laughed. “I can only answer one question at a time. But no, I don’t think we’re an item. We haven’t really had a chance to talk about what this is, and maybe that’s for the best. Sometimes it’s good to just let a thing unfold on its own without putting labels on it, right?”
She shrugged. “Whatever works for you, works for me. Is it going to be weird being at the party tomorrow night with him with everyone around?”
“Why would it be weird?”
She shrugged once more. “I don’t know. Up until now you guys have pretty much been flying solo, but now you’ll have to balance this thing between you around people you both know.”
I frowned. That hadn’t occurred to me.
Aleena waved it off. “Never mind, I’m sure it will be fine. Chadwick is going to lose his mind when he sees you in that dress though. He has no idea what’s coming.”
I smiled. “I kind of hope so. I’m tired of wearing the elf costume.”
“Honey, after he sees you in that dress, he’s never going to want you to put that costume on again.”
CHAPTER 24
CHADWICK
I sat in Santa’s chair at the office, scratching at the fake white beard secured to my face by two elastic bands around my ears. The damn thing was too small, and it hurt my ears, itched my face, and left white plastic strands of hair plastered to the front of my dark red suit.
The children of my employees definitely didn’t seem to care, though. They hopped up on my lap one after another and posed for pictures with their parents while I asked them what they wanted for Christmas.
During a break, my father squeezed my shoulder. “You’re a natural at this.”
“I don’t know if that’s a compliment.”
“It is. Where’s your elf? Shouldn’t she be here by now?”
I scoured the faces of everyone at the party but didn’t spot Tinsely. “She’ll be here.”
Aleena and several other friends of Tinsely’s gathered at the bar set up outside of my father’s office. A mixologist spun martini shakers and garnished sugared rims with lemon wedges. The liquor had started running freely about an hour ago, and within another forty-five minutes or so, the children would be ushered away so the adults-only part of the night could begin.
