On Sunday afternoon, Drew showed up at Rosie’s apartment dressed in his Santa gear. When she greeted him at the door, he couldn’t help but stare. Clad in the red-and-green elf costume he’d loaned her, she looked decidedly…sexy.
Clearly, the costume was a size too small for her curvy build—an observation he should have made much sooner. The green bodice strained against her full breasts, and the flared red skirt hugged her butt. Beneath the skirt, dark green tights accentuated her shapely thighs and calves. The only part of her outfit that wasn’t lust-inspiring was her black ankle boots.
Rosie placed her hands on her hips. “I know I look like ‘Santa’s sexy little helper,’ but this costume is obviously meant for someone smaller than I am.”
“Sorry. I didn’t think this through. Which is a huge fail, considering I work with people’s bodies all the time.” He took off his Santa hat and scraped a hand through his hair. “There’s no excuse for my ignorance. You don’t have to come.”
“Are you saying you don’t want me there? Do you know how hard it was to get this outfit on?”
“No, I’d love to have you join me. As long as you don’t…um…bend over. That skirt’s pretty short, and—”
“No problem. I’m covered.” With a laugh, she flipped up her skirt, revealing bike shorts underneath. “I won’t be flashing anyone today, I promise.”
He blew out a ragged breath. If he spent any more time staring at her, he might lose all self-control. They needed to leave—now.
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s get going. I stashed the sack of presents in the trunk of my car.”
On the drive, she switched the music to a holiday station and sang along enthusiastically. She’d been so busy this week that he was grateful to get a little time with her.
“You doing okay?” he asked. “I haven’t seen you at the gym since Monday.”
“I know, and I hate that,” she grumbled. “I was just getting into a good workout routine. But with the holiday events and all the new guests, I’ve been swamped.”
“Let me guess—the displaced guests from the Duke require an extra level of service?”
“Some of them have been great. But there are others who are upset that our hotel isn’t up to the Duke’s standards. It’s a lot for the front desk to deal with, so I’ve been running interference.”
It annoyed him that people would be so petty. And he hated the thought of anyone treating Rosie rudely. “I hope they aren’t being too obnoxious.”
“I can handle it. On the plus side, our numbers are looking good. But this past week, we did four happy hours. Then, yesterday, after our family event ended, I stayed until ten.”
He winced, imagining how tired she must have been. “Sorry I couldn’t stick around to help you clean up.”
“You did more than enough, playing Santa again. And I had plenty of help. I’m glad you got to take your sister out for her birthday. How’d it go?”
“Really well. I made reservations at our favorite Italian place and got there early enough to tell them it was Kate’s birthday. After dinner, the waitstaff brought her a piece of cheesecake with a candle on it and sang to her. Kind of a goofy gesture, but she appreciated it.” He was glad he’d carved out time for Kate, especially since their parents had neglected to call her. “I wish you could have come with me.”
“Me, too. After the Damsels helped me clean up, I spent hours in my office getting my inbox under control. AndthenPreston wanted me to come in today to deal with a bunch of other shit. I went in for a few hours this morning, but I’m glad I had an excuse to leave early.”
Drew didn’t want to nag her, but he couldn’t hold his tongue any longer. Not when it seemed like her boss was taking advantage of her. “I know you don’t mind working the extra hours, but he’s asking an awful lot of you. Have you told him how exhausted you are?”
Rather than respond defensively, she sighed in resignation. “No, but I doubt it would make a difference. He knows how much I want to keep my job, so he’s going to push me hard. In all fairness, he’s got a lot riding on this holiday initiative. When the owners hired him, they expected results.”
Even so, she shouldn’t be shouldering so much of the burden. At the last family dinner Drew had attended, Rosie’s parents had chastised her for spending too many hours at the hotel. Though he hadn’t sided with them, he was starting to wonder if they were right. No matter how much she loved her job, she was letting it take priority over everything else, even her own self-care.
As a trainer, he’d seen what happened when clients were so fixated on their careers that they didn’t make time for relaxation and physical activity. They often burned out and ended up miserable. He didn’t want that to happen to Rosie.
He parked outside the entrance of a nondescript, two-story building that resembled a small apartment complex. “A quick word about this place. It’s a temporary shelter for victims of domestic violence and their children. But it’s unmarked and not located on any public maps. They want to keep it that way.”
She nodded. “Are they okay with you showing up? No offense, but you’re a guy, and a lot of them are probably running from awful husbands.”
“I might be a guy, but I’m also Santa. When I called last week, the staff made sure everyone staying at the shelter would be comfortable with my visit. Just to warn you—some of these families have been through a lot. Even so, you can’t cry in front of them. Our mission is to spread joy.”
“I’ll stay upbeat. I promise.”
Upon entering the shelter, they headed for the lobby. The first time Drew had seen it, he’d been pleasantly surprised. Even if the linoleum was scuffed and the furniture was slightly worn, the walls were covered with vibrant paintings—flowers, streetscapes, and mountain scenes. Rainbow-striped rugs and potted plants added more pops of color. But as welcoming as the place appeared, the people staying here had endured a lot of hardships. Last December, during his initial visit, he’d struggled to control his emotions. Playing the role of Santa hadn’t been easy when his heart was nearly breaking.
But he’d told himself if he could brighten someone’s day—even for an hour or two—then it was worth the effort.
