Iget the notification for the email when I’m walking to the Christmas village, wearing a thick green sweater dress and insulated tights, head bowed against the wind.
At first, I think it’s some sort of generalized rejection message, but something tells me to open it.
SUBJECT: Today, Tomorrow Letters to Santa Contest
From: [email protected]
Happy holidays!
I’m writing to you from the office ofToday, Tomorrow—your premiere Chicago morning show. We’ve received your submission for theToday, TomorrowLetters to Santa Contest and are delighted to inform you that we’ve selected your son, AUGUSTUS HARPER, to come on our show and tell Chicago what he’s asking for this holiday season.
Please email us back at your earliest convenience to let us know if you’ll be able to make it. We sincerely hope so, as his letter delighted and charmed us all.
With warm regards,
Zoe Smythe
Today, Tomorrow(Chicago)
Guest Coordinator
“Jules!”
I look up just in time to keep from walking right into Sienna, who’s standing outside the booth, her hands up in defense, since I’m about to bowl her over.
“Shit, sorry,” I say, swerving out of her way at the last second.
“What’s on your phone?” she asks, looking past me and to the crosswalk, a dubious expression on her face. “And how did you not get hit by traffic on your way over?”
She’s right—I would not have been a good example of awareness as I walked through the busy city and read that email at the same time.
Rather than relaying the email myself, I just hand my phone over, watching as she drinks it in, a smile spreading over her face. When she hands it back, she offers me a rare smile.
“That’s actually kind of cool. Help me unload some of this stuff?”
Sienna has always been like this. Reserved, a bit flat. I like to think that I know her well enough to see under the thick layer she keeps between herself and everyone else. Coincidentally, she and I actually went to high school together back in New York. As teenagers, we weren’t close. But when we crossed paths at Elemint—me onboarding, Sienna on her way out, resigning to work on her line of home and beauty products—and got coffee. That was nearly five years ago now, and our friendship has gone on strong and steady, if not littered with laughter and hugs.
We move into the booth together and start lining up candles and salves, all scented with natural oils. They smell like Christmas, like fresh fallen snow, like cinnamon and clove.
“I have no idea what he asked for,” I say, a strange sense of nervousness budding in my chest when I think about someone else reading the letter. Crayons? A gaming console? A new apartment?
I can only hope it’s something I can actually afford.
“Probably a T-Rex,” Sienna says, matter-of-factly, which puts me at ease. She’s right—it was probably something cute like that. That’s why they saiddelighted and charmed.
We fall into the rhythm of the work, selling and packing up lip balm, perfumes, lotions, and oils. When we hit the first lull of the evening, I remember that there’s something else I need to tell her—something else that was on my mind before I got that email on my walk over.
“Remember that gala I told you about?”
“Yes.” She eyes me while she wraps up an online pre-order like it’s my fault we haven’t already talked about this. “What happened?”
Before getting that email, I’d gone back and forth about whether or not to tell her the whole truth, but once I open my mouth, everything comes tumbling out.
While working at the market, I have a tendency to talk while Sienna listens. So, she already knew about the arrangement between Russell and me—which is part of why she referenced Pretty Woman when I told her about Ettie and I shopping Gold Coast—but I haven’t had a chance to tell her about the proposal, the cutting remarks from Evony, how Russell defended me and kept me at his side all night, like he didn’t want anyone else to even look at me.
Sienna responds like I knew she would.What a bitch,about Evony.Hmm,about Russell’s hands all over me.
