“Pequeña,” he said sharply. “You are not stuck and you are not claustrophobic.”
“I might be!”
“Well, you’re not.”
Just because he said it didn’t make something so. But then he stood her up and started to drag off the layers. With each one that was pulled off, she felt lighter and happier.
Finally, she was down to eight pairs of panties and a single pair of yoga pants and a long-sleeved top.
“I am free!” She danced a jig.
“What did you think you were doing?” he demanded. Then he held up a hand as she went to speak. “No, don’t say anything. I know full well what you were doing. What were you thinking?”
She opened her mouth and again, he held up his hand.
“No, don’t say anything. I know full well what you were thinking.”
Sheesh, why did he keep asking her stuff if he clearly already knew the answers?
Made no sense at all.
Still, she decided to reply because she wanted to make sure that he really did know what she’d been thinking.
“Papi, I was thinking that I don’t deserve a spanking!”
“You don’t deserve a spanking? Are you sure about that? What were you caught doing this afternoon?”
“I was trying to get to Evil Elfie!”
“Get to Evil Elfie?” he repeated. “Why would you need to get to the elf? And why is he evil?”
Because he kept tattling on her to Santa and Papi.
Hmm. That probably wasn’t what she should tell Papi, though.
“I was worried about him,” she lied.
But it was all right because she crossed her fingers behind her back. So then it didn’t count toward naughty girl points with Santa.
That was a well-known fact.
“Worried about him?” he repeated.
“I mean, he was a long way up, what if he fell?”
“Kitten, are you lying to me?” he queried as he sat back on the sofa and crooked a finger at her.
“Um. What makes you say that?” She slowly walked over to him, and he lifted her onto his lap so she was sitting sideways across it.
“Because you spend most of your time glaring at the elf. And you called him Evil Elfie.”
“How do you know that? Did he tell you? That tattletale!”
But, seriously, howdidhe know that she glared at him?
“Yes, he told me that you glare at him. Sometimes, Santa is busy so the elf reports back to Daddies and Papis. Your elf has a lot to say.”
“All of it are lies!”
