“Well, if something changes and she comes, I’ll be sure to give her someextraspecial treatment.” I wink.
She laughs, but shakes her head fast. “God,no. You’ll get me fired.”
I wriggle my eyebrows at her. “Or I’ll fix your Christmas problems.”
“You won’t get the opportunity, because she won’t come,” she repeats, tilting her head side to side with each word.
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my phone. “Okay,fine. I’ll text the crew now and see who’s available and up for it.”
Joy literally flies from the counter she was resting on, now leaning on the island directly across from me. “Can you try to make sure Tulip comes?”
A smirk takes over my lips as my fingers freeze on the phone screen. “Only if you’re ready to admit thehugecrush you have on her.”
She purses her lips, straightening her posture as her wings go still behind her.
She grips the edge of the counter. “It’s not…It’s…She’s…Fine. I have a raging crush on her, so can you pretty please make sure she comes to the party?”
“Is there at least going to be mistletoe for you two tofinallykiss beneath?” I tease, smooching the air.
Her cheeks flame up and she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “Theremaybe some mistletoe…”
Teasing her even more, I taunt, “Maybe I’ll take your boss under the mistletoe…”
“Stop,” Joy begs, letting out a laugh. “Send your text and give me an answer so I can get home and make dinner.”
“Fine, fine.” I finish typing out my text and send it to the group chat. “Want me to see if Tulip wants to join you for dinner, too?”
Before I know it, Joy is around the island and has snatched my phone from my hands. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her move that fast in the twenty years I’ve known her.
Her eyebrows are furrowed as she grips the phone in her hands. “No.I’ll ask her myself eventually…when we get to that point.”
“I’m pretty sure togetto that point, you actually have to talk to her,” I say, still smiling. “Not just stare lustfully from across the strip club and make weird sounds when she gets close.”
Joy smacks my shoulder with her free hand. “Hey, that’snotwhat I do. I stare inadmiration, and lose the ability to speak when she’s around. You make it sound so lame.”
“It is.Youare lame,” I agree, earning another smack to the shoulder. I wag a finger at her. “You better watch it, or I’ll turn you to stone.”
My snakes let out a warning hiss, and she eyes them closely. She hands me my phone, crossing her arms and tipping her chin up.
“You wouldn’t stone me, not after how mad I was last time,” she says, calling my bluff. “I’mstillmad, by the way.”
Rolling my eyes, I remind her, “Joy, that was when we were liketen.”
“And I’m still mad,” she repeats, giving me a side-eye. “How about now I repay the favor, and play a little faerie trick onyou?”
I cock a brow at her. “Faeries aren’t tricksters like pixies. Who do you think you’re fooling?”
My phone dings in my hand, and instantly she drops the act, leaning close to peer at the screen. She’s definitely not still mad.
I open the text from the group chat, seeing that Tulip is the first to respond—and she’s in.
“Well, Tulip’s coming—should I tell the others not to bother?” I joke, hovering my thumb over the screen.
Joy points a finger a few inches away from my face, and my snakes hiss. Her eyes dart up to them before meeting mine once more.
Lowering her finger, she grabs her coat from where it’s draped over the back of a chair. “You think you’resofunny with your little jokes.”
“IknowI’m funny,” I correct, giving her a wink.
