“Hey guys!”Milo came over and instantly nestled into Antonio’s embrace.If Tom wasn’t hopelessly crushing on Antonio, he might’ve found them to be adorable.
Kirsten shot Tom a stealth eye-roll.
“How’s the holiday rush so far?”Milo asked.
“Not bad,” Tom said.“Still girding my loins though.”
“My friend at Toys ‘R’ Us said that two dads got into a fist fight over aCarscamping set.Some stores have all the fun,” Kirsten said.
“At my last store, two women almost got into it over a trivet.I separated them just in time,” Antonio said, laughing at the memory.
He had a great laugh.It filled up his whole glorious chest and made his teeth shine brightly in his full mouth.
“What’s a trivet, babe?”Milo asked.
Tom didn’t look her way, but he knew Kirsten had another eye-roll reserved forbabe.She made life bearable.
“It’s a plate you put under a hot serving dish so you don’t damage your table,” Tom said.
“And that was worth fighting over?”Milo asked.
“I guess,” Tom said.
“Speaking of something to fight over...”Kirsten’s eyes bugged out, and Tom followed her stare.“He’s here.”
Hot Mall Santa spun the ornament display in the front of the store.
“That’s your mall’s Santa?”Milo asked.“Damn.”
“I don’t get the hype,” Antonio said.“He’s not that attractive.”
“Oh, come on, babe.”
“I don’t get it.”Antonio narrowed his eyes at Hot Mall Santa for a second before they flicked to Tom, perhaps judging if Tom was as smitten.
“Hey.”Hot Mall Santa waved to Tom, sending a ginormous spotlight shining on his face.
“Hey,” Tom said, feeling the heat of his co-workers’ looks.
“So this is where you work?”
“Yeah.”
“Cool.”
Other customers stopped what they were doing and joined in staring at this piece of beauty in their presence.Hot Mall Santa acted like none of them existed, like he and Tom were in a play, and the show had to go on.
“Which ornament should I get?”Hot Mall Santa spun the display.“I don’t want a glass one because I’ll break it.”
“You can hang me on your tree,” Kirsten said under her breath.
“I like the wooden one of the giftbox.”Tom picked out the ornament for him.It was painted blue with a red bow.“It’s simple.Not overtly Christmas.”
“Just slyly references it and goes about its day.”
“Yeah.”Am I smiling like a complete doofus?Tom caught his reflection in a wreath-framed mirror.Yep.
“Okay then.”Hot Mall Santa lifted the giftbox ornament off the display.“I don’t like when everything is red and green.I prefer some variety with my Christmas decorations.Where do I pay?”
