“Yeah.”Maybe those dreams he once had of being with Antonio weren’t so off-base.Tom needed a glass of water.His hand shook slightly as he poured himself a cup from the watercooler.“We should—we should probably get started.”
“You’re right.That stockroom is a mess!”Antonio brushed past Tom, his heat pressing on Tom’s back.“I’ll see you out there.”
* * *
Tom and Antoniogot to work organizing the new influxes of boxes in the stockroom.They kept the spring seasonal stock separated from the general evergreen products.Antonio opened some of the spring seasonal boxes to see what new designs the Décor Store would be asking them to sell.Tom focused on keeping the stockroom in a workable condition, but Antonio kept scrambling his circuits.He would find ways to get close to him.Looking over his shoulder to get a look at what Tom was working on.Putting a brief hand on Tom’s lower back to maneuver around him when saying “excuse me” would have sufficed.It was all just left of appropriate employee conduct.Perhaps Tom was overanalyzing, but there came a point when enough ambiguous gestures coalesced around a common hypothesis.
I think Antonio is flirting with me.
“A butterfly scented candle.”Antonio read the label of the light pink pillar candle.“Flapping Wings.”
“How is it?”
“It smells like fresh flowers and cut grass.No butterflies.Why would they name it Flapping Wings?”
“I guess they ran out of spring names for these scents.”Many of them smelled the same and were rebranded to seem like new items each year.
“Here.Smell.”Antonio put a hand on Tom’s back and held Flapping Wings up to Tom’s nose.He watched Tom inhale the scent.They were so close Tom smelled him more than the candle.
“It’s yeah, grass and flowers.I still like it.”Tom’s cheeks heated up so much they could’ve lit Flapping Wings.
Antonio put Flapping Wings back in its box.Out of another one, he pulled a picture frame shaped like an Easter egg.He laughed to himself.
“I can’t believe we’re going to start putting this stuff on display next week,” Antonio said.“Retail moves at the speed of sound.”
“It’s fun,” Tom said.He wasn’t one of those people who complained about Christmas stock coming out after Labor Day.“Retail is all about anticipation.You get to look forward to new holidays and new seasons all the time.Anticipation is the best part.”
“What about the actual holiday?”
“Can’t live up to the anticipation.”Tom shrugged his shoulders, like that was his story and he was sticking to it despite feeling very nervous for some reason that he didn’t want to think about.
They continued moving around boxes and getting the stockroom in order.There were cubby areas for different types of stock which corresponded to sections in the store, an organization Tom made sure his fellow employees stuck to.He had to direct Antonio to the proper section for boxes he carried.
“You are a paragon, Tom.”Antonio rubbed his arm with his firm hand.If hands could smolder…but Tom would rather have the tender touch of Randall.
They took a break shortly thereafter for another slice of pizza and some water and coffee.Tom’s throat got that scratchy feeling when he stayed up late.Fortunately, he wasn’t opening tomorrow so he could sleep in.
“I’m sorry things didn’t work out with you and the Santa guy,” Antonio said.
Tom shrugged it off, feeling weird discussing this aspect of his personal life.
“It’s his loss.”
“I guess,” Tom said.
“It is,” Antonio said with conviction.“It’s his loss for not seeing what a wonderful, thoughtful, sharp guy you are.”
He wasn’t used to compliments and focused on his pizza.And he couldn’t get over the feeling that Antonio was flirting with him.Majorly flirting.Throughout their relationship, it was just Tom wishing and hoping and nothing happening.What changed?
“I’ve always known who you are.”Antonio looked at him with those intense eyes again.“I know I’ve said it a million times, but I don’t know what I’d do without you here.”
Something snapped inside Tom.Inside of swooning at such a nice compliment, it fired him up.If I’m so important to you, then why have I not been promoted?
Antonio was definitely flirting with him, but why now?
And then Tom had his answer.
Hot Mall Santa.
