Kirsten finished completing the transaction and wished the woman a Décor Store Day, which was not an official company line no matter how hard Kirsten tried to make it one.
“I think The David is a grower, not a shower.Anyway,” Kirsten said.“It was my turn finally.”
“Did you sit on his lap?”
“Fuck to the yes.I sat on his lap and kinda swished around.”Kirsten demonstrated, moving her hips and butt, receiving odd looks from nearby customers.“I told him I was trying to get comfortable.”
“You gave him a lap dance,” Tom said.
“Huh.I guess I did.”
“And did he…respond?”Tom was more curious than he should’ve been.His inner fantasy world hoped that those daily head nods were something more.
“Ugh, no.Not from what I could tell.Those Santa pants must be thicker than we think.”
“What did he say?”
“He stuck to the script.He asked me if I was good girl this year.I told him no.”Kirsten bit her lip.“I asked what Santa does to bad girls.”
“This sounds like a bad porno.”
“It was a legitimate inquiry.He said bad girls don’t get any gifts.He said I should work on being a good person blah blah blah.”Kirsten rolled the cash register stapler in tissue paper.“And that was it.”
It sounded anti-climactic to Tom.He had had more of a conversation with Hot Mall Santa without having to stand in line.
“What was he like?”Tom asked.
“Personality-wise?I don’t know.Who cares?He’s hot.That’s his personality.”
CHAPTER4
As someone who’d practically grown up in this mall, Tom loved discovering its secrets.There existed nooks and crannies that he’d found during late nights and lots of time wandering around.About a year ago, he found a door next to where the telephone booths used to be, back when that was a thing.Behind it were stairs that led up to an empty office that overlooked the center of the mall and food court through a two-way mirror.Tom surmised that this was where security used to watch over the mall before the advent of closed-circuit cameras.
Tom loved watching people flit around beneath him, going about their lives oblivious that someone saw them.Kind of like God himself.He looked forward to lunches up here, where he could have peace and quiet.
But today, when Tom came up here, he was not alone.Someone else had discovered his secret spot.Someone wearing an all-red suit.
Alert!Alert!We have a Hot Mall Santa in our midst!
Hot Mall Santa sat in the office chair eating a burger from Wendy’s with one hand and sipping pop with the other.He looked out the two-way mirror, probably playing the God game himself.Tom’s chest clamped up with nerves.He turned to leave silently, but the office door creaked.Hot Mall Santa spun around.
“Hey.”His beard was pulled down to his neck and his jacket was open, revealing a white tank top that barely contained his pecs and abs.Seeing his face unadorned, Hot Mall Santa looked to be in his early twenties, just like Tom.
“Hey,” Tom managed to say, although it was quite the herculean feat on his part.
“Is it okay if I’m here?”
“Probably not.”Tom gripped his Chipotle burrito in his hand, and it made him think of other phallic objects.
“Well, I won’t tell if you won’t.”Hot Mall Santa pointed to the extra chair against the wall.He made space on the desk where his Wendy’s bag was.
“Thanks.”Tom was too nervous to eat in front of him.“How did you find this place?”
“I was headed to the food court, and this pack of moms was coming at me, so I ran into the first door I saw, which led me here.”Hot Mall Santa took fries out of his Wendy’s bag and dipped them in ketchup.“Am I hogging your space?”
“No.It’s not my space.”
“But I take it you’ve been up here before.”
