“Because the coat room isn’t romantic."
He leaned closer. “We’re not exactly traditional, Sugar.”
My heart was about to burst like those holiday poppers. “Oh my gosh, go,” I begged.
“Come on, man.” Mario started dragging him off, oblivious to our conversation.
Harvey grinned over his shoulder. “Catch you later.”
Maybe this wasn’t the end of the world. He probably thought it was funny or endearing. Still, my cheeks flamed.How embarrassing could I be?It was last-day emotions taking over me. Yes, that was how I’d describe it if he thought it was too early.
A flash of bright green caught my eye. Aha, Nicole, my Fancee's lunchtime friend was a perfect distraction, but also, someone on my list to talk to before I left. She tapped away on her phone as usual.
I flagged her down, huffing with the effort to catch up. “Nicole. Wait, wait. Just in case I don’t see you later, I hope you have an amazing day or week or you know, forever.”
“Thanks?” She tilted her head. “Are you okay?”
My stomach clenched. Did she not care about our lunches? “It’s my last day.”
Her gaze to the side. “Oh, I guess it would be. Weird.”
“Yeah, I have to turn my uniform in at the end of the day. Do you think I can get a pair of these at Fancee’s?” I waved my curled-toe shoes at her.
She arched her brow.
“Um kidding.” Why were Harvey and I the only ones who loved the jingling? I ducked and fluffed my hair. “Anyway, I should get going.”
She gave me a one-armed hug. “Okay, bye. I’ll miss my lunch buddy.”
“Same.” Even though we didn’t talk about anything earth-shattering, it was nice to have a friendly face in my routine.
She pulled away and held up the peace sign. “Well, don’t be a stranger at Fancee’s. If you ever need shoe advice, you know where to find me.”
“Okay.” I nodded, blinking back the sting in my eyes. She was right. This wasn’t necessarily a forever kind of goodbye. I might see her around. Shopping. Assuming I had any money. Or I could be back next year and she may still be here. Regardless, next time I came to the mall, Officer Holland would probably see me on security footage. Maybe he’d come out and say hi or tip his coffee to the screen. Things were changing, but they weren’t over.
I hurried to my holiday haven to make today the best shift yet.
38
Miracle
Hoynes clapped his clipboard. “Come on, big day. Last chance for holiday karma, let’s keep up the energy.”
“Got it.” I had to focus on a positive mental space: Harvey’s kisses, nice bonuses, and cinnamon twists.
Security opened the gates, unleashing the last-minute shoppers.
Jolly Santa waved and projected deep, hearty, “Ho, ho, ho’s” to the crowd.
I welcomed our first batch of guests with a bright, “Happy holidays."
Chestnut was ten minutes late, pulling his cap over his head.
I handed him a bunch of candy canes. “Did you oversleep? Or have a date?”
He yawned and trudged over. “Traffic was insane. You’d think people would be at home on Christmas Eve, drinking eggnog and watching sappy TV.”
“A lot of people need last-minute things. Also, you have front-of-line duty,” I said.
