Jacob shoved his fingers in his hair as he worked over all the information coming his way. Tattoos that glittered? People popping into his bedroom? He smacked his cheek, making it sting. “Wake up. Wake up.”
“That’s right.” Lux waved her free arm through the air like she was casting a spell. “This is just a dream.”
“You’re not helping,” complained Nick.
Jacob sniffed. The smell of mint cocoa filled the air anytime Lux got close. “Is it possible to smell in dreams?” he asked.
Lux adjusted her glasses. “Approximately one percent of the population can smell when they dream. However, it’s doubtful that if you haven’t smelled during a dream before, you will start now.”
“I also don’t know things like percentages and dream facts and couldn’t make them up,” added Jacob. He paused. “So… if this isn’t a dream. And you two are real… .” He paused again, and they both nodded once. “I’m still confused.”
Nick tromped back and forth in his big shiny black boots. “We’re here because someone,” he glared at Lux–who looked much too young to be this guy’s aunt, but whatever, “overloaded the system, and Christmas Magic is frizzing.”
“Wait–does this mean I’m getting a Ferrari?” Jacob crossed his fingers. He’d written the request in a letter his niece made him write to Santa before she left on the cruise.
“Stay focused, man!” Nick thundered.
Lux stepped forward, closing her laptop and giving him a professional blank face. “Your wish for a second chance with Miss Lauren Hall and her wish have crossed, creating a loop.”
“A loop?” he asked.
“I don’t suppose you know how to code, do you?” Her whole being lifted with hope. “The best way I can describe this is to use computer language.”
“Er, no,” he hated to admit. “Can you come up with a cabinet metaphor?”
“Not likely.” Her face dropped, and he felt like he’d kicked Santa’s favorite reindeer. She explained, “A loop in a computer program is an instruction that repeats until the desired outcome is achieved.”
Her explanation was as clear as coal. “So? What am I looking at here?”
Nick groaned. “Eternal Christmas.”
“Eternal what–now?” Jacob tipped his ear toward the Santa wannabe.
Lux opened her computer again, showing him the image on the screen. A figure-eight, or eternity symbol, with a dot traveling along the shape. “This is you. And Lauren.” She blinked. “You’re one dot together.”
“Got it,” he tried to hurry her along. Being a dot with Lauren felt a little too familiar. “You know she’s engaged to another guy, right?”
“Technicalities.” Lux shook her head. “If my calculations are correct, things will get interesting once the dot gets here.” She enlarged the image to show a tally mark labeled: midnight.
Jacob glanced at the clock on his nightstand. It read 11:59. He held his breath as the dot moved ever closer to the tally mark. They all waited in silence for it to cross over. When it did, there was a whoosh, and jingle bells sounded.
“Ninny-mungus!” Nick cursed.
“What was that, that, that whooshing thing?” asked Jacob.
“Christmas.” Lux frowned. “This loop is focused on Christmas Day, all twenty-four hours. They’ll repeat until you both get your wishes.”
“No way,” Jacob protested.
“Way.” Nick leaned against the wall. “Can’t I do something?” he asked Lux, as he sulked.
Lux tucked her laptop into the messenger bag hanging across her body. “Until both wishes are fulfilled, we’re stuck.”
“We?” Jacob looked back and forth between them. “No offense, but I don’t want roommates.”
“We’re not stuck in this space,” Nick waved his arms around to the four walls. “We’re stuck in this time. Although, I’m pretty sure only you and the Kringles know about the glitch.”
“Loop,” Lux corrected.
