Quik blocked the two of them with his massive body as he took over, handing out songbooks so they could have a private conversation.
Despite Quik’s intimidating size, there was something inviting about him–especially with children. They gathered in close and treated him like a superhero. He resembled an off-duty superman with his muscles and underlying scientist vibe.
Jacob swiped at a piece of moisture gathering on his forehead. “Lux, I don’t know if I’m cut out for this.”
“What do you mean?” She squinted at him.
“I’m not out to ruin Lauren’s happiness. We’re about to sing about peace on earth and goodwill toward men. I don’t have any bad will toward Foster or Lauren. If they’d be happy together, then they should be together.”
“Wow.” Lux blew a piece of hair off her forehead. “Now I know you love her.”
“Hey, now.” He tore his scarf off and tossed it on the stage. Why was it so warm on Christmas? “No one said anything about love.”
Lux patted his shoulder. “When you want someone else’s happiness more than your own, it’s love.”
“I can’t be in love with her–I hardly know her.” He hadn’t talked to her, not really talked, in years. Today was the closest they came to having a conversation, and she’d run away. Before that… before that, she’d been his childhood playmate and best friend, his confidant, and accomplice. There wasn’t anything that he couldn’t do when he was with Lauren.
Lux considered him. “It’s going to be hard enough to convince Lauren she’s in love with you. If you can’t admit your own feelings, then we could be here a year’s worth of Christmases.”
“That would be catastrophic,” Quik threw over his shoulder. He hadn’t missed a word of their conversation while facing the other way and doing his Christmas duty.
“Why?” Jacob asked. He rarely hung out with people who used words like: catastrophic.
Lux pushed her glasses up and then pulled out her cell phone. She showed him the home screen, which looked like a production chart. “Since it’s Christmas every day, we have to deliver gifts twenty-four hours. Eventually, we’ll need sleep.”
“Can’t you take a day off?” Jacob prompted.
Lux shuddered.
Quik glared over his shoulder. “No.”
Lux nodded seriously. “Which is why you need to get your act together and stop denying your feelings.”
“Target at three o’clock,” Quik informed them.
Jacob swiveled in that direction to see Lauren enter the square. She strolled behind her parents, her head down. His heart reached for her, wanting to wrap her up in his arms and hold her tight. “Aw shucks, you guys, she’s miserable.”
Her head lifted, and her eyes found him, quick as lasers. He blinked. She glared–hard and then looked deliberately away.
“Did you see that?” he asked Lux. “She hates me.”
Lux typed into her phone, her fingers flying so fast they blurred. “Nope. According to my sister, who is a relationship genius, she’s not mad at you–but men in general. It’s a common reaction when a woman finds out she’s been cheated on.”
“He was cheating on her?!” Jacob said way too loudly. Head swiveled their direction, and people began to whisper, asking one another who he was talking about.
Quik gave him a look that told him to keep it down.
“That jerk!” Jacob hissed, wishing he had a stronger word.
“Ho Ho Ho!” Nick took the stage, ready to lead the sing-along. He pointed to Jacob and then gave him a thumbs up.
Quik and Lux nodded to each other and then began to walk away. Panicked at being alone in unfamiliar waters, Jacob grabbed Quik’s arm. “What am I supposed to do?”
“If I were you,” Quik glanced at Lauren’s hunched figure and then back to Jacob. “I’d be super nice. Like extra gifts and chocolate, compliments, and whatever else you can come up with for the evening. And whatever you do, don’t mention the ex-finance.”
“Got it.” Jacob let him go.
The couple disappeared into the crowd. Jacob glimpsed them ducking into the alleyway, heard jingle bells, and knew they were gone.
