The phone screeched. “You have been blocked from this number.”
“Dammit.” I tried to text her, but the message bounced back. “I need to find her.”
“You sure?” Jonathan asked me. “She looks a little deranged in that picture. Maybe give her some time to calm down.”
“It’s men,” Belle said, dishing up more soup for Jonathan. “They make you crazy.”
“My offer to poison Greg still stands,” Morticia reminded her.
“I need to go find Merrie.” I stood up.
“You better shower first; you smell like a bar.” Morticia set a large centerpiece down on the table. Along with the usual Christmas bits like ribbon and little gold ornaments, there was also what looked like a vampire in a Christmas hat and a man with a jack-o’-lantern head.
“Love, I don’t think that’s quite Christmas,” Jonathan said.
Morticia pulled out a large pair of scissors. My brother gulped.
Morticia smiled and snipped a hanging thread from a ribbon. “TheNightmare Before Christmasis absolutely centerpiece material.”
79
Merrie
“Rough night?”
I sat up blinking in the bright sunlight.
A man in a Santa suit looked down at me.
I spit hay out of my mouth. “Something like that.” I dragged myself up. Olivia and I had spent last night eating pasta and drinking wine. My mouth felt dry. I had frosting in my hair and really needed a breakfast croissant.
I pulled out my phone as I stood in line at a nearby food stall. People were whispering and pointing at me.
Yup, definitely moving to Manhattan after this.
“I need a bacon and cheese and egg croissant,” I told the alarmed stall owner, “and a sausage, egg, and cheese croissant. And orange juice. And if you have any vodka you can toss in there, it would be much appreciated. Don’t judge me,” I snapped to the woman whispering behind me. “I don’t care how early in the morning it is. I have had a very rough Christmas season.”
“Um, it’s actually one p.m.,” the woman said.
Fuck.
I grabbed my food and stomped to a table.
“Get your lunch raffle tickets raffle! Don’t miss the raffle. Only one more day ‘til Christmas.” Dave, the chairman of the raffle committee rang a brass bell in my face. “Raffle ticket?”
“No thanks,” I said grumpily. I took a bite of the croissant. The cheesy, greasy breakfast sandwich started to make me feel a little more human.
I took a sip of the orange juice.
“Bless small towns,” I said when I tasted the vodka.
I scrolled through my phone as I ate. I had several missed messages from Olivia, my mom, and Aunt Bettina.
There wasn’t anything from Matt.
Why would there be?I scolded myself.He’s a grade-A dick. Good freaking riddance.
I started on the next breakfast sandwich.We need to take out the trash.
