“Uh, what?”
He waggled his eyebrows. “I can do it naked. Women tell me that gets them in the mood.”
I sneezed again and pulled the napkin out of my shirt to blow my nose.
“Or I can whittle you a small figurine. Women like men that are good with their hands.” He ran two fingers across the collar of his T-shirt. The effect was almost comically sexy. “We can go to my cabin in the woods. My schedule is free tonight.”
I sneezed again.
“I’m actually not going to be able to make it.”
23
Matt
She’s not going to show up.
The Christmas market was closing. I was still waiting around for Merrie to appear.
Why? You don’t like her. You don’t care about her.
But where had she been sleeping last night?
She was probably being histrionic. It’s highly doubtful she would have slept outside in the cold. She wasn’t even wearing pants.
Or a bra, my brain supplied unhelpfully.Which is exactly why you’re over here.
I had watched from a stall across the street from her shop, buying way too many Christmas-themed foods and suffering through an exceptionally bad group of Christmas carolers while I had waited for Merrie to return. It was late when her friend finally turned off the lights and closed up the shop.
“One more?” the stall owner asked me, sliding a frothy red drink across the wood countertop.
I bit back a grimace. “Sure.”
After I had pretended to sip the drink and the owner had packed up her stall and gone, Merrie still wasn’t back.
She probably stayed at her mom’s house or with a friend. You’re acting insane.
Kringle had found a snowdrift and was napping in it, the reindeer antlers lying beside him as he snored softly.
I poured out the rest of the elf juice onto the ground.
I’ll just go home.
But then suddenly there she was. Merrie had her hands shoved in her pockets. She looked around furtively then unlocked the shop and slipped inside.
I crept across the street.
Merrie didn’t turn on the lights. She was using her phone flashlight to maneuver around the shop.
I jiggled the handle softly, and the lock popped.
I really need to get that fixed.
“I knew it!” I announced, walking inside.
Merrie screamed and threw something at me.
It hit my chest, and I cursed.
