“Oh my god. Where? Here?”
“In the nativity scene.”
Olivia picked a piece of straw out of my hair.
“Like in a creepy way?”
I shrugged. “Maybe a nice way? I didn’t know what to think, to be honest. He doesn’t care about me. We despise each other. Why did he sit there all night? Why did he give me his jacket? If anyone else did that, I would call it romantic. But it was Matt, sooo…”
Olivia shrugged. “He probably was worried Brody would show up and steal you and your amazing tits out of his life.”
I pretended to stab her with my fork. “He doesn’t want that.”
“Um, no guy who hates Christmas and has a nine-figure net worth is going to spend six hours waiting outside a girl’s shop if he doesn’t want to sleep with her. And he certainly doesn’t stay out all night making sure no one kidnaps her from the nativity scene where she is illegally squatting.”
I stuffed the last bite of eggs Benedict in my mouth.
“So, he was trying to solve a problem he helped create. Great.” I slumped over on the counter. “The only good thing about being humiliated on national television while being the first person kicked off the bake-off is that I won’t have to deal with him anymore.”
“Maybe he’ll leave town since he won’t be in the show. And I can focus on trying to sell ornaments.”
The shelves in my shop were full. I hadn’t had to restock since I’d moved in. No one was buying. I gave Louis the last sliver of ham from my eggs Benedict. The cat rubbed against my leg then went to lay down in the patch of sunlight that streamed in through the windows.
“That’s what my surprise is for!” Olivia practically sang. She pushed aside the empty food containers.
“You know the toy store on Fifth Street? Did you see the video on Facebook of that big fight that broke out over the last box of Shopkins? Well, one of my clients was in that brawl. She won, by the way, and got the Shopkins. She also got a concussion, and her doctor said she couldn’t man her stall today so…”
Olivia made a drumroll on the counter. “She said you could use her stall today to sell ornaments! She has a prime spot. You’ll get a ton of foot traffic.”
I saw Christmas lights and dollar signs.
“I’m saved!” I jumped up and hugged my friend. “You’re the best!”
Olivia fanned herself. “Just keep telling me how awesome I am!”
“And now weknow why I haven’t been selling a single freaking ornament,” I said with a sigh. Olivia had come back with snacks—french fries smothered in cheese andCurrywurst,piping hot and spicy. I had made desserts to give out with the ornaments. Not that it had attracted anyone.
Within french fry-throwing distance were four stalls selling Christmas ornaments. Some of them even had the same ornaments I did.
“I never should have opened a Christmas ornament shop in a small town,” I wailed. Olivia handed me a fork.
“Let’s do the adult thing and eat our feelings. Look on the bright side. You have sold more ornaments at this stall than you would have at your shop. That’s progress!”
“I’m ruined”
“There’s always the bake-off.”
I gazed out over the crowd. In the distance, the stage for the bake-off loomed. Tomorrow that would be the site of my utter humiliation.
And it was all Matt’s fault.
25
Matt
“Welcome, contestants and fans, to another episode ofThe Great Christmas Bake-Offhere from the lovely town of Harrogate.”
I snuck a glance over at Merrie. She hadn’t even acknowledged me when she saw me. She just stood next to me at our baking station. She was wearing high-waisted black jeans, flats, and a sweater that read Merry Crepemas! in a cursive silver script across her chest—a chest that looked amazing in the sweater stretched tight over her tits.
