As I walked around taking pictures, a man wearing red grabbed me and I shrieked. Was it the mall Santa? The Santa pulled down his beard.
"Chloe, it's me, Cody."
"I know who you are," I snapped. "I saw you following me in the grocery store." I had hoped if I just pretended I didn't see my cousin, the problem would solve itself. That clearly hadn't happened.
"You have some nerve to come and find me, especially after you stole my money," I told him.
"I'm sorry, Chloe," my cousin said. "It was an emergency. They let me out of prison early."
"But they let you out on parole, right? Which means that you were supposed to stay in state."
His eyes shifted. "I know," Cody whined. "Look, I didn't come here for you to give me a hard time, I just need you to lend me some money."
"You already took all my money!" I screeched at him.
Another Santa walked up to us.
"Cousin Chloe," he said.
"Who are you?" I said. I liked Christmas, but this Santa business was starting to be a bit much.
"This is my new friend, Kevin," Cody said by way of introduction. Kevin looked like a drug addict. He was the scrawniest Santa I had ever seen.
"I can't help you," I told them. "Please leave."
"Oma said family is important," Cody wheedled. "Do you hate your family? I'm all you have left! Is this what Oma would have wanted, for you to let me go hungry and cold on the streets of a strange city?"
"You're just going to spend it on drugs," I said.
"You do have money," Cody insisted.
"I don't have a lot," I said, mad at myself for still continuing the conversation instead of walking away.
"Please, Chloe!" Cody begged.
His tone reminded me of when we were kids and he would beg me to do something for him. I would always give in. I sighed and pulled out my wallet. Even though he had stolen from me, I supposed I could give him five dollars to buy a cheeseburger.
"Just buy food, please," I said, handing him the cash.
"Thanks, Chloe," he said, grabbing the cash greedily and hurrying off with Kevin.
Angry at myself for giving in, I started walking. How could I be so stupid? Then I started second-guessing my actions with Jack. What I had done, going up to his penthouse in that outfit, was dumb. Maybe Hartleigh was right and this thing with Jack was going to blow up and ruin my chances in the bake-off. I bet he wasn't even that serious about me. Wasn't that what billionaires were like—playboys who seduced unsuspecting women so they could brag to their friends about it?
Looking up, I found myself in front of the grocery store. I did want to make soup muffins, and Jack did have a nice kitchen.
There was a Santa out in front ringing the bell.
"Sorry, I don’t have any money," I said.
Because I gave it all to my junkie cousin and his friend.The soup muffins wouldn't be expensive, at least.
I shopped quickly. Grocery shopping had formerly been my safe space, but now I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder for a Santa Claus. I grabbed cheese, potatoes, and chives. Jack really needed to stock up his kitchen. Did he have a muffin tin? I needed one and didn't want to take the chance that he wouldn't have one. I scurried to grab a muffin tin, and there he was—the Santa Claus. I was sure he was the one from the mall. The large, red-clad man made an exaggerated bow. I grabbed the muffin tin and practically ran to the cashier.
"Oof," I said. I tried not to look at the total on the screen as she rang me up.
"Credit or debit?" the lady asked when I presented my card.
"Credit." I was so far in debt, what did a little extra matter, right?
