“Mostly?”
“Someone kept pinching my ass, but neither Frederick nor Webster would admit to it. It’s still a little sore.”
She snorts. “That seems like a strange move for an engagement photo.”
It’s my turn to shrug. “They were arguing about whether I have butt implants. I wouldn’t say yes or no, so they were trying to figure it out on their own.”
“Butt implants?” Her smile takes over her face as she tries to suppress a giggle. “Well? Do you?”
I look at the ceiling and roll my lips between my teeth.
“Oh my god. You do not,” she gasps, slapping me on the arm.
I laugh. “No, I don’t. But Webster and Frederick were really invested in finding out. They were pretty thorough.”
She sways and bumps me with her shoulder, the contact making my heart beat faster. “You could have saved yourself some bruising if you’d told them.”
“Meh.” I shrug again. “They were having fun, and I didn’t mind. A little harmless butt pinching now and again is good for the soul. Plus, it made for some fun pictures.”
“I’ll bet.” She heaves a sigh. “Thanks for doing that for them. I hated thinking Lincoln ruined their chance at a cute engagement photo.”
“That had nothing to do with Lincoln, and everything to do with it being that Santa’s first time. I hope for everyone’s sake that he gets over it. If there’s one thing you can count on with being Santa, it’s that some kids are going to cry when they see you.”
She nods and looks down at her lap.
“So how bad is it going to be when I get back out there?”
I hate that she’s feeling this way because of something I could have prevented. I could have told her explicitly what I do for a living. Or I could have refrained from gifting a butt plug set to a woman I barely know. Either option would have saved her the embarrassment.
“I told them they weren’t allowed to mention it to you,” I confess. “But who knows how long that’s going to last.”
She snickers and drops her face into her hands. “Oh my god,” she says, her voice rising until she yells the last word, placing extra emphasis on thed. “I can’t believe I put a set of butt plugs on my mantle like they were nothing more than a festive tree scene.”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, they did make an appearance in the engagement photos, too. Webster and Frederick loved the addition.” Hesitantly, I wrap an arm around her and pull her to my side. She stiffens at first, then softens against me. I gotta say, I love the way she melts in my arms. “And your mom confessed she wouldn’t have known what they were if Webster hadn’t said it out loud. She thought they were decorative glass Christmas trees, the same as you.”
She lifts her head and looks at me through splayed fingers. “They are pretty, right?”
I nod. All the glass toys we make are beautiful and these are especially so. “Yes, they are. That’s why Amanda set them up on the reception desk in the first place. She thought it would look festive but still on brand for us.”
At that, Phoebe’s eyes widen, and she pushes away from me. “You own a sex toy factory and you didn’t even tell me,” she accuses, her face an angry mask. “I thought you made kids’ toys.”
I choke on a laugh, torn between taking her anger seriously and laughing at the ridiculous notion that my factory makes kids’ toys. I mean, she’s never been on the production floor, but the logo…
Luckily, she can’t maintain her anger. The mad look on her face drops and she lets loose a huge, braying laugh.
I snort. “I’m sorry I wasn’t clear,” I say, forcing the laughter down. “But how could you see our logo and not realize what we make?”
“Your logo?” Her eyes cut to the side before she turns to face me. “What’s wrong with your logo?”
I scoff. “You don’t think it’s a little…I don’t know, phallic?”
Her eyes cut to the side again, then widen. She drops her head into her hands and laughs.
Yup. She sees it now.
Chapter 31
Happy Family Christmas
