Page 13 of A Curvy Wonderland

The walk to the diner didn’t take long, and soon we were at the nondescript building along the road near Cider Center. The facade was painted a light yellow, and absolutely no decorations graced the window, just the name “Scrooge’s” and a message in window paint sharing a coffee and donut discount.

The four of us walked into the mildly busy restaurant, and Scrooge called over his shoulder, “Pick a table and sit down.”

As Eldan and I followed the girls to a table, I leaned over and whispered to him, “Are you sure he's not your dad?”

Eldan barked out a laugh. The sound caught me so off guard, I almost didn't recognize it. “Did you just laugh?”

He muttered dryly, “I'm as surprised as you are.”

My lips tugged up at the corners, and we slid into a booth across from the girls. Bob sat at the end of the table, being the perfect emotional support animal. Me, on the other hand? My heart was quickly picking up speed. I really didn't plan this out well, because now we were sitting side by side, and I wasn’t sure how to deal.

Usually, I wasn't too self-conscious about my size, accepting it as a part of myself, but right now with the booth pressing against my stomach, I wondered what Eldan thought about me. Did he think I was pretty? Too big? Or was I just an inconvenience to him this holiday season he tried not to think of at all?

It seemed to be the latter as he picked up a menu and scanned it over without so much as a sideways glance my way.

I picked up a menu of my own, pretending to review it although I already knew exactly what I would be ordering. Scrooge had the best burger and onion rings.

Tatum looked up at her from her menu, asking me, “Can I have pancakes?”

“It's past eleven, but you can ask.”

I had Tatum choose a backup option, then I helped Lucy pick something, so when Scrooge arrived, we all put in our orders. He even reluctantly agreed to make Tatum pancakes.

And imagine my surprise when Eldan and I ordered the same thing off the menu.

I gave him a surprised look, but he shrugged, saying, “Everyone knows it's the best on the menu.”

I chuckled. He wasn't wrong.

Lucy asked, “Holly, do you have quarters so we can get something from the machines?”

I reached into my purse for my coin purse, but when I clicked it open, I only had pennies and dimes. “Sorry, chica. I got nothing.”

She frowned deeply, but Eldan reached into his pocket. He had a leather pouch filled with quarters. “Here you go.” He handed them each a handful of quarters, far more than I would have ever given them. The pair barely said thanks before sprinting toward the candy and trinket machines.

I turned slightly in the booth so that I could look at him and said, “That was nice of you.”

He shrugged. “I got in the habit of keeping change on me for the Christmas tree farm.”

I nodded. That made sense. He surely hadn’t done it just in case the girls needed some quarters.

Scrooge came back by and brought us our drinks, and I took a sip of my soda before setting it down on the table and asking, “I have to know. Why do you hate Christmas so much?”

He kept his gaze on the table as he said, “Next question.”

My eyebrows drew together slightly, curious at this enigma of a boy across from me. Whatever happened must have been bad for him not to even come close to broaching the subject.

But before I could come up with a new question, he pinned me with dark green eyes. “Why do you like Christmas so much? Why are you so happy all the time?”

“That’s two questions,” I countered.

“So it is.”

I frowned. I didn't like it when people just assumed that I was just automatically in a great mood all the time because I was kind. I picked up my soda, turning it over in my hand, hearing the ice clunk against the sides of the plastic cup. “The soda is really good.” I commented.

Eldan’s brows furrowed slightly.

“And look how big the girls are smiling, over a little toy they'll probably lose in five minutes.”

---