Page 25 of The Christmas Cookie Crush

“How much do I owe you?” Nora asks quietly as I laugh awkwardly, her eyes still dancing with amusement.

I quote her the price, though part of me wants to tell her it’s on the house. With our current audience, that might end up with that lady asking for special treatment too, and I don’t want to deal with that. Plus, the point of working here is to help Grampy and Nana run the bakery. That means I can’t give away all the cookies I want to Nora.

It takes me a moment to drag my attention away from Nora’s retreating form and back to the next customer, who’s watching me with amusement stamped on her face. “You guys are cute,” she tells me.

“Thanks,” I murmur and clear my throat. “What can I get you? A cookie?”

Grinning, she shakes her head. “Nah. I was just busting your balls. I need a muffin and two loaves of pumpkin bread. They make great hostess gifts at parties, and I have two more coming up. Can you believe it? One tomorrow and another one on Monday? Honestly, who schedules a Christmas party on a Monday night?”

Shrugging, I collect her order. “Someone who can’t find another date that works?”

“I guess,” she grumbles, but it sounds mostly good natured. “At least the kids don’t have school the next day, so I won’t feel so bad about them being out later than normal.”

Nodding and smiling in agreement, I ring her up, more grateful than normal when she walks away. Usually I don’t mind conversations with customers, but with her interrupting Nora and me, that one was just awkward.

The nerves don’t really hit until after I’ve successfully closed the Give and Cake kiosk for the night. I need to dart out to my car and get my shirt, but the temperature has dropped and it’s snowing, so I can’t go too quickly. No need to risk falling and breaking my ass. That’d for sure ruin the date.

Though I can think of plenty of other ways for it to get ruined without anything that dramatic. What if we run out of things to talk about? What if she’s just pretending to give me another chance but this is really an opportunity to get her revenge? What if sheisgiving me another chance and I blow it somehow? I’ve nearly screwed up every interaction we’ve had so far, why would I think this will go better?

Hissing at the cold when I take off my coat, I hurriedly put on the button-down, button it up, cuff the sleeves, and shove my arms back in my coat sleeves, hopping around as much as I can without slipping and falling on my ass to stay warm. Then I hurry back inside so I can meet Nora outside the North Pole area.

I’ll probably have a few minutes to wait if she needs to change, but I don’t want to leave her there waiting for me if she got done faster than me with either closing up or changing. It helps that she doesn’t have to try to sprint through snow and ice to get to her change of clothes.

When I get back inside, I breathe a sigh of relief at the warmth, striding quickly through the space, my steps oddly loud now that only the remaining stragglers closing up shop are inside.The North Pole is strangely empty. There’s usually someone here already when I arrive at ChristmasFest in the mornings, either Nora or one of the other elves setting up, Santa and Mrs. Claus making sure everything is just so for the kids who come to see them.

I admire how hard they work to make this place magical. And now that I’m standing here with time on my hands, I marvel at the attention to detail in the setup. It’s not just cheap spackle and spray paint that looks good far away but cheap and tacky up close. No, the chair looks like it’s upholstered in real velvet. The greenery is fake, but it’s the kind where it’s hard to tell until you get close and feel it. And, oh, some of itisreal. The garlands and wreaths are pine. That’s not just an air freshener making it smell like that, even if the trees are fake. The decorations hanging around all look like authentic old world ornaments, rich and luxurious and I’m sure they come from the Christmas Emporium. Or at least the suppliers where they get their stock.

I smile when I spot a pickle in the Christmas tree. My family never did that tradition, but I had friends whose families did, including Dylan, now that I think about it. So it makes sense it’s on the tree here.

One year I found the pickle on their tree, and Nora got so mad, saying it wasn’t fair, that I was stealing the prize. It was meant forherfamily, and I wasn’t part of it.

I can’t help smiling at the memory. She was so feisty as a kid, which I thought incredibly annoying at the time, but seems adorable to adult me. Does she still have that same fire?

“Hey.” Her soft greeting has me whirling around to face her.

She has her hair pulled back with curls hanging down to frame her face in a style that looks adorable. No, not adorable. Gorgeous. She’s gorgeous, and her outfit is chosen to highlight that fact—a white cable sweater paired with red velvet pants that I want to pet, black boots peeking out from beneath the cuff, her coat draped over her arm.

“Ready?” she asks, returning my smile and once-over, though with my coat on, she can’t see much of what I’m wearing.

Even though I dressed up a little, my puffy winter coat makes me feel underdressed, especially when I notice the tan wool coat draped over her arm.

I’m so used to seeing her in her elf costume that I never noticed how effortlessly fashionable she is. A far cry from the little girl with grass-stained jeans and a ratty ponytail I used to know.

I duck my head in a quick nod. “Ready when you are.”

She grins again and falls into step beside me as we walk to the exit. “Where are we going?”

“Well, I thought I’d let you pick between The Filling Station, if you want something more casual like drinks and appetizers, or Seasons if you want a proper dinner date.”

Putting her coat on as we walk, she shoots me an amused glance, her lips pressed together like she’s suppressing a smile. “Hmm.” She scrunches her face as she considers the choices, then shrugs, tying the belt of the coat around her waist.

God, she looks so classy and beautiful. I might be way out of my league here.

“Let’s do Seasons.” She inclines her torso in my direction. “I’ve been hanging out with my sister Sarah and her group of friendsthat goes out drinking a couple times a month. And while drinks and appetizers are nice and all, we just did that last weekend. I think I’d rather have a real meal at a real table with servers if that’s okay with you.”

“That sounds great.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

---