Page 65 of False Evidence

This could be just what she needed. If she was going to lose Kendall, at least she’d get to enjoy a week with Jay before he returned to New York and she had to find a new place to live.

One week of fun. No secrets. It wouldn’t just be a Christmas gift for Jay, it would be one for herself.

Her fingers trembled as she responded.

Sent:No on Mrs. Claus. She would prefer an elf costume. Size 8 with a 36DD top. Five nine height. Shoe size 10-11.

She figured elf shoes would be more shoe covers anyway.

Received:That’s a custom size. We’ll have to buy, not rent.

Guilt tugged at her. But she didn’t think Jay would balk if he knew.

Sent:I’ll pay for it. What time do I need to tell her to be there?

Received:As usual, the kids will arrive at 6:30.

She pondered how she could get the address without sounding like she wasn’t Jay. She took a deep breath and typed, hoping this wouldn’t give her away.

Sent:I’m busy and don’t have the address handy. Can you type it here so I can forward to her so she can find it with MapQuest?

There was a long pause, and she wondered if she’d blown it. Was the party at the Mayflower?

Received:She can’t look up the Dalia Davis Community Hall on her own? And didn’t T&D build the complex? You should know the address by now.

She wanted to point out that Jay didn’t work for the Bethesda office of Talon & Drake, he worked in New York. Why would he be expected to know the address of every construction project? But given that she didn’t actually know what his job was, that could make things worse.

Sent:Sorry. Wasn’t thinking. I’m in the middle of something. See you tomorrow.

She set the phone down, her heart racing as she hoped whoever she was texting with would be there tomorrow, or she’d really blown it.

Received:See you tomorrow. Love you, kiddo.

She read through the messages again. Could it be his mother? Grandmother or aunt?

She didn’t even know why she thought it was a woman, but she did. Definitely a family member, given the reference to Jay’s father.

Now she had to make a decision. Was she really going to do this? She had a key to the suite at the Mayflower. She could pick up the costume right after it was delivered, before Jay got back from New York. If he returned early, so be it, but if not, it would be fun to surprise him.

She wouldn’t decide now. She had twenty-four hours to make up her mind.

It took an hour and a half to take the Metro to the Mayflower and back to her apartment in Bethesda, but now she was home with a green elf costume that looked a lot like the ones the elves wore in the Will Ferrell movie. It was quality wool felt. Even the shoes were real and not shoe covers.

She’d checked out the Santa costume in the hotel room, and it was also well made. Nothing but the best for Jay and his helper. Would the kids be getting generic toys donated to organizations like Toys for Tots, or was this a charity that specifically catered to the individual children’s Christmas wishes?

Either way, she felt her first rush of Christmas spirit this season as she tried on the costume. Even without the fun of surprising Jay, she’d want to be part of this. The idea of seeing kids bright with excitement as they met Santa and received even a small gift was enough to put a bounce in her step as she tugged on the comfy pointy-toed slippers.

The elf tunic was a perfect fit at the bustline. This had definitely been custom-made by a skilled seamstress. It was tasteful while still showing off her curves. Sexy but not inappropriate, thank goodness. After all, this was a party for children, not an adult Halloween party.

She twirled in front of the mirror and made up her mind. The costume fit. She wanted to grab this holiday spirit and hold on tight.

But most important, she wanted to see Jay’s face when he realized she was ready for the next step.

She was going to buy the milk.

JT was disappointed to see the Santa suit hanging in the entry closet of the Mayflower suite. He’d hoped that when Lisa hadn’t gotten back to him with instructions for picking up the costume, she’d found some other fool to play Santa.

No such luck.

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