Page 23 of Blame It On The Reindeer

“Good morning,” I said, trying to immediately eliminate any awkward tension after what happened last night. I knew she was self-conscious about a lot, but I didn’t want this to be something she regretted.

“Morning.” She smiled, but it was as tight as her hair pulled up on top of her head. She padded across the hardwood floor barefoot as she headed to the coffee pot.

“Muffins are baking in the oven and should be ready soon,” I offered, keeping my head down and attempting to look like I was reading.

“Thank you. You don’t have to keep cooking for me.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Well, since it seems I’m going to be stuck here longer than a few days thanks to the storm outside, I can help cook if you want. Maybe I can fix dinner tonight?”

I lowered my book and folded my hands on top of it as I looked at her.

“I don’t know. Areyoutrying to poison me now?”

“Not at all. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.” She smirked as she poured herself some coffee and then looked at me again. “You like your chicken a little pink, don’t you?”

I shook my head, the corners of my lips already starting to curl into a smile from how cute she looked.

“No, Princess,” I said as I stood up and walked past her to refill my coffee cup. “It’s notchickenthat I like a little pink. It’s that tight little pussy of yours.”

I heard a soft gasp escape her lips as her head whipped up to look at me. I winked and finished filling my cup before walking away and letting that image simmer in her head.

Fifteen

Jasmin

“You have got to be kidding me,” I groaned into the phone, closing my eyes as I rubbed my fingers against my temple. “How did that happen?”

I waited as Bert went on about how the truck that was supposed to be delivering the Christmas tree for Frosty Fest got stuck on the highway and had to turn around.

“So I’m stuck without a tree for the festival?”

“Sorry, Jasmin. I offered to try to help him get it here, but there’s no easy way into Sugarplum Falls. This storm has shut down the roads in and out of town. Even if we brought in extra help to try to get it here, we would just be putting more lives at risk.”

“No, you’re right. I understand, and I wouldn’t want anyone to risk going out in that storm. I’ll just have to get creative and see if I can figure something else out.”

“Okay. Let me know if I can help. Sam said you might need your driveway cleared soon so I can take the snowplow over and start working on it if you want me to.”

“Thank you for the offer, but I’m not at home. I came out to the Truman ranch to discuss securing the reindeer for the event and didn’t make it out before the storm happened.”

“Isn’t Mr. Truman’s grandson a real pain in the ass?” Bert asked with a deep chuckle.

“To say the least. But thank you for letting me know about the tree situation. I’ll see what I can do and touch base if I need anything.”

“Sounds good. Take care, Jasmin.”

“You too, Bert.”

I hung up the phone and let my head fall back as I chewed the inside of my cheek in frustration. It felt like everything with Frosty Fest was falling apart, and I was trapped out here—in the middle of nowhere—unable to do anything about it.

“Everything okay?” Brody asked, eyeing me as he walked into the kitchen where I was sitting at the table.

“No, but it will be.” I sighed heavily, scribbling down a note to find a new tree.

It wasn’t that we didn’t have other trees to put up in the mall for Frosty Fest. It was that we always had a beautiful, ginormous one in the middle of the mall that everyone loved to look at. Many times, we used it as a giving tree and put up tags for local families who needed a little extra help during the holidays. People would grab a tag and then leave a wrapped present with that person’s name on it under it until Frosty Fest. Then, after the parade, Santa and Mrs. Claus would gather around it, handing out the gifts.

“Anything I can help with?” he offered, surprising the shit out of me. Since when did he offer to help with anything? What had happened to his whole,I’m too busy for youspiel he had been giving me since the moment I approached him about the reindeer?

---