Page 7 of He Sees You

DOVE

Nadine Piccolo usually works housewares. That part of the store is near enough to the photography studio where I spend all my time, and when it’s dead, we chit chat. Over the last year, we’ve gotten a little close, and she volunteered to help out with ‘Santa’s Village’ this Christmas.

She makes a gorgeous elf. A few inches shorter than me, and at least fifty pounds lighter, she’s dainty and sweet, with her dark brown hair cut to frame her face and her big blue eyes. She nudges my pointy shoe with one of hers before resting her long, manicured fingernails lightly on my green sleeve.

“Dove. I need you to stick around after close, sweetie.”

“What? Why?”

“Sammy’s partner was a little late in divvying up the stuff. With the store closed tomorrow, he wanted to make sure you had enough on you in case one of our top customers calls.”

My stomach drops. “OnChristmas?”

“Sorry, honey. I know this kind of sucks, and it’s super last minute, but Sammy and I are going away for the holiday. We’llbe back on the twenty-sixth, but if anyone needs to buy, you’ve got to be prepared.”

I know. That’s what I signed up for. I have a quadrant on the West Side that’s mine. So long as I do what I’m told, the local mafias—both the Dragonflies and the Sinners Syndicate—will allow me to push for the Libellula Family. But if I step out of line…

No one will be able to protect me.

I sigh. “Can’t he deliver it to my apartment?”

Nadine shakes her head. “Mr. Libellula only okayed Waverly’s as a drop-off point. Sammy can pass the bags over to his distributors here where the big boss has other eyes on us.”

Right. And if I piss off Damien Libellula, I’m fish food.

But it’sChristmas.

“Nadine—”

Somewhere off to the side, Jerry clears his throat. “And what do you want for Christmas, little boy?”

Shit. He’d gone to take a smoke break out back, then ran to the bathroom to wash his hands and spray peppermint-scented body spray to cover up the stink while we put up the ‘Santa went to feed his reindeer’ sign out. He must’ve taken his seat and started with the next customer while I was too distracted by Nadine for either of us to notice we were back on the clock ourselves.

Lisa is already signing the mother up for her photo package. The kid is talking Santa’s ear off about some toy he wants—‘and a blue, sparkly ball,’ adds the adorable three-year-old blondie—while Nadine waits expectantly for me to answer her.

Damn it, I need to get to my camera.

I shake my head. “Fine. I’ll offer to help clean up Madison’s section. That’ll give me a reason to stick around because everyone knows she’ll never turn down free help, and Kev wantsto fuck her so bad, he’ll approve the OT if she bats her lashes at him. That sound good?”

“Only like an hour or two,” Nadine promises. “It’s Christmas Eve. I know you’ll want to get out of here as soon as possible.”

She’s not wrong. “Okay. I’ll stick around. But we got to finish up here.”

“Gotcha.” Then, raising her voice, too, while also making it squeaky, she says, “Who’s next to talk to Santa before he heads out on his sleigh?”

As I hustle over to take the picture of the little boy with his big grin and blonde curls, Jerry gives me a curious look before assuming his ‘Santa’ smile. Closed lips to hide his stained teeth, and with enough sparkle in his eyes, you can almost forgive him being so fucking pervy to the rest of his female co-workers.

Just like that, we make our way through the line until all the kiddies are gone. Nadine and Lisa go to change out of their elf outfits and into their regular Waverly’s uniforms; with both of them belonging to other, still open sections, they’ll go and help out there. As for me, I could leave, but since I told Nadine I’d stick around, I’m about to go change myself and look for Madison when Jerry comes walking over to me.

Ugh.

“Hey, Dove. Glad it’s over?”

I love Christmas, but this has been a long, long season. “Glad I get to go home.”Eventually. “You?”

“I just hope I get an invite back next year. This Santa gig was fun. And getting to know you and the other girls… definitely made my bells jingle, if you get my drift.”

Sure. “Anyway, I have to put the camera back in photos. Nice working with you. Maybe I will see you next year.”

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