Page 58 of A Hard Sell

“Oops! You’ve got two there.” She plucked one from between his fingers and put it back in the hat. She shook it again, then held it out for Thomas.

As Thomas was pulling his slip out, Luka took a peek at the paper crumpled in his palm.Morgan Di Meo.“Are you f—” he started to say, but Tawney shushed him.

“No hints, Luk!”

“Can I have that other one, though?”

She gave him a stern look and an admonishment about the Christmas spirit before she bustled off again.

Thomas looked at his paper, his face remaining blank.

“How do you do that?” Luka asked.

“Do what?”

“Never mind.” He peeked down the hall to make sure Tawney was gone then turned back to Thomas. “Who did you get?”

Thomas furrowed his brow. “Tawney said not to tell.”

“Oh, sure,nowyou’re a rule follower.”

* * * *

As Luka was tidying up at the end of the day, he ran his shopping list through his head. “All your Christmas shopping done?” he asked Thomas.

Thomas clenched his jaw as he pulled his coat on. “I don’t have many gifts to buy. Lone wolf, remember?”

“Oh.” Luka’s heart broke a little more. “Oh. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I just need to get this Secret Santa gift.”

“I was going to head out for a bit of shopping right now. Do you want to come?”

Thomas pondered a moment. “Sure.”

They wandered down Main Street in the gently swirling snow. The streetlamps were on, reflecting the flakes in Thomas’ hair. His whole head shimmered when he stepped into a circle of light.How can he be so beautiful?Luka wondered, crunching along the sidewalk next to him. He imagined looping his arm under Thomas’, feeling the warmth of their bodies pressed together in the cold evening.

“Who do you need to shop for?” Thomas asked as they paused to take in a window display. A model train wound through a snowy village, lush-looking gifts displayed throughout. There was a wicker picnic basket resting on a thick plaid blanket, a pottery tea set with smooth blue and gray cups just begging to be cradled and a few jars of bath salts that gave Luka the urge to sink into a steaming tub.

“Well, let’s see. My parents and sister, her kids, something small for the aunts and uncles, and, as luck would have it, fucking Morgan.”

Thomas flinched. “You weren’t supposed to tell me!”

Luka eyed Thomas. “I have poor self-control.”

“Hmm. I’m still not telling you who I got.”

“Thomas!”

“No.”

Luka pouted. “Fine. Then will you at least please tell me what the fuck I’m supposed to get Morgan?”

“Let’s look in here.” Thomas nodded at the shop.

“It’s too nice for him.”

Thomas rumbled a low laugh, his breath white. “Don’t make me repeat Tawney’s lecture about the Christmas spirit.”

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