Page 5 of Stocking Stuffers
“Then here’s my number.” She rattled it off for him, and he hurriedly input it into his cell.
They smiled at each other like two dorky teenagers before the sound of someone humming a Christmas carol in the kitchen jolted them apart.
“I’ll be out in a second to wrap up everyone’s orders. I need to hit the road before the Bug can’t make it up the driveway,” she said.
“I wondered whose car that was.”
“My baby brother restored it for me a couple years ago. He’s a little genius.” She grinned just thinking about her brother, who at six foot four was in no way little or a baby.
“It’s beautiful.”
“I know.” She winked and slipped into the bathroom.
The partiers were almost done drawing names for their romance novel exchange when she returned, so Sasha prepared to fill and file their orders.
Once they wrapped up, she clapped her hands once. “Okay, Staunchly Raunchy Book Club, does anyone have questions? I’m ready to take your orders if you have any.”
A stack of order forms were passed in her direction. Her payout for this party would be a nice holiday bonus. Maybe she’d take her siblings out to their favorite Chinese restaurant on Christmas Day.
It took her about ten minutes to distribute the stock she had with her, accept payments, fill out receipts, and file the remaining orders. By the time she’d sold her last Love Bite, the wind was howling and whipping snow against the huge windows of the hearth room.
She didn’t even have an ice scraper in her car. Her grandmother was probably rolling in her grave over how unprepared Sasha was for bad weather.
“Thank you for doing this,” Valerie said with a solemnity that might have been due to too much mulled wine.
Louise nodded and bit her lip. “I’ve wanted to try out a vibrator, but I’ve been too self-conscious to go into a shop, and I wasn’t sure how to pick one online. Some of the companies look sketchy.”
“That’s why I love this job. We want to make it easier and more comfortable for people to find and purchase what they want and need,” Sasha said, dropping her voice to give the three of them privacy. “Sex toys are fun, and they’re essential for some people, particularly women, to get off. There’s nothing shameful or wrong about that. Technology is a wonderful thing.”
“Exactly,” Louise whispered, tucking her long, frizzy brown hair behind her ears. “We read so many sex-positive romance novels where the heroines have all this sexual agency, but here I am—too chickenshit to buy a vibrator. Well, no more. I bought two.”
“Good.” Sasha grinned at her and made a mental note to include a couple of coupons with Louise and Valerie’s orders. “I’m happy you scheduled Lady Robin’s for your holiday party. This was such a fun group.”
“You’re welcome to join the book club! We’re always excited to indoctrinate unsuspecting humans into our romance novel cult,” Valerie pitched in.
“Thank you, but I’m not exactly local. I live on the far side of the city, over an hour away, but I’d love book recommendations. I enjoy thrillers, so maybe romantic suspense? I’ll give you my email.”
Valerie whooped and rushed off to get a pen and paper. Sasha smiled in her wake. Valerie was beautiful, especially now, when she was flushed, uninhibited, and excited about books. Perry and Valerie both had dark curly hair and killer smiles. They could have been twins. But there was something about Perry, something that hit her right in the chest.
What was that exactly? Chemistry, maybe? Lust? Sometimes she was knocked over by it, by that rush of adrenaline and discomfort, when she wanted someone. When the thrumming in her pulse spiked from,Oh, I like their smile,to,Oh, I want to sit on their face.But this dose of Perry felt exceptionally potent.
Gender had never factored into it for her. She liked women. She liked men. And she liked people who were both or neither or fluid. But regardless of gender, she had a type.
Unexpected. Adventurous. Expressive. Emotional.
She had no idea if Perry had any or all those characteristics, but she couldn’t help but hope he’d call her eventually so she could find out.
Valerie rushed back over with a notepad and pen as Sasha finished packing up her bag of unsold toys. Sasha was writing out her email address for Valerie when Perry materialized beside them.
Sasha, of course, jumped at his sudden appearance and dropped the fucking pen. He picked it up for her.
“Dray is giving a bunch of people a ride home since they have that huge minivan with the all-wheel drive. Andie and Karen are hoping to stay here until the storm clears if you have space,” Perry told Valerie.
“We have enough rooms,” Valerie said.
“Do you have space for me too?” Louise asked.
“Absolutely.” Valerie winked at Louise, which made her blush. Then Valerie turned to Sasha. “Will you be able to make it home? You could stay here. We always have room at this inn.”
