Page 5 of Sleigh Bells and Snowstorms
I ran to him and grabbed his arm, pulling him back inside.
“What the…?”
“Apologies,” I said quickly and blinked when I realized what he was wearing. A Santa Claus costume. The beard was fake. “I’ll give you a thousand dollars cash for your costume.”
“I’m supposed to play Santa out there.” He gestured toward the ballroom.
“Does it pay a thousand dollars?”
“No. I get a hundred bucks.”
“I’d say my offer is considerably more generous.” Careful of the figurine beneath my jacket, I pulled out my wallet and showed him the cash.
His eyes widened, and he shrugged. “All right.”
He took off the costume, including the beard. Moving fast, I handed him the money, then put everything on over my suit, including the beard and hat. It was too loose, so I grabbed a throw pillow from the couch and stuffed it under the coat.
Without a word, I turned to leave.
“Merry Christmas,” he said, his voice a little bewildered as the door snicked shut behind me.
Dressed as Jolly Old St. Nick, I walked down the hallway toward the ballroom, waving at the partygoers. One of Delphine’s men was standing among the guests, talking to someone on his phone.
“She probably brought him up to her room to get laid,” he said.
I couldn’t help but smile. That she had.
Revelers exclaimed that Santa had arrived as I waved at them and walked by, heading for the elevators.
“Santa has a stop to make to deliver gifts,” I said in an American accent. I pointed at a rather attractive woman in a sleek green dress. “I’ll be back, and you can sit on my lap.”
She laughed. The man with her did not.
Delphine’s man didn’t even look at me.
I sauntered to the elevator and got in. “I’m in the elevator. Next stop, lobby.”
“How?” Maple asked.
“I’m dressed as Santa Claus.”
“I wondered what you meant about a costume. God, I wish I could see that.”
When the doors opened to the lobby, the people waiting to go up smiled at me.
“Ho, ho, ho,” I called out in character as I walked out.
Another man in a dark suit stood nearby, watching the elevators while he spoke to someone on his phone.
He hardly glanced at me as I strolled right by.
Waving to a few more people who shouted, “Santa,” I made my way through the lobby and out the front door.
“I’m out.”
“I have a car for you one block north.”
“Might want to let him know how I’m dressed.”
