Page 4 of Santa Has a Six-Pack
“Like hell I am!” I shout.
“Hear me out, honey, hear me out.” She places a hand on my shoulder. “I had a meeting with the higher-ups yesterday. We all agree that with your performance background, you are the perfect person to lead the charge. Plus, I think it will be good for you.” She pauses and gives me a knowing look. “Don’t you miss it?”
“Dancing?” My voice goes softer than I intend it to.
“Yeah.” She places a hand on my shoulder. “Creativity in general. Being part of crafting a performance. It’s so much of who you are.”
“Who I used to be,” I correct.
“Alright. So you’re not interested in your Christmas bonus tripling this year as a thank-you?” she says casually.
“Excuse me, what? They’re going to triple it?” I squeak.
Herald’s is already very generous with their employees at Christmastime—it’s one of many reasons it’s so hard to leave—but tripling my bonus is unheard of.
Dottie winks. “I may have put in an extra good word for you in honor of your ten years of service.”
“Wow. That’s—Dottie, you’re so—That’s amazing!” I hug her. “Oh my gosh, nothing good ever happens to me at Christmastime!”
“Well, not with an attitude like that!” she jokes.
Maybe Dottie’s onto something.
Maybe it’s my attitude about Christmas that always makes this time of year so miserable.
Maybe I can turn things around, and good things can happen to me.
“I’m in!” I shout, suddenly so excited I could burst.
“Yay! This is going to be so much fun, sweetie! You’ll see.”
We enter the back room and find Leo putting away the floor buffer. Dottie immediately blushes and turns away from him, ready to ignore him like she usually does.
But then, she stops and looks me dead in the eyes.
“What?” I whisper.
“You were right with what you said before. Life is short,” she whispers back. She squeezes her eyes shut and then says with her full voice, “Fuck it. Leo?”
Leo turns to face us, a spray bottle in his hand. “Yes, Dorothea?”
Dottie’s knees weaken adorably when he calls her by her full name.
She takes a deep breath and blurts, “Would you like to get some hot chocolate with me this holiday season?”
Leo’s face breaks into a brilliant smile, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “It would be my honor, miss. A true honor.” He gives her a subtle bow and heads to the main floor, an additional pep in his step.
“Did you hear that?” Dottie hisses and grabs my arm. “Did you see that?”
“I did! That was amazing, Dot! Good for you!”
She beams as she slips on her coat and grabs her purse. I do the same.
“I have a good feeling about this holiday season, Penny girl. For both of us. ‘Tis the season for romance, right?”
I smile, not wanting to dampen her happy moment.
She puts her arm around me as we head toward the exit. “Who knows? Maybe this Santa contest of ours will bring a snatched young man into your life.”
