Maxine Morrey - The Best Little Christmas Shop

Dan leant over. ‘Ooh … shared. Good advertising. Well done, Lex.’

‘Nooo, it’s not! Sodding Facebook. All it’s done is advertised what an idiot I look. That’s now popping up on the timeline of various team members, other teams, and drivers! I’m a bloody laughing stock!’

Dan wrapped an arm around me. ‘No, you’re not.’

‘No one who sees that will ever take me seriously.’

‘It’s Christmas and you’re helping out your family. You’re dressed as an elf, Lex. It could certainly be worse.’

‘How could it possibly be worse?’

‘Oh, talk of the devil. Here comes Cal.’

Great. It just got worse .

‘Hello.’

I waved a large-gloved hand. ‘Hi.’

‘Hey, Dan, how are you?’ Cal and my brother shook hands as I glanced back towards the shop front, wondering if I could make a run for it. My gaze drifted down to my oversized, curly-toed shoes. Running was most definitely out of the question.

‘Lexi!’ George appeared from a group of children and came charging towards me. Instinctively, I bent down and caught him, lifting him up and swinging him around for a moment before popping him back down. His cherubic little cheeks were rosy from the cold and excitement and his bobble hat kept slipping a little over his eyes. Cal bent and tugged the hat back a bit.

‘You look like a real elf!’

‘What makes you think I’m not a real one?’

George giggled. ‘You’re too big.’

‘I’ll have you know that Father Christmas likes all sorts of shapes and sizes when it comes to elves, just as he should.’

‘But you don’t have a beard.’

‘That’s because I’m a girl.’

He thought about that one for a minute, then shook his head, still giggling. ‘I don’t really think you’re an elf but I like that you look like one.’

Dan crouched down to join us. ‘I heard a rumour –’

I shot him a glance and beneath the fake facial hair I could see the lines around his eyes crinkle.

‘– that the elves inside the shop have some free cake and biscuits. Do you want to come and see if that’s true?’

George looked up at his dad. Cal nodded. ‘I’ll be in in a minute.’

Dan bent down. ‘It’s kind of busy in there so up you jump. We don’t want someone stepping on you now, do we?’

‘No! I definitely don’t want to be stepped on,’ George said, all seriousness. Cal smothered a smile.

With barely any effort, Dan hefted George onto his back and trudged into the shop, lifting his feet high with each step in order to accommodate the ridiculous shoes.

‘How are you?’ Cal asked, his eyes scanning my face.

‘Fine, thanks.’ I looked down at my shoes.

‘Are you embarrassed about something?’

‘What?’ I looked back up.

‘It’s just that your cheeks are quite red …’

I gave him a rap with the large candy cane I’d had hanging in my belt. ‘Very funny. Anyway, what are you doing here? Xander had assured me that you wouldn’t be coming tonight. Some meeting or something?’

Cal took the cane off me and studied it for a moment before beginning to twirl it between his fingers, absent-mindedly.

‘Finished early, luckily for me,’ he said.

‘Unluckily for me.’

‘Wow. I’ve made that good an impression?’ Cal took a small step back and I suddenly realised how that sounded.

‘Oh no! I mean … I just sort of hoped you wouldn’t be here tonight.’

‘Right.’ He gave a nod.

‘Not because I didn’t … it’s just that … oh for goodness’ sake, Cal. Look at me!’

He took the step back closer again. ‘I am looking.’

‘I look a complete idiot.’

‘I think you look cute. In fact –’ he leant towards me so that I could feel his warm breath on my ear, contrasting exquisitely with the crisp, cold air of the night ‘– I think you might be the cutest elf I’ve ever seen.’

Never in my life would I have believed I’d ever think this but – thank God my mum drew big rosy cheeks on me earlier – because right now, I was pretty sure my own would have been indistinguishable from them.

‘You’re making fun,’ I croaked out, before clearing my throat quickly.

Cal smiled and held out the candy cane. I kept my eyes focused on it for a moment before I closed my hand around it, my fingers brushing Cal’s. Slowly my gaze began scanning up the broad chest, over the day-old dark stubble, and finally arrested when it met those intense grey eyes.

‘I’m really not,’ he said softly, his voice almost a whisper, but roughened with the raw edge he always spoke with.

I swallowed, not sure how to respond. I was out of practice at all of this. Way out of practice.

‘Oh,’ I eventually squeaked out.

A fleeting expression of amusement mixed with confusion scudded across Cal’s eyes. He held my gaze for a moment longer as he released his hold on the cane entirely.

‘Thank you,’ I mumbled, dropping my gaze as I felt the warmth burn again beneath my make-up.

‘I should go and find George.’

I nodded.

Cal gave a half-smile accompanied by a tiny headshake and headed off into the shop behind me. As he left, I realised I’d been holding my breath. I let it out in one slow movement, waving at the passing shoppers as I tried to pretend I was feeling perfectly normal and parts of me weren’t currently a lot more … alive … than they had been in a long while.

‘Ooh la la!’ Giselle exclaimed as she appeared beside me and gave me a big hug. She was followed by Xander who did the same.

I glanced down at my costume. ‘Not the first expression that came to mind when I saw it again, I must admit.’

‘I wasn’t talking about the costume. I was talking about you and Cal!’

‘I … what?’

‘We were just on our way over when Dan went into the shop with George and left you two alone. Very tactful by the way.’

‘He wasn’t doing it to leave us alone. He was …’ I looked from Giselle to Xander. OK. So, apparently he was. I’d totally missed that.

‘And from the looks of it, Cal was pretty pleased about it. All that whispering in your ear, and then the whole candy cane thing … Oh my!’ Giselle flapped a cerise leather gloved hand just under her chin.

I rolled my eyes. ‘Did you two have popcorn whilst you enjoyed the show? Really, it was nothing. I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it. He’s probably just had a mulled wine or two.’

‘Cal doesn’t drink.’

‘Oh.’

‘Well … maybe …’

‘Maybe he likes you?’ Giselle tilted her head at me. ‘Ever think of that?’

I fiddled with the pompom on the end of my hat. ‘Honestly? No.’

Giselle gave Xander a glance.

‘Maybe it’s time you did think about it, Muppet. And you know I wouldn’t be telling you that if I didn’t think he was good enough for you.’

I nodded. ‘I know. But honestly, that’s the last thing I’m looking for. Especially right now. Plus he has a little boy.’

‘So? I would’ve thought you’d be the last person to be put off by that.’ Xander frowned at me.

‘I’m not put off. It’s just … it’s another consideration. I made a complete mess of my last relationship and I’m not about to launch into something else feet first again, even if Cal was interested. Which, by the way, I don’t think he is. Things get messy and painful and I’m certainly not going to involve a five-year-old in that!’

Xander gave me a quick squeeze around the shoulders. ‘You can’t think all relationships are going to end messily, you know.’

‘I don’t.’

‘Good.’

‘Just mine.’

Xander blew out a sigh and gave me a look. Giselle patted him on the arm.

‘We shall see,’ she said, enigmatically. ‘Now, we’re going to head off and do some pressie shopping. See you later.’ Giselle kissed me on my bright red cheek and they headed off towards to the warm glow of the little shops, all decorated for the season, their soft lights enticing shoppers in out of the cold.