Page 15 of Scrooged All The Way
“You think so?” I looked up at my best friend. She was already nodding. Excitement radiated from her.
“I know so.” She was practically jumping up and down.
“I don’t know, Rory.” My eyes dropped to the outfit.
It was pretty.
Really pretty.
An image of me wearing that and nothing else popped into my head. Knowing Dasher Whittaker, he’d scowl at me. His deep voice would rumble low. My skin rose with goose bumps at the thought.
“Well, no pressure,” Rory snapped me out of my thoughts. “But keep that. It was totally meant for you.” She winked. I playfully rolled my eyes. “Thanks,” I muttered under my breath.
“Okay, I better get to work.” She squished her face.
“Why are you working during Christmas break again?” As a teacher, Rory had plenty of vacation time, but the woman could hardly sit still.
“Because being a teacher is great, but having some extra cash is always helpful. Especially when we both have goals,” she reminded me. We were working toward opening a food pantry in town. One that if we invested in correctly, would run itself.
“That’s right,” I groaned. “Goals,” I repeated. My fingers stroked the velvety material in my hands. We both had goals.
And as much as I loved doing things for Holly Burrows, tonight of all nights, I had a feeling I was going to take off for myself. “Where is the temp agency sending you off to today?”
“The mall at Kismet Cove.” She rolled her eyes.The mall?My head tilted. “They needed someone with my vertical advantages.”
“Someone with… you’re short!” I reminded her.
“So are you!” Rory argued.
“I never said I wasn’t.” I giggled. “Wait, what are you going to be…” My voice drifted off, and my eyes widened. “Ohmygod! Rory! Are you working at the Santa’s village in Kismet Cove’s winter market? That’s not a mall.”
“Whatever. Toe-may-toe, to-mah-to. And yes. I will be one of Santa’s helpers, just for tonight.”
“You sure you don’t want this?” I jiggled the lingerie in front of her, and she rolled her eyes.
“What makes you think I don’t have one of my own?” she responded then quickly stuck her tongue out at me. We looked at one another, then broke into a fit of giggles. “You okay?” she asked, and I nodded.
“I’m good.”
“Whatever you decide to do, I’m here for you, you know that, right?”
“I do.” And I did. We had been inseparable since we met as kids. Even when she went away for college, I doubted there was a day that went by when we didn’t talk to one another.
“Just remember time is too short and too precious to waste. We both know that.”
“I know.”
“I better get going. I don’t want to hit traffic.”
“You staying in town, or is Santa’s sleigh bringing you home?” I teased. She made a face.
“You’re funny. You staying in, or you going to go get it on with your grinch?”
“Touché!” She waved and left my bedroom. I sat back down on my bed and stared at the sexy little outfit in my hands. It wasn’t crazily skimpy. A mid-corset top and cheeky boy shorts with garter belts. The set covered more than the bikini I bought last summer, and I knew I had white lace-top thigh-highs in my dresser.
I fell back on my bed and stared at the ceiling.
Three years ago, I was breaking up with some guy I could hardly stand being around, and in walked a man who made me weak in the knees with the sound of his voice. When his eyes connected with mine, my heart pitter-pattered right out my chest and into his hands. I knew it was time to go after what I wanted or let it go.