by Clare Revell
“Ah.” His face turned the color of his trousers as he pulled the wig over his hair. “It seems I owe you another apology.”
“Apologize to the lady, later,” Mr. Jennings said. “You both need to walk the grotto, and memorize it in case any of the children ask you about it before the store opens and you don’t have long. Just play nice, Hector, and I’ll see you both later.”
Chapter Four
HECTOR SIGHED AS HIS GRANDFATHER left them. He should be used to poor treatment by now, but he wasn’t and never would be. Especially being belittled in front of a pretty girl…woman. “I’m not five,” he muttered. “And I don’t have an attitude.”
Brie glanced at him. “Sorry?”
He shook his head. “It’s nothing. I get the impression he doesn’t trust me.”
“He’d never have asked you to do this if he didn’t have some trust in you.”
“Jury’s out on that one. That’s the second, no third time this morning he’s told me to play nice and it isn’t even nine a.m. yet.” He ran his gaze slowly over her, liking what he saw. The elf costume gave her slim figure no room to hide. “Nice legs. Love the tights.”
She returned the gaze. “Nice biceps.”
Hector grinned. “Nice comeback and thanks. I spend hours in the gym. Glad to know some of the hard work has paid off.” He slid into his coat. “Okay, let’s go do this. And I really am sorry for soaking you last night. If I’d known I’d have…”
“…gone faster,” she finished. “At least that’s what Paris would do.”
He laughed. “So would Nick. We should head down and start this walk through the winter wonderland.” He led the way to the lift. “Last night you told me that you worked in an office.”
“Yeah, I do. Well actually, it’s more of a desk in main reception. I didn’t think it was important to mention where the office was. And because your surname is different, I didn’t make the connection.”
“Mum’s side of the family has owned this shop for years and years. Well, you know that. I’m surprised Grandad has dropped the party idea. He was so looking forward to it. Did he say why?”
Brie hesitated. “Not in so many words,” she hedged as the lift came. She stepped inside first and took a deep breath as the doors closed.
The lift opened into a low lit, star studded space with luminous signs pointing the way. They didn’t have time to ride the sleigh, but Tony, the elf in charge gave them a quick run through how it worked. The actual sleigh didn’t move at all. Instead the pictures on the wall changed and, along with the gentle rocking motion of the sleigh, gave the impression of movement.
Hector couldn’t contain his grin at Brie’s unbridled enthusiasm as they walked through the winter scenes. Anyone would think she’d never seen anything like this before. He was pleased to see there was a stable with nativity figures, a hill with shepherds and angels, and a desert with wise men on camels.
Next came reindeer on a snowy yard, house windows covered with lights, decorated trees peeping behind curtains. Finally they reached a snowy plain, carefully moving lights imitating falling snow before they walked through huge double doors into Santa’s workshop.
Bright lights, music and elves occupied the space. Someone started singing “Here comes Santa Claus.”
Hector groaned. No doubt he’d get a lot of that over the next few weeks. He waved, wondering who the joker was.
The store bell rang giving them the five minute warning. “So, what’s your elf name then, Brie?” he asked.
“My what?” She followed him over to his chair at the end of the room. It was roped off, several sacks of presents surrounding it.
“All the elves have names. We could call you Elf-abet. Or Jingle Bill as you’re effectively down here undercover for Grandad.”
Even as he spoke, Hector regretted it. Her cheeks took on a rosy hue, making her look vulnerable for a moment before a steely resolve filled her pale blue eyes.
“I’m here to work, the same as everybody else. Jingle Bill is quite clever, but not really me. However, as I’m not a cop, thus not the old bill, it’s not going to work. So, call me what you like, so long as it isn’t late for dinner or rude.”
Hector chuckled. He liked her. No one else would dare talk back to him the way she did. “How about Bright? Or Merry?” He tilted his head. “Nope, you’re too tall to be a hobbit. How about Silent?”
“As in silent but deadly?” She tucked her hair behind her ears. “No. I thought we decided last night killing people made more paperwork. I’m enjoying not having any for a few days.” She grinned. “Though I could be the world’s first ninja elf, if you wanted.”
The bell rang again indicating the store was open. Hector lowered himself onto the padded red chair. He took a deep breath and glanced at the elf with the camera. He had to think for a moment what the bloke’s name was. “Leon, what’s your elf name?”
“Flirty.” Leon winked. “On account of the way I chat all the girls up all the time.”
“Seriously?” Hector nodded to the man’s wedding ring. “Your wife would have your guts for garters.”
“Not really. Some bright spark in the offices found an elf naming chart on line. You get your name from the first letter of your name and your birth month. So I’m Flirty Sparkle-Pants.”
Hector turned to Brie. “The office, huh.” He could tell by the tint on her cheeks that the name generator had come from her. “So, better keep with tradition. What’s your name?”
“I don’t…” Her voice trailed off.
“Don’t lie, Briseis,” he chided. “You know very well what it is.”
“Pudding Tinsel-Shoes,” she whispered.
Hector snorted. “I was half hoping he’d be Bubble so you could be Squeak. But Pudding is even better. What’s mine?”
“Depends when your birthday is.”
“November 27th.”
She closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them. “Nutmeg Candy-Cane.”
“Could be worse,” Leon quipped. “So, Santa, what are the reindeer called and where are they?”
“Up on the roof with the cats,” Hector shot back. That had been one of Auntie Liz’s favorite threats if he didn’t eat his dinner. “They are Dancer, Dasher, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Edgar, and Rudolph.”
Brie burst out laughing. “Edgar? What happened to Blitzen?”
“It’s Tuesday. Tuesday is the new Monday, so he’s at home in bed not wanting to come to work.” Before she could reply with something sarcastic, he changed the subject. “Just out of interest, do you know any bakers?”
“Why?”
“I’m not letting Grandad let the anniversary pass with no party.”
“He didn’t say he was dropping it. Just postponing it until the New Year,” she argued. “I’m sure he has his reasons.”
Hector shook his head. “He asked me to organize a huge cake weeks ago. But I forgot.”
“So now you’ve been let off the hook.”
“No. We can’t ignore it. I’ve tried the supermarkets, asking them to put a photo on it, but they can’t for some reason or other. I want something that encapsulates the spirit of the store, what it means, but I can’t come up with anything.”
“And something large enough for everyone to have a slice, I guess.” Brie studied him for a moment. “I’ll think about it. If we were keeping a record of this, which I’m assuming we’re not, I’d want it noted that I’m reluctant to go against his wishes.”
Hector held her gaze. “Is there something you’re not telling me?” He dropped it as children’s voices echoed from the across the room. “We’ll discuss this later.”
He plastered a smile on his face. “Okay, let’s do this.”
By the time the first hour was over, he’d been peed on, cried on and had sticky snot sneezed all over his chest. Fortunately he’d packed a spare outfit and had two knees as one was still rather wet. So much for leaving the outfit at work.
Brie seemed to have
a knack with the kids. She’d greet them, find out their names and then introduce them to him, not leaving his side. That’s when she wasn’t scanning the crowd for some reason or other. He’d have to tease her later about her ability to multitask, and assure her he was only kidding about her being an undercover spy for his grandfather.
Finally, the queue ended and he looked over at Leon. “Now what?”
“Lunch,” came the response. “We have an hour before they re-open the grotto and the first customers work their way down to us.”
Hector stood. “Good. I shall go change. I could do with some coffee.”
“Just coffee?” Brie asked. “I skipped breakfast to get here on time.”
He moved over to her. “Actually, I was thinking maybe you and I hit the café down at the Butter Market. Change into normal clothes and sneak out for a few. The egg and chips are to die for.”
“Waste of good food.” She raised an eyebrow. “You’re determined to kill something, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, preferably the kid who peed on me,” he deadpanned, pulling his wet trousers away from his leg. “Remind me never to have kids.”
Brie took a deep breath and smirked. “Hector? Don’t have kids.”
“Oh, very helpful.” He swatted her arm playfully as she laughed. “Are you coming? Lunch is on me.”
“So’s everything else.” She laughed harder. “Lunch would be good, thank you. My stomach thinks my throat’s been cut.” She followed him through the side door behind the chair and into the staff only corridor.
He hit the button for the lift. “I need a shower first. I’ll be five minutes. Meet you outside the locker rooms.”
Chapter Five
BRIE CHANGED FAST, SIMPLY PULLING her clothes on top of her outfit again. She leaned on one leg against the wall opposite the men’s locker room, her other leg braced behind her. She grinned, hearing Hector singing over the sound of splashing water. She shook her head, as that shower scene from the movie Elf ran through her mind.
As tempting as it was to prop open the door and sing along with him, she resisted. Instead she hummed the harmony as she waited.
The door opened at last, and Hector came out; his hair damp and even more unruly than before. “Okay,” he snickered. “Elfis is about to leave the building.”
“Elfis?”
“Santa’s favorite singer. Elfis Presley. Uh, huh. Thank you, thank you very much.”
Brie groaned as they walked down to the lift. “That is the worst one yet. Where are we going?”
“Munchees in the Butter Market. It’s one of my favorite cafes. It’s also a Nepalese restaurant, but we don’t have time for that now.” He paused. “And probably not a good idea if I have to be Santa all afternoon.”
“How can it be both?”
“They serve English food downstairs and Nepalese upstairs.” He led her out of the store onto Broad Street. Pale winter sunlight shone from a pastel blue sky. Their breath hung in the air. “Oh, it’s cold.”
Brie reached out and brushed a hand through his hair. “You might find icicles in this before long.”
“Then you can be Santa and I’ll be Jack Frost.”
“Nice try, but I don’t have the figure for Santa.” She let her hand fall and walked beside him. His hand kept bumping against hers. Would he take it?
They reached the end of Broad Street and swung left into the Butter Market where Munchees was the third shop on the left hand side. Again Hector opened the door for her. A blast of warm air and the mouthwatering scent of good old-fashioned cooking greeted them.
She slid into a table by the window. The red leather seats had seen better days as had the brown Formica tables, but the whole place was welcoming. “You know, I’m sure I saw this place on TV.”
He nodded. “Yup, last year I think. They recorded an episode of a crime drama here.”
She shrugged out of her coat. “I remember now.”
Hector grabbed the menus and gave one to her. He slid out of his coat. “I know what I’m having.”
“Give me a minute.” She browsed the menu, amazed at the variety, from all day breakfasts, to snacks and main meals. If she had something substantial, then it would save cooking later. However, she wasn’t paying so she wasn’t going to go crazy and order the most expensive thing on the menu.
“You don’t have to have egg and chips,” he grinned, tipping the salt cellar from one hand to the other. “I’m going for the mixed grill.” He pointed to the menu.
“That does look good.”
The waitress came over, a red apron over her black uniform, with a matching red cap over her hair. “Can I take your order?”
Hector looked at Brie.
“The mixed grill, please. With a pot of tea.”
“Make that two, please,” he said. He tucked the menu away and propped a hand on his chin. “Have you lived here long?”
“About three years. Working for your grandfather is my first job since leaving university. Despite that, I haven’t been anywhere, really. Except work. I don’t get out much.”
Apart from hospital appointments she finished silently.
“Then we have to rectify that. Have you been to the Abbey ruins?”
Brie shook her head. “I didn’t even know Reading had an abbey.”
He straightened as the waitress brought the pots of tea over. “Built by Henry I and destroyed by Henry VIII. The ruins are grade one listed. They’ve been closed for years for safety reasons, but following a grant from the heritage lottery fund, are planning to reopen soon. You get to them through the Forbury Gardens.”
Brie busied herself tearing open several sachets of sugar and dumping them into the cup. “That’s where the winter carnival is. I was going to go last year, but never made it.”
“There’s an outdoor ice rink there. We should go. I went skating in Central Park in New York a few years ago and you can’t beat it.”
“We?” She glanced up at him. “Are you suggesting a date?”
“Maybe.” He smiled at the waitress as she put the plates on the table. “Thank you. Shall I say grace?”
Once again, Brie wasn’t prepared for the warmth that flooded her as he grasped her hand. Her stomach turned to jelly and she could barely concentrate on the prayer.
He pulled back and picked up his knife and fork. “So, will you come? It doesn’t have to be a date. We could go as friends. It’s far more fun to go skating with two. Not to mention the fact it’d be kind of sad if I went alone. Being sad at Christmas is something I’d pronounce a crime if I ever went into politics.”
Brie shook her head, visibly shuddering. “Promise me you’ll never go into politics. I can’t go skating.”
“I can teach you. It’s easy once you know how.”
“It’s not that. I know how to skate. I can’t… Sorry. No.”
Hector looked across the table in mock disappointment.
“I’m sure you’ll manage,” Brie said. “A big, hunky bloke like you must have a girlfriend.”
“Nope.” He tilted his head. “Did you just call me hunky?”
Her cheeks burned. “Did I say hunky?”
He grinned. “You did.” He speared a piece of gammon, dipping it in the yellow egg yolk. Raising it to his mouth he raised an eyebrow, peering at her over the fork. “Hunky?”
She shook her head. She’d never live that one down. “We need to eat or we’ll be late back.”
Hector chewed. “I’ll have to change my elf name to Hunky Nutmeg Candy-Cane. And you can be Cutie-pie Pudding Tinsel-Shoes.”
Brie choked down her mouthful. “Cutie-pie?”
He chuckled. “Yeah. So, if you’re Tinsel-Shoes, when does that make your birthday?”
“December.” She finished the sausage and turned her attention to the gammon. Hector hadn’t been wrong when singing the praises of the food here. It had to be the best meal she’d had in a long time. She hadn’t thought of mixing gammon, sausage and burger with egg, chips and salad, but
it worked.
“Have you had your birthday yet?”
“No. And that doesn’t mean you can sing happy birthday every morning for the rest of the month.” Brie sighed. “I’m not celebrating this year. Or any other year for that matter.”
“Oh.” Hector studied her. “A big birthday you’d rather ignore?”
She shook her head. “No, more like memories I don’t wish to contend with, now or any time soon.”
“Consider it ignored.” He finished his meal and wiped his mouth on the serviette. “We should probably make a move back in a few. Don’t want to be late.”
“I’m almost done.”
He leaned back in his seat and checked his watch. “You got five minutes, cutie.”
“Call me that once more and I’m going to kick you.”
“You wouldn’t dare…Cutie.”
Brie raised an eyebrow, loving the look of shock and pain that crossed his face an instant later. She tucked her leg back under her chair. “Don’t ever dare me not to do something,” she said. “Not only will I do it, l will do it twice, and I’ll take pictures.” She paused. “And don’t call me cutie.”
Hector rubbed his ankle. “Can’t give a chap a fairer warning than that. You finish up and I’ll go and pay.”
Brie watched him make his way to the counter at the far end of the shop. She needed to keep her distance from him. Her traitorous heart was starting to get ideas and she couldn’t have that. Not one little bit.
Chapter Six
“YOU SAID WHAT?” LIZZIE LOOKED shocked.
Brie buried her burning face in her hands. Even in the noisy pub, Lizzie’s reaction was unmistakable. She tried to laugh it off. “I know. I’m such an idiot.”
Lizzie’s grin was audible. “Well, is he hunky?”
“Yes.” She picked up her glass of juice. “He has the most amazing eyes, hair that won’t lie down to save its life and he’s arrogant to go with it, but in a nice way. Let’s call it, oh I don’t know, confident maybe.”
