“Elin?”
I’d zoned out again, and rolled my eyes at myself. “Sorry,” I said with a laugh. “Just thinking. But thank you again Davis, it means a lot to me and Jane that you’re doing this.”
It seemed whatever mood we’d been sharing broke when I’d zoned out. Davis stood up then, putting his phone in his pocket. He looked down at me with his signature grin. “Anytime. Shoot me that text okay? I’ve got to get going. Let me walk you out to your car.”
Disappointed he was rushing to go, ending our moment together, I stood and followed him out to the malls parking garage. He made small talk as we walked to my car, with me only nodding or giving one-word replies. When we reached my car, he watched me get in and back out, then gave me a small wave as I drove away.
CHAPTER
FOUR
The next day I walked into the daycare center exhausted. Working the two jobs was tiring enough, but I also couldn’t fall asleep quickly the night before. After I’d gotten home, I debated for a few minutes if I should text him then, or wait a day or two.
I decided then.
It was a quick text exchange, but thoughts of Davis kept me up too late. Thoughts of his grin, his hand over mine. It kept my blood flowing and made me wonder if I was growing obsessed. That was the last thing I wanted. After scrolling through my Facebook feed, trying to divert my thoughts, I finally fell into a more restless sleep.
After putting my purse away in the back room, I ran into Jane on my way out to the play area.
“There you are,” she exclaimed upon seeing me. “You have a little something I put in my office.”
I tilted my head, wondering what it could be. This had never happened before, and it left me completely dumbfounded.
“Follow me,” Jane told me as she headed toward her office.
We reached her office and my jaw dropped when I saw the beautiful bouquet of yellow roses sitting in a crystal vase on her desk. “Those cannot be for me,” I whispered. Who in the world would even send them? I hadn’t dated in months, and absolutely no one had even showed any interest lately either.
Jane pointed to the card placed in the flowers. Sure enough, in big black letters was my name. I rushed over and pulled it out of the bouquet, and ripped it open. Scanning over it a few times, it still did not answer any questions.
Elin,
These remind me of you. Something beautiful.
~An Admirer
“Well,” Jane asks. “Don’t keep me in suspense, Elin. Who are they from?”
I raise my head and show her the card. “No idea. This is the strangest thing. I’m not sure whether I should be creeped out or flattered.”
To be honest, I felt both. Creeped out because he didn’t sign his name so who’s to say it wasn’t some psychopath following me wherever I go? But then flattered, because what woman wouldn’t be? The roses, an admirer, the mystery of it all? It sounded like something out of a romance novel.
“I’d be flattered,” Jane spoke up, interrupting my thoughts. “These roses are gorgeous, as are you, my dear. Someone has fallen for you.”
I waved my hand, instantly dismissing that notion. “I wouldn’t go that far,” I began. “Without knowing who sent them, it could be anything.”
Jane let out a small chuckle. “Well, I disagree but who knows. I just wish I would’ve asked the delivery guy if he knew the man who sent them.”
“Too late now,” I said on a sigh. “But anyway, time to get to work. I wouldn’t want the boss to think I was neglecting my little minions.”
We both laughed then Jane shooed me out the door, telling me to leave the flowers there until I got off work.
I stifled a yawn as I walked back out, and prayed I could make it through the day. The kids were making pictures with finger paints, getting more on their smocks than on the paper. Jane had children’s Christmas music playing in the background, something that always put me in a good mood.
“Miss Elin?” a tiny voice asked.
“Yes, Whitney?”
The little girl with blond pigtails and bright blue eyes looked up at me. “Is it true Santa won’t come for Santa day?”
My eyes widened for just a second. How had she heard? Before I could ask, she continued.
“Alyssa said she heard Ms. Jane telling her teacher, and she told me. We decided that I would ask you about it because she’s too scared to ask her teacher.”
I gave her a little smile as I knelt down in front of her. “Well I’m glad you did. You are very brave. It’s true we weren’t sure if Santa would feel well enough to come this year, but last night we were told that he will definitely be here, that there was no way he wouldn’t come visit all of you.”
That earned me a huge smile and little arms wrapped around my neck. “Yay!” she cried. “I knew he’d come,” she exclaimed.
By now, all of the children by us were all looking over, then clapping their hands and cheering with her. After a minute, I asked them to quiet down and finish their paintings, assuring them that Santa was for sure coming for Santa day next week. The room was now full of excited voices, some telling the others that there was no way Santa would stay away, whether he was sick or not.
Watching them, and hearing their conversations made me even more grateful for Davis and his volunteering to be our Santa. Seeing their little faces relieved and excited made it all worth it. The fact that I was excited to see him outside of the mall paled in comparison to these sweet little kids and their elation over Santa day.
After a busy morning, I breathed a sigh of relief we made it to lunch and quiet time. Once the kids had eaten and used the bathroom, they each got their mats out of the closet and placed them on the floor. Most didn’t actually fall asleep, just a few did. But they were good to stay quiet and listen to the Christmas music, only a few whispered conversations going on here and there.
I sat in the big stuffed chair toward the back of the room, doing my best not to drop off. Usually I’d go in the back and chat with some of the girls, but today was my turn to keep an eye on the kids. The soothing sound of the music and the big cozy chair lulled me to sleep, something I’d never done before at work.
It was only a few minutes, as the vibration of my phone startled me awake. Realizing I’d actually been asleep made me jerk forward on the chair, scanning the room for each of the kids. Relieved that they were all accounted for, and seemingly unaware their teacher was unconscious for a few minutes, I looked down at my phone. When I saw who was texting, I felt my heart lurch in my chest.
Quickly typing in my password, I clicked on his name to read the text.
Hey you, you working at the mall tonight?
I read it a few times, not quite believing he was reaching out to me. Refusing to analyze it to death, my heart sank when I realized it was one of my nights off from being an elf. With a frown, I typed back a reply.
Hey! No, I’m not working tonight. It’s one of my nights off. :(
I sat back in the chair, my heart racing. No other guy has ever made me feel the way Davis does, and I barely know him. It has me feeling so many emotions. Excitement, giddiness, a bit silly, and a lot scared, the last making me feel a bit unsettled. But, no matter what the feelings, they don’t stop me from constantly checking my phone for incoming texts.
What’s taking him so long to text me back?
As soon as that question goes through my head, I shake it off and jump out of the chair. No way am I going to allow that train of thought to continue. Keeping busy will help me avoid obsessing, and feeling the discomfort obsessing brings me.
The kids start getting restless so I tell them to get up and put their mats away, grateful for the distraction. The rest of the afternoon luckily flies by, not once giving me the chance to check my phone. By the time five o’clock rolls around, it actually surprises me. It seems like quiet time just ended.
I head back to grab my purse, and the flowers. Seeing them again sends my mind into a quandary. Who sent them? Should I be worried?
Why wouldn’t he sign his name?
Jane walks in then, and senses my reservations. “Don’t worry, Elin,” she tells me gently, patting my shoulder. “Enjoy the attention, and all of your co-workers’ envy.” She gives me a wink, making me laugh.
“Okay, okay,” I surrender, heading to the door of her office. “I’ll go home and put these in my room and enjoy them, no more worrying.”
“There you go,” she cheers, wishing me a great rest of the night.
I do my best to hold my purse and the vase as I walk out the main doors. The wind has picked up, causing my hair to start whipping around in my face. Struggling to walk to my car, I freeze at hearing someone calling my name.
The wind still whipping my hair, I turn around to see who it is. To my astonishment, I see Davis jogging toward me, making my jaw drop a little. What in the world is he doing here?
CHAPTER
FIVE
I still can’t believe Davis is here at my work. Even when he reaches me, his face a little red from the wind, it still doesn’t seem real. It’s only when he speaks, it hits me that it is.
“Hey, let me help you with that.” He doesn’t wait for me to reply, instead just taking the vase out of my hands and into his.
“Uh, thanks,” I tell him, still in a daze. “What are you doing here?”
He raises his hand over his eyes, and asks me, “Is your car near by? Let’s get some shelter and I’ll tell you.”
I nod and head to my car, him beside me. When we reach it, I fumble for my keys, finally pushing the button to unlock it. I slide into the drivers seat, Davis sitting in the passenger one beside me, the vase balanced between his legs.
“Wow, that wind came out of nowhere,” he exclaimed. “Sorry to just show up like this, but I had a meeting near by and thought I’d come by and see if you’re free for dinner?”
Wait, what?
“I thought you were working at the mall tonight,” was my confused response. It was then I realized I still hadn’t checked my phone since quiet time.
“I was, but after I texted you, Mr. Rush called asking if we could switch nights. It worked out for me to do so, so now I’m free tonight. Are you?”
Holy cow. Was he seriously asking me out? I never saw this coming.
“Uh, yeah, I guess so.”
Wow, could I sound any less enthused? This man jumbles up my whole system. I could not form a coherent thought when he was so close. And now I appear less than excited to go out with him.
He lifted a finger and placed it under my chin, tipping my face up to meet his. “Don’t sound so damn thrilled,” he teased.
His touch burned my skin, making me quiver. “No, I am,” I responded quietly. Everything around us seemed to have paused; nothing was going on in the world but Davis, sitting in my car and me. We still barely knew each other but that didn’t matter. No one had ever infatuated me more than this man.
His eyes lingered on mine, his finger still under my chin. “That’s good,” he uttered. “I would have been hurt had you said no.”
That made me roll my eyes a little, which broke the spell, and caused him to crack up. “Elin, I swear, there is so much more to you than you let on,” he teased.
We decided to drive to the restaurant together, then I’d drop him back off to his car afterward. We chose a quaint little bistro a few blocks from the daycare center. I’d never been to it before, but had heard how good it was. It was still so unexpected to actually be with Davis outside of the mall, that I literally had to pinch myself a few times to remind myself that it was in fact, completely real.
We were quickly seated in a corner, given menus. By habit, my eyes first went to the prices, and bulged at seeing them. An appetizer was as much as I usually spent on the main course. Doing my best to not show my horror, I perused the menu until settling on the least expensive entree. Even though Davis had asked me, which I assumed to mean he intended to pay for us both, I still was not comfortable ordering a more expensive dish, especially having no idea if he could really afford much.
When the server came to take our order, I told him only the soup and sandwich, making Davis eye me for a second. When we both had told him what we wanted, the server asked if we intended to order drinks. I started to say only water but Davis was louder and ordered a bottle of Chardonnay. I wanted to refuse, but worried it would appear rude so my mouth stayed shut. It still worried me that he might not be able to really afford it.
When the server left, Davis immediately took my hand in his. “I hope you like this wine,” he began. “It’s one of my favorites and I wanted to share it with you.”
Still trying to calm the butterflies after he took my hand, I cleared my throat and gave a weak smile, and answered the only way I could. “I can’t wait.”
I felt like I needed a pause button. Things were moving from nothing to something in no time flat. While it was amazing, it still scared me to assume he felt the same way, but I also didn’t want to over think it.
“Wow, Elin, what’s going on inside that head of yours? Even I can feel those wheels turning. Is everything okay?”
Great, now he knew how crazy I was. Taking much needed deep breaths; I finally felt some calm wash over me. Why was I freaking out? Davis was my crush, and he’d asked me out.
Go. With. It.
“Yes, everything is fine. Sorry, it’s just been a busy day and to be honest, I haven’t even had one minute to check my phone to see if you texted me back. Seeing you outside my work took me off guard, that’s all.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment, his face showing he was thinking. Wow, maybe the reason I haven’t had a boyfriend for so long is because my idiotic brain never shuts up. Maybe I should find a therapist.
“Well, you came out to dinner with me so that’s a good sign. Why don’t you just rest that brain for a bit and enjoy my charming company?” His wide grin came back, and the scruff on his perfect face was a bit heavier today, which I loved. And he basically just told me the same thing I’d told myself, which made me realize how silly I was.
“Well, that won’t be hard to do,” I confessed.
His eyes lit up and he sat back in his chair. As he folded his arms over his chest, the server came and brought us our wine. After opening the bottle and pouring some in our glasses, he told us our entrees would be out shortly.
Just as I took my first sip of the wine, which was amazingly good, Davis looked at me and asked a question.
“By the way, who were those flowers from? They’re beautiful.”
I looked up and saw he was staring at me, sipping on his wine. His eyes were bright, showing no sign of jealousy, much to my disappointment. He was just curious.
“I don’t know,” I answered. “The note wasn’t signed. It made me nervous because in this day and age, you just never know. But, Jane kept telling me to settle down and enjoy it, so I’m doing my best to.”
He continued observing me, swishing some of the wine around in his mouth. “She’s right, have fun with it. It sounds like you have a secret admirer, that’s pretty cool.”
“I guess.”
The server brought our entrees then, and we enjoyed a nice dinner together. Davis continued to amuse me, and charm me. He was a little vague on his job, just saying he was in sales and marketing, and that it kept him really busy. He was much more interested in talking about me.
“So tell me more about you, you can’t be more than twenty-one or twenty-two. What’s your story? Where are you from?”
I was trying to remember all of his questions, and continued to tell my nerves to calm down. “I’m twenty-two, I’m from here, and you know a lot about me. I work at the daycare center full-time, and at the mall every Christmas season. I am the oldest of four girls. Diana is twenty, Serena is fifteen, and Maya is ten.”
He took a bite of his chicken, and nodded. “What about your parents? What are they like?”
This is where it got tricky. It wasn’t as if I never talked about my mom, but her le
aving us eight years ago was still something that hurt me deeply. I wasn’t ready to share all of that yet so decided to just give him the basics.
“Well, they’re divorced, we live with my dad. We actually haven’t seen our mom in eight years.”
Davis’ eyes widened and his mouth stopped chewing, but he stayed quiet.
“Dad has done so great with us, and I’ve helped him the best I can. I worked part-time jobs all throughout high school and as soon as I graduated, I’ve been at the daycare full-time. Working each Christmas at the mall helps dad out a lot with the discount I get, so it’s worth it even though it all can be exhausting.”
He set his wine glass down on the table and reached over and took my hand in his again. “Wow, Elin, I had no idea. You are very strong. I admire that. It must have been horrible for you and your sisters, and your father, when your mom left.”
To my horror, unexpected tears sprung in my eyes, instantly making me look down at my lap. I hadn’t shed tears over her for a while now, so why was it happening tonight, and especially with him? The room started to close in on me, the need to escape too great to ignore.
I quickly scooted my chair back and whispered, “Excuse me,” as I dashed to the restroom.
Luckily the restroom was only for one, so I had it to myself. Placing my hands on the sink, I took deep breaths and willed myself to get it together. The fact that mom had just up and left, and still not a word eight years later, was something I usually kept buried inside. A few questions from Davis and I instantly fall apart. Raising my head to look in the mirror, my usually light golden eyes look dark and heavy.
“Get it together, El,” I whispered.
Falling For Santa Page 3
