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“What do you two do before you’re here for your shift?” Even though they’d worked together all week, they hadn’t actually had much time to talk like this. He wanted to get to know his elves, if only for the time they were together.
“I work at Stardust Diner through the week and Kyle helps out at his father’s office,” Portia supplied before coming to a stop as a bunch of kids came charging at them.
“During the school year too?” Fletcher asked as he squatted again, bringing himself to the level of the kids as they crowded around him for a picture.
“Yeah,” Kyle said with a long-suffering sigh. “I mean, it’s not fun. But my dad pays me, so I guess it’s okay.”
Fletcher nodded, smiling at the kids as he waved them off and to Kyle he said, “I have an opening at the music store, if that’s more your thing.”
“Seriously?”
“I know you have a crazy amount of information about music stored in that brain.” Kyle looked like he was going to pass out, so Fletcher gripped his shoulder to steady him and smiled. “It’s only a job offer, Kyle. Come by the store in the new year and we’ll figure something out.”
“Thanks, Mr. Kelley. I mean, Fletcher,” Kyle fumbled and blushed, which made Portia giggle softly. Fletcher smiled and carried on with his walk, listening to his elves quietly chatter behind him.
Hours later, Fletcher was on his final break of the evening. He had another forty-five minutes of Santa duty before he could go home, and he was ready to collapse into bed. Hell, he’d get out of work early if it meant spending another evening with Micah. Now that Emery knew about their relationship, they didn’t need to sneak around. But still, he didn’t want to put them on the spot by showing up at their house randomly. After his birthday, Emery hadn’t brought up the relationship or said anything at all. And at first, that felt weird. But outside of a ‘please don’t hurt her’ comment, the teenager had nothing else to say and Fletcher appreciated that.
Now, he and Micah could date for real. He could wander around Sirena Beach with her, see her hometown through her eyes. Enjoy the place the right way. Plus, if she wanted to, Emery could go along with them. The options were endless. Fletcher would be lying if he said the thing taking up most of his brain space was the knowledge that he could possibly get Micah into his bed soon too. It wasn’t like she had flat out told him sex was off the table, he figured that while they were sorting through their relationship, sex would not be a priority. Which, to him, was totally fine.
But all the memories from the night they shared kept filling his brain and it was starting to become too much.
At the sound of buzzing, Fletcher swapped the paperback—a tattered historical romance he found in the locker room—for his phone and smiled at the text.
Micah
Damn, I look good.
Where did you get this?
And why do you have this?
Before he could unlock his phone to reply, another two texts came through.
Micah
Fletch?
*sad face emoji* I miss you.
Fletcher
I miss you too, love bug.
As for the picture, a friend sent it. Wanting to know who you are.
Smiling, Fletcher scrolled up to look at the picture again. With this thumb he stroked Micah’s face and shook his head. No way was it possible that he’d won over this woman. He’d seen that unfiltered joy on her face every single day since their trip to the tasting room. The way he felt about her was scary, but it also felt right. He couldn’t wait to tell her as much, to see her beautiful brown eyes widen in shock before they lit up with joy.
Micah
And what did you tell this friend?
Fletcher
That you’re none of their business, you’re mine.
Micah
Ooh, possessive. Weirdly sexy.
