Page 24 of The Christmas Mistake

Today is certainly not the day for it.

“Are you gonna take those off?” Nicholas asks, gesturing towards my sunglasses.

Ugh. He’s noticed.

“Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t.”

“You look like a clown with them on inside,” he replies.

Oh, how I wish I could pour this scalding hot coffee over his snarky little face.

“You’re not wearing any and you still look like a clown,” I retort. It’s certainly not my best comeback but considering the state I’m in it’s the best I can do. Give a gal a break.

“You always have something sassy to say to me. Don’t you, Chastity?”

“I have nothing to say to you, Nicholas. Especially not today.”

“Wow, you’re really firing off some arrows this morning. it must really be a severe hangover you’re going through. You must really hate having to see me right now.”

“Just shut up and let’s get this meeting over and done with, shall we?”

We reach Mark’s office on the other side of the building. I knock and our boss calls us inside. Nicholas doesn’t even offer to let me in first, he just barges right on through. I nearly spill my coffee over myself thanks to his rudeness.

“Very chivalrous,” I mutter spitefully under my breath. Nicholas flashes me a smirk over his shoulder.

He really deserves this hot coffee poured all over him.

“Hello, guys.”

Mark is standing behind his desk holding his desk phone. By the looks of things, he’s just been on a serious call. I wonder if that has anything to do with why Nicholas and I are here. Mark hangs up and motions us to take a seat opposite him.

“What’s the issue?” Nicholas asks. “Why have you summoned us here this Saturday?”

“It better be some emergency,” I add.

Mark takes a long deep breath and rubs his sweaty forehead.

“There has been an emergency,” he says wearily. “We need a Santa.”

Nicholas snorts loudly. “What are you talking about? Have you gone crazy? Is this a joke?”

But Mark looks deadly serious.

“We need a Santa,” he repeats. “And an elf.”

“What are you talking about, Mark?” Nicholas asks again. I don’t say a thing. My hangover headache is now pounding away and I’m thinking of my warm bed and how much I want to crawl back in it and not leave until New Year’s.

“Our main shopping mall downtown is in urgent need of a Santa and an elf. Today.”

Oh.

Right.

Nicholas and I look at each other at the same time. We both realize what Mark is talking about.

The biggest season of the year for our shopping mall company is Christmas, and one of our most important assets is our photo Santas.

“What’s the issue?” Nicholas asks Mark. “Don’t we hire an actors’ agency to recruit our Santas and elves? Why do you need us? Neither Chastity nor I work in the recruiting and hiring department.”