Page 27 of The Christmas Mistake

“What do you want?” I ask immediately.

I can hear Nicholas chuckling.

“You’re angry at me, aren’t you?”

Ugh.

“I’m angry at this whole situation,” I reply. “I’m angry at Mark for putting us together. I’m angry at having to spend my Saturday at a busy mall dressing up as an elf. I’m angry at how hungover I feel. I’m angry at how a man at the bar last night practically rejected my number right in my face. I’m angry that I’ve got to spend time with the person I hate most in the office. Yeah, I think you can say I’m pretty angry at you, Nicholas, but you’re not the only thing I’m angry at this fine morning.”

There’s a long pause.

“A guy rejected your number last night?” Nicholas asks quietly.

I exhale. Hard. “That’s the one thing you picked out in that whole freaking rant?”

“Tell me what happened.”

I grunt. “No.”

“Was it embarrassing?”

“What do you think?” I ask him.

“And this happened at a bar? On a Friday night? In front of everyone?”

“Well, just in front of Evie,” I reply, waiting for his trademark dickface reaction. “Come on, then. Laugh, Nicholas. Laugh at me. I know you want to. Gloat in my misfortune.”

“Why would I laugh at you being embarrassed in public like that?”

His voice is softer now than I’ve heard in a long time. Well, since the night we shared together last Christmas.

“What the hell, Nicholas? You love teasing me, so why aren’t you taking up this opportunity? Go on, it’s perfect for you.”

“I’m not a monster, Chastity. You were rejected in public. That’s gotta hurt. I hope you’re okay.”

I narrow my eyes. “If this is a ploy to bring my shields down just so you can hit me when I’m most vulnerable…”

“What do you want me to say? Do you want me to insult you? Hurt you? Is that all you think of me?”

I don’t know what I want him to do. I feel weird that he’s not trying to tease me as normal. It feels… different. Like we’re out of rhythm. Maybe our little year-long office bickering has been a way for me to avoid facing up to the fact that I was once super exposed to this guy when I was drunk and horny, and that I kinda liked it. I kinda miss that side of him I saw that night.

And now I’m seeing a glimpse of it again.

“I’ll see you at the shopping mall,” I say, cutting him off. “We’re nearly there now.”

I hang up before I can hear his answer.

I grip the steering wheel tight and groan.

A whole Christmas with Nicholas and my fucked-up feelings about him?

Oh, I can already tell that this is going to be so much fun.

11

NICHOLAS

Chastity pulls up next to my car in the mall parking lot, and the first thing she does is poke her tongue at me from behind her window. I make a point of rolling my eyes at her.