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"It's just another part of your job," I said finally. Where were the ugly jumpers? Oh, here they were. The first few I saw were more cute than ugly.
"Yeah, but it's not a part of yours." Bam stopped, eyes wide. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up."
It took me a moment to realise what he was referring to. I'd almost forgotten I worked for the Rapids at all. My mind was so caught up with everything that happened since.
"It's okay." I pulled out a bright blue jumper with a reindeer knitted on the front. "I have to move on at some point." I wasn't referring to the Rapids, specifically, but it would be better if he thought I was.
"Right." He nodded toward the jumper. "That's not ugly enough."
I snorted a laugh out my nose. "It's adorable." I put it back on the shelf.
Bam looked like he was going to say something, but he closed his mouth and nodded toward a bright pink jumper with a bauble on the front.
"That's pretty ugly," he said.
"Pink doesn't really say Christmas," I pointed out. "Not even in July."
"True. What about bright red?" Bam pointed.
Now I laughed out loud. "With a semi-naked Santa reclining in front of a fire? I think the kids might run away from me if I turned up in that."
"I guess the semi-naked elf beside that is out then." Bam looked at it sideways. "Those are way too big to be real."
"She is knitted," I pointed out. He was right though. If that elf's breasts were real, she'd fall over onto her face. Or onto her chest. On the upside, she'd bounce.
"She's pretty impressive," Bam said, his eyes still on her. "Can we have elves like that at the party?"
"Only if it's adult only." I rolled my eyes. Guys would never change, would they?
And my friends and I would always make comments about hot guys, because we weren't dead yet. There was no shame in expressing our appreciation.
"Hey, Grace, I found the perfect one." Apparently Bam managed to pry himself away from the busty elf. He held up a jumper in a nice shade of green. On the front was a white cat, just like Karma, with a Christmas hat on her head. The cat looked as happy as Karma would have, if she wore one. Pissed off as hell.
"Should I say, it's the purrfect one." He grinned, obviously very pleased with his find. And his pun.
"It really is," I agreed. "It needs more cat hairs on it, but I can arrange that easily enough."
No piece of clothing, especially a cat jumper, was complete without some fur here and there.
If a guy could swagger while standing still, Bam would be doing it right now. He handed me the jumper with a flourish and the biggest grin I had seen on him yet.
"Milady." He even bowed.
"Thanks." I checked to see if it was my size. Part of me hoped it wasn't, so I could bring his ego down a peg or two. Of course, it was.
But then I caught sight of the price tag.
"Uh, yeah, maybe we could find a cheaper one." Without a regular income, things were quickly getting tight for me. I had enough to pay the rent for another month, but after that… I'd be in trouble.
Bam would totally understand, having been there himself, but it was still embarrassing.
"I'm paying," he said firmly.
I flushed slightly. "I don't expect you to?—"
"Think of it as a uniform expense," he said. "You're kinda working for me, so I pay for it." The expression on his face said not to argue with him.
Before I could form a reply, a new voice said, "So that's the nature of your relationship. You pay her for her time. Is that by the hour?" Harvey Danbury stepped out from behind a shelf, a smarmy smile on his face.
