I closed my eyes, sensing my gag reflex kicking in. My body heaved as I tried to tamp down the urge to barf all over Kris’s boots.
Reaching for a napkin, Kris cupped his extended hand under my mouth. “Spit.”
I pushed the waxy, rainbow-colored ball of soap into his hand with my tongue. “That was disgusting.”
“It was also embarrassing, don’t forget embarrassing,” Kris teased.
Smacking my tongue against the roof of my mouth, I said, “I don’t possess the ability to be shamed. But if you tell anyone about this, I will tell them a kid pissed on you and you walked around the mall in piss-soaked pants for the remainder of the day.”
Kris leaned in until our foreheads practically touched. “Your secret is safe with me.”
I’d beenwith Pavilion Grand for two weeks and I had a routine I’d grown accustom to. I worked for five hours before taking my lunch break. Often, I met Tyler in the food court. It appeared he shared the same lunch schedule as me and we’d just sort of fallen into a routine of breaking bread together. Five minutes before four o’clock, I returned from my break to continue the second half of my shift. I stopped in my tracks when I rounded the corner. Santa’s toy shop looked more like Old McDonald’s farm. Belen was standing next to a grizzled old man holding a rope with a deer attached to it.
“Whoa! What’s with the deer?” I asked.
Belen’s face lit up when she saw me. Which instantly made me lose all focus as I tried to slow the happy uptick of my heart.
“It’s a reindeer. Like Jupiter.” She pointed to the animal who was lazily chewing on an apple slice.
“Who the hell is Jupiter?”
“You know Dancer, Prancer, Jupiter, Blitzen,” Belen said, in a singsongy voice.
“Wow that’s just so wrong. Completely wrong.”
She ignored my admonition, continuing. “Her real name is Belvidere. Get it Belvid-deer.”
I laughed despite myself, even I had to admit the name was clever. “Yeah, I got it. Was this your idea?”
The landscape of her face said hell no. “It was executives. Even when I warned that having a live and very large woodland creature in a mall with people was probably a safety hazard.”
“Safety hazard … health hazard.” I could think of several reasons why bringing a three-hundred-pound six-foot deer to an enclosed space with thousands of people was a mistake. Scanning our surroundings, I located the nearest exit just in case I needed to scoop Belen up and make a quick escape.
“Yep, but it’s Christmas and the Mall of America has an entire petting zoo, so Pavilion Grand had to compete.”
My nose turned upward as I took several steps back. “Belvidere just took a dump on the rug.”
“It’s a Christmas miracle.” She waved her hands from side to side while also distancing herself from the deer. “We were hoping to get some photo ops with you and Belvidere for the website and social media. If that’s okay?”
I wanted to say no I did not sign up to be Dr. Dolittle.Does no one remember the tv show When Animals Attack?I could see it now, I’d stand next to the deer and once the cameras started flashing, it would rear onto its hind legs and use its massive hooves to pummel my face. Mesmerized by Belen’s big eyes and long lashes, I didn’t voice any of these concerns, instead I just smiled and stood in the spot I was directed.
Belen moved around me, directing the camera man as I did my best to remain stone still. “Can we try one with a smile?” Belen suggested after surveying the pictures we captured.
Offering up a half smile, I never took my eyes off the beast.
“Why don’t you take the rope son?” The old man extended his hand in my direction.
“No, I’m good … really.”
“Don’t be a scaredy-cat. She ain’t gonna bite you.” This time the man shoved the rope into my chest.
I shot Belen a glance, working my jaw into a tight circle.Did this old man just call me a punk ass bitch?“I’m fine with just standing here, but thanks.”
Belen wrinkled her nose in the cute way I’d grown used to her doing. “It would make the pictures better if you were holding the rope. As it is right now, the graphics team will have to remove Mr. Delgado from all the pictures.”
Damnit, what was it about this woman and her smile that made me want to please her?“Okay, sure.” I conceded even though I thought this was a terrible, no good, very bad idea.
The deer wrangler tossed the rope in my direction, but he missed my hand by an inch and the thick rope fell with a thud to the floor. In that moment, time slowed to a stop as my heart pounded in my ears. Belvidere took a few steps forward, her sights set on the expanse of the mall, and once the realization that she was unfettered set in, the deer made a mad dash in the direction of Nordstrom.
