"Yes, well, it's still snowing," Jax repliedunapologetically as he held his hand out to catch some of the fallingsnowflakes. His breath made a big puff of white steam against the cold nightair. "And it's not worth getting sick, besides you're not the only one inlayers. I have on long-johns under here, so I'm just as uncomfortable."
Alessia had to wrangle her self-control not to look down athis jeans. “Mmm, long-johns, sexy,” she teased.
Jax made a Tsk noise as he gave her a roguish grin. “Youlaugh now, but I bet if I were to let just some of these women know that I amsporting some grade-A long-johns under these jeans, we might just start astampede.”
Alessia nearly choked on her apple cider laughing. “Well,thank God most of them think you are a local hermit-serial-killer.”
“It’s a sad time when a man can’t even live out in the woodsand not shave for a week or so without being called such hurtful names,” Jaxtried to look hurt as he shook his head.
Laughing, they both walked hand-in-hand to the next fewstalls until they were stopped and greeted by a familiar man. Alessia knew thatshe must have outwardly tensed when she felt the comforting back-and-forthswipe of Jax's thumb across her hand.
Steve, the man she had mistaken for Gary, smiled at themboth with a beer in his hand.
"Hey there Jax, long time no see," Steve's smilewas so genuine, Alessia felt ashamed that she had ever mistaken the man forsomeone as horrible as Gary.
"Hi, Steve," Jax's dry obligatory reply only madeSteve laughed as if he expected nothing less from the man. "How's theinsurance scamming still going? Burning any more cars for people in that oldclearing in the woods?"
Giving off a nervous laugh, Steve looked around beforeleaning in. "Come on, man, not so loud. The last thing I need is sheriffGarrett all in my face. I thought this was just between you and me?"
"You, me, and your clients, of course," Jax saidmatter-of-factly.
“Yeah, yeah,” Steve grinned over the rim of his beer as hetook another gulp. The glint of euphoric mischief sparkled in his eyes as hegave Jax a stage whisper. “But yeah, business is good. Got three clients thismonth.”
Bored with Steve’s nefarious conversation, Alessiainterrupted politely to Jax. “I’m going to go look at those stands over there,”she gestured to the nearby booths. “Keep talking, I’ll be close by.”
Stepping back, she pulled gently at her hand still trappedin Jax’s hand. She could see that he debated on just coming with her andbailing on Steve, but she gave him a knowing smile as she took another stepback. Reluctantly, Jax let go of her hand but Alessia didn’t miss thepossessive look he gave her that sent butterflies scattering across her nervoussystem.
"You going to introduce me to your girl?" Sheheard Steve ask Jax as she walked away.
“Nope,” Jax answered.
Stepping past a group of people, she noticed they were allstaring at a local news station conducting interviews. Seemingly everyonewanted to share their excitement on camera with the blonde news anchor ladyabout the festival. Taking advantage of the distracted crowd, she made her wayover to an empty stall.
“Care to kiss Eli’s famous Tarki pickles?” The man behindthe booth’s counter thrusted out a pickle halfway wrapped in foil.
“Excuse me?” Blinking Alessia looked up from the pickle afew feet from her face to the smiling young man holding it.
With light sandy hair, the man looked only a few years olderthan herself and gave her a charming smile with a wink. "You heard right,pretty lady," he said loudly for everyone nearby to hear. "If youkiss my famous Tarki pickle, you can walk away with not only this pickle but aticket to possibly win a gallon of pickles when we do the drawing at the end ofthe night."
It was obvious now by his volume and the pleased look in hiseyes as a few people started to surround them, curious of the spectacle he wasmaking this was shameless publicity.
“I will not kiss that pickle,” she said through smiling,clenched teeth as even more people surrounded her and the booth. Nervously, sheran a hand through her loose hair.
"Aww, come on," he pouted, still holding thepickle out. "Where is your festival spirit?" He called out. "Allit is is one teensy kiss from one beautiful lady." Giving her anothersalacious wink, the crowd laughed and began urging her to kiss it.
Embarrassed and trapped, Alessia leaned backward as he heldit even closer. "I will not kiss your pickle," she yelled over thelaughing crowd, realizing how ludicrous she sounded.
"What do we have here?" The fake merry voice,along with the blinding white light at her side, spelled disaster.
Alessia wanted to shrivel up and die when she realized thenewswoman and her cameraman were standing right next to her, pointing thecamera directly at her!
“Hi, I’m Eli of Eli’s famous Tarki Pickles, and I have asimple contest going on,” without missing a single beat, Eli turned his winningsmile to the camera and explained his contest. “And right now, we have our lastcontestant of the night, all she has to do is kiss my pickle.”
Horrified, Alessia felt all eyes, including the news anchor,turned to her expectantly.
“How about itMiss, are you going to kiss Eli’s famous pickle?” Tilting the mic she washolding out towards Alessia,
the news anchorsmiled.
