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Nicky glanced back at me with an apologetic grimace as he walked out into the hallway with the irate elf and shut the door behind them.
I grabbed the fork and stabbed at the scalloped potatoes, wanting to taste those creamy, cheesy carbs. I needed the comfort.
Nicky finally re-entered the room and slid back over to the table like the weasel he was.
I’d fully started eating, with no guilt whatsoever. I’d even torn off a piece of lush turkey meat and shoved it into one of the warm, buttered bread rolls and drizzled some thick, cranberry sauce over the succulent flesh. “What was that about, then?” I asked, without preamble.
Nicky’s lips were thin and tight as he crossed his arms over his chest and hunched his shoulders. “Yeah, sorry about that.”
“Sorry about what?” I prompted, not so much as batting an eyelid at how catty my tone had become. I nonchalantly ripped another bread roll in half and chomped down on the softness, not even tasting it. It was more a shield, something to occupy my hands with, than anything else.
Nicky huffed out a big sigh as he hung his head, before he finally dropped his arms and looked me straight in the eye.
“I’m sorry that our talk was interrupted. You didn’t need to hear about the plans I’d made before I even met you.”
“Oh, but I do,” I said, waving one hand flippantly in the air. My heart was pounding with every breath I drew, and I was struggling to think straight as my fury blossomed. “Tell me what these plans were, exactly.”
The hotel Curtis had mentioned was swanky and expensive.
Nicky groaned and tucked some stray hair behind his ear, seemingly buying himself a moment. “The week after Christmas, we all take time off every year. Then after New Years, its back to work for the rest of the year.”
I nodded, trying my best to remain calm and centred. “Okay. So, this is your vacation time we’re talking about?”
“Yes, exactly. It’s the only time I ever leave the North Pole, so it’s a week of.... Well, it’s when I let my hair down, so to speak. I have some fun, drink until I’m merry, and entertain women. It’s generally the only time that I feel like a man and not the Father of Christmas.”
His tones were soothing and rational, and yet I was blinded by rage. This was the man who swore black and blue that we were meant to be? That fate had preordained we be together?What a load of absolute crap!“Well, please, don’t let me stop you,” I said, my tone acidic as I waved my arm toward the door. “Your fuck fest awaits.”
If he wanted to have sex with random strangers for a week, then he should. It was his life and his choice. But that wasn’t the sort of man I wanted to be with, that was for damn sure.
“Oh, don’t be like that, Jaydy,” Nicky said. “I made these plans last year! It’s been a standing booking for decades now.”
“Decades?” I repeated. “Fuckingdecades? And you think you’re suddenly ready to settle down, put your loafers on, and get married? Are you serious? You’ll be young forever if you keep this up so you should. Why lose every man’s veritable dream? Fuck away, Santa.”
“Stop saying that!” he bit back, his volume rising.
“Saying what?” I yelled, throwing my hands up in the air. “That you’re a proverbial Peter Pan? You’ve literally got decades of fucking around ahead of you and never having to grow up! Why on earth did you propose to me if you didn’t mean it? And why would you? That would be an end to all your fun.”
Nicky groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Now you’re just being a bitch. Seriously, Jaydy, just stop. You’re blowing this way out of proportion.”
There was no holding back the steam now. My lid blew off and I saw red. “Fuck you, Nicky. Enjoy your vacation. See you next lifetime, maybe.” I snapped my fingers and magically transported Santa Claus to his damn ritzy hotel in Toronto. Feeling a mite guilty for dumping him in the lobby alone without so much as a change of clothes, I stomped into his walk-in robe, threw an armful of things in a suitcase, then sent it off to join him.
“You bloody bastard,” I hissed, stomping back into his room. “I knew you were too good to be true! The one time I thought I’d found a decent man, he turns out to be a freaking bloody man whore. Trust my luck!” I shook my head and took some deep, steadying breaths to recharge my magic.It’s simple, I reasoned. I’m just plain unlovable.
My parents hadn’t loved me and no boyfriend ever had. Why would Santa Claus? He was a fairy tale, and I was, well... me.
With tears swimming in my eyes, I snapped my fingers a final time and transported myself home. Back to my tiny town house and to my lonely bedroom. In the next heartbeat my legs caved, and I collapsed onto the rug, a pained howl tearing from my throat to shatter the overwhelming and stagnant silence.Fuck!
