“When did that get here?” I asked out loud, though no one was around to answer me.
It was bad enough we had a tree in the main office, but to have one as soon as we walked in was a bit overkill. It was donned with silver and white decorations with an angel standing proudly on top and annoying tinsel thrown all over it, causing the tree to sparkle and shimmer in the sunlight.
The decorations were getting out of hand, and I couldn’t understand why. In the years I’d worked for the center, no one had ever gone out of their way to decorate the offices, so what made this year any different? With a sigh, I walked down the hall toward the break room. Out of all the holidays, during the week, I related most to Groundhog Day, or at least, the movie. For five days a week, I did the same process. Wake up, get to work, make coffee, answer calls, go home alone, get to sleep, and wake up to repeat it all over again. Only during the weekends did I switch things up a bit—I made my coffee at home. And rather than answer calls, I avoided them.
My life was dismal and mediocre at best, but it was mine, and I was too swamped with school to worry about anything else—mainly relationships and forced interactions. And I must’ve radiated a vibe for people to leave me alone since no one at work invited me anywhere. Not that I cared, since I would’ve turned down their invitations anyway, but sometimes when I’d see them leaving together, or talking about hanging out the night before, I’d get a tiny bit of longing to be included. But after what I’d been through, I knew it was best to be alone. I’d learned the hard way that relationships, friendships, and family were temporary, and it was best to be alone.
The impending holiday always brought out dark memories from my past I spent the rest of the year forgetting. As time ticked by, the more depressed I became until I opened my eyes on January second. While the first was always the start of a new year for most people, the second was always mine. It was the day that told me those torturous weeks were over, and I had over three hundred days to breathe easily until they rolled around again. I just had to survive them until then.
It was when I was pouring my coffee that I realized I was waiting for Troy to enter the office, and then wondered why the hell I cared. Maybe it was the vulnerability I was feeling over the holidays, or the fact he was going out of his way to speak to me when no one else did, but there I was, watching the doorway waiting for him to enter. And when he didn’t, I felt a tiny bit let down. But I couldn’t wait around in the break room in hopes he’d show up. That’d mean subjecting myself to my other coworkers, and I’d rather listen to Christmas music than deal with that shit.
I stalled a few more minutes as I slowly stirred my creamer in, and when I heard the ruckus of my coworkers, I sighed and left the room. It was while I was walking down the hall, that I saw Troy’s familiar auburn hair as he rushed inside the office. He must’ve felt me looking at him because he caught my eye and gave me a wide, frazzled smile as he shook his head ruefully.
“My car refused to start thanks to the frigid temperatures,” he explained with an eye-roll.
“That’s not good. Were you able to get it started?”
He shook his head. “No, I had to call a cab.”
“Oh.” Then against my better judgment, I surprised myself by offering, “I can give you a ride home if you need one.”
Where in the hell had that invitation come from? I barely knew the guy, and now I was offering to take him home? These holidays needed to hurry the hell up and be over with, because they had me in such a state that now I was offering to be a chauffeur for a coworker I barely knew and noticing how vibrant his hair looked while it was wet from the snow.
Troy’s eyebrows shot up. “That’d be great, as long as you don’t mind?”
Of course, I minded, but the invitation was already out there, and it wasn’t like I could back out from it. I wasn’t that big of a douchebag.
“I don’t mind at all.”
“Thanks, Reed. I’ll wait for you after work.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
I gave him a brief nod and went to my cubical. I braced myself for another goodie and nearly breathed a sigh of relief; nothing was there waiting for me. Maybe whoever was leaving me the goodies had realized I wasn’t a thankful recipient, or maybe I was looking too much into them. Why did I think I was special enough to think I was the only one receiving them when I was sure my coworkers did, too. Even though I hadn’t seen them on anyone else’s desk didn’t mean anything. They probably received them later that day or had grabbed them before going to the break room.
The relief I felt over not having anything on my desk was short-lived because when I returned to my desk, a small, artificial Christmas tree, donned with tiny ornaments, and a star was waiting for me. I gnashed my teeth together at seeing the offending object and exhaled loudly. Clearly, the person hadn’t given up. To anyone else, the tree would’ve been cute and welcoming sight, but to me it was a shitty reminder of what day was looming ahead. But how could I throw it away when someone went out of their way to buy it for me? Instead, I pushed it to the far corner of my desk where the computer monitor blocked it slightly from my line of vision.
I didn’t have time to worry about a stupid tree. Instead, I had a job to finish and butterflies to calm. Because in a few short hours, I’d be in my car with Troy, taking him home. And once again, I cursed myself at offering to take him home. But the butterflies didn’t calm down, and by the time the end of the day rolled around, my nerves had taken over my body until my palms were sweaty, and I was battling the urge to hurl up the lunch I’d barely been able to eat.
“Are you ready to go?” Troy asked when he approached my desk.
I’d been stalling by slowly shutting down my station, but I could only make him wait so long before he decided to get another way home.
“Yup,” I said and took a deep breath to try to squelch my nausea. “Let’s go.”
Whether I regretted my impulse decision or not, I was about to take Troy home.
Chapter 4
Jingle hell, jingle hell, jingle this day away. It’s not fun, and I am done with this freaking holiday.
“I really appreciate you taking me home, Reed,” Troy said from beside me in my car.
“It’s no problem,” I reassured him.
It really was a problem. Not that it was Troy, or that I was helping him, but because having him inside my car made me realize just how tiny the space was. Having him so close made me more aware of his spicy cologne and the fact he had a spattering of freckles across his nose. His eyelashes were long and thick, and they were just a tad bit darker than his hair, and his eyes were a dark blue that almost looked gray. How had I not noticed how handsome he was until now? Or maybe I’d noticed long before but chose to ignore it.
“I live on west Elm street,” he told me.
“Really? That’s convenient. I’m on Havens.”
Troy turned in the seat a little bit to look at me. “Really? Are you in Studebaker apartments?”
I nodded. “I am.”
“I live in Brookside. We’re practically neighbors.”
Great. So not only did I notice how attractive he was, but he was also kind of my neighbor. Thank goodness our buildings were across the street, but now I was sure I’d find every excuse possible to look at the apartments I never paid any attention to before.
“Small world,” I finally replied.
The drive home was a bit quicker than the drive to work since the roads had been plowed again and salt had been spread. The slush made some parts slicker than others, but I made it to Troy’s street without any incident.
“I’m in the back,” he told me before directing me toward his building.
I parked in front of the correct building and noted I could see it from the street—something I did not need to know.
Then, without thinking it through, I opened my stupid mouth again. “If you need a ride in the morning, I can take you.”
Troy shot me a look of surprise. “I don’t want to
be an inconvenience.”
Hearing his protest had me wanting him to take me up on my offer. “I’m literally across the street, so it’s not an inconvenience at all. Besides, it sounds like you might need a new battery, and what you’ll wind up spending in cab fare can buy you a new one.”
“I can give you gas money,” he offered.
I almost felt offended. “Why would you do that? I’m going to and from the same place you are, and driving across the street is barely any gas at all.”
“Only if you’re sure…” he trailed off.
“Maybe I should be the one saying that to you. I like to get to work early so I can avoid everyone else in the parking lot.”
Troy chuckled, and the rich tone did something funny to my insides. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. “Trust me, I’ve noticed. But I’m okay with that. Just let me know when to be ready.”
I told him a time I’d be there to pick him up, and after thanking me, Troy exited my car. Rather than back away like a normal person, I sat there until I knew he was safely inside. Only when the door shut behind him did I put the car in gear to leave the complex. Once I was home, I popped a meal in the microwave and turned on my laptop. While the meal heated up, I loaded up my online course and flipped my textbook to the correct chapter. I had a load of homework to do, which meant I wouldn’t be getting much sleep that night. But I knew the sleepless nights would be worth it. After what I’d endured, I wanted to make a difference in the world, and if staying up all night doing homework was what it’d take to make that happen, then so be it.
Many hours later, the empty meal container sat discarded on the coffee table while I was deep into my homework. My eyes were dry, and my head was swimming with all the information I needed to memorize, and when I glanced at the clock, I groaned when I saw it was well past midnight. I needed to get some sleep, or I’d be worthless at work. I’d completed a huge chunk of the assignments I had due, and the rest wasn’t until Christmas eve. I had to tell myself I had plenty of time and give myself permission to go to bed.
I set my laptop and book on the table, picked up my trash, and went to the kitchen to throw it away. After stopping in the bathroom, I discarded my clothes and climbed between the sheets. My eyes were heavy, and when I finally closed them, rather than having the dark memories that usually filled my brain that time of year, visions of an auburn man with blue-gray eyes were there instead. And as I drifted off to sleep, I wasn’t sure which was worse.
“I think you’re right about it being my battery,” Troy said once we were headed down the road.
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I tried it last night so I could make a run to the store, but it wouldn’t turn over. My neighbor offered to give me a jump, but it was so cold.”
“What did you need?” I found myself asking.
I glanced at Troy just in time to see his cheeks turn a deep shade of red. “Toilet paper.”
I couldn’t help it. His answer was so unexpected, a laugh tore from my throat. It was hard telling the last time I laughed like that, but Troy joined in with me, and soon my car was filled with the rich, hearty sounds.
“Were you able to get some?” I asked around a chuckle.
“Yes,” he wheezed out. “It wasn’t that funny.”
I snorted. “Apparently, it was.”
Troy scrunched his face as he ran a hand through his hair. “Maybe just a little.”
I shook my head ruefully and turned into the parking lot. Jed was already posted at the gate wearing his signature Santa hat, and when I pulled up to be let through, he held out a candy cane I was beginning to think was glued to his hand.
“Good morning, Mr. Lassiter. Candy cane?”
I shook my head but withheld a sigh. “No, thank you.”
He leaned forward a little bit and narrowed his eyes to see who was in the passenger seat. “Is that you, Mr. Bartholomew?”
“It is. Good morning, Jed.”
“Would you like a candy cane?”
“Sure, that’d be great.”
Troy leaned across me to grab the red and white peppermint candy Jed held out for him, and as I leaned back in my seat, all I could do was feel the heat that radiated off him while his spicy cologne tantalized my nose.
“Have a good day, Jed,” I told the guard, my voice tight, once Troy was leaned back in his seat—candy cane in hand.
“I can’t believe you took that,” I couldn’t help but say and gestured toward the candy cane in his grasp.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because candy canes are gross?”
Troy shrugged. “So.”
“So? Why take something you don’t like? I can’t believe he hands them out for a week before Christmas,” I said with a rueful shake of my head.
Troy didn’t say anything as I parked my car in my usual spot, but I noticed how tense his posture was. Throwing the car into gear, I left the car running as I turned to face the man in the passenger seat.
“What is it?”
Troy stared down at the candy cane in his hand. “Have you ever talked to Jed?”
“Sure, I do every day when I tell him good morning and good evening.”
“No, that’s different. That’s just a greeting and a departure. I mean, have you ever engaged in a full-on conversation with Jed?”
I shook my head. “Can’t say I have.”
Troy nodded as he fiddled with the plastic covering the candy cane. “Then, maybe you should.”
I couldn’t find anything to respond except for a lame, “okay.”
What did he mean by that? Was there more to Jed than the friendly man who liked to hand out gross candy during Christmas? It was too early in the morning for such heavy thoughts and conversations, and from the way Troy stayed silent, he must’ve felt the same way.
After shutting off the car, Troy and I went inside the building where I made a beeline toward the break room while Troy went into the bathroom. I instantly got to work refilling the reservoir with water and adding the coffee grounds to the filter, and within minutes the room was filled with the heavenly scent of fresh coffee.
“Thanks again for taking me to work this morning. I’m hoping to get a battery tonight after work,” Troy said after he walked into the break room.
“How are you getting there?” I asked.
Troy shrugged. “A cab? A neighbor? I hadn’t thought that far ahead yet, but I’ll get it figured out.”
I watched the last of the tiny drops of coffee drip into the carafe, and I eagerly grabbed it to pour myself my first cup of the morning. “Or I could take you.”
“You’ve already—”
I set the carafe back down and cut off the sentence he was about to say. “It’s fine. Just meet me after work, and maybe while we’re out, you can stock up on toilet paper, too.”
Troy grumbled at me. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
I finished stirring in my creamer while Troy poured a cup of his own. “Nope, probably not.”
The familiar voices in the hallway gave me my cue, and using the hand holding my mug, I gave Troy a salute and left the break room. As I made my way down the hall, I kept my head down and guarded my precious coffee as I dodged my coworkers and only breathed a sigh of relief when I turned the corner to where the cubicles were. I walked down the aisle, noticing how even more decorations had been put up and rolled my eyes at a flamingo wearing a Mrs. Claus outfit that’d been placed in a corner. Even if I was anti-Christmas, I had to admit it was kind of cute. I finally reached my cubicle and instantly scanned the area, and instantly my eyes landed on my new…present.
It was a tiny replica of the flamingo in the corner, and I couldn’t help but groan out loud. Just because I thought it was kind of cute, it didn’t mean I wanted a miniature one of my own. But as I picked it up and studied the tiny pink animal with a silly expression on its face—something I didn’t think would be possible since it was a flamingo—I didn’t have the heart to throw it i
n the trash. Instead, I placed it beside the small tree I’d shoved in the corner of my desk. For someone who didn’t like Christmas, my desk was starting to prove otherwise.
Work passed by quickly, and before I knew it, it was time to head home. Troy was waiting for me by the entrance, and wordlessly we walked toward my car—both of us tired after a long day of dealing with irate customers.
“Where to?” I asked once we were sequestered inside my car with the heater on full blast.
He directed me toward the auto parts store, and rather than wait in my car while he did a quick transaction, something told me to go inside with him.
“I need to get a battery,” Troy told the associate working the counter, before letting him know what kind of car he drove.
The man quickly typed something on his computer, then frowned at the screen. “I’m sorry, but we are out of that kind of battery, and they’re currently on backorder. We should have a shipment arriving on Monday.”
“What? But it’s Friday. I have to wait through the weekend to get a battery?”
“I’m sorry. Would you like me to check with the other store?”
Troy sighed. “That’d be great, thank you.”
“Give me a few minutes.”
Troy and I waited in silence while the man typed away on the computer while simultaneously spoke in the phone receiver. After a few minutes, he hung up the phone and looked at Troy with regret all over his face.
“They don’t have one either. Apparently, this is a very popular model for a car, and they are also waiting for a shipment to arrive.”
I watched as Troy’s jaw fell open, and I could see the stress start to overtake his body—his back slumped, his shoulders set tensely, his eyes clouded over—and I suddenly wanted to help him.
“Troy, it’ll be okay. I can help you over the weekend and on Monday until you get a battery. Just place an order for one now so you can guarantee getting one, okay?”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
Bite Me, Santa Page 2