The Holiday Gamble

by Sam E. Kraemer

  “Sir, I think your sister is a lovely person, but absolutely nothing happened between us. She and I worked together, and she helped us implement the quiet visits, setting up the snacks in the waiting area.

  “I may have hugged her in thanks, because that’s what I do, but I’m not trying to date your sister. She’s a beautiful girl, and she looks a lot like you, as a matter of fact. I’m gay, Mr. Holiday,” Cris confessed, lest the brother think him a pervert who preyed on young women… wealthy, young women. Cris most certainly wasn’t that guy.

  Cris left Elliot Holiday’s townhouse at seven that morning, just as the sky was starting to turn pink and violet with the rising of the sun. The snow had stopped, finally, and the world was quiet.

  As Cris hopped into the tow truck, having reconnected the battery Elliot Holiday had disconnected and hidden in the storage area of the vehicle, Cris believed the neighborhood looked like something out of a greetings card.

  Unfortunately, his mind was racing such that he was hardly able to process the beautiful Christmas lights in the neighborhood, nor the sky or the snow. Cris was stunned stupid, still trying to process what Elliot Holiday had told him.

  As the man explained what was going on at Holiday Toys in West Philadelphia, Cris saw the truth as plain as the nose on his face.

  “Eve went to work at the store to keep an eye on my brother, Ridge. He’s been floundering for too long, so our father gave him an ultimatum. Either he shapes up and takes his place at Holiday Toys, or Dad’s going to cut him off.

  “I know Ridge has it in him to be a contributor to the family business. He’s actually surprised us since he came to work at the store. He belongs at Holiday Toys, and I believe there’s room for his hobby as well, but Ridge has a hard time with authority.

  “He feels like Dad and Grandpa are dictating terms for him to join the family business, and he’s always been the rebellious sort. It’s time he grew up. He’s going to be twenty-five on New Year’s Day.

  “Dad thought if he worked at the store for a while, he’d finally understand what we’re trying to do at Holiday Toys. We’re not just selling toys. We’re trying to make sure we’re offering a way for parents to fulfill the wishes and dreams of our target demographic. Kids. We want to make sure kids remain our primary focus, not the corporate line.

  “We contribute to charities all over the tri-state area, and we sponsor after-school and community center programs around Philadelphia, so kids have a safe place to go when they need someone to look out for them. It’s what my family has always done, and it’s time for Ridge to do his part.

  “Anyway, my brother took a job at the store, and Evie and I wanted to be sure he didn’t fuck things up, so she took a job there to keep an eye on him. Dad was the one who outed her as a corporate spy to the regional manager, but we never imagined it would roll into the massive rumor the company is closing stores. We’re not even considering it,” Mr. Holiday explained.

  Cris breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear. Will you call Kirby to tell him, or should I talk to him?”

  Elliot smiled. “I’ll make sure the rumor is addressed today when I go into the office. I felt like it was important to speak with you, because we were the reason my brother lied to all of you about his true identity. I know it’s not my place to tell you about it, but it's partially my fault he’s in this predicament. I’m just asking you to allow him to explain himself before you make a decision about the relationship between the two of you,” the man told Cris as he glanced up through his lashes.

  That look… the look Elliot Holiday gave him, what with his blond hair and beautiful green eyes… that look? Cris knew it immediately.

  “Oh…”

  Chapter 10

  Ridge stood in front of the tripod, trying to focus the camera for the best shot and hold the laugh that threatened to bubble out of him. There, in Cris’ arms, was the most adorable, squirmy little boy who refused to stay still for more than five seconds. He wasn’t crying or anything, which was a relief. He just wanted down to check out everything around, and that was when Ridge had an idea.

  “Uh, Santa, why don’t you give him to his dads while I try to find a few props? I’ll be back in just a second,” Ridge suggested to Cris, who had been acting strange all afternoon. He hadn’t tried to kiss Ridge… David… once, and it seemed as if he’d tried to avoid being alone with him when they took a break that morning.

  Considering the two of them had a date after work, Ridge wasn’t sure if Cris was getting cold feet, or if something else was going on. He wanted to continue the sexy flirting they’d been sharing between pictures since they’d started working with each other, but Cris wasn’t playing along, and Ridge was worried.

  Ridge rushed to the ‘riding toy’ aisle in the middle of the store, perusing all of the options. Some of them were actually things he remembered playing with as a little boy when he’d get to go to one of the stores with his father. One thing his parents didn’t do was spoil them on holidays and birthdays.

  Each of the Holiday children received three gifts at Christmas, one gift at birthdays, and an Easter basket with small things until they no longer believed in such childish fantasies. They had a normal life, really, considering his family ran a multibillion-dollar toy franchise.

  Ridge quickly scurried down the aisle until he saw what he was seeking, a red plastic convertible toddler car. He grabbed one, and then rushed down the holiday accessories aisle and found a small Santa hat before he hurried back to Wonderland.

  Ridge snatched a wreath from the front of the set and unwound some battery-powered lights from one of the small trees decorating the stage area. He quickly anchored the wreath to the front of the plastic vehicle and carried it to the stage, confident in his choices.

  “Okay, Santa, can I get you to lie down on the stage?” Ridge asked as he motioned for Cris to take a spot on the floor. The handsome man gave him an odd look, but relented, reclining on the stage as Ridge had requested.

  Ridge wrapped the lights around the small car before skewing Cris’ hat and glasses a bit. “I swear, this will work. Thanks for playing along,” Ridge whispered as he adjusted the set, adding a plastic reindeer and some garland that was tied to the front of the car as if the toddler was the new Santa in the red convertible taking out the traditional Santa.

  Ridge placed the front wheels of the convertible on Cris’ chest. “Are you okay with this?” Ridge asked.

  “What are you planning?” Cris inquired harshly.

  “I think this will make a better picture of the little guy. Just give me a chance, okay?” Ridge asked gently, feeling as if he meant it on a much deeper level than just the photo.

  Cris finally acquiesced, so Ridge went over to where the two men were holding the boy. “Can you come over and put him in the car. Let me get something else.”

  The fathers nodded and followed Ridge to the spot where he’d staged the scene of the convertible running over Santa. One of the fathers started laughing as he looked at the other man. “That’s the perfect set up for him. New Santa taking over.”

  Ridge placed one of the red velvet bags that was stuffed with fluff on the seat next to the boy before he gestured for the father to situate the toddler in the vehicle, so the little boy was behind the steering wheel. He settled the small Santa hat on the little boy’s head with a jaunty tilt and then checked the scene to decide whether it looked precisely as he’d envisioned. There was a new, modern Santa taking over from the tired, old one.

  “Okay, Dads, come stand by me and make him laugh. We want him to look jolly, because he’s the new Santa on the block. I’ll take a series of photos that will be great for your Christmas cards,” Ridge declared, before he began snapping pictures, happy with the aesthetic he’d created.

  The men had purchased the Rudolph package, which included three different shots on various sizes of cardstock, along with a USB drive holding all of the photos to share electronically with family and friends. Ridge wanted to
make it worth their money, so for the last picture, he had the little boy out of the car, bent over to kiss Santa’s forehead. It was perfect.

  One of the fathers collected the cute little tike and took the ticket Cookie gave him. He then turned to Ridge and Cris. “Thank you guys, so much. He’s pretty hyper, and we weren’t even sure if this would work, but it turned out fantastic. We’ll give you five stars, for sure.”

  The two dads shook their hands, and one slipped Cris a folded bill before they left with the cute little boy who was trying to get his little mitt around the candy cane that Cocoa gave one of his fathers. The man gave her a fifty-dollar bill as well before they left the area, the little boy throwing kisses as they walked away. It brought a smile to their faces.

  Ridge watched as Cris walked over to Cookie and whispered something to her. She nodded and then walked to the entrance to Wonderland, putting up the break sign. There wasn’t anyone in line, so it was the perfect time to get a snack and get rid of the stupid hats they all hated.

  Santa turned to Ridge and offered a gentle smile. “Let’s take a break,” Cris suggested, reaching for Ridge’s hand. It was the most encouraging thing Cris had done all day, so Ridge didn’t hesitate. They walked out to their spot on the loading dock, watching the snow continue to fall. The flakes were small, but they still looked beautiful to Ridge.

  “I’m sorry if I’ve been an asshole. Will you still come over tonight?” Cris asked.

  Ridge wrapped his arms around Cris and rested their foreheads together. “Yes, I will if you want me to. Everything else okay?” Ridge asked.

  When Cris kissed him, the feeling warmed his body as if Ridge was standing in front of a bonfire. Tongues swirled. Fingers caressed skin. Soft moans disturbed the quiet air.

  It was everything Ridge loved about making out with Cris. It was passionate, and it was gentle, loving. It was the epitome of expressing a deep connection that had been slowly developing between the two men, even though Ridge was wearing green shoes that curled at the toes and had tinkling, silver bells on the ends.

  “What do you have to tell me? See, I’ve been thinking about it all day, and I don’t want it to be anything that… I don’t want it to change anything with us. I like getting to know you, and I don’t know…” Cris started.

  Ridge knew the news he had to share would change everything… possibly end everything… but he wasn’t ready to have Cris walk away from him. He didn’t want things to go to hell when they’d made so much progress.

  “It won’t change anything for me, Cris. I, uh, I’m going to be homeless in about two weeks, and I’m not looking for you to do anything about it, okay? I’ve been looking for another place to live, but right now, I don’t have a lot of options,” Ridge explained, which wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth.

  He watched as Cris’ face morphed into surprise. “Homeless? How can you… What’s going on?”

  Ridge’s brain scrambled to come up with any plausible explanation for his comment.

  Piling on lies would only make things worse, but telling the man the truth… that Ridge was a spoiled, rich kid with a trust fund and no direction in life? That seemed like the worst idea in the world.

  Someone like Cris, who was working two jobs to care for his little sister and trying to give her the best life he could, wouldn’t understand how or why Ridge became such a spoiled asshole. Cris put food on the table and paid tuition for Hannah to attend a prestigious private school without wanting anything for himself. Ridge was sure Cris did without a lot of creature comforts to ensure Hannah had everything she needed and most of what she wanted. Cris was selfless.

  Unfortunately, Ridge wasn’t compassionate enough to look out for anyone but himself… well, that had been the old Ridge. Maybe there could be a new Ridge? Someone who had a kinder spirit and thought of others before himself. Was that anything Ridge was capable of doing?

  Elliot was right about Ridge being spoiled, and he was definitely about to gag on that silver spoon his brother accused him of having in his mouth. Cris had never hand anything handed to him, and he was one of the kindest people Ridge had ever met in his life.

  Unfortunately, before Ridge could confess his duplicity, Cookie came out to the dock. “You better get out here. Frosty’s here, and he’s drunk again. He’s screaming to everyone about kicking Santa in his Christmas balls for getting him fired,” Cookie informed.

  “Who the fuck is Frosty?” Ridge asked, as they followed Cookie though the break room and out to Wonderland.

  “That’s Frosty,” Cookie informed as she pointed to a guy who looked like he was ready to take the place apart. Ridge, who wasn’t really small, stepped in front of Cris.

  “I’ve got this. Take the girls to the break room. You need to stay out of sight because he’s pissed at you. I’ll talk him down because I’m a bullshitter from way back. Don’t worry about it,” Ridge told Cris, then he planted a light kiss to Cris’ lips and walked across the Wonderland stage, seeing a furious man with a bald head and a full beard.

  Frosty looked like a member of a biker gang, though maybe that was a mean thing to say about bikers? Regardless of how scary the man looked, Ridge wasn’t backing down. He wasn’t afraid of anything except rejection from Cris.

  Ridge strolled out to where the man was standing… well, swaying like a tree in a tornado, if he was honest. He bucked up his confidence and stood toe to curly toe with the man who had the photography job before him.

  “Can I help you?” Ridge asked.

  “Who the fuck are you, douchebag?” the bald man asked.

  Ridge looked around to see no customers within earshot, so he stepped up to the stupid fucker in front of him. “I’m Ridge Holiday. My family owns this goddamn store. What can I do for you, shit for brains?”

  Of course, Ridge Holiday had never encountered a bully in all of his privileged life. He’d never been in a fight… hell, he didn’t even know how to fight. When the “Fuck you, Holiday,” came and the fist followed up, Ridge hit the floor like the Victorian Christmas ornament he’d dropped when he was ten, feeling the darkness consume him immediately.

  A slap across the face was never expected, nor was it really appreciated when one was trying to sleep, though the god-awful smell in Ridge’s apartment should have been of more concern than the slap.

  It had been a long day, and Ridge was set to have a sleepover with the sexy Santa he’d fallen in love with over the shortest time ever recorded, but he knew it was right. Cris Gamble was the man for him, and after he told him the truth about who he really was, they’d laugh about it and work out their future, sure that it was picture perfect. Ridge couldn’t wait for it.

  He opened his eyes to see it wasn’t Cris who was trying to wake him. It was a lady in a uniform with a small vial of something that smelled horrible in her right, gloved hand. “Mr. Holiday, are you okay?” Ridge heard. When his eyes finally focused, he saw a lovely woman who reminded him of a teacher from grade school.

  “Mrs. Hines?” he whispered, seeing her smile.

  “No, honey. I’m Becca Nance. We need to take you to the hospital for a few tests to make sure you don’t have a concussion. Can you stand?” she asked him as she offered her hand. She had a stethoscope around her neck and a gentle smile. Ridge liked her.

  Ridge did a quick assessment of his body and decided the only place he was in pain was his face, so he stood and held onto Becca Nance until he could get his balance. He saw the man, the bald man with handcuffs around his wrists behind his back while sitting on the edge of the Wonderland stage, which Ridge found funny as he thought about it.

  He’d had his nose broken by a man who decided to turn Santa’s Wonderland into a prison yard. How many times did that actually happen in real life?

  Ridge looked around to see Cris being questioned by the police as Becca Nance helped him onto a gurney. It suddenly occurred to him, even though he was in a haze, the paramedic knew his real name. “How’d you know my name?” he aske
d as she fastened straps over his body to secure him to the rolling bed.

  “Santa told us,” she stated as she pointed to Cris. Without his desire or permission, Ridge proceeded to throw up all over himself, his elf costume, and the gurney he rode out on. And with that, Ridge Holiday knew the other jingling elf shoe had dropped.

  “Mr. Holiday, your brother is here,” the nurse told him as he rested on the uncomfortable bed in the emergency room. He didn’t want to consider how many other people had been in that bed before him. His face hurt too much to shudder at the possibility he might catch something communicable. How often did they change those sheets?

  “Yeah, show the asshole in,” he told the male nurse, not remembering the man’s name. He was cute if someone were into the sexy, ginger type. When Ridge gave the nurse a good look, he was sure the man was about twenty-two. In another life, Ridge wouldn’t have hesitated to get the caregiver’s number, but he sadly found himself in love with Santa Claus.

  How could anyone top Santa Claus? Hell, would Santa allow Ridge to top him? That was a discussion that would likely never take place now that Cris knew who he really was, which was a travesty.

  When the curtain parted, Ridge was stunned to see Cristian Gamble walk in, sans Santa suit. His gorgeous blue eyes weren’t lit up the way Ridge was used to seeing them. It confirmed for him that Cris knew everything about him… his money… his lies.

  Nurse Friendly had stated Cris was his brother, and Ridge knew he’d lost the upper hand in directing the conversation they needed to have after the raucous sex he’d been looking forward to since Cris had asked him to have a slumber party. Of course, that wasn’t going to happen in his lifetime since everything had gone to the land of misfit intentions.

  Ridge took a deep breath, ready for the shunning to begin. “So, uh, I guess you know what I was going to tell you tonight?”