Monsters Under Mistletoe

1. Kat

Chapter 1

Kat

“ D on’t sit too close,” I warn Michelle. “They’ll bite.”

She gives me a patient smile like my hair isn’t eyeing her off, waiting for the right moment to strike. Michelle has worked with me almost five years now and I’ve never once convinced her that my snake hair is actually dangerous. She always laughs it off.

I wish I could.

Life is tough as a single gorgon in Heartstone.

“Come on. What are you drinking?” Michelle says. “Open bar tonight. Mr. Kvalt is paying, remember?”

“Oh that’s OK. I’ll just have lemonade.”

Michelle gives me a frown that wrinkles her button nose. “Come on, Kat. It’s Christmas. Have a drink with me.”

“Well OK, but only one.” Best not to let my guard down in case I hurt someone accidentally.

“Great. I’m ordering us cocktails.” Michelle beams. “Back in a minute.” She’s beautiful all the time, but when she smiles, her hazel eyes crinkle at the corners and draw you into the honey warmth of her charm. I’m still not sure why she’s friends with me, but I’m glad.

I don’t know what will happen next week when I move to McNulty Law. I nearly didn’t turn in my application for the position of junior partner. In the end I did it thinking there was no way I could win. Turns out I was wrong. And the pay raise is too good to turn down. But I will miss working with Michelle.

I’m not sure anyone else will notice that I’m gone, though.

I don’t really have any other friends at work. Michelle convinced me I had to come to the office Christmas party since I wouldn’t let her organize a farewell dinner. Now I’m here, I wish I’d stayed at home. That’s how I normally feel when I go out for social functions.

“Here you go.” Michelle hands me a fun-looking drink with crushed ice and mint leaves and a long straw and I lean away from her instinctively, trying to make it look as if I’m not so she won’t get her feelings hurt. It’s a dance I’ve done all my life.

Keeping my smile rigidly in place helps. If you grimace, then people definitely think they’ve offended you, or they smell bad, or you hate them.

It’s hard work being a gorgon in public. My hand flutters to my face and I nudge my dark glasses up my nose in case they slipped a fraction.

“So you must be excited,” says Michelle. “When do you start your new job?”

“On Monday.”

She chokes a little on her drink and I tuck my hands in my lap to resist the urge to pat her on the back. “So soon! You didn’t take any time off? Not even for Christmas?”

I shake my head. “What for?”

Michelle gives me a look with her head tilted to one side. “You really love work that much, don’t you?”

I consider. I don’t actually love work any more than I think most people do. I’m lucky to have a job that I’m good at and I enjoy it while I’m there. But it’s not my passion or anything.

I work such long hours because I have nothing else to fill my life with. I’d rather friends and family, but that’s not a possibility for someone like me.

“Yeah,” I say to Michelle, because it’s easier and less painful than explaining all that. “I do.”

There’s a pause. I should say something else. Ask Michelle about her life. For a moment everything I know about Michelle slips out of my head while I fumble for something. Then I remember it’s Christmas! “What is your family doing for the holidays?”

She grins. “Oh well, Nick’s parents are coming to stay and his brother and his brother’s wife. So it’s going to be a full house, but that’s how I like it at Christmas and I’m excited. This is the first time Nick’s mom has let me do Christmas dinner. I mean she still did Thanksgiving. There’s no way I’m getting that one, but you know. I’ll keep working on it.”

I relax as Michelle continues talking, prompting her occasionally so she’ll continue. I’d rather the spotlight on her than me that’s for sure and I enjoy hearing her plans for what she’ll make and how to keep all the kids entertained.

Michelle has three kids, all of them boys. I wonder how she does it, the way she describes the chaos of her life. It sounds wonderful, but hard work.

Suddenly there’s a cheer from one corner of the room and Matt from accounting stands, pointing up at the ceiling. “Oooooh. You’re right under the mistletoe you two. The first pair of the night. Don’t let us all down now. You know what to do.”

The eyes of the whole room turn toward a tall human man with sandy blond hair and a dryad I recognize from accounting. I wonder if they went under the mistletoe on purpose. I’ve seen them flirting in the staff kitchen and noticed the way he always lingers at the end of the day to walk her out.

It would be embarrassing with everyone looking. But the rush of blood to my cheeks and the silly smile on my face gives away how much I’d love to be the one being kissed beneath the mistletoe.

Not that I could. My snakes would bite anyone who came that close.

Eventually they kiss and everyone cheers and raises their glasses. I feel hot just watching them and I squirm awkwardly at the way it makes a tingle of awareness start low in my belly. What would it feel like to be kissed?

I think if I was to kiss someone, I’d rather he be someone a bit more… rugged? The human is very handsome, but I can’t help thinking I’d rather kiss someone like Mr. Kvalt.

My boss is a tall, impossibly large troll with shoulders that block out daylight when he stands right in front of you and a smile that always feels a little heated. Maybe that’s just the way I feel when he smiles at me if I’ve done a good job on something.

My snakes writhe against my neck and I turn in the direction they’re looking to see Mr. Kvalt talking to Natasha in the corner. My snakes stretch out their long necks and hiss and I slap them down, embarrassed. “Shhh.”

I’m bitten for my trouble, but they subside against my neck and I relax a little.

“You OK?” asks Michelle.

I nod. “Yeah. Fine. This is great. I’m so glad I came.” I take another sip of my drink. Thank goodness she got me something icy.

Is it time to go home yet?