Naughty & Nice (Merry Elf-Mas 2)

Chapter 2

Damon

“ G et a move on, Grumpy Cat. We don’t want to be late for our first shift.” I was bouncing on the balls of my feet at the foot of our stairs. The first day of a new job was always exciting.

Well, it technically wasn’t my first day. As the new event manager of Frostdale Mall, I’d had a lot to do. My new boss, Jack Winters, yes of those Winters, had been nice enough to let me work remotely for my first two weeks while our living situation got sorted out.

Angel, my surly bestie/boyfriend, and I had just moved into our new house over the Thanksgiving weekend. It had been hard with just the two of us, but we’d managed. Which was great because we were starting our first jobs as mall elves at Santa’s village.

Heavy steps echoed down the stairs as Angel descended with a sour expression on his cute face. “Do I really have to go through with this? You know I hate people.”

“Yes, cranky pants. We need the money, and I promise it will be fun.” I pulled him into a hug and kissed his cheek. I was used to his dour personality. We’d been neighbors and best friends our entire lives. Being boyfriends hadn’t happened until we’d moved to Portland for college.

He looked unconvinced as he pulled away from me with a pout on his plush lips. “If you say so.”

I couldn’t keep myself from stealing another kiss before grabbing his hand. “Come on. Billy said he’d meet us at the mall.”

We’d briefly met our neighbor, Billy, when he’d shown up on our doorstep with a tin of cookies. He’d told us his friend, Nate, was in town and made baked goods that were better than sex. After having one, I’d had to agree.

When I shared my job, he’d been so excited he’d bounced on his heels. Turned out he and his fiance, Noel, were an elf and Santa. His agreement to help show us the ropes had taken a huge load off my shoulders. I’d never done something like this before and could use all the help I could get.

“Ugh. I forgot you agreed to let him help you.” Angel’s hand slipped from mine, and he turned back to the stairs. “Forget it. I’m not going if he’s there.”

Here we go again. I sighed and followed him. He had barely set his foot on the bottom step when I grabbed his waist and put him over my shoulder. The surprised squeak he emitted was adorable as I walked to the front door.

“Damon! Damn it! You put me down right now, you big son of a bitch.” He struggled in my grip, but we’d done this dozens of times. There was no way he was getting away from me.

I give his ass a hard swat when he beat his fists against my back. “Stop that.”

“I’m warning you. I won’t be held responsible for my actions if you make me work with him.” His words were harsh, but they’d lost all their bite as he settled down.

Angel had taken an instant disliking to Billy. Why, I had no clue. He was such a fun guy who rocked a pair of heels and a miniskirt. I guess he just rubbed my sweetie the wrong way. Most people did, if I was being honest. I found his prickly personality adorable, unlike most of the world.

I stopped at the front door and set Angel on his feet. Crossing my arms, I glared at him. “We won’t be working with Billy. He’s on the other team. He was just kind enough to offer us some help.”

He clicked his tongue and wouldn’t meet my eyes. I didn’t get frustrated with him often, but when I did, he always got a bit cagey. Sometimes, he was a bit too proud for his own good. “I don’t like him.”

“I’m not asking you to like him.” I pulled him into my arms and held him tight. “Just be civil. I want this job to work out so we can save up some money for your flower shop.”

He flinched in my hold. Talking about his shop was a touchy subject. When we’d been in Portland, Angel had been in the process of taking over ownership of the florist he’d been working at. The couple that owned it wanted to retire and move closer to their kids.

It had been such a great opportunity, and we’d both been excited about it. Then the laundromat next door had caught fire and destroyed both buildings. Remembering that night sucked. Not only because of what Angel lost, but because we’d also missed out on having the perfect Master.

Thinking of Master Rolly made me a little sad. He’d been so wonderful. I’d been ready to be collared almost from the moment we’d met. A lot of Masters we’d dealt with only wanted a pup. They’d tolerate Angel, but ultimately ignore him. The few interested in cats hadn’t wanted me. It was a vicious cycle. Then came along Master Rolly. He’d made it clear from the start that he wanted both of us.

We bundled up in our coats and other outerwear before stepping out into the icy morning. A dejected sigh escaped me as we walked to my Tacoma. We hadn’t had time to go back to the bar to see if we could find Master Rolly since coming back to Frostdale, but I had every intention to.

If for no other reason than to get back my plush bone. It was my favorite after all and hadn’t been cheap to buy. I hoped he’d still be interested in playing with us, but after the way we unintentionally ghosted him, I would understand if he was pissed.

We got in my truck, and I guided it out onto the road. I snickered as we drove past the road sign for our cul-de-sac. It was funny that we were working as elves and living on North Poole Place. The streets of Frostdale were busy, as all the commuters made their way to work.

It felt good to be back in our hometown. Portland had been nice but never quite felt like home. With any luck, we’d put down our roots and settle here. Finding Master Rolly would be the icing on my perfect life cake.

I parked the truck and braced for the blast of cold air as I opened my door. Having lived in Maine my entire life, you’d think I’d be used to the cold, but no. The only person who hated the cold more than me was Angel. No matter how much we bundled him up, he was always freezing.

Biting back a chuckle, I watched Angel slide out of my car. His long, puffy jacket made him look like a walking snowman. Between the scarf covering the lower half of his face and the knit hat coming down to his brow, all I could see were his glaring gray eyes. “Fucking hell. Why does it have to be so fucking cold? And why is your damn truck so tall?”

I grabbed his mittened hand and pulled him toward the mall’s employee entrance. “Well then, let’s get you inside before you turn into a kittycicle.”

He hissed in response, and I burst out laughing. There was a good reason I called him grumpy cat. A relieved sigh escaped me as we stepped into the warmth of the building. I’d gotten a brief tour of the building and had a decent recollection of where the locker rooms were. We weaved our way through the corridors, and as we walked, the sound of voices grew louder. I was glad to know we were going the right way, at least.

Billy’s grinning face appeared in an open doorway, and he waved at us. “There you two are. I was thinking I’d need to send out a search party.”

“Morning, Billy.” I gave him a quick hug as he ushered us into the room.

He and Angel shared a quick antagonistic look before diverting their attention from each other. That was better than them trying to tear each other’s hair out. I’d have liked a bit more civility, but beggars can’t be choosers.

“All right, boss man. Let me introduce you to the troops.” Billy waved his bangled arm broadly toward the room, and I took in its occupants. Excluding the three of us, there were five other men in the room. They all looked to be roughly around the same age as Angel and me.

Billy’s manicured finger pointed at the curly haired brunet sitting to the fair left. “That is the fabulous Victor, aka Candy Cane.”

Victor gave a wave. “Call me Vikki or Vic. My pronouns are he, she, or they. Depends on how I’m presenting that day.”

Okay, note to self, they were genderfluid. Best to file that away so I could make sure everyone used inclusive language and treated them with respect.

“Moving on, our next elf is Leo, aka Sparkledust.” Billy gestured to the blond beside Vikki.

“Hi, my name’s Leo. He pronouns. My brother was an elf last year, so I know a little of what will go on.” He gave a shy smile as he ran his hand through his hair. Nervous habit maybe? I’d have to see if I could ease any concerns he had. I added him to my mental checklist of ones to watch out for.

Billy’s voice took on a sultry tone as he moved to the next elf. “This sexy bear cub is Aiden or our sweet Merry, and next to him is Bright.” He gave a little giggle at the pair’s name play. “He’s known as Coach Seth to a lot of these rugrats, and a veteran of the elf squads.”

“Hey, don’t talk about my players like that. Those little guys work hard.” Seth’s words might have come across a little hot, but there was no malice in his dark brown eyes. He was on the list, too. Aiden put a hand on Seth’s forearm, and he instantly calmed. Maybe I didn’t need to watch him quite so much if I kept those two together. Noted.

Billy gave them a playful wink before turning to the last man. “And rounding out your crew is the quiet Tinsel.”

“Hi, I’m Stevie. Looking forward to working with everyone.” Okay, got a mousy one here. I should keep him away from my kitty; otherwise, he might eat him.

“Nice to meet you all. I’m Damon St. James. I’m the event manager for the mall.” I took Angel’s arm and pulled him forward. “And this ray of sunshine is Angel Cross. He’s my boyfriend, but our relationship won’t get him any special treatment.”

Angel glared at me as the room filled with laughter. I kissed his cheek as he struggled to escape my hold, earning us several teasing catcalls.

“There’s my new event manager. I’ve got great news, Damon. My HolliBelle found us a new Santa.” I turned at the sound of Jack Winter’s voice and made sure I had a smile on my face. It was best to greet my boss with a friendly face.

The grin fell from my face though as my jaw hit the floor when I saw the man standing beside him. I shot across the room and pulled the older man into an eager hug before I even realized what I was doing. “Master!”