Santa Loves Curvy Girls

8. Nick

8

NICK

I t took some hunting and searching around town, but a couple days later, I found it.

I found the machine Belle has been wanting. According to Ms. Merriweather at The Nutcracker, it was called a dough sheeter machine. And she happened to have one in stock. Just one. Gently used but in great condition.

And she’d given me a great deal on it.

“Are you sure?” I’d asked, holding the small but heavy cookie-shaping machine in my hands.

She’d patted my shoulder. “Least I can do after you fixed Bessie last year.”

Bessie was her trusty old van, and it had to be older than me. The radiator had gone out last fall, and I’d picked up enough about cars in my auto shop class to replace it for her.

“Thanks, Ms. Merriweather,” I told her gratefully. I had googled this thing, and a new one cost a pretty penny.

She walked me to the front and helped me wrap it up. How she knew it was a gift I didn’t know, but that was Ms. Merriweather for ya. She just knew things sometimes.

As I walked out of The Nutcracker, I held the package gingerly under my arm. I hoped Belle liked it.

The sound of singing voices reached me from across the street. Which made sense since it looked like Garland’s favorite group of carolers were on their usual tour around town, singing Christmas songs. The small but mighty group of old ladies stood in front of Jingles, the Garland chocolate shop. Some people called them the Carol Karens. They were the kind of women who knew (and spread) the town’s juiciest gossip.

Better head the other way , I thought to myself.

I couldn’t risk any questions.

Not today.

I also wasn’t sure how good I was at keeping secrets. I’d never had to keep a secret like the one I had this year. Back home, my Santa suit lay hidden on the very top shelf of my closet, where I knew Mom couldn’t reach.

And now I had a gift for the cute elf I’d made friends with at the mall.

Maybe wanted to be more than friends with, if I was being completely honest.

There was just something about Belle that was special. That much I knew.

Hopefully, she liked my gift.

Or rather, Santa’s gift.

The next day, I got to the mall early and changed in the southeast bathrooms as usual. They had a family bathroom that hardly anyone ever used because it was so far from the food court and everything else.

Then I made my way down to the big area near the food court with the nice water fountain and the place where kids lined up to meet Santa.

Still crazy to think that guy was me.

There was a big Christmas tree inside the mall, along with the giant tree at Cider Center outside. It wasn’t too far from where I sat and took photos.

I carefully set down the wrapped gift under the tree. This was definitely a first for me, so I was nervous, but I wasn’t going to chicken out now.

About fifteen minutes later, I sat in my chair when Belle walked on set and gave me a wave and smile.

I smiled and waved back. She probably couldn’t see my smile under this thick white beard. Then again, it might also hide the way I looked at her.

After countless kids—some smiling, some crying—we were finished for the day, and everyone was tired.

And I was more nervous than ever about Belle’s gift.

As she walked over to me, I couldn’t help but wonder: Was it me or did she seem a little nervous too?

That’s when she pulled out a bag of cookies from behind her back. “Snickerdoodles this time. Thought you might like some.”

I couldn’t believe it. “If they’re anything like your other cookies, I’m sure they’ll be amazing.”

A familiar rosy hue came over her cheeks, and I took the cookies from her. My gloved hands touched hers, and I wished, in that moment, I could actually take her hand in mine.

Our eyes locked for a second, and I forgot who I was.

Then I saw the Christmas tree behind her and remembered her gift. It sat among the dozen or so fake ones.

I nodded toward the tree. “I think there’s something for you under that tree,” I said.

I immediately wished I could’ve gone about it in a less lame way.

She turned around, then glanced back at me. “Something for me?”

We walked over there together. Just about everyone else had already left or had gone off to grab some food from the food court, so it was mostly just us.

Belle saw the package that stood out from the rest and picked it up. She looked up at me. “Who is this from?”

“Santa Claus, who else?” I teased. “Looks like you made it on the nice list this year.”

She glanced down at the gift, a huge smile on her face.

“Open it,” I said, unable to help myself.

I held the box for her, and she undid the bow and took off the lid.

She gasped. “You didn’t!”

I noticed how close she was standing to me.

“Where’d you find it?” she asked.

I shrugged. “Special order to the North Pole.”

She laughed, then looked back down at the machine. “Wow, I can’t wait to use it.”

A beat passed, then she said, “Thank you. I don’t know what else to say.”

I saw tears brim in her eyes.

Uh oh. I knew girls cried when they were happy sometimes. Were these happy tears? I hoped so. Pretty sure they were.

“Hey,” I said as she put the lid back on the box. I wasn’t ready for us to part ways just yet. “You want to go get a coffee with me?” I paused. “Well, with Santa Claus?”