Chapter Two
Balfour
I stretched my feet out, wiggling my toes happily, and gave a contented sigh. Leaning back in my recliner I grabbed the remote, aiming it at my seventy-inch TV screen.
Being Santa’s head elf had its perks, as did being head of the electronics department in the workshop.
Like getting the first pick of all the latest electronic gadgets on the market.
For testing purposes, of course. We couldn’t deliver an inferior product for kids to wake up to on Christmas morning.
I had a little time before I needed to teleport to the human realm and pick up Kendrick, thanks to the time difference.
Scrolling through my streaming services–thank you satellite dishes–I contemplated if I wanted to catch up on The Great British Bake Off or dive into the craziness that was The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills before I needed to go pick him up or call him with his weird fake emergency.
Running a hand through my long locks, I decided to settle on the zany rich women.
I needed some escapism after the last week of one problem after the other, the conversation with my parents this afternoon, and knowing I was going to have to ask Kendrick to play along with my teeny tiny, little white lie.
Besides, I always felt slightly better about my life when I watched any of the housewife franchises. Not that I watched that many of them. Just Beverly Hills, New York (before they revamped the entire cast), Dallas (before it was canceled), and Dubai. Really, that wasn’t that many.
Settling my large bowl of popcorn in my lap, I grabbed a handful, pausing mid-way to my mouth at the knock on my door.
Sighing deeply, I shoved the popcorn in my mouth, contemplating my choices as I munched. Maybe if I stayed really quiet whoever it was would go the fuck away.
No one had any reason to be at my door. If there was an emergency I was needed for, they could text me like civilized elves.
And since the workshop was closed tomorrow for the holiday there should be no emergencies.
Since I had stayed until after six working on reports, I knew the workshop was empty.
The knocking came again, only this time instead of the three short raps before, it was a long continuous knocking that didn’t stop. Scowling, I flipped off the TV, pushing the foot of my recliner down.
There was only one person in all of Santa’s Village that could be that annoying when they knocked.
Walking over to the door, I forcefully opened it, glaring down at the smiling redheaded omega, who was holding my adorable pink-cheeked nephew.
Keegan Mallory-Kringle beamed up at me, opening his mouth to say something that was sure to annoy me.
“No.”
And with that one word, I shut the door firmly in my best friends’ husband's face. Not even the sight of sweet baby Kieran was enough to make me open the door to find out what Keegan wanted.
“Bal!” Keegan called, starting up his incessant knocking once more. “Can we talk?”
“No!” I called, sinking back into my comfy recliner and reaching for my popcorn bowl again.
“Open the door, Bal,” Nik Kringle, said best friend–and my boss–ordered, his voice deep and brooding no argument.
Dammit. Figures the little redheaded, always smiling, thorn in my side would have brought back up with him.
“Candy canes!”
Muttering all the way back to my front door, I stomped like a sullen two-year-old.
Now I kind of understood why Kacey stomped around when she was mad. It did sorta make me feel better. Throwing the door wide, I waved a hand, indicating they should feel free to invade my personal, private space.
Keegan beamed his bright smile my way–his cheeks had to hurt all the fucking time–handing the baby off to me as he passed.
Hoisting my nephew in my arms, I grinned down at the dark-haired angel.
Kieran gave me a big toothy smile, patting my chest with his chubby hands and babbling baby nonsense that, at a year and a half, only he understood.
Nik trailed behind his husband, waggling a pointed finger my way. “Be nice.”
Shrugging, I closed the door with more force than was probably needed. “You’re the ones that just showed up uninvited.”
Keegan perched on the edge of my extra-long sofa, giving Nik a soft smile when he angled his long form next to his mate. Nik bussed a quick kiss across Keegan’s lips, and the omega’s cheeks bloomed with color.
“Blech,” I made a face at the baby, who giggled at me, babbling away and tugging at the material of my shirt. Claiming my chair for the third time, I settled the baby on my lap. “What’s going on?”
“You’re still picking my brother up tonight?” Keegan questioned, his fingers entwined with Nik’s. “And you are coming to dinner tomorrow?”
“That’s the plan,” glancing at the clock, I saw I still had a few hours before the designated time to pick up Kendrick Mallory.
Not that it really mattered, with the way time moved differently here in Santa’s Village.
And Nik, with his Santa magic, could bend time even further if he wanted.
I wasn’t sure how all of that worked, but it was how he–being The Santa–was able to make all the deliveries across the globe before Christmas morning. “Why?”
Keegan shrugged, “No reason. Just checking.”
Brows knitted together, I stared hard at the two of them. They were absolutely up to some fuckery.
“We just wanted to make sure we have enough seating. We’ve invited a few more people, so we are getting a head count.” Keegan blushed to the roots of his hair, always a suspicious sign.
Unconvinced, I glared at Nik, while taking a whiff of Kieran’s hair that smelled like baby shampoo. “What’s going on?”
Nik, the traitor, had the gall to look me in the eye, and without batting an eye, lied. “Nothing. Why?”
“And you’re still coming, right, Bal?” If Keegan squeezed Nik’s hand any tighter the poor man was going to lose circulation to it.
“Do I have a choice?”
Keegan gasped, “Of course you do,” while at the same time Nik told me, “Nope.”
“Look,” I bounced the baby in my lap, having learned years ago with Kacey that movement was the key to keeping babies somewhat happy. “I don’t know what you two are about, but I’m not here for it. So just don’t.”
Keegan, for his part, looked completely innocent. Except that his face was as bright as his hair. “We are not up to anything. We’re just making sure our favorite people will be there. With a few new friends we’ve met.”
Oh, he was so full of it. Keegan knew everyone in the village, and all the outer realms. The man hadn’t ever met a stranger. Within his first few days in the village, he had probably befriended more people than I even knew, and I’d been born here.
“What friends?” I asked suspiciously, stopping my scowling long enough to grin down at Kieran, when his babbling had taken on the tone of ‘pay attention to me now’. He grinned up at me, then went back to making noise.
He sure had a lot to say for someone who spent his days doing not much of anything.
“Oh, the new elf from wrapping is coming. Ruby is her name, but I’m sure you’ve met her,” Keegan blinked innocent brown eyes at me.
“No.”
“No, what?” he asked, confusion clouding his eyes, and Nik growled low in his chest.
“I don’t know why the fu–fudge–you are growling at me like you’re a shifter.” I glared at Nik, catching the curse word before it escaped my mouth, and kissing Kieran’s soft hair.
“We can invite whoever we want to Thanksgiving at our house,” Nik raised one black brow at me.
“Not when you plan on fixing me up on some weird, blind date.” I countered, my own brow arched.
Keegan’s mouth fell open in a perfect O.
“How did you…we aren’t doing that. No one is doing that.
” He gave a sharp, high-pitched laugh, looking at Nik.
“Why would you think we are doing that? But, you have been single for a long time. Don’t you think it would be nice to meet someone, connect, maybe have kids of your own one day?
You’re so good with Kacey and Kieran. You look really good holding a baby, Bal. ”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sighed loudly.
Standing in one fluid move, I held Kieran out to them, amused as he kicked his feet in the air.
“Did I wake up in some alternate universe where every one in my life suddenly thinks I need to be ambushed by blind dates? What the actual fudge? Take your child, please. I have to go fetch your brother.”
Nik took his wiggling son, giving me a glare that warned me I was getting close to the point of what he considered insulting his husband.
“We just want you to be as happy as we are,” Keegan stood up, giving me an earnest face. And okay, it was really hard to stay mad at Keegan.
“I’m happy,” I defended, arms crossed over my chest defiantly as I stared down at the tiny omega. He was even shorter than Kendrick by a few inches.
“You’re awfully grumpy for someone who is happy.”
“I’m happy enough,” I assured them, walking over and holding my door open for them. “And now I need to go get your brother. You know I don’t like being late.”
I’d be early, but they didn’t need to know that.
“We just worry about you,” Keegan gave me a smile on their way out. “And I promise, we aren’t planning to ambush you with any blind dates.”
I gave Kieran a wave as he peeked around Nik’s shoulder to grin at me, before shutting the door behind them.
Running a hand through my hair, I grimaced. If Kendrick didn’t agree to my fake dating scheme, I was going to need to come up with a Plan B. Because there was no doubt in my mind that Keegan and Nik had invited Ruby from wrapping with the sole intention of fixing the two of us up.
I did not have a Plan B.
I barely had a half assed Plan A.
I would just have to do everything possible to get Kendrick to go along with my plan.
Balfour
Past…
Me: Why is your brother always so infernally happy? It’s fucking annoying.
Nemesis: He’s just always been a happy person. Nik does call him Sunshine for a reason.
Me: Well, I need him to stop. Make him stop.
Nemesis: Is he messing up your schedule again?
Me: Yes!! He’s started giving classes on gingerbread house making.
Nemesis: And this bothers you why?
Me: Elves are asking for time off to attend them! I’ve had to remake the workshop schedule three times this week.
Nemesis: This sounds like a you problem. Maybe you should take one of his classes. Might be good for you. Be around happy people, learn how to smile. Are you afraid your face will crack if you actually smile? Is that why you never do it?
Me: I don’t know why I bother talking to you.
Nemesis: *laughing emoji* Yet you keep texting me. Again, this seems like a you problem.