8. Dan
EIGHT
DAN
Monday mornings were always busy at the office, so I was up early and kept glancing at Sparkle’s door, wondering if he was awake. I hadn’t heard the shower, but maybe he got up before me.
Coffee was made, and I plonked the cereal box and milk on the island. Weekday breakfasts were very different to those on Saturday and Sunday.
Sushi sniffed at Sparkle’s door and whined. My heart sped up, reaching a gallop, and my palms grew damp. What if he’d left as quickly as he came? Or would I walk in and find a figurine in the bed?
That would be bad.
Worse than that. He is … I didn’t finish my sentence.
Don’t say it or think it. Doing so will bring heartbreak .
What if he left and I never got a chance to tell him how I felt? But, and I said this for my wolf’s benefit, I couldn’t mate him and cause him immense pain if my fated mate entered my life.
I tiptoed to the door and placed my ear against it. I picked up his breathing in the room and sniffed, but my sinuses were still refusing to scent him.
The door opened, and I gasped and so did Sparkle. He was dressed, apart from the tie which he had in his hand. His pale cheeks had me wondering if he was ill.
“I’m a little nervous. I’ve never done this before.”
“How did you get your last job?” I ushered him into the kitchen, not forgetting to check out his cute butt as he walked in front of me.
“Oh, that was very different.” He sipped his coffee. “We had tea and cake and talked of moonlit rides across the sky.”
As an accountant, my job interviews were dry and often dreary. How I’d love to toss off my suit and apply for a position where no one questioned my background, asked how I’d fit into the company, or what I’d do in certain situations.
“I want to work there. Sounds like fun.”
He sighed. “It was, but the man I worked for isn’t the upright guy I thought he was.” He ate a mouthful of cereal before adding, “No. I was at fault, and that’s on me, but his punishment didn’t fit the crime.” He clarified, “Not actually a crime but a thoughtless prank.”
Little by little details about his firing were creeping out.
“I need help.” He held up the pink tie. “I’ve never worn one.”
I gulped, knowing I’d be inches away from him, and took hold of the pink piece of fabric. Tempted to lasso him with it—though it was a tad short for that—and have his mouth close to mine, I stood in front of Sparkle, my chest heaving, goosebumps spiking my skin, and knotted it, keeping my eyes on the tie not his lips.
“Perfect.” He was, but my damned emotions were jumbled and in more knots than the tie.
I hustled Sparkle outside, and after depositing Sushi next door—Rafe was taking Riley to school this morning—I drove down the hill and around the lake. Our factory was just outside town, and I got Sparkle a visitor’s badge before we made our way to the operations manager's building. I left Sparkle in reception while I went inside.
“Lou.”
The guy I was looking for was standing near the water cooler with another man, but they pulled away as I neared.
“Dan.”
Lou was a good friend, and I was hopeful he’d be receptive to a new employee. “I have an expert sewer who’s looking for a job.”
He frowned, saying the person should go through the HR department like everyone else.
“I’ve never seen work like his, and he’s fast.” Leaning in close, I added, “And he’s an elf.”
“What?” Lou shoved me in his office, shut the door, and closed the blinds. “An elf? Here?” He rummaged through papers on his desk. “I had a memo here about that.”
A memo? Who sent memos these days?
“He can’t work here. Santa would…” His eyes snapped to the right and left and he loosened his tie. After guzzling a mug of tea, he cleared his throat. “I mean, the powers that be would not approve. The CEO.”
Huh? My wolf was as confused as me.
“He’s sitting outside.”
“Outside?” he squeaked. “This will damage our business, Dan. Please no, he can’t work here.” He opened the door and waved me out, slamming it after me.
What the heck was that? I’d been building up Sparkle’s hopes—my fault, I should have been more cautious—and now he’d be crushed
Sidling into the reception area, I plastered on a smile and took Sparkle by the elbow.
“It didn’t go well.” His downcast expression and matching tone almost shattered my heart. He said under his breath, “Number one really has it in for me.”
I shivered hearing his reference to his former boss. I had originally thought he was in the adult entertainment industry, but that ominous title sounded more like the mob.
“No.” What else could I say?
Arnold .
I’m getting to that . My wolf was as eager as I was to help Sparkle find a job. Are you sure you just don’t want him to be close by and maybe live with us for a while?
Bah!
“Would you consider working in Arnold’s store?”
He looked up at me, tears shimmering on his lashes. “That’s an option. Let’s hope he was serious.”
I sent a quick text to my employees saying I’d be late and drove Sparkle to Classic Cuts. We sat in silence during the short drive, and my offer to come into the store with him was met with a shake of the head.
“Thanks, Dan, but you’ve done enough.”
Gods, he had no money, no phone, and no car to get home. I should have planned this better.
But Arnold was knocking at the store window, beckoning Sparkle, who returned the older man’s smile. I dug out some cash from my pocket, which he again refused, and gave him my house key.
“This is my number.” The store probably had a landline or he could use Arnold’s phone. “I’ll collect you after work.” I didn’t add, “If you’re still at the store,” and crossed my fingers he had a job.
Pulling away, I glanced in the rearview mirror, hoping I’d see him this afternoon. When someone you cared about had been an inanimate object, there was a constant fear they would become one again.
Work was much the same and while I couldn’t figure out Lou’s reaction, I didn’t much care until I discovered what had transpired at the store.
You could phone , my wolf suggested.
Remembering how Sparkle had not wanted me to go in with him, I respected that he could handle whatever happened.
But by mid-morning, I couldn’t stand it, and I looked up the store’s phone number. Holding my device, I typed in the number but hesitated about hitting call. Sparkle was an adult, an adult in an adorable elf package, and I shouldn’t interfere. Me trying to get him a job had backfired, whereas it was his own skill set that Arnold had picked up on.
As I went back and forth about phoning, a text arrived from an unknown number.
I am Classic Cuts’ newest employee. Working on a jacket for a customer. Pick me up at six if you can or I’ll walk home.
Home. He said home. I hugged the phone to my chest.
Yippee! My wolf was as excited as I was. Maybe I could convince him Sparkle could be more than a roommate.
Doubt it, but who knows .
He was open to the possibility.
Congratulations . I added a heart emoji to the message and deleted it. Then added it again. It wasn’t an admission of love, just friend-to-friend happiness. Hitting send before I could second, third, or fourth guess myself, I got on with my day.
Wanting to leave the office on time, I didn’t go to the staff cafeteria at lunch time and ordered food instead. While I told myself I wasn’t avoiding Lou, I didn’t want him to confront me about Sparkle.
The afternoon dragged on as I pictured Sparkle’s nimble fingers zinging back and forth, faster than a sewing machine. And I was the first one out the door at five-thirty, startling some of my colleagues as I raced into the elevator.
I arrived early but couldn’t find a parking space near the store, and there was a queue of at least ten people on the sidewalk. Had something happened? There were no fire trucks, police cars, or ambulances, so that was a positive, and there were three outdoor heaters keeping the crowd warm.
People yelled at me to get to the end of the line as I walked into the store. Arnold was holding a bolt of fabric and talking to a customer while Sparkle was sitting cross-legged on the floor sewing. His eyes swept over me while his fingers still flew over the fabric.
“Dan, I’m sorry, I forgot to call. I’m going to be here for a while.”
“Sparkle has done the work of ten tailors today,” Arnold noted as he tapped the computer keyboard. “But I can tell everyone to come back tomorrow.”
“No need. I can get this done. Just say anyone in line can stay, and newcomers have to return in the morning.”
I made myself useful by corralling the people outside, and when the last satisfied customer left, Sparkle announced, “Not only do I have a job, but Arnold says I can stay in the backroom that he uses for storage. Isn’t that amazing?’
He won’t be living with us? My wolf was as close to tears as I was. But I want him to .
Me too!