Chapter 2 #2
“It’s a little redundant on this block,” Mrs. Locke said, making a squishy face. “Since these shops are both bakeries, I’m sure they’ll both want to do gingerbread houses. I doubt either owner would prefer to do a tree.”
“My mom might—”
“Maybe they could do one giant gingerbread house…together.” Olivia slid Benny a look that was about as subtle as a space shuttle takeoff.
Together? Was she nuts? Yes, he recalled, she was nuts. About this.
“Oh, my. That would be…” Mrs. Locke frowned. “I really wanted one for every retailer.”
Olivia narrowed her eyes at Benny as if she wanted support for this spectacularly bad idea. He offered none.
“I’d have to think about it,” Mrs. Locke said. “And I have one more favor to ask, and this one is probably something you could help me with, Benny.”
“Sure. What do you need?”
“The gentleman who is skating as Santa Claus with the troupe that’s performing at the rink during Mistletoe on Main has thrown out his back.
That’s a problem, since we billed it as ‘The Skating Spectacular with Santa,’ so we must have one.
I know Red Starling is the best Santa in town and he got so famous being Grumpy Santa last year. ”
Thanks to Benny and his insane social media skills.
“I need him to ice skate,” she finished.
He almost laughed imagining how Red would feel about that. “He’s kind of a sleigh Santa,” Benny said. “I’m not so sure he’d get on ice skates.”
“Of course, but all he’d have to do is push some toys across the ice, he wouldn’t have to dance or anything.” She pressed her hands together. “Would you ask him? We’re desperate.”
“How desperate?” Olivia asked.
The woman chuckled. “Well, we could find a Santa, but there’s only one infamous Grumpy Santa! He put your lodge on the map.”
Actually, Benny had done that, but he just nodded.
“We want the original Grumpy Santa, so would you test the waters—frozen as they may be—and see if he’d be interested?”
“I doubt he’d—”
“For a price,” Olivia chimed in, making them both whip around to look at her. Now what was she up to?
“A price?” Mrs. Locke asked, fighting a smile. “Our troupe doesn’t get paid.”
“Oh, no money will exchange hands,” she assured the woman. “But Benny’s great-grandfather doesn’t do favors for just anyone.”
Her shoulders slumped.
“Except me,” Benny added, knowing that if he wanted something bad enough, Red would move heaven and earth for him. But did he want this? He wasn’t sure where Olivia was going.
“I have a, um, proposal for you,” she said, leaning forward and looking a lot more like a future lawyer than a future scientist.
“A proposal?” The lady laughed.
“Benny will get you Grumpy Santa if you…” She slid a sideways look at Benny, who was lost, confused, and pretty sure that whatever she said next would cost him the phone he so desperately wanted for Christmas. “If you insist our parents make one gingerbread house together,” she finished.
What?
Mrs. Locke drew back, blinking. “I insist?”
“Otherwise, they might not do it,” Olivia added, “because it’s so much work. But if they make one together, it’s half the work and you get twice the house, and it will bridge the gap between these two businesses and be so good for Park City!”
Whoa, she could lay it on thick. Benny almost believed her. If she hadn’t just been whining about kissing and weddings, he would believe her.
Mrs. Locke had to laugh. “You seem so determined…” She looked from one to the other again, her sharp eyes landing on Benny. “Why?”
“Because if they are so busy making gingerbread houses, then our Christmases will suffer,” he said.
“And it will affect their businesses,” Olivia added.
It actually made sense. “Why split the crowd when you could have one giant, amazing showpiece?” Benny said, catching the fever. “Less chaos, more wow factor.”
She still didn’t seem convinced.
“Plus,” Olivia added smoothly, “think of the publicity. Sugar Meets Clean: The Ultimate Gingerbread Collaboration. Reporters will crawl all over it.”
Gah, why didn’t he think of that?
Mrs. Locke put her elbows on the table and gave them a look most kids only got from the principal at school, not that Benny had ever been called into that office.
“What’s the real reason?” she asked.
Olivia sighed. “We’re matchmaking,” she admitted under her breath.
Wait. They were? And they were telling Mrs. Locke?
“We think they belong together,” Olivia added.
Mrs. Locke’s jaw dropped so hard it almost hit her chest. “You…they…match…” She gave a soft hoot. Then, she nodded. “Yes. You have a deal.”
“Really?” Olivia looked like she might crawl over the table as they shook on the deal.
The older lady lifted her shoulder. “Please. I start watching Hallmark Christmas movies in August. I have a soft spot for a good romance. Get me Grumpy Santa and let your parents know they are co-creators of what I expect will be the biggest, most beautiful, most elaborate, and most unique Park City gingerbread house. Well done, future generation. You give me hope.”
With that, she stood and walked out humming.
Somehow, they contained themselves but the second the door jingled shut behind her, Olivia got up and actually danced across the black-and-white checkered floor.
“Operation Mistletoe Madness is officially a go,” Olivia sang, slapping his hand for a high-five.
“Operation…” Oh, man. He was going to be in so much trouble.
But Olivia was his best friend. She was the only person he’d ever met who could solve a Rubik’s Cube faster than he could and knew that mitochondrion was the singular of mitochondria.
And, he had to admit, her stupid idea might be really smart.