Page 18 of Under The Meh-stletoe

The door to the community hall opened, and a string of people of many ages moved in.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked.

The schoolteacher I had talked to a couple days before organized the group into rows. The volunteers in the room quieted down and paid attention; some of them connected the dots and clapped in excitement.

"Oh, no." Ale groaned.

I snorted.

"You win," she said. "This is a nightmare."

The teacher stood in front of the group. She lifted a hand, gave the group a couple of signals, and soon caroling filled the room.

People around us cheered. Applause exploded, then quieted as people returned to work. Except they all joined and started singing, too.

Ale leaned forward on the table, an elbow on the plastic surface. She hid her face with her hand, blocking the view for most people, but I could see her clearly.

Kill me now, she mouthed to me.Ihatecaroling.

I laughed. It broke the harmony of the singing, and people around us did a double take at the sound. I didn't care. I simply took the scissors that lay close to Ale and moved them far from her.

I arched an eyebrow.Just in case.

She snorted. Then she giggled. I had to purse my lips not to laugh again, which made her laugh.

I'd tried to make her cranky, but I'd ended up having fun with her instead. I chuckled and shook my head.

I stood and pulled her up from her arm. "Come. Let's go get warm drinks for everyone."

She didn't fight me. We put our jackets back on and I guided her to rEvalution, Eva's coffee shop at the other side of the square.

"I texted her this morning to have the order ready right around now," I said as we walked across the plaza.

We strolled past the big center fountain, the trees and gazebo, and flower beds. The town may not have been in the best financial situation, but the square had been maintained well. It was a spot where the town showed its pride.

"So you knew about the caroling?" Ale elbowed me.

"I can't confirm or deny."

"You so knew! That’s just evil."

"I also found a way to rescue us from it, didn't I?"

"Sure, I'll give you that."

I opened the door for Ale at rEvalution. The smell of coffee welcomed us like a hug. Several tables and chairs, and a couple of sofas occupied the front room by the big windows. By one of the side walls, big built-ins held books for people to borrow, magazines and newspapers, and even a basket with multiple types of device chargers. A huge painting of Laguna Island hung on the back wall; it portrayed the bay, with its tiny island and old mansion tucked to the side, and a hint of the small lake at the top of it that gave the town its name. To the other side wall sat the counter behind which Eva conducted business, and the food displays all around in a big L. The options included Latin American sweet and savory pastries, cakes, empanadas, and sopaipillas. The door to the back space was dark behind her.

Eva glanced at us with her usual business-like stare. "I have your order ready. There's enough eggnog in that coffee to make a few folks tipsy. And the peppermint crystals I added to the cookies will make them go wild."

"Thanks, Eva." I paid her for everything while she brought the two big coffee dispensers and boxes of sweets from the back. "I'm going to guess you don't like eggnog," I said to Ale. "Can I get you something you'll like? It will help us cope with all that cheer in the hall."

"Yes, thanks. I'll have coffee with a splash of cream. No sugar. Thanks, Eva."

Eva put the food in one big bag for easy carrying and grabbed a tray for Ale's and my drinks. With incredible efficiency, she moved onto the POS screen to set up our orders.

I paid again. "I'll have it black, like my soul during the holidays."

Ale snorted. "Why is it so hard to escape all the Christmas nonsense, do you think? It's not that it was easy in the City, but it's even worse here."