Page 33 of The Christmas Mistake

“What is it?”

“Open it up and have a look.”

James tears open the wrapping paper. His face lights up when he sees the brand-new gift in its packaging.

“A skateboard?” he asks. “Is it for me?”

Nicholas chuckles and winks at the parents. “It’s for you, James. You told me you wanted one. Remember how you told me that your brother promised you that he’ll teach you?”

“Yep. Can you bring him back from heaven, Santa?”

Nicholas shakes his head. My heart wants to stop at the words that James has uttered so innocently.

“Unfortunately, I can’t do that, James. But you know what? I’ve got a good friend of mine who knows how to skateboard and can maybe teach you in a park or something. His name is Nicholas. He’s very friendly. He learned to skateboard when he was your age and I bet he would be really happy to teach you like your brother would’ve done. Would you like that?”

James looks up at Santa and slowly nods.

“I’ll just make sure your parents are okay with that.”

I watch Nicholas pass on his contact details to James’ parents. I begin to back away as my heart completely melts.

I can’t believe it.

I’ve never seen Nicholas like this. I’ve never seen this side of him. He’s so different from that annoying rude arrogant man from work. This is who he is when he has his guard down.

James gives Nicholas another big hug and then the family takes him away. James grips tight on the skateboard and waves goodbye to Santa as they disappear into the crowd.

I’m about to turn and head back to the grotto when Nicholas spins around.

And he looks right at me.

14

CHASTITY

Nicholas doesn’t mention that he saw me. Not even when he arrives back at the grotto just moments after me, still wearing his Santa outfit. He doesn’t say a single word, and I don’t want to provoke him and so I follow his lead.

So we are awkwardly silent with each other.

And we resume our job.

The next few hours pass by in a blur. I just go through the motions directing the rest of the families lining up to sit on Santa’s knee, too busy thinking about Nicholas and James and what I just saw. My poor little heart can’t handle what I witnessed earlier. Everything I knew about the guy goes straight out the window. Nicholas is actually a very sweet man deep down, not just the teasing emotionless asshole I thought he was. He really wanted to do something for James, and he went above and beyond the line of duty to make that boy’s day.

But Nicholas is also, obviously, a private man. I can tell he doesn’t like me seeing him being so nice. It’s clearly rattled him. I feel like I’ve hit a nerve, and I don’t know what to do.

If only I can tell him I don’t judge him at all, that he did a good thing for a little boy who needed Santa.

I really don’t know what to do, and it’s driving me insane. Looking at Nicholas sitting there as Santa, I really don’t know how to broach the subject. We both know bright as day that I saw him buy that skateboard for James, but Nicholas doesn’t want to talk. Is this what our relationship is going to be forever? An awkward silence?

I don’t want that.

I want to really get to know this man who still remains an enigma to me despite us sharing a bed once.

We finally reach closing time. Annie comes back with her clipboard and signs us off.

“Good first day,” she says, looking at our numbers.

“We were really busy,” I reply. “We didn’t stop, it was that crazy. Isn’t that true, Nicholas?”