Page 52 of The Santa Claus Con

I don’t need to be hooked up to a polygraph to force out the truth: It’s the second one. I sink into this kiss, memorizing everything about it before time’s up.

Then a bang echoes on the other side of the elevator doors. Nathan and I jump apart, avoiding eye contact with each other. At first, I feel relieved, but that feeling soon morphs into disappointment. The bad guys couldn’t hang on for a few more minutes before shooting at each other? Sometimes I really can’t with these people.

And then I remember that Nathan and I might be on the same side, but we’re still rivals. And rivals don’t kiss the way we just did.

I shrug off his jacket from around my shoulders. “You didn’t have to do that,” I tell him. There’s a hardness in his eyes, but beyond it, when I really look, the same Nathan I’ve known is still there.

“No, I didn’t,” he says, taking his jacket back and smoothing down his hair. “I needed to.”

Like, so we wouldn’t get caught or because he himself needed to kiss me? It feels like a critical difference for me to understand at this exact moment, but I don’t get the chance to clarify because Nathan steps off the elevator as soon as the doors open.

I cross my arms. “I knew you missed me.”

Nathan presses the button to the lobby. “You’re still the best climber I know, Payne. I’ll fix your camera. Merry Christmas.”

“Same time next year?” is all I can say before the doors close.

I don’t know if I actually hear him say yes, or if it’s just wishful thinking on my part, but I find myself, for the first time in a long time, excited for the holidays.

Chapter 15

NATHAN

11 hours and 15 minutes until midnight

Before the second competition, there’s a twist.

Every Santa Wannabe gets an elf to help them in the next two competitions. Some people are relying on their children, family members, and friends in town to come through for them. For anyone who came alone, members of the Con crew are stepping in.

Elf costumes are provided in the lobby. Because we arrive late coming from the Christmas market, we get whatever’s left. I hold up an oversize green velvet, long-sleeve dress with a red collar and pom-poms.

“I can work with this,” Scarlett says, grabbing the one from my hand.

“You? No. Didn’t you say you weren’t my elf assistant?” I snatch the dress back. “You’ll be in more danger by putting yourself in Sadistic Santa’s reach.”

She grabs a red and green striped pair of stockings from a basket along with a gold crown-hat-thing. “I’ve already been within reach. Now that he doesn’t expect me to play, I’m going to. We’re poking, remember?” To drive the point home, she pokes my arm.

“Fine, but don’t forget the shoes,” I say, grabbing a pair and dangling them in front of her.

She fishes out a tube of body and hair glitter from her bag.

“Do I even want to know why you have those?” I ask.

“I wasn’t sure how festive you were supposed to look,” she says. “The wig, though, that was me coming prepared to not blow every future undercover mission.” She reveals an auburn-haired wig with bangs from the depths of her bag. “I’m about to be on TV. Also, everyone has a phone, so if I have to be in someone’s video, I need it to be as an unhinged-looking elf.”

“As opposed to an unhinged-looking Scarlett Payne?”

“Exactly!” She nods toward the entrance. “I’ll change on the way.”

In the six-minute drive to the Cartwright Toys Emporium, Scarlett’s transformed herself into an elf. A very sparkly, very shimmery elf. It’s like looking at the rejected Christmas doll that got her face drawn on with shiny marker and now looks like a disco ball. In fact, I think I can see myself in Scarlett’s forehead. There’s glitter everywhere. Literally. The headrest, the door handle, and her dress, stockings, and shoes. There’s even a little on me.

“Very covert,” I mumble as she pulls the wig over her smoothed-down hair. Then she turns around and says, “Zip me?”

“Oh, sure, yeah. Of course.” I pull the fabric together, my knuckles grazing her skin along the way. “Totally unintentional,” I mumble, moving the zipper up an inch.

Scarlett sucks in a sharp breath, straightening a little. Along the back of her neck, goose bumps appear.

I try to make quick work of this… until the zipper jams.