“Who’s the scary crew?” Kim asked. “I purposely waited for them to leave.”
“They aren’t so bad, they just look it.” I brushed it off. “Probably some ex-military guys that don’t know how to look any other way. But I got them to get a Santa picture.”
“Speaking of, let’s get a quick picture. I only have a short break.” Kim placed her purse on the floor next to mine. “Anything out of the mystery man?”
“A little here and there.” I set the camera to go off in fifteen seconds. “Hurry up, get in the picture.”
“I didn’t know you could do that,” Santa Eddie said. “Why’d you tell those guys you couldn’t be in the picture with them if you could do that?”
“Um, because they were scary. I didn’t wanna be in that picture.” I looked toward the camera as it went off. “Don’t tell anyone, it’s my little secret.”
I gave one picture to Kim and put the rest in my purse. She had no idea that I wanted the picture to remember her by when I had to leave. I wasn’t sure if that leaving would be before Christmas, but it would absolutely be after. Kim waved and wandered off to the food court. I remembered I had a cell phone at my disposal, for once, so I typed in Google and did a search of local women’s shelters. There were only two. I read through the information on them and vowed to call each on my next break. With it being so cold out, I wasn’t holding out much hope for them having space for me.
I hope the person who owns this can’t see what I’m searching on it. How would I explain that?
As if the mystery man had heard me, I got a text.“Did you see the big tree brought in today?”
“I saw it, but they didn’t decorate it.”I responded.
“I’m not there today. Maybe they got busy.”
“Here’s a picture of it.”
I snapped a few pictures and sent them.
“Looks like those boxes might be the decorations.”Mystery man said.
“It really looks like Christmas in here now. Santa’s workshop has been very busy.”
“Have you been hanging out with Santa?”
“No, I move around the mall, but I’ve noticed.”I answered.
“Did you get yourself a new holiday case?”
“Lol. No, but if I found one with Christmas on it, I would.”
“You don’t like your black case?”
“It’s about time you asked my opinion, since I’m the one that has to be seen in it.”
“Ha ha. Apple, what color would you like?”
“I want a different case for every holiday and a fancy one for when we go out at night.”
“That’s very demanding of you. Wait, are you asking me out? I’ve dated lots of types, but never a phone.”
“You used to take me out all the time. And you don’t wear the same shirt every day, do you?”
“Lol. You got me there. Sorry, I didn’t think about your feelings.”
“It’s okay, I’m not mad. Is your other cell being forced to wear black every day?”
“Actually, the one I’m on now is silver.”
“Silver is nice. Gotta go. Customers are here.”
I didn’t hear from mystery man the rest of the day and I found myself missing chatting with him. Whenever I had to leave, I would have to turn the cell in to security, and that thought bummed me out. I would miss him.