Raised with three older brothers, the petite woman is vicious when she needs to be. She sets the boxes down gingerly and spins to face me. The bell on the tip of her green elf hat jingles as she places her hands on her hip.
With her large cornflower blue eyes and light blonde hair, she epitomizes a workshop elf. Her cheeks blush as she purses her bee-stung rose-colored lips. Her toe taps, making the white cotton ball on the tip of the curved red elf shoe shake.
I tug on one of my curls and rock back, ready for her to let me have it. Cookies with Santa is a yearly tradition. We pair with other local businesses to give the kids a chance to decorate a cookie to take home and meet the man in the red suit himself.
“You want to tell me what the hell is going on, December?”
I glance around the church's kitchen to ensure we don’t have an audience.
“Shhh.” I put a finger to my lips. “Not so loud.”
“Imagine my shock when everyone’s asking me for the inside scoop on you and Emanuele, caught kissing all around town, and I have nothing to say.” A hurt expression crosses her face. “Because I don’t know what they’re talking about.”
“It’s not like that.”
“What the hell did I just see then?” She barks.
Can I tell her the truth? “Me and E testing the waters.”
“Since when was that even a thought?” Her voice raises an octave. “I don’t understand. We don’t keep secrets like this.”
I bite my bottom lip. I can’t do this to Nora. “Okay. Promise not to tell anyone else if I tell you?”
I shift my weight from one side to the other.
“Promise. Now spill.”
“We’re fake dating.”
She blinks. “You’re what now?”
“Fake—”
She waves me off. “No, I heard you. It’s just ridiculous. Why in the hell would you do that?” She blows the strands of hair falling over her forehead out of her eyes.
“Because Mom cornered me, I ran my mouth, told her I was seeing someone, and panicked.”
“And that leads to your mouth on E’s how?” She rolls her hand rapidly, demanding more information.
“Well, since I told her we were dating, we have to act the part.”
“And E was the first person to come to your mind as a romantic interest because?”
“I don’t know.” I cover my face.
“Jesus.” She gently lowers my hands. “You have to stop seeking your family’s approval.”
“I know,” I whisper.
She sighs. “Do you? It’s okay to do things on your time schedule.” A sly look crossed her face, turning her into a playful fairy. “Though, what I saw earlier looked pretty damn real.”
“It’s to get us used to being intimate.” I refuse to think of how it made my lips tingle and my knees weaken.
“And how long do you plan to keep up this farce?”
“Six months to a year.”
“And then you both expect to walk away and have things will go back to normal?” She asks skeptically.