I dedicate this chapter to my friend @tessa_x_lahey This chapter just made me think of you, you know how we talked about how the popular ones can fall for the invisible ones... ðð¤«Â Remember that you're beautiful inside and out, I love you ðâ¤
I glance at my right, and I can tell Theone is thinking the same, our twinkling gazes already picturing what we're gonna eat first after too many hours of hard work.
"What have you put in the cookies?!" My mom's voice behind freezes us in our tracks, and we keep our sideways glances at each other, still thinking the same, yet it's another childish emotion and way less fun.
We turn to her piercing blue eyes already narrowing at us to seek the truth.
Theone puts on his best innocent smile, exactly the same he's always worn some years ago, and he's really good at it because if you don't notice the light indent of his left dimple, you can almost see a halo above his head.
"So what have you added to my recipe?" my mom repeats, crossing her arms over her chest, and I look at Theone with expectant eyes to remind him of his words from yesterday.
"Nothing!" He grins proudly and confidently, while the colorful chips dotting the cookies are making it pretty obvious. "We've just put a lot of love."
I press my lips together to hold my gasp and my laugh. He has some cheek! I shouldn't be surprised though.
What is more unexpected is my mom's reaction as she squints at us before offering us a grin as wide.
"Whatever it is, they're selling like hotcakes! People keep coming back for more!" She claps her hands together excitedly as she leads us to the booth a few feet away.
"I told you! Admit it: I was right," Theone whispers in my ear with the same smug smile.
"I need to taste them first." My stomach echoes my words with a growl.
"You haven't yet?!" Both Theone and my mom turn to me with wide eyes.
"No, but I will." I nod to the packets of cookies laying on the most beautiful booth of the market, in my humble, subjective opinion.
The same wooden sign as every year is standing in front, the carved words 'Christmas Cookies and Sweets Made With Love' making me shake my head this year, while fairy lights are entangled in fir branches all around the booth, and Emily is already putting new packets of cookies and sweets in the numerous empty spots that must be from what has been sold.
Besides, this year, there is a new addition that makes this booth even more magical: Aden appearing with a few fake poinsettias in his right hand.
"Here, Mrs. Jensen." Aden hands the flowers to my mom, and I take the opportunity to find his arms, to be more credible of course.
"Come on, I've already told you to call me Marta! Thank you." She grabs a few fir branches laying in a box behind the booth. "I've promised to give this to Liz and Jo. I leave you the booth, you know what to do." She looks at Emily and me because of course, she only trusts us.
"Yeah, don't worry." I quickly join Emily, spotting a cookie and grabbing it on my way.
I've been dreaming of this cookie since this morning, and after the torture my muscles have been through, it's well deserved.
I close my eyes, savoring the crusty sensation under my teeth, and it's soon followed by the buttery sweetness I know very well, though there's one more texture that crunches in my mouth and releases an inimitable sweetness; it resembles the chocolate chips, yet it's different, warmer, and it adds something unique to the cookies I love so much. It brings me the sensations of yesterday when we've made them: this childhood's lightness and sweet indulgence.
"So?" Theone's voice near my ear makes me jump and open my eyes.
"It's good." I finish to chew on the bite I have in my mouth, trying to hide how I'm savoring each crumb.
"Good?" He lifts an eyebrow. "I think you can say more. You're licking your lips," he adds, his sparkling green gaze flicking down at my lips and making me realize my tongue is poking out to pick up any remaining crumbs.
I quickly pull my tongue in, avoiding his amused gaze and the smirk etched under. "They're good. But now we've got a lot of work." I offer him a tight-lipped smile, bypassing him and grabbing some packets to help Emily.
"Oh no, it's okay, it's quiet now." Emily smiles, finishing to set all the packets, and she's really sweet, but she isn't helping me.
"Then can I leave you for a while? I have a few things to arrange for the party," Theone asks, already biting in a cookie, of course, one of those made with chemical colorful love â they're delicious and exquisite.
"Yes," I immediately reply; I may be eager for him to leave, but try to spend half of the day with him, and you'll understand how suffocating it is, even when he doesn't make me boil in rage. "We can totally manage."
As soon as he's left, I do the two things I've been waiting for: grab another cookie and join Aden, who is typing something on his phone. There's no customer on the horizon, and Emily and Jason are chatting with our neighbor in the next booth, so we finally have some time alone.
"Hey." I smile, pulling his attention away from his screen, and my heart flutters just at the way his cinnamon gaze focuses on me as he puts his phone away. "So how did it go this morning? I'm sorry I left you, but I hope my family didn't annoy you too much!"
"No, they're really nice."
He's such a sweetheart because seeing the little scene my brother has thrown this morning, I would have expected at least 'weird' or 'a little crazy' â that's what I've got from some of my past boyfriends â yet Aden still finds them 'nice'. He's perfect.
"I've got some more time to write my articles, and this place is really inspiring. It'sâ"
Just as he is about to dive his tender gaze in mine, a rush of people arrives in front of the booth, mostly kids gazing hungrily at the cookies that are just to the height of their sparkling eyes, though looking more closely, the adults seem as eager.
"I'm sorry." I get up, wiping my fingers, and hesitating between cursing the universe that's against me or Theone and our delicious cookies.
"No, it's okay. I'll help." Aden follows me as we join a busy Emily who is trying to serve everyone.
"Be careful with your wrist," I tell him as our hands brush to take some shiny packets.
"Yeah, don't worry." He offers me one of his sweet smiles before turning to the hungry customers.
The booth almost doesn't empty. Every time I even think of talking to Aden or taking a breath, more people come up.
I start to feel the tiredness weighing on my already sore muscles, unless it's just the hopelessness washing over me. This step in my plan to get closer to Aden hasn't included that the cookies made with 'love' would attract so many customers.
Though through the rush, we still exchange some smiles and glances. The problem is that in the warm cinnamon shades of his eyes, I can't read what he might be thinking. Is it still friendly?
I wish to have some time alone and do what's on my list: walk around and maybe share a hot chocolate, so we can talk a little and I can find out more about what's going on inside his pretty head, and maybe even his heart.
I stop on that thought as my eyes catch someone doing exactly what I want to do but can't: Theone, who has left us with all the work because he's supposedly 'so busy' with some 'important things' to arrange for the party. Well, the only thing he seems to arrange with the brown-haired woman there is a way to get in her pants. Seriously?! He's so irresponsible and selfish, still the same player. But how women still fall for those types of men?
This woman... I've already seen her wide smile and her laugh... Hilary Robinson! That's it! The head cheerleader in high school, of course! It's hard to recognize her without her long waves and mini skirt, but except for this, nothing much seems to have changed. I feel like back in high school again, doing all the work while the popular students are having fun.
My throat closes up on a bitter sensation, and it turns out that the cookies aren't that sweet, or maybe it's the memories coming back in my chest.
"Penelope? Do you have the change?" Emily calls me back to the present time, glancing between me and the man whom I'm supposed to serve.
I blink at the open iron box containing the changes in front of me. The changes, why I'm here, the people waiting because we're swamped with work, while some are chatting.
I throw one last glance in Theone's direction, almost automatically. His back is still turned to me, so he hasn't noticed my glare, but I don't need to see his face to picture his charming smirk with his dimples surely both showing, and I turn around before losing more time because of him.
"Sorry." I give the change to the man waiting patiently, while his children have already devoured half of the packet of cookies.
"Are you okay?" Emily asks me between two customers, or more exactly while handing them their sweets and turning to another person waiting.
"Yes... It's just that it would be nice if we weren't just three to do all the work..." I mutter, glancing at Aden beside me, who is helping us despite his bandaged wrist. "I worked all morning with the decoration, and this is the thanks I get..."
Emily glances at me weirdly, as she must understand whom I'm talking about, yet she doesn't raise, and I stop my seething, going back to serve one of the many customers waiting in line.
"Hi, happy holidays, how may I help you?" I realize I'm still simmering inside, as my jaw is clenched tightly, and I have to make an effort to put on a smile.
"I'm here for your special cookies. We've already eaten them all." The old woman smiles, the sparkles in her eyes making her look younger despite all the wrinkles around them. "We can feel they're made with true love."
It seems people are confusing love with chemical food additives and coloring agents nowadays, but I don't tell her this. I just force another smile and a 'thank you'. The poor old lady doesn't deserve to feel my wrath towards Theone.
I keep this for the main interested party, who is, by the way, walking back to us with his casual gait, hands in his pockets, and a light smile on his lips.
"Oh, finally? You've finished flirting?" I can't help but seethe, making his smile fall and his eyebrows pull together.
He's thought he could fool us into thinking he's had 'work' to do.
"We're snowed under with work here!" I glance back at the line, and... there is no line. I swear we could almost hear the crickets, if it wasn't for one customer that Aden is finishing to serve.
I know even before looking back in front of me that I'll be met by Theone's left dimple. How all the people have disappeared? Have they passed the word around or is it just the universe that is against me?
"There's almost no more cookies and sweets. Go get some at the Berry Bakery, they've told us they would donate us some." I don't leave him time to throw me one of his snide remarks, and it's actually the truth; we almost have sold everything.
"Our cookies have success then?" He keeps his smirk, and I can see easily his shining eyes already looking for another cookie to eat.
"Yeah, but there aren't only our cookies, a lot of people have donated and made cakes too. And so far, you haven't done much today. You were too busy 'chatting'." I'm unable to stop myself from saying this once again, the sarcasm dripping from my last word like the anger in my veins, and it only bubbles more in front of his widening eyes that look amused by all of this.
Does he find it funny?
"I was justâ"
"I don't care. Go do something useful for once." I push him away before the twinkle in his eyes sparks my burning anger and makes me do something that would reduce this beautiful day to ashes.
The low chuckle he lets out under his breath is already enough to leave my blood boiling as he walks away again.
I'm barely cooling down when another customer shows up, and not any customer.
"Hi, sorry to bother you, but I think Theo is helping here, right?" Hilary Robinson offers me one of her dazzling smiles. How can people have teeth this white?
"If we can call that helping..." I mutter between my clenched teeth, and I doubt the smile I'm trying to form is even showing a hint.
"Could you give him this for me? I forgotâ"
"Listen, I'm not his personal assistant, and we have a lot of work here." I glance around, and once again, there is no one, just a cold breeze that makes it look like a no man's land in Antarctica.
I tighten my fists under the booth, not even trying to curse the whole universe again, while she follows my gaze with her big brown eyes, which look even more enticing without the heavy make-up she's used to wear in high school.
"So unless you want to buy something here, I can't help you." I know I'm not really credible, since there's no one, yet there's no way I'll take the card she's handing me.
First, I don't want to be the messenger â if Theone wants to mess around, he knows very well how to fend for himself, and just the thought turns my stomach, ugh â and anyway, I don't think I would be able to physically open my fists even if I wanted to.
"Um, no, thanks, my husband has already bought a few."
Has she said 'husband'?! This makes me unclench my fists, and maybe even my jaw in an O, for a second before the image of her giggling with Theone added to the ring on her finger tenses all my muscles.
There is nothing worse than cheating. It can totally destroy someone's heart and all their confidence, and for an odd reason, what disgusts me the most is the thought of Theone hitting on a married woman.
"But we've changed our number, and Theo said he would call us to let us know when we can come to install everything for the party Friday."
With each of her words, the blood leaves my face drop by drop until it all rushes back to my cheeks when I glimpse the words on the card she's holding: 'Wood Caterer'.
"He wanted to ask Penelope, the decorator."
I almost choke on... well, it must be on air because I have nothing in my throat, and she probably notices my eyes bulging out of their sockets because she stops talking.
"Um, it's... it's me," I stammer, trying a little smile, though I don't even dare to look at her.
"Oh, really?! I'm sorry, I didn't know." She puts her hand over her mouth, apparently embarrassed, but in comparison with how much I've just made a fool of myself, she has nothing to worry about.
I mean, she must be around the same age as Theone and Jason, so she's probably never noticed the invisible sophomore in the bleachers.
"It's okay... I-I... um, I didn't know either..." I try to dispel the embarrassment away, yet it's prickling me until my scalp. So instead, I busy my hands, grabbing my planner. "At what time did you generally come the previous years?"
"Well, it's the first time we're working for this party. Generally, for this kind of event, we come three hours before, but earlier would be even better because we want everything to be perfect for the kids." She smiles, and this time, what is dazzling me is the sincerity in her eyes.
"Don't worry, they're adorable and really easy to convince." I smile too, probably the first real smile I offer her.
"Yeah, I know. We've already visited them a few times because Charles and I are trying to adopt."
"Charles as in Charles Wood, who was in charge of the school newspaper?!" I exclaim.
I know him quite well since that's in the school newspaper that I've written my first articles.
"Yes, it's him. We're married since four years now, and we've tried to have a baby, but we can't... so, well, now we're trying to adopt." She smiles again, and I don't know what's more surreal: the emotions gleaming in her eyes that I would have never imagined or the cliché romance of the geek and the cheerleader. I can already picture Amy rolling her eyes when I'll tell her about this â I may have to omit the way I've first greeted her though.
"When Theo asked us to work for the party, we thought it was a sign."
"Yes, I'm sure you're gonna make one of these little elves really happy soon," I tell her honestly, almost forgetting for a second that I've attacked her for no reason â almost, that's why I add, "You can come at any time, we'll be there from 8 a.m."
"Okay, perfect! Thank you, Penelope."
She looks so sweet; she is really not helping me with the twinge of my conscience in my stomach.
"Oh, and um... I'm sorry if I've been a little... um, rude." I shift on my feet as if it would shake away how ridiculously I've acted.
But she just shrugs it off. "It's okay! I should have introduced myself. Don't worry, I won't tell him. I understand, we all can be a little possessive of our boyfriends."
I once again widen my eyes upon her words, my heart jumping in fright as fast as I rush to say, "Oh no! Theone isn't my boyfriend. We're just working together for the party."
I find a déjà vu impression with the shiver this thought sends down my spine, along with the question of why everyone is thinking this.
"My boyfriend is Aden there." Well, not really, but I still glance at him lovingly like any girlfriend would, and I'm surprised to find him chatting with my mom and Jason.
When have they come back? And why my mom seems to follow more our conversation than what the guys are saying.
"Oh." It's Hilary who now looks surprised, and 'oh'? Why 'oh'? It's another déjà vu.
"Nevermind. Thank you, and I'll see you on Friday then!" She waves at me, offering me one more smile, and I can only return her gestures awkwardly as I try to push the embarrassment away from my burning cheeks.
I can't believe I've just made a fool of myself, yet with Theone around, it always happens. He always manages to ridicule me one way or another, and even if this time, I've kinda done this to myself, it's him who always plays with my nerves. I think the best I could do would be to ignore him.
Yet it seems impossible as I turn around and find the sparkling green eyes that are never far when I embarrass myself â and I'm not even talking about that left dimple!
"You've met Hilary?" He lifts one of his eyebrows, his lips pressing together in a superior way, even though it mostly is to hold back his snicker.
"Yes," I mutter, finding back the rage in my veins, and it's even stronger than the embarrassment on my cheeks. "You can put this here." I point to the boxes he's holding, trying to stick to my plan to just ignore him the most I can.
"She's nice, right?"
Okay, his taunting tone makes me forget my resolution, and I snap, "You could have told me who she was."
"You didn't let me talk," he points out, and I feel the same rush of embarrassment catching up with my anger.
"In my defense, with your background history, I have my reasons to think you were just trying to find excuses to mess around," I reply, and luckily, for once, the universe is helping me, sending a group of customers just at this moment and ending the discussion.
Though Theone still adds, "I'm always serious when it comes to charity." His tone is indeed really serious and honest, and I'm left with my conscience pinching my stomach once again as he offers a charming smile to the old couple and their grandchildren.
***
"I think I'm starting to feel it."
My heart soars until the warm cinnamon shades now staring at me. "W-what?" I manage to articulate breathlessly.
"The Christmas spirit." Aden smiles, throwing a glance around.
"Ah, yes..." I try to hide my disappointment, yet I'm sure it can be heard with the drop of my heart and in my voice.
"It's thanks to you." Aden's soft eyes are so warm that it's impossible to be mad at him, and we still have time.
If he's finding the Christmas spirit, while a few days ago it has seemed impossible, then maybe I can help him find another spark too.
"You were right, this place is special."
I follow his gaze, my eyes being met once again by all the fairy lights that are now shining even more in the dimness of the night falling. Soon they will look magical, and only the stars above will be able to outshine them.
My heart warms up easily with this magic in the air, and it even melts when Aden adds,
"I've even called my parents this morning, and it's something magical!" He laughs lightly, and the sound is adding perfectly to the Christmas melody we hear in the distance. "They were surprised I called before Christmas day, but apparently really happy, and my sister was impressed by the articles. She told me to say 'hats off' to the little elf!"
I feel the heat on my cheeks, for the first time today, in a nice tickling way. He has talked of me to his family? Maybe it isn't off to such a bad start as I've thought.
"Seeing your family and how close you all are, it made me realize how important it is."
As his eyes shine with that particular spark of the love he has for his family, it already appears like an amazing reward, though it doesn't mean I forget my plan to make those brown eyes sparkle for me.
"Then this holidays deal was a good idea! I guess it works for both of us." I try to hint, hoping to dig deeper and go to the subject that could lead me further behind his carapace, yet his gaze is already attracted somewhere else.
I must admit that there are a lot of distractions around between the stallholders talking loudly and whistling Christmas tunes, the shiny decorations, the as beautiful as they are surely sweet gingerbread men, and the kids running between the passersby to go see Santa.
My own gaze is caught by something interesting.
"I think it's time for your next lesson!" I exclaim, grabbing Aden's hand and leading him to a specific booth.
I look back at him as we stop in front of the colorful booth. His eyes are holding that same puppy expression and they widen in front of my sparkling gaze.
"Oh no, I don't think I'm ready for this..."
Another cliffhanger... ð¬ What will be Aden's next lesson? Are you starting to feel the Christmas spirit too? ððð¤©
And most importantly, there was something else in the air: something that smells like jealousy... What do you think? ð
Like always, comment and vote â if you liked this chapter!! We've reached 100 votes, and 400 reads!! That's awesome, and for this and all your support, I wanna thank you â¤