frowned. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“You didn’t.” She grinned. “As long as you tell me how old
you are in return.”
He chuckled. “Fair enough. I’m thirty-two.”
She’d guessed right. Maybe she knew more about BPs than
she’d thought.
He ran his gaze over her one more time, then cleared his
throat. “Come on. Let’s go see if anyone is downstairs yet.”
Although she was excited about meeting Derek’s neighbors and
taking part in a real Christmas celebration, Sosie couldn’t help but be a
little nervous as she followed him downstairs. Despite the fact no one had
figured out she was an elf since getting stranded in the city, she was
terrified she was going to do or say something that’d give it away. Once they
reached the common area, however, she was so busy taking everything in she
forgot all about being nervous.
The place had looked beautiful last night, but today it was
even more festive. In addition to the dozens of colorfully wrapped gifts
underneath the Christmas tree waiting to be opened, the stair rails and
banister had been wrapped with lush garland and twinkling lights. The long
tables that had been against the wall were now covered in red and green
tablecloths and filled with delicious-smelling food. Figgy, this was about as
big as the party they threw at the North Pole on Christmas.
Derek took her hand. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to
everyone.”
His big, strong hand felt so good wrapped around hers that
Sosie had a hard time concentrating on anything else, much less putting names
with faces as they spent the next hour working their way around the common
area. Besides Bob and Betty and their son, Jimmy, the nice family from the
second floor, there was John, the heavyset, jovial man who lived in the
apartment beside them. Next was Ben, the apartment building’s elderly
superintendent and resident handyman, and his wife Mabel. Then there was
Connie, the neighbor who had generously given Sosie new clothes to wear, and
her teenage daughter Jane, as well as Linda and Tracee, two women who shared
the apartment down the hall from Derek. That was just to name a few. By the
time Derek was through, her head was swimming, but she tried to remember as
many of their names as she could. Unlike some of the grouchy grinches she’d
seen last night, Derek’s neighbors were as nice as he was. In fact, they were
genuinely concerned when he told them Sosie was from out of town and had been
abandoned by her friends at the club the night before.
After hearing about it, Tracee said, “Well, don’t worry
about them because you found new friends.”
“That’s right,” Linda agreed. “And we won’t be abandoning you,
either.”
Sosie was touched by their words. That was certainly a sweet
thing to say, especially to a woman—er, elf—they’d just met.
“How did you and Derek run into each other?” Linda asked as
soon as he went off to get Sosie something to drink.
Almost a foot taller than Sosie, she had chin-length dark
hair and a bright smile.
“Some very nasty men were bothering me and he rescued me,”
Sosie told her. “I think it was very brave of him, but he said he was doing his
job.”
Tracee shook her head. Not quite as tall as her friend
Linda, she had curly, red hair and freckles. “That’s Derek for you. I have to
admit I’m super jealous he asked you to stay with him, you know.”
Linda nodded. “Me, too.”
Sosie looked from one to the other. “Why?”
“Because he’s totally hot, of course,” Tracee said.
“Totally,” Linda agreed.
Sosie blinked as understanding dawned on her. “Oh! Yes, he
is very hot.” She nibbled on her lower lip, her gaze going from one woman to
the other again. “Are either of you and Derek…” Figgy, what was the right word?
“An item? I wish.” Tracee made a face. “Linda and I have
been trying to get him to notice us ever since he moved in, but no luck.
Unfortunately, he thinks of us more as sisters than
“You didn’t.” She grinned. “As long as you tell me how old
you are in return.”
He chuckled. “Fair enough. I’m thirty-two.”
She’d guessed right. Maybe she knew more about BPs than
she’d thought.
He ran his gaze over her one more time, then cleared his
throat. “Come on. Let’s go see if anyone is downstairs yet.”
Although she was excited about meeting Derek’s neighbors and
taking part in a real Christmas celebration, Sosie couldn’t help but be a
little nervous as she followed him downstairs. Despite the fact no one had
figured out she was an elf since getting stranded in the city, she was
terrified she was going to do or say something that’d give it away. Once they
reached the common area, however, she was so busy taking everything in she
forgot all about being nervous.
The place had looked beautiful last night, but today it was
even more festive. In addition to the dozens of colorfully wrapped gifts
underneath the Christmas tree waiting to be opened, the stair rails and
banister had been wrapped with lush garland and twinkling lights. The long
tables that had been against the wall were now covered in red and green
tablecloths and filled with delicious-smelling food. Figgy, this was about as
big as the party they threw at the North Pole on Christmas.
Derek took her hand. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to
everyone.”
His big, strong hand felt so good wrapped around hers that
Sosie had a hard time concentrating on anything else, much less putting names
with faces as they spent the next hour working their way around the common
area. Besides Bob and Betty and their son, Jimmy, the nice family from the
second floor, there was John, the heavyset, jovial man who lived in the
apartment beside them. Next was Ben, the apartment building’s elderly
superintendent and resident handyman, and his wife Mabel. Then there was
Connie, the neighbor who had generously given Sosie new clothes to wear, and
her teenage daughter Jane, as well as Linda and Tracee, two women who shared
the apartment down the hall from Derek. That was just to name a few. By the
time Derek was through, her head was swimming, but she tried to remember as
many of their names as she could. Unlike some of the grouchy grinches she’d
seen last night, Derek’s neighbors were as nice as he was. In fact, they were
genuinely concerned when he told them Sosie was from out of town and had been
abandoned by her friends at the club the night before.
After hearing about it, Tracee said, “Well, don’t worry
about them because you found new friends.”
“That’s right,” Linda agreed. “And we won’t be abandoning you,
either.”
Sosie was touched by their words. That was certainly a sweet
thing to say, especially to a woman—er, elf—they’d just met.
“How did you and Derek run into each other?” Linda asked as
soon as he went off to get Sosie something to drink.
Almost a foot taller than Sosie, she had chin-length dark
hair and a bright smile.
“Some very nasty men were bothering me and he rescued me,”
Sosie told her. “I think it was very brave of him, but he said he was doing his
job.”
Tracee shook her head. Not quite as tall as her friend
Linda, she had curly, red hair and freckles. “That’s Derek for you. I have to
admit I’m super jealous he asked you to stay with him, you know.”
Linda nodded. “Me, too.”
Sosie looked from one to the other. “Why?”
“Because he’s totally hot, of course,” Tracee said.
“Totally,” Linda agreed.
Sosie blinked as understanding dawned on her. “Oh! Yes, he
is very hot.” She nibbled on her lower lip, her gaze going from one woman to
the other again. “Are either of you and Derek…” Figgy, what was the right word?
“An item? I wish.” Tracee made a face. “Linda and I have
been trying to get him to notice us ever since he moved in, but no luck.
Unfortunately, he thinks of us more as sisters than
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