shrimp into Shawn’s mouth. “I can be. How big are these women? Could I take one down if I had to?”
“You like me,” Shawn said with a silly smile.
Jill nodded. “Mm-hmm, and I’m going to beat you to the punch, Shawn Masterson. Would you like to have dinner with me again?”
“Yes, I would. What’re you doing tomorrow night?”
Jill grimaced. “That’s Christmas Eve, and I have to go to my mother’s house. I’d invite you, but I really want to see you again, and if I expose you to that, you will most certainly run away screaming. That’s one of the reasons I really don’t like Christmas, that and I miss my dad.”
“This time of year makes me miss my grandparents, too. They were the ones that kind of kept the holiday alive in my family. Now that they’re gone, it’s just Christmas cards from my folks and a phone call from my brother, but that’s about it. So I totally understand how you can resent this time of year.”
“What are you doing on Christmas?” Jill asked as she held another shrimp close to Jill’s mouth.
Shawn met her gaze. “Whatever you want me to.”
Jill fed her the shrimp. “Excellent answer.” She cocked her head. “I’ve never seen you wear the earrings I repaired.”
Shawn inhaled sharply, wondering if she should admit that she’d gotten desperate when she ran out of jewelry to break. The earrings were actually Vera’s, and she’d “accidentally” stomped on them until one of the sapphires fell out. She grabbed her throat and blinked, unable to make a sound. The back of Jill’s chair hit the floor with a loud clang, then the whipping began.
“She’s choking,” Jill yelled as she beat Shawn on the back. “Somebody do the hemlock, I have no idea how! Okay, people! Don’t just stare at me. This is our first date, and it’s really going well, so I’d prefer she doesn’t die!”
Shawn felt her ass leave the chair when someone yanked her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her like a vise. The air left in her lungs shot out of her mouth along with the offending shrimp. It took Shawn a minute to catch her breath, then she turned to her rescuer.
“Santa?”
“Dr. Santa, at your service,” he said with a bow, red suit, beard, and all. “I was on the other side of the restaurant and heard your friend.” He smiled. “All better now?”
“Yes, thank you,” Shawn rasped as she glanced around at the faces staring back at her. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“Merry Christmas,” Santa said and walked away.
Jill’s hands were shaking as she held out a glass of water. “Drink.”
Shawn took the glass and sank down into her chair, wishing she could go even lower and hide under the table. “I’m so sorry that I embarrassed you.”
“Oh, honey, you didn’t.” Jill smoothed Shawn’s hair from her face. “I know it’s stupid to say don’t feel embarrassed when you so clearly are, but you shouldn’t be.”
The term of endearment eased Shawn’s discomfort. “Hemlock is a poisonous plant, not the maneuver Santa just performed on me,” she said with a smile.
Jill put a hand over her mouth. “I yelled that, didn’t I?”
Shawn began to laugh as she nodded.
“Okay, now I’m embarrassed. I feel like I should do an encore after my performance. I think I’ll sing Jingle Bells , but I have to warn you that I can’t sing.” Jill inhaled deeply and snorted when Shawn put her hand over her mouth.
“I’ll just ask for the check.”
Jill turned her face away from Shawn’s hand. “I need to sing.”
Shawn motioned for the server. “Check, please—quick!”
*******
“You’re insane,” Shawn said with a laugh as she and Jill walked down the street hand in hand.
“You bring it out in me.” Jill came to an abrupt stop in front of a window at a Christmas shop as a train made a pass on its tracks. “If I ever decide that I like this holiday again, I’m going to get one of these.”
Shawn plastered her face to the glass. “Aw,
“You like me,” Shawn said with a silly smile.
Jill nodded. “Mm-hmm, and I’m going to beat you to the punch, Shawn Masterson. Would you like to have dinner with me again?”
“Yes, I would. What’re you doing tomorrow night?”
Jill grimaced. “That’s Christmas Eve, and I have to go to my mother’s house. I’d invite you, but I really want to see you again, and if I expose you to that, you will most certainly run away screaming. That’s one of the reasons I really don’t like Christmas, that and I miss my dad.”
“This time of year makes me miss my grandparents, too. They were the ones that kind of kept the holiday alive in my family. Now that they’re gone, it’s just Christmas cards from my folks and a phone call from my brother, but that’s about it. So I totally understand how you can resent this time of year.”
“What are you doing on Christmas?” Jill asked as she held another shrimp close to Jill’s mouth.
Shawn met her gaze. “Whatever you want me to.”
Jill fed her the shrimp. “Excellent answer.” She cocked her head. “I’ve never seen you wear the earrings I repaired.”
Shawn inhaled sharply, wondering if she should admit that she’d gotten desperate when she ran out of jewelry to break. The earrings were actually Vera’s, and she’d “accidentally” stomped on them until one of the sapphires fell out. She grabbed her throat and blinked, unable to make a sound. The back of Jill’s chair hit the floor with a loud clang, then the whipping began.
“She’s choking,” Jill yelled as she beat Shawn on the back. “Somebody do the hemlock, I have no idea how! Okay, people! Don’t just stare at me. This is our first date, and it’s really going well, so I’d prefer she doesn’t die!”
Shawn felt her ass leave the chair when someone yanked her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her like a vise. The air left in her lungs shot out of her mouth along with the offending shrimp. It took Shawn a minute to catch her breath, then she turned to her rescuer.
“Santa?”
“Dr. Santa, at your service,” he said with a bow, red suit, beard, and all. “I was on the other side of the restaurant and heard your friend.” He smiled. “All better now?”
“Yes, thank you,” Shawn rasped as she glanced around at the faces staring back at her. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“Merry Christmas,” Santa said and walked away.
Jill’s hands were shaking as she held out a glass of water. “Drink.”
Shawn took the glass and sank down into her chair, wishing she could go even lower and hide under the table. “I’m so sorry that I embarrassed you.”
“Oh, honey, you didn’t.” Jill smoothed Shawn’s hair from her face. “I know it’s stupid to say don’t feel embarrassed when you so clearly are, but you shouldn’t be.”
The term of endearment eased Shawn’s discomfort. “Hemlock is a poisonous plant, not the maneuver Santa just performed on me,” she said with a smile.
Jill put a hand over her mouth. “I yelled that, didn’t I?”
Shawn began to laugh as she nodded.
“Okay, now I’m embarrassed. I feel like I should do an encore after my performance. I think I’ll sing Jingle Bells , but I have to warn you that I can’t sing.” Jill inhaled deeply and snorted when Shawn put her hand over her mouth.
“I’ll just ask for the check.”
Jill turned her face away from Shawn’s hand. “I need to sing.”
Shawn motioned for the server. “Check, please—quick!”
*******
“You’re insane,” Shawn said with a laugh as she and Jill walked down the street hand in hand.
“You bring it out in me.” Jill came to an abrupt stop in front of a window at a Christmas shop as a train made a pass on its tracks. “If I ever decide that I like this holiday again, I’m going to get one of these.”
Shawn plastered her face to the glass. “Aw,
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