An Elf to Myself by Emy Calirel

Author:Emy Calirel [Calirel, Emy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: gay romance
ISBN: 978-1-64405-783-4
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2019-09-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

MY LIVING room table was a disaster. A giant mess of paint, stupid glitter, and pearls in different sizes and colors. Apparently, from my simple box idea Alabastair had gotten his mind set on making Cassie a jewelry box. With jewelry. For a four-year-old!

Alabastair sat on the carpet, humming under his breath as he worked. He had already painted the box a dark blue, and he was now adding little yellow stars along the edges. His tongue poked out slightly between his lips as he focused. I was sitting back on my couch, feet on the table, and I was trying to concentrate on making a bracelet. Except I couldn’t help but look at Alabastair more than at my own project. I had already lost more pearls between my couch cushions than I cared to admit.

My eyes were once again trailing back toward Alabastair when I suddenly stuck the needle under my nail and yelped. I immediately put my sore thumb into my mouth, cursing myself for my stupidity.

Alabastair looked at my lips before he snorted. “Maybe you should focus more.”

“Construction workers aren’t meant for needlework,” I mumbled around my finger. “Why do I need to use a needle anyway?”

“Because it’s making it easier and faster.” Alabastair reached for my hand and inspected it before he surprised me by kissing it. “There, all better. Now, get back to it. We need to be done tonight if we want to have time to decorate tomorrow.”

“You’re bossy, anyone tell you that before?”

“Yes, many times and on many different occasions,” Alabastair said, completely unashamed. “I happen to take Christmas and a little girl’s joy very seriously.”

I grumbled but went back to work anyway. I was bored to death, though, and only the thought of Cassie’s smile when she would open her gift made me carry on.

I sighed deeply for the fifth time in less than ten minutes. Alabastair finally had had enough and slammed his paintbrush down.

“Do you want to switch? You can paint if you prefer.”

I looked at the tiny brush and small details Alabastair was drawing and winced. “Ask me to paint a house and there will be no problem, but this I’ll mess up for sure. I’m not very artistic in case you haven’t noticed.”

Alabastair pointedly looked at my half-made bracelet. “Oh, I noticed.”

I instinctively wanted to hide it from him, but there was no point. Instead I offered him a new deal.

“A movie and I’ll stop complaining.”

“Sure, okay. I like movies.” Alabastair stretched with his hands high above his head, exposing his pale throat. I turned away from him to look for the remote. “Something Christmasy?” he asked.

My first instinct was to scream “hell no,” but then an idea hit me and I smirked. It was my turn to make Alabastair squirm.

“If you want.”

The movie I picked started, the family’s house all decorated for the holidays appeared on the screen, and Alabastair immediately lit up. My amusement grew. I couldn’t wait until he realized I had picked Krampus to keep us entertained.

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