HOLIDAY QUICKIES: Four Tales of Sparkling Love and Spirited Cheer by Brynn Hale

Author:Brynn Hale [Hale, Brynn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-11-23T18:30:00+00:00

Lindsay

As I assess my reflection in the bathroom mirror while I run hot water over my hands, my mind is on the other side of the door with the striking, dark-eyed bartender.

Was he serious about being a personal shopper? Or was that some kind of joke that went over my head?

In any case, I hope he didn’t think I was rude for turning him down. He wasn’t threatening, just unexpected.

And admittedly, my guard is permanently up when it comes to men. A natural reaction to a string of cruddy relationships, if you ask me. Between cheaters and liars, I’ve been saddled with some hefty trust issues that made dating, or even accepting shopping help from a handsome bartender, a bit of a struggle.

I exit the restroom and reenter the winter wonderland that is the Quiet Tiger. I notice Minnie leaning in toward the bartender, exchanging words. He meets my gaze with his onyx eyes for a moment, then returns to shaking martinis at the other end of the bar. I make my way back to Minnie and slide onto the barstool.

“That bartender guy told me he was a personal shopper in a past life,” I half-whispered with a chuckle. “What a weirdo, huh?”

Minnie’s eyes flit toward him, then back to me. “Who Jaemis?” she asks. “Oh, that’s so his sense of humor!”

“You know him?” I ask. I’m confused and a little shocked. She never said a word and she never fails to tell me who she knows when she knows them. She’s the social butterfly of the room.

Great. I probably made a fool of myself.

“Umm, yeah,” she replies. “We studied together at UNO. He’s a real sweetheart, owns this whole place. The kind of guy you’d trust with your grandmother.”

“Not Nanna?” I tease.

Minnie laughs and rocks into me. “Let me introduce you,” she offers, waving down Jaemis.

He looks over, running a hand across his dark, close-cropped hair. He’s handsome, no doubt, but I’m all too aware that afternoon is slipping away into night and the shops will soon be closing.

Jaemis crosses back over to us and leans over the bar. My heart hopscotches in my chest as his hand grazes mine.

“What can I do for you ladies?” he asks, his voice low and husky, definitely different than when he was talking to me before. Before he seemed…a little panicked.

“I just wanted to introduce you to my friend, Lindsay,” Minnie says with a smile. “She’s a gem!”

“I can see that,” Jaemis replies, tracing my face with his charcoal-dark eyes, long charcoal lashes flashing. My heart rate quickens like my heart is bouncing around in my chest.

“So you’re going to help Lindsay with her Christmas shopping?” Minnie asks.

I stiffen. Jaemis’ eyes dart between us.

“I’m sure Jaemis has got better things to do than that,” I reply.

“I don’t mind,” he answers quickly.

I shoot Minnie a look. This isn’t what I planned for the day, but I am drawn to Jaemis and the thought of him joining in on my monumental errand made it sound a lot more enjoyable.

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