The Seven Days of Christmas by Edward Kendrick

Author:Edward Kendrick [Kendrick, Edward]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-11-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

The fifth day

“Where’s tall, blond, and handsome?” Carol asked when she and Trey were in the shop’s break room before opening, Monday morning.

“On his way, I hope. With the snow, he could be stuck in traffic.”

“Tell me about it,” she replied as she took off her hat and coat, shaking them off before hanging them up. “It’s a good thing I left fifteen minutes early or I’d still be on the road.” She sat to change from her boots into her shoes and then got a cup of coffee. “I wonder if we’ll have any customers.”

“A few. The ones who have to pick up costumes, anyway.”

She grinned. “So I can go home when Marty gets here?”

Trey rolled his eyes. “As if.” He checked the time then headed out front to open for the day. By ten-thirty, he was beginning to worry about Marty’s absence, so when he arrived a few minutes later, Trey didn’t know whether to be relieved, or pissed.

“Sorry,” Marty said, shucking off his coat. “Some idiot was going too fast for the weather, rear-ended the car in front of him which caused a five car pileup, with me in the middle.”

“Damn. Are you okay? What about your car?”

“We both survived, although my bumpers might disagree. I dropped the car off at the shop and cabbed it here. I would have called but I don’t have your number.”

“It’s in the phonebook, under ‘Costume Shops,’” Trey pointed out.

“Which didn’t occur to me until I was almost here,” Marty replied with a wry grimace. “I wasn’t exactly operating on all six cylinders, to use a car metaphor.”

“As long as you’re all right, I guess I’ll forgive you.”

Marty chortled. “If I was lying at death’s door in a hospital, you wouldn’t?”

Trey flipped him off just as the shop door opened and several people came in. It turned out they worked down the street and had been chosen to give out gifts at their office Christmas party the following night.

“The boss didn’t bother to let us know until this morning,” one woman said, shaking her head. “At least the company’s paying for them, so here we are. We need something to fit the season but nothing sexy, and no elves. “

“That’s good, since we’re out of elves,” Trey replied, smiling. He took them into the showroom, where he and Carol helped them choose costumes. Marty got rid of his coat and returned to the front office, coffee cup in hand, to keep an eye on things.

“Not that you need me here,” he said to Trey an hour later, once the customers had departed with their costumes. “I have the feeling this is going to be a slow day.” He looked out the front window. “At least it’s stopped snowing, finally.”

“If you’re bored, you can make a run to get us lunch,” Carol said, joining them.

Marty grinned. “I’m not sure I’m that bored, but will do. Where at?”

“The sandwich shop down the street,” Trey replied, getting money from the cash register. “I’m paying, so don’t argue,” he said when it looked as if Marty was going to.

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