Page 45 of Better Watch Out
But a late night watching a Bruce Willis flick with a former NHL superstar who is pretty much an action hero himself …
Frannie’s cheeks warmed, and she stared out the window to keep Andrew from noticing. After he’d left her room last night, she did a little internet digging and found plenty of articles about Andrew’s career in the NHL and the headlining story that followed the devastating incident at the championship game. Her heart ached for all that Andrew had lost in his career while simultaneously crushing on the man who—from the dozens and dozens of photos she browsed through—didn’t seem to take a bad photo.
But crushes were nothing more than brief, unattainable, or inappropriate feelings for someone. She’d looked up the definition because it didn’t feel right to be having feelings for someone so soon after her breakup. There had to be an explanation for why her heart seemed open to the possibility of getting hurt all over again. Which was what would happen here, right?
“We’re here.”
Frannie’s focus moved from the question she didn’t want to answer and up the side of the Macy’s flagship store on 34thStreet. The first-floor exterior was covered in thousands of white lights while giant wreaths hung in smaller windows over the larger window displays. A large, brass clock was displayed over the entrance, where a huge reindeer sat in a field of snow mounds and pine trees.
“It’s magical,” she whispered, getting out of the car.
Andrew heldout his elbow and Frannie slipped her hand into it as they walked inside the department store. She was a writing tutor, helping her students pen descriptive stories and here she was at a loss for the right words to describe how she was feeling at this very moment—protectively tucked into the side of a man who didn’t make her feel silly for wanting to dress in her grandmother’s old coat to see Santa Claus.
But she didn’t have time to dwell on how Andrew was making her feel because the inside of Macy’s looked like a twinkling, magical woodland complete with tree stumps and boughs of pine branches covered in lights. Animated forest creatures in scarves and hats peeked down on shoppers. Giant metal orbs circled overhead with different Christmas scenes such as Santa flying his sleigh around New York City or tiny replicas of the balloons from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade marching down the street with words likebelieveanddreamon them.
Andrew pointed toward the escalator. “This way to Santaland.”
“Do you feel silly doing this with me?”
“I’ve lived in New York for five years and I’ve never done this before.” His smile was genuine and reassuring. “It’s kind of cool.”
Cooldidn’t even begin to describe how Frannie felt when she walked through the store toward Santaland. The high-decibel sound of children laughing, talking, and some crying, filled the air but it didn’t diminish the awe moving through her at the sight of the store transformed into a Christmas village.
A rainbow of lights shimmered around them like the northern lights, there was a choir of snowmen, Santa’s sleigh brimming with toys, his workshop, and elves that were really store employees, but they smiled and waved as if this really was the best job in the world.
“This is incredible.”
Frannie thought she heard some wonder in Andrew’s voice and it delighted her. He might say he wasn’t being forced to hang out with her but he was a guy and this probably wasn’t the most manly thing to do and she wanted him to at least have fun.
“I love your dress,” an elf with red glittery eye shadow said, scanning the reservation barcode Frannie showed her. “Take the lane on the left.”
“Thanks.” Frannie moved along the pathway with Andrew by her side. “Jisoo would love this.”
“Jisoo?”
“My niece. Ryan and Vivian’s daughter.” Frannie smiled just thinking about her niece. “Do you think we could do a little shopping in the toy department after this?”
“Sure.”
Another elf stopped them at the end of the trail and told them Santa was excited to see them in just one minute. Next to her, Frannie noticed a little girl wearing a glittery pink tutu over her pink denim overalls and her shirt had little ballet slippers and ballerinas all over it. She was wearing a pair of purple headphones and was rocking up against her mom and an older lady who looked like grandma.
“You have a cute ballerina.”
The mom looked up and smiled. “Thanks. She loves theNutcrackerand wanted to show Santa her tutu.”
“Oh, has she seen the ballet at Lincoln Center?”
“No.” The little girl twisted around and the edge of her tutu caught on one of the posts and the sound of the tear brought a wrinkle to the mother’s brow.
Immediately her daughter began to get upset, rocking, as her mom tried to soothe her. The elf manning the line looked confused as the little girl’s distress drew the attention of other guests standing in line.
“I’m going to find a spot and see if I can get her to calm down.” The mom slipped out of the line with her daughter in hand. “Can my mom stay in line until we get back?”
The elf, looking unsure of herself, simply nodded.
“Sometimes the stimulation is too much for Kate,” her grandmother said, looking apologetic. “My daughter, Kate’s mom, was a ballet dancer and used to perform in theNutcracker.”
“At Lincoln Center?”
