If You So Desire (sequel to Turn... and Walk Away)

Chapter 24

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Santa's POV

I only had a week left before I had to go back to my home town. I had been staying with my uncle for almost a month now, helping him with the clerical tasks of his managerial position of the condominium that he was running. He had asked my mom, who is his older sister, if I could help him out for a month because the developer of the building had constructed a few more units adjacent to it and my uncle was swamped with so much paperwork. He needed me to do the legwork for the documents that needed to be brought over to the city hall for approval and he also needed me to do the enormous task of filing all the documents in his pile of backlog.

I always happened to see Tul, one of the tenants of the building, every time he came home from work. I would smile at him in greeting but I was too nervous and shy to talk to him. He would smile back at me, but because I never said anything to him he never said anything to me either.

I wracked my brain daily to think of something to say to him but when the opportunity came I always chickened out.

Today, I told myself that I had to muster the courage to say something to him before it was too late.

Again I kept asking myself what excuse I could make to walk up to him and introduce myself.

It was now close to evening and I knew that he would be coming back from work pretty soon.

I stationed myself by the elevator area of the basement parking lot. I pretended to keep busy by picking up litter that had been strewn on the premises.

Today for some reason, there was more litter than usual scattered all over the ground of the basement parking lot.

Some undisciplined tenants had left empty food wrappers on the far end of the basement parking lot. I walked over with an empty grocery bag and placed all the trash into it.

By the time I had finished cleaning up, I saw Tul from afar getting into the elevator. I tried to make a run for it but I was too late. I cursed myself for being so unlucky.

I dropped the grocery bag filled with trash into the dumpster by the building exit and dejectedly walked up the stairs to the ground level where my uncle's office was.

I was rounding the corner when I heard heavy running feet and before I could avoid the person, he bumped hard into me, making me almost lose my balance if he had not caught me in his arms.

I straightened up quickly and my eyes grew wide when I realized who had caught me in his strong arms. I wanted to die from embarrassment but at the same time I felt like I was floating from happiness.

I tried to make my voice steady when I spoke.

"I'm so sorry," I murmured.

"No, no, no," he said, "I'm the one who should be apologizing to you. I was running carelessly when I bumped into you. Are you alright?"

I wanted to reply 'I'm not just alright, I'm feeling giddy with happiness.'

But of course I had to say, "I'm alright, thanks."

"I see you almost every evening when I come home from work," I heard him say. "Are you one of the tenants in this building?"

"No," I replied. "I'm the nephew of the building manager."

"Oh! You're Mr. Chivaree's nephew!" he exclaimed with a big smile. "I'm pleased to officially meet you! My name is Tul."

He was holding out his hand to me as he was speaking. I took it saying, "Pleased to meet you, Tul. My name is Santa."

We were still shaking hands when suddenly someone rushed forward, bumping hard against my shoulder but never stopping to apologize. He just kept walking fast towards the exit stairs.

"Hey, watch it, asshole!" I yelled after him.

Suddenly Tul gave me a rueful smile and said, "I apologize on his behalf."

What the hell. Why was he apologizing for that asshole's rude behavior.