"These tights are the worst," you muttered to your co-worker while still maintaining the fake perma-smile required for your temporary job. You tried to covertly pull up the tights that threatened to sag down to your knees while simultaneously resisting the urge to scratch your itchy legs.
"Just remember, it's almost over and think of the extra cash you'll have for all the presents you're going to buy me," smirked the redhead, handing a cane cane to an obviously underwhelmed child.
"You wish, Nat," you replied before ushering the next kid forward to take a seat on Santa's lap.
With a frustrated huff, you considered your current situation. In addition to the awful red and white striped tights that were the bane of your existence, you wore a green velvet dress that fell to mid-thigh, a pointed green hat, and of course, the curly-toed shoes with bells attached. Just to add a festive touch of humiliation.
You had busted your butt the past four years in college, even pushing yourself to graduate early with the intent of joining the workforce before the rest of your classmates. Technically you had finished all your classes and graduated in early December rather than the projected April end date. What you hadn't realized was that no one would be hiring until January except seasonal retail work, so you bit the bullet and took a job at a clothing store for the holidays. They barely paid above minimum wage, so in addition to your usual 35 hours a week, you had signed up to be an elf at Santa's Village at the center of the mall.
So here you were, three days before Christmas dressed up in a ridiculous outfit catering to a fat man in a fur-lined red suit. Natasha, your friend and co-worker at the clothing shop had joined you and the two of you shared a lot of shifts, so it wasn't all bad. Plus the money really would help. It would be nice to pay rent AND buy a few gifts for friends and family. You spent most of your shifts fantasizing about having a well-paying job in your field that paid for both rent and groceries so you could stay in the city like you hoped.
Surveying the slow-moving line, you noticed a father struggling to keep his impatient daughter from having a meltdown. Part of your job as an elf was to keep the crowd happy, offering candy canes, talking with the kids, and even doing a truly humiliating dance as a last resort. Please, please don't let it come to that, you prayed.
"I'm gonna go check the line," you relayed to Nat, then heading for the father and daughter. As you approached you heard a bit of their conversation.
"I know, princess, but we'll come back another day."
The little girl looked to be around 4-years-old and she was doing a very specific kind of dance in the line as she shook her head at her father.
"No! I have to tell him! I have to tell him my wish!"
"You'll get a chance, Jimmer, just not today. We don't have enough time to go to the back of the line and wait again after the..."
"Excuse me," you interrupted, touching the sleeve of the man before you. He straightened up and turned your way.
The man was tall with a muscular build, dirty blond hair and a well-trimmed beard. His startling blue eyes almost made you forget your reason for approaching. Frankly, the man was gorgeous.
"Hi," he smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry for disrupting the line, it's just we have a bit of an emergency and my daughter really doesn't want to leave and lose her place."
"I see," you replied, smiling at the adorable young girl who clearly thought a visit to the bathroom would ruin her dreams of meeting Santa. You went into problem-solving mode.
"The cell phone reception is terrible in here, is your wife in a nearby shop? Perhaps I could go find her and..."
"Daddy doesn't have a wife," innocently blurted the child.
He groaned, running his fingers through his daughter's curls, "Yes, thank you for that, angel."
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" you apologized, flustered. "I didn't mean to.."
"No, it's fine," he gave a half-smile. "She passed on a few years ago. Just me and the little lady now."
"Yup! The Die-manic Duo!" the girl shouted emphatically.
He chuckled, "Dynamic, sweetie."
"That's what I said."
The man met your eyes, both of you laughing, before you returned your attention to the task at hand.
"Hmm. Well..." you looked ahead and could tell the pair was at least fifteen minutes from the front of the line. There was no way she would be able to hold it. And there had been more than enough instances of Santa having a wet lap in the past.
An idea sparked, "Why don't I escort you both to the nearest bathroom and then use my elf powers to let you back in line right where you were?"
"Really?!?" squealed the girl.
"You don't have to do that, we hate to be a bother..." resisted the father.
"No, no, it's fine," you then turned to the family next in line. "You don't mind, do you folks? I'll even offer an extra photo with Santa, free of charge."
The mother gave a shrug of agreement, it seemed.
"Great! Let's go," you said, unhooking the rope on one side to allow the pair through.
The man headed toward the public restroom at the far end of the food court, but you lightly touched him on the arm to redirect him.
"This way, I'll let her use the employee bathroom. It's closer and less crowded."
As you passed her, you mouthed to Nat, "I'm taking my 10." She sent you an amused wink and gave you a thumbs up
He offered a grateful smile, "I really appreciate this, you have no idea."
"It's no problem, Mr...."
"Steve. Steve Rogers. And this here is my daughter..."
"Did I hear you say Jimmer? Big sports fan, are you?" you joked.
He barked out a laugh.
"That's not my name," interjected the spunky kid. "Daddy calls me that cause he's silly. My name is Justice."
"It's a nickname. Nice to meet you," he paused to read your name tag, "Kandy Kane. Are you of the Boston Kanes?" He raised an eyebrow in mocking.
"Har har, you're hysterical. Actually," you spoke addressing Justice, "Santa calls me Kandy but my friends call me Y/N."
"Can I call you Y/N?!?" jumped up the energetic girl as she slipped her hand in yours.
"Of course! We're friends who just met, that's the best kind!"
"Yay!!"
In a lower voice you leaned into the man beside you, "The boss likes to complete the elf persona by giving us elfish names. Kandy Kane, Tanya Tinsel, Crystal Bell, you know...what he failed to realize —or failed to care about—is that they all kind of sound like," you mouthed the next two words, "stripper names."
Steve let out a howling laugh, throwing his head back and clutching his left pectoral.
You felt a flutter in your stomach to see his bright smile of straight, white teeth. His eyes crinkled in the corners adorably as they met yours.
"Y/N, are we there yet? I gotta go!" you heard a small voice speak.
"Yes! It's right here..." you led them down a short hallway and stopped in front of the girl's bathroom.
"Are you okay by yourself in there, princess? You can holler if you need me," assured the man to his daughter.
"I want Y/N to come with me!" she demanded, gripping your hand tightly.
He looked at you questioningly.
"It's fine, I don't mind. I'll be there just in case."
"Okay. Thank you, Y/N."
You stood outside the stall while Justice did her business, holding the stall door shut with your hand rather than locking it. Just in case you needed to assist somehow. Having nieces and nephews prepared you for moments like these.
"Y/N, do you have a boyfriend? Or a girlfriend?" Justice asked nonchalantly, her words echoing in the tile-covered room.
Shocked, you waited a moment before answering, "Uh...I used to have a boyfriend but I don't anymore. Why do you ask?"
"That's perfect! My daddy needs a special lady friend."
You bit your lip, trying desperately not to laugh at her phrase usage.
"Hey! You can come to our house for Christmas dinner! All my aunts and uncles will be there and my cousins and we eat a lot and play games and it will be so much fun!" exclaimed the 4-year-old as she flushed the toilet. You released the door and she headed for the sink to wash her hands.
You considered the best approach, "Maybe we can talk to your dad about it, huh?"
She grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser with a shrug of her little shoulders, "Okay."
Leaving the bathroom, Steve pushed himself off the wall and headed for you.
"Feeling better there, Jimmer Jam?"
"Yeah. All better. Can I have a candy cane, Y/N?"
"Of course! I mean...if it's okay with your dad."
You met his eyes and he smiled, "Sure, why not?"
You fetched a candy cane from your pocket and handed it to the girl, her brow furrowed in concentration as she attempted to unwrap it. You walked them back the way you came in the direction of Santa's Village as you breached the subject.
"So...Justice asked if I had a boyfriend or girlfriend."
"Oh no," he moaned, "please tell me she didn't..."
"Oh, yes she did. I'm invited to Christmas dinner!" you grinned.
"I'm so sorry. It's a thing with her these days. Did she say I needed a girlfriend?"
"Actually she used the phrase 'special lady friend' ", you repeated, the last part in air quotes.
The man scoffed, "I have no idea where she got that from."
Steve captured his daughter under her arms and lifted her onto his hip, attempting a stern look on his face.
"Justice Margaret Rogers. We talked about this, it's impolite to ask people personal questions. And if you keep inviting people to dinner, we won't have enough food. You know how much your uncles eat."
J.M.R. Her initials. The nickname "Jimmer" made sense to you now.
Justice sighed dramatically, removing the candy cane from her mouth, "Okay, daddy. I won't do that anymore."
"Thank you, cupcake. And where did you hear the words 'special lady friend' from?"
"Uncle Sam. He says that's what you need."
"Well, that figures," he snorted, settling his daughter back on her feet.
"That's okay. I like Y/N the best anyway. She makes you laugh," the girl said in a matter-of-fact way.
The blond caught your eye, "Well, can't argue with that logic. And that's high praise, you should know. The previous number one pick was her married pre-school teacher."
"Well, I'm flattered. Thank you," you bit your lip and turned away, hiding a blush.
"Can she come, though, daddy? Pleeaaaase?" a whine escaped from the little girl.
"I don't know, honey, I'm sure Y/N is spending Christmas with her family."
"Actually...I'm not," you admitted. "I went home for Thanksgiving but I couldn't swing the ticket and time off two months in a row. So It'll be me, possibly a roommate or two, and some Chinese food takeout."
"Oh," Steve paused, hands in his jacket pockets. "Well, in that case, the offer stands. Seriously," he offered, sincerity in his beautiful blue eyes.
You mulled the possibility over as the three of you approached the line.
"I'll think about it. Alright, Justice, ready to meet Santa?" you asked, bending down slightly to meet her eyes.
"No. It's okay."
Her father protested, "Excuse me, little miss, but not even five minutes ago you were desperate to meet Santa."
"Noooo, I said I had to TELL him something. I've met him before, daddy, I saw the pictures," Justice clarified, her focus on the sticky candy goo on two of her fingers.
"Well...if you still want to tell him something, you can tell me and I'll give him the message if you want?" you offered.
"That's okay. It's not so 'portant now," the curly-haired brunette said without a worry.
"Not so important? Why's that, princess?" asked her father.
"I think Santa knows already," she said. "And I think it will come true."
Eyebrows raised, you met Steve's gaze and his face showed the same: confusion. He shrugged at you and fished his wallet out of his back pocket.
"I'm so sorry to have wasted your break, but seriously," he handed you a business card with his cell phone number scrawled on the back, "you are welcome to join us. Anytime."
You accepted the card, his fingers brushing yours for a lingering moment.
"No pressure though."
The two of you looked down at the angelic face now covered in the sticky substance, the girl's bottom lip pushed out as far as it would go at the idea of you not coming.
"So maybe a little pressure. But none from me," he assured you. "I would like you to come, though. You can even call my business partner, he'll vouch for me. I'm a pretty stand-up guy, I like to think. "
You fingered the card with "Rogers & Barnes Construction" stamped on it in bold letters.
"You do seem fairly trustworthy," you grinned, slipping the card into your pocket. "I'll be in touch."
His bearded face beamed, eyes sparkling, "I hope so. And thanks again, Y/N."
"You're welcome, Steve. Bye, Justice! I hope you get your wish."
Her reply was at high volume, echoing in the mall's center area, "Bye, Y/N!! See you soon, okay?"
You waved as Steve raised a hand in farewell, clutching his daughter's hand tightly in his large one despite the inevitable stickiness involved.
Turning on your heels, you headed back to your post next to Natasha as you grabbed a handful of candy canes from the basket.
"Oh. Em. Gee. What was that all about?!?" Nat squealed, watching out for your boss who cracked down on personal conversations while on shift.
A genuine smile was spread across your face now with no signs of it disappearing soon.
"I'll tell you later."
It looked like your gloomy holiday was taking a turn for the brighter.