9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Shimmersnap

I didn’t know the human protocol for what one did after an intimate night. However, since we had fallen asleep together and I was currently wrapped in Walter’s strong embrace, I wasn’t in a hurry to get out of the bed. But then the second-guessing started.

If I woke up with Walter in his bed, and we went out to the kitchen, and he got me coffee, and we sat down and talked, eventually he would look to his mantle and see that his statue was gone. And what then?

He might realize that it was me? That I was the elf on his mantle that he talked to occasionally and watched movies with?

That would be quite a leap, but it could happen! I wasn’t ready to be completely honest yet. I still hadn’t figured out what I was going to say. How could I tell a person that elves existed and I was one of them? I spent my whole life keeping this secret, telling the truth didn’t come easily.

So, I vanished.

The benefit of having the magic that I did was that I could literally just disappear and put a pillow in the place that I had been. Walter didn’t even stir. I turned myself back into my figurine and went to the mantle.

It was cold in the living room without the warmth of Walter’s body heat.

I missed him. He was only a wall away, but it felt like a million miles. Walter might’ve known me as his assistant, but he didn’t know the elf side, and right now, I had no idea how I was going to tell him.

I really should have had a better plan. I’d had the whole year to think, and I’d come up with nothing.

Walter got up not long after, his day starting just as it usually did. He came out of his bedroom, freshly showered and dressed for the day. He looked around at the mess of wrapping paper we had left. I could have at least picked that up. After all, we had to get the last of the presents wrapped and to the office.

I wished that I could see his face better, or maybe I didn’t want to. I wanted to know what he was thinking. Unless his thoughts weren’t positive, then I didn’t want to know. I wished he talked out loud more.

“Oh, Walter, what have you done?” he mumbled to himself. He ran a hand through his still-wet hair.

Well, that didn’t sound good. That sounded an awful lot like regret.

He began gathering up the supplies from the night before, carefully placing the wrapped presents on the table. Eventually he took them to his car. We’d wrap the rest of the gifts in a conference room or something.

Somehow, I had to face him at work today. I would need to look at him, work with him, without letting fantasies about crawling back into bed together get in the way. Oh, and I also had to not blurt out that I was an elf.

His elf. The one that lived on his mantle.

Once Walter had his breakfast and left for the day, I popped into work, ready to start my day. It was Friday, and that evening, Walter and I were working the hot chocolate bar at the fifteenth annual Holiday Market festival. I sent him a text message to ask if he needed help carrying the gifts inside. He said no.

I bit my lip. What did this mean for us? Was he avoiding me? Surely he wouldn’t have slept with me if he didn’t care for me in some way, shape, or form. I mean, in my mind, we had been dancing around this for months, but what if his mind was different? The suspense was killing me. I chewed on my fingernails, the glittery polish probably coating my teeth.

How did one behave after a night together?

I suppose turning back into an elf figurine to avoid the situation wasn’t first on the list.

Thank the Santas for all the magic, because I was messing up my polish something fierce. This would not do. I blinked and my polish returned to its unchipped state. This time it was a bright red with glittering snowflakes.

Then, just as he always did, Walter arrived right on time. I smiled brightly, standing up straight.

“Good morning,” I said. “I brought you a coffee.”

He didn’t always have a second cup when he got to work, but I had hoped today he would. I even put a splash of syrup in it for him.

“No, thank you, Shimmersnap.”

Not sure what to do with myself, I picked up the coffee and took a drink. Walter and I liked our coffee pretty similarly. Much to my surprise, he added tons of sugar, just as I did.

“About last night,” he said.

He wasn’t nervous at all. He faced me square on, looking me directly in the eye. Oh, he was ready to give me the brush-off. I couldn’t handle that.

“It was great, wasn’t it?” No, Shimmersnap, that was too forward. You sound desperate!

Walter grimaced. “It was, but, Shimmersnap, you’re my employee. That can’t happen again.” He lifted a hand in the air as if to stop me from coming closer to him.

“But, like, is it only because I’m your employee?” I waved my hand in the air, indicating I didn’t know what. If my employment was the only deterrent, then that could easily be remedied. I didn’t need a job.

“It’s not just that, Shimmersnap. I’m me, a grumpy guy—and you’re you, full of sparkle and life.”

I itched to go to him, to wrap him in a warm hug. “You would never dull my sparkle, Walter.”

“I wouldn’t mean to, but it wouldn’t work. Plus, like I said, you’re my employee, and it’s not as if you’re going to quit your job just so we can have a little fun.”

I absolutely would quit my job. I only started this job to get closer to him, as if living on his mantle wasn’t close enough. Still, my Walter needed time to process, and I would give him that. I could give him a day or so at least. Time was ticking, but we still had some. I had until Christmas Eve to get him to accept me as his mate.

“Okay, Walter. I will respect your wishes.”

He looked shocked for a moment. Then he shook his head and went to his desk. Had he expected me to quit? Maybe I should have fought harder. Luckily, I didn’t have to worry too much about that, because we did need to get started with our day.

I picked up the stack of paperwork set aside for me on his desk. “We’re still on for the hot chocolate bar tonight, right? I’ll get to work on this file, and I’ll make sure to confirm the details with the festival committee.”

“Right, of course. I’ll see you there.”

I giggled. “We’ll probably see each other throughout the day, Walter. I still work for you.”

“Of course,” he said. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” I gave him my brightest smile and turned and walked away. If I sashayed my hips a little extra, well, that was probably by accident.