14. Chapter 14 Wrapping Frenzy

Chapter 14: Wrapping Frenzy

J oy

“Grum, catch!”

A roll of shimmering gold wrapping paper soars through the air. Without missing a beat, Grum snatches it with one hand, his green skin contrasting beautifully with the metallic shine. My heart does a little flip as he flashes me a grin, tusks gleaming.

“Nice throw, Miss Mistletoe. Now, let’s see if you can handle this,” he calls back, tossing me a bundle of ribbons.

Laughter bubbles up as I fumble to catch them, ending up with a red bow “accidentally” stuck to my nose. Who would have thought the big, green Grinch would be capable of having fun? But the longer I know him, the more he lets down his man bun, the more I like spending time with him.

Vakra and Tyler zoom past, arms laden with tinsel. “Coming through!” Tyler yells, narrowly avoiding a collision with Brokka, who’s attempting to untangle a massive string of lights.

“Easy there, kids,” Brokka chuckles, shaking his head. “This isn’t a race.”

“Isn’t it, though?” Emma pipes up from her station, where she’s furiously wrapping gifts. “We’ve got a zillion presents to wrap before tomorrow.”

Kam flexes his impressive muscles. “Don’t worry, babe. With these guns, we’ll finish in no time.” He places a wrapped gift in the “boys 9-13” pile and says, “Now it’s only a zillion minus one.”

Rolling my eyes, I can’t help but smile at their banter. The room is alive with the spirit of Christmas—and something more. Pride swells in my chest as I watch Grum direct a group of volunteers, his gruff exterior softening with each passing moment.

“Hey, Bold!” he calls out to one of the wolven helpers. “Can you and Courage get that star on top of the main tree? Use the ladder, for Goddess’s sake. We don’t need any accidents today.”

Bold salutes mockingly. “Aye-aye, Captain Grinch!”

Grum’s growl is more playful than menacing. “Watch it, fuzzball. I can still take you in a fair fight.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Sarah stage-whispers as she passes by with an armload of stockings. “You’re practically Buddy the Elf at this point.”

Warmth spreads through me as I watch Grum interact with everyone. It’s like seeing a flower bloom in fast motion—the grumpy, isolated Grum I met just days ago transforming into this… leader. This friend. This… My cheeks heat up as I remember our elevator encounter.

“Earth to Joy!” Thornn’s deep voice snaps me out of my reverie. “You gonna stand there daydreaming, or are you gonna help me with these ornaments?”

Shaking off my distraction, I hurry over to help. As I reach for a box, Thornn leans in close, his voice low. “Got some new intel. We need to talk later.”

My stomach coils with anxiety. In all this happy holiday rush, it was easy to forget the danger lurking right around the corner. Nodding subtly, I get back to work, but now there’s an undercurrent of tension beneath the festive atmosphere.

As the day progresses, I notice similar whispered exchanges between our core group. Emma and Sarah huddled over a clipboard, faces serious. Kam and Grum having an intense discussion by the computer we’re using to track inventory. With every one of those interactions, my anxiety ratchets up a notch.

But there’s no time to dwell on it now. We’ve got a Christmas miracle to pull off.

“Alright, everyone!” Grum’s voice booms across the room. “We’ve made great progress, but we’re not done yet. I want to see every present wrapped, every surface sparkling, and every single stray piece of tinsel in the trash can by the time we leave tonight. Got it?”

A chorus of “Yes, bosses” rings out. Even Brokka looks impressed at Grum’s supportive, take-charge attitude.

“Well, well,” the chief mutters to me as he passes. “Looks like your Christmas spirit is contagious, Joy. Never thought I’d see the day Grum embraced the holiday like this.”

Beaming with pride, I nod. “He’s full of surprises. And…” I lean in and whisper, “the kindest heart.”

Brokka gives me a conspiratorial wink. “Yep, it was just buried under that grumpy, sullen exterior.”

I wonder if Grum heard us, because he immediately glances over, catching my eye. The intensity of his gaze sends a jolt through me, and for a moment, we’re back in that elevator, the rest of the world fading away. Dear Lord, I’ve got to get that male up to my apartment. Between his gorgeous good looks and the way he “accidentally” touches me every time he walks by, I’m ready to climb him like a tree.

“Joy!” Vakra’s voice breaks the spell. “We need your expert opinion. Multicolored lights or white for the entrance tree?”

Tearing my eyes away from Grum, I hurry over to help. “Let’s do both! We’ll create a twinkling wonderland.”

The next few hours fly by in a blur of ribbons, wrapping paper, and laughter. By the time we finish, the community center has transformed into a winter wonderland that would put the North Pole to shame.

We’ve even decorated two trees in blue and white twinkle lights with six-pointed stars on top for any Jewish families that attend Santa’s Workshop. And there’s a Happy Kwanza sign on the wall next to a row of Buddhist prayer flags. I don’t want to exclude anyone.

Exhausted and proud, we gather in the center of the room to admire our handiwork.

“We did it,” Tyler breathes, eyes wide with wonder.

Grum steps up beside me, his arm brushing against mine. Though the contact is far from sexual, I’m such a ball of needy hormones that my nipples harden as filthy pictures fill my thoughts.

“Not bad for a bunch of misfits,” he rumbles as he surveys the room, but there’s no mistaking the pride in his voice.

“Tomorrow’s going to be amazing,” I sigh happily, leaning into him slightly.

He tenses for a moment, then relaxes, his hand finding the small of my back. “Yeah,” he agrees softly. “It is.”

As the others disperse, chattering excitedly about tomorrow’s event, Kam clears his throat. “Hey, uh, core team meeting in five? There’s a… thing we need to discuss.”

The atmosphere shifts instantly, the undercurrent of tension bubbling to the surface. Grum’s hand tightens on my back, and I feel his body coil with anxiety.

“Right,” Emma nods, her usually cheerful face now serious. “The thing.”

As we move to a nearby little room with the coffee machine, my thoughts race. What could be so important that it can’t wait until after tomorrow’s celebration?