A Catty Christmas

Chapter 8

The Christmas Gift Garbanza was as loud and chaotic as it sounded. Hundreds of people talked, bartered, and wandered through the expansive convention center. Every booth looked like Christmas had thrown up in it, going as big and Christmasy as possible with their decor. Jenny watched in horrified fascination, taking it all in as she and Claire stood in the entryway. Claire grinned like a little kid. Jenny's eyes darted from one thing to the other.

Claire turned to her sister. "Are you ready to enter the fray?"

"How big is this place?" Jenny asked in awe.

Claire clapped her hands, rubbing them together in anticipation as she surveyed the different colorful pathways that led throughout the convention center. A jingly elf handed them each a map before continuing to hand maps out to other people around them. Claire immediately handed her map to her sister.

"Come on, I know exactly where we should go first."

Jenny steeled herself. "If we don't find something that I absolutely love in thirty minutes we're shopping my way."

"What?! That's not fair, you didn't give me a time limit back at the cafe."

"I didn't know you were taking me to Santa's workshop!"

"Fine, fine, fine. Let's go! We don't have any time to lose!" Claire grabbed Jenny's arm dragging her into the fray.

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"You're pretty popular here." Jenny commented as another vendor yelled Claire's name and waved to her.

"I stay plugged into the community. It's the only way small businesses survive." Claire waved back.

"Reminds me of high school. You always were popular with everyone. Somehow you managed to float from group to group. Didn't matter if it was jocks, nerds, theater kids, tomboys, mean girls, hippies."

"What can I say, people are interesting. You were well liked in high school though." Claire slowed down as they entered the clothing section. The two browsed the booths as they talked.

"Yeah in my group. But I was happy there. We were all on the same page and kept each other on track with our education. May and I actually met in that group sophomore year."

"And here you are, still friends over a decade later." Jenny grimaced at the reminder. "How is May by the way?" Claire asked, holding a sweater up to herself. She turned to Jenny who nodded.

"That's very you....May's good. She's the head of research where we work and I'm the head of development. We've got some amazing projects in the pipeline." Jenny said proudly. Claire nodded in appreciation but before she could say anything a teenage girl ran up to her squealing. With a laugh Claire gave her a big hug and the two started talking immediately.

Claire slowed down glancing through different bedecked arches that marked new sections of the bazaar, obviously searching for something specific. Jenny glanced from one booth to the other, keeping her distance so the people running them wouldn't bother her. She stopped suddenly, backpedaling quickly while Claire kept walking.

The booth was elegant, upscale. The outfits on the mannequins were exactly her taste she begrudgingly acknowledged. Jenny hovered on the outskirt of the booth touching the material of a stylish top. A fashionably dressed, middle aged black woman smiled at her from behind the booth, coming over.

"That would really bring out the color in your eyes." Jenny beamed at her.

"I know you're just saying that but I do really like it. Your booth is probably the closest to my taste out of everything here." Jenny turned from side to side to see the top in different lighting.

"Try these together." The woman handed Jenny a necklace and blazer. As Jenny put it all on she immediately knew these were the pieces she'd been looking for.

Striking different power poses Jenny looked at her image in the mirror. "You really know your stuff."

"Well I'd better. I'm a stylist." She remarked off-handedly.

"You are?" Jenny asked, turning her attention to the woman.

"You sound surprised," the woman laughed good naturedly. "You know this convention draws a lot of traffic. It's a great way to sell the clothes I design as well as gain new styling customers. You might be surprised at how many powerful women come through here."

Claire walked up to the booth as the woman behind the counter handed Jenny a large bag filled with outfits. She checked her phone grinning at Jenny.

"With three minutes to spare." The triumph was apparent in her voice. "Hey Vashti. I see you've met my sister Jenny."

"Hi Claire." the woman, Vashti, responded.

"Of course you two know each other." Jenny sighed. "How do you know each other?"

"Your sister and I tend to run in the same circles. There aren't many women entrepreneur support systems out there so you tend to know everyone in the game." Vashti answered.

"Plus Vashti has an absolutely fantastic eye for design. I've snagged her opinion on things a few times to streamline the cafe. Speaking of, everyone is in love with what you've done for Christmas. Any chance I can get you back out to decorate for Valentines Day?"

"You may regret asking me to come out. That's my favorite holiday, I tend to go a little overboard." Vashti laughed.

Claire laughed with her. "Can't wait to see it! We better get going, we don't have enough time for the whole convention and I've still got a ton of booths to show Jenny. We'll see you later!" Claire steered Jenny to the next booth as Vashti waved goodbye. The rest of the booths passed in a blur for Jenny as Claire introduced her to nearly a hundred people running booths ranging from chocolates to ornaments to model trains and everything in between.

They were stopped at a booth filled with sherpa lined blankets when Jenny slipped to hide between two booths for a minute of quiet. She rested her head against the wall of the booth closing her eyes for a minute. The events of the last twenty four hours were catching up to her. That and the eight bags she had on her arms were really starting to wear her out.

Children's voices wafted through the air disturbing her reverie. She opened her eyes as the voices grew in volume, flowing in a more melodious way. There was something about their voices that sounded familiar. The thrum of a pitch pipe dropped a blanket of silence over the entire convention center.

Curious Jenny followed the beginning hum of children's voices down the alleyway until she popped out in a brand new section she hadn't been to yet. This section was filled with sculptures, blown glass, and all sorts of things built by skilled craftsmen. Gathered together at the end of the aisle a crowd blocked the way. The beginnings of a Christmas song sung by children grew in volume as Jenny made her way towards them. She stopped just outside of the crowd. After a moment it hit her, the reason it sounded so familiar was because it was one of her family's favorite Christmas songs growing up. Growing up her family had played it as the official kick off to Christmas. As she listened to the children's voices swell together, rising and falling in time to the song, a smile slipped out. She hadn't heard this in ages. It was silly but it brought back all of the funny things she and Claire and their parents had done during Christmas. The bizarrest gingerbread house competition, the holiday movies, and baking parties. The chocolate covered carrots and apple slices they'd set out for the reindeer. The time when they'd caught their dad dressed as Santa making out with their mom. Jenny shook her head at the thought.

She looked around at the crowd, the booths in a new light. As she glanced over the booths the light glinted off of something in the corner of her eye. She turned towards it intrigued. Gazing at the booth an idea hit her. With a confident smile she walked over to the person running the booth.

The children's choir began to disperse when Claire hurried up to Jenny looking panicked.

"What's wrong?" Jenny asked, instantly worried.

"We are so, so late. I've been looking everywhere for you! We've gotta go." Claire rushed Jenny down the aisle towards an exit.

"Wait, late for what?" Jenny asked, confused.

"I'll tell you in the car!"