Saint Nick

6. December

"Would you like to buy a frame with that?"

"No, thank you. Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas." She smiled and bid the customer goodbye as he took his bag and ventured out into the snow.

Hazel worked at a small photocopier shop as a clerk, just around the corner. The pay wasn't the best, but the discount she got on developing her own pictures was why she hadn't quit for something better yet. With her photography class and all the pictures she took, that discount came in handy.

Shuffling out back as the store emptied, she went through the numerous packages, finished prints and new photo frames they got in just last week. With the impending season, people tended to opt for a gold or silver frame, rather than the classical white or wooden. Yesterday they got a gorgeous mahogany frame delivered with beautiful carvings of mistletoes and maple leaves. Even Hazel, who believed the picture made the frame, had to admit this particular frame was beautiful. She couldn't wait to see which picture was going to fill it out.

The doorbell rang and she walked out front again. Laying eyes on the customer, her heart jumped into her throat as she watched him brush some snowflakes out of his hair, before smoothing it back. Goddamn, sometimes this city was too small.

"Hazel?" He raised a brow as he laid eyes on her as well. Surprise struck his face.

"Hey," She chuckled, slowly. Was this going to get awkward?

"You work here?" He asked, coming up to the register. He eyed out the name tag pinned to her chest.

"Yup. I told you I liked photography. What can I help you with?"

He smiled a little, but then fished a paper out of his pocket. "Well, I ordered a frame a few weeks ago and got them to redirect it here when I figured I was going to spend the holiday here. I got an email this morning saying it was ready for pick-up."

"Of course. Let me just see," She took the parcel information he handed her and quickly typed the numbers in on her computer. She did her best to keep her eyes on the screen while the program fetched the results.

"You look good," She then suddenly heard him say. Flipping her eyes up, she saw him pull on his smile. She quickly licked her lips and swallowed. His cheeks were pinched red from the cold and his eyes seemed particularly warm today.

"Thank you. You, too."

The computer finally fetched the information she needed. Letting out a breath, she handed him the paper back and gave a quick smile. "I'll be just a moment."

Hurrying out into the storage room, she caught herself up against the wall, taking a deep breath.

She didn't know why she was acting like a teenager. She had had plenty of one-night-stands before, it just so happened to be rare that she catered to them the following days. He was still just as handsome, and just one look at his eyes made her remember all the amazing and dirty things he had done to her body.

He might've played Santa, but he was definitely on the naughty-list himself.

Taking a final breath, she found his parcel and to her surprise saw that it was the beautiful mahogany frame. Picking it up, she carried it out, setting it down carefully on the counter. "Here you are."

"Thank you." He laid eyes on the piece and then smiled warmly. He traced a hand over the carvings, then nodded. "It's perfect."

"Can I ask what it's for?" She hesitantly tried. It wasn't her place to ask, but she was curious. It looked to be custom made and hand-carved by a skilled artist.

"Just a little something to brighten up my office back home," He replied, giving her a brief smile. "My old frame broke after... ah, one of the employees accidentally knocked it off the wall."

"Oh. What was he or she doing?"

"Playing ball."

"In your office?"

"We have very untraditional work ethics," He told, but then fished out his wallet. "Could I buy a bag, please?"

Hazel stayed in brief astonishment, but then snapped out of it and nodded. "Of course. Paper or plastic?"

"Paper, please."

"Alright, then. That'll be 79 cents, please."

He handed her the money, their hands grazing. Hazel tried to ignore the warm spark she felt run through her as his fingers brushed against her palm. They lingered for longer than usual.

"I know I say I don't date," He then voiced, making Hazel pause as she put the money into the register and pulled out a paper bag. "But if you'd like, I'm open for an encore anytime."

Biting the insides of her cheeks, she looked up at him and then gave a little smile. "I don't know if that's such a great idea..."

"How come? I didn't hear any complaints the other night."

His cheeky smirk made her cheeks redden. "It's not that. It's just... I didn't expect to run into you again. I mean, it was supposed to be a one-time thing, wasn't it?"

"Well, like I said, I'm here for the rest of the season," He leaned in over the counter, his brown eyes glinting at her. "And I can think of dozen more ways to make it a merry Christmas, Hazel."

There it was again. The way he said her name. Whether he was groaning it in her ear or just saying it casually, it made her toes curl and her stomach do a backflip. She took in a careful breath and then put his frame into the bag.

"I think it's best if we don't. We should just treasure that one night together," She told him, handing him the bag. Again, how cheesy she sounded, but she didn't care.

"You're saying you won't miss it?" He chuckled, raising a brow. Goddamn it, those brown eyes were hypnotizing.

"I'm saying it's called a one-night-stand for a reason," She replied, biting her lip. Her mind drifted back to the memories for a moment, the vision of him hunched on top of her, driving into her. Her legs automatically clenched. "That being said... I will miss your morning bedhair."

"My bedhair?" He let out a laugh and leaned back. "I don't know whether that's a compliment or an insult."

"Definitely a compliment. Your bedhair is... way too sexy," She laughed back as the words spilled from her lips. God, why did she have to say that?

"You're a strange person, Hazel," His lips twitched at her, but then, slowly, he leaned in again. Hazel's breath froze, her eyes widening as he moved in over the counter. He wasn't going to do anything here, was he?

But then, to her surprise, she saw his hand slowly lift while his eyes stayed on hers. Keeping that little smirk, he ran a hand through his hair, tousling it up. Hazel's mouth dropped as he then leaned back, winking at her. "See you around."

• • •

Wink wink.