Secret Santa

Chapter 3

The Next Day:

After Marinette picked out fabric yesterday, she quickly finished sewing her scarf for Adrien. It was a thick green and red plaid scarf with black and white lines. She had put it in a small brown box and it was now sitting on top of her desk.

Marinette had slept in til 8:30 in the morning. The only thing that she had planned for the weekend was last minute Christmas shopping. Unfortunately, she had to help out downstairs in the bakery. It was nearing Christmas, the most busy time of year for buying cookies and festive desserts.

Marinette stood at the front counter down in the bakery, giving people their ordered sweets.

"Thank you again, Marinette, for helping out." Sabine smiled at her daughter. "Me and your father really appreciate all that you've done for the bakery."

"You're welcome mama." Marinette smiled back, handing a man a Christmas themed bag filled with gingerbread men.

Sabine left to the kitchen as Marinette turned to the next customer. A younger woman, about 18 or 19, with light brown hair stepped towards the counter. She wore a fluffy white scarf and a black Aztec coat with her hair pulled back with a snowflake headband.

"Hello." Marinette welcomed, setting a snowflake decorated box on top of the counter. "Are you . . . Elizabeth Amos?" She asked, reading the name written across the top.

"Yes. That's me." She answered, wrapping her jacket tighter around herself as she shivered. "It's really cold outside." She breathed.

"Yeah. It is getting pretty cold." Marinette agreed. "Is there anything else you'd like with your peppermint cookies?"

"Um . . . do you have anymore . . . cinnamon coffee cake?"

"Uh . . . " Marinette crouched down to look through the shelves. "Yes, we do. Here you go." She said, handing the woman a box with coffee cake. "You'll love this cake. It was just baked this morning and we have a special cinnamon topping."

"Thank you." She said, handing Marinette the rest of the money. "But this isn't for me. I'm surprising my boyfriend with it later. He loves coffee cake and I can't wait til Christmas to give it to him."

"Then I'm sure he'll love it." Marinette assured.

"I hope so." The woman smiled before waving goodbye to Marinette as she left the bakery.

Alya soon entered the bakery after the woman left.

"Hey Alya." Marinette said, stepping out from behind the counter.

"Are you ready to go shopping, yet?"

"Yeah. My mom told me that I only had to work until 11:00." Marinette answered, looking at a clock on the wall. "My mom gave me thirty five euros to finish my Christmas shopping and I already told her that I'd be at the mall when I was done here."

"Good. Then Let's go." Marinette slipped on a jacket and followed Alya outside. "Oh. Bye the way, Marinette . . . I invited Adrien and Nino to come with us."

"What?!" Marinette shouted, turning to her friend. "Alya! How will I be able to focus on shopping for a good Christmas present when Adrien's there? I'll be too distracted to concentrate."

"Oh, you'll be fine." Alya smiled, putting a hand on Marinette's shoulder. "You're taking me with you, so . . . I'm gonna have a little fun with this. It should be funny to watch you stutter even more around him." Alya laughed.

"But-"

"Hey guys." Adrien greeted, approaching them with Nino at his side.

"Ah!" Marinette jumped at the sound of his voice. She turned around holding all of her emotions inside, barely breathing. She stood frozen like that until Alya hit her arm, making her exhale and begin to breathe again. "Hi." She squeaked.