Christmas Candy

8- Another step closer

The kiss Jasper and Harmony shared days ago was one they both couldn't stop thinking about. It was hot, long, passionate, and it had her feeling if Jasper hadn't parted from her lips when he did, she would have let down her guard and do something she was afraid of doing. And that was to have sex with someone who was not her husband. Although Jasper wasn't Gabriel, she enjoyed the kiss so much that it had her thinking harder about how much she missed a man's arms wrapped around her with his lips moving along with hers, with her also missing the intimacy that followed.

Even though she enjoyed the surprising moment with Jasper, the beautiful flowers he gave her, the happiness he has been bringing out in the girls, and that he was over to watch a movie with them, she still avoided him the days following what they shared. It was precisely what she was doing before he came over, and that was by not answering his phone calls or text messages. It wasn't that she was trying to be mean; it was for her to think about what she was feeling and how he's been pushing her to allow her kids to learn about Christmas.

She knew he would eventually figure out that she was avoiding him, and it was only a matter of time before he purposely ran into her at the casino.

And she felt that time would be tonight.

Nick walked into the employee room, closed the door behind him, and stood against it with his arms crossed, watching Harmony tie on her apron. "You wanted to talk to me?"

She closed her locker and turned around, then looked down and adjusted her apron. "I did." She looked up, and as she looked him in the eye, she sighed, "Amelia mentioned something the other night, and I wanted to let you know I didn't appreciate what was said."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"It has everything to do with you," she snapped. "Amelia repeated something that Harper told her the other night about something you said to her about me."

"And what was that?" He asked, uncrossing his arms and resting them behind him against the door.

"That I was like the Grinch who hated Christmas, hated seeing happy, cheerful people, and that I hate hearing people singing happy songs. Christmas songs," she added.

"That's not a lie," Nick admitted.

"Nick! That should never have been said, especially to Amelia. She's five-years-old, Nick. And of all people who understand why I am the way I am, it is you!" She yelled. "That's something you didn't have to tell your seven-year-old. That's a personal thing about me that you should have kept to yourself."

Nick sighed, "I'm sorry. She shouldn't have said that to her, and I'll talk with her."

"Why? It's already been said. I now have Amelia questioning who Santa is, what is Christmas, and why Santa has never given her or Zoe any presents. And to add more to the mess you started, I've got Jasper pushing Christmas on me and my girls'."

"Did you forget about the talk we had the other night?" He disappointingly asked.

"No."

"I think you did. I asked you to move on. And it sure as hell doesn't look like you're allowing yourself to try to move on," he growled, pushing himself away from the door. "I also asked you to let your kids enjoy this time of year. They looked so happy the other night, and you still want to deny them that joyfulness they were experiencing? The life you say that they are to you? Damn it, Harmony! You can't keep them hidden from everything; they'll end up hating you in the end."

This wasn't the talk she wanted to have with him, and she started walking Nick's way to leave the room. As she was passing him, his arm extended out, blocking her from leaving the room. "I'm going to be late for my shift. I only came in early so I could talk to you."