Christmas sucks.
When Emily Shepherd's boss boyfriend cheats on her with her best friend, she loses everything in one night-love, friendships, job, and home. In a weird fit of desperation (or some deep-rooted need to punish herself even more) she m...
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Emily was beyond excited all the way over to the high school. Madison had given her a simple but elegant updo, with soft curls framing her face and neck. And she went all out on the makeup, something she never did, including a deep red lip, that no longer reminded her of Mika, for some strange reason. She hit all her pulse points with a perfume heavy in jasmine and rose scent notes.
But now, in the parking lot, she was feeling a little overdressed, and she closed and belted her coat self-consciously. In fact, she buttoned it almost all the way to the top. The only thing that looked even slightly dressy were her lower legs, and the silver heels she'd bought back at Von Houten's but never wore.
She click-click-clicked against the tile floor of the high school entryway, but she was the only one who seemed to notice. Everyone else was excited about the program, the season, or just the company they were with.
The box office was festooned with silver and gold foil garlands and paper doily snowflakes. The two girls selling tickets were dressed in white blouses and green plaid vests and ties. Two boys and another girl were dressed similarly, standing by the doors, acting as ushers.
When it was her turn in line, Emily handed her debit card to the girl closest to her. "One please."
"Okay. That will be—" The girl stopped and looked up at her. She showed Emily's card to the other girl.
"You already have a ticket." The second girl pulled out an envelope marked Will Call.
Emily blushed, though she wasn't sure why. "I didn't—"
"Leo left it for you." The first girl beamed with some secret knowledge.
"Oh. Okay." He must have done that earlier in the week because they had definitely not parted amicably last night. "Thanks."
The second girl was smiling widely too. "He was just here, asking if you'd gotten here yet."
"Really?" Emily felt weirdly happy and surprised.
The first girl stood up in the booth and called over Emily's shoulder to one of the ushers. "Dax! This is Emily!"
Dax and the other two turned their attention to her. All three ushers smiled. Dax came over and offered an arm, a strangely gallant gesture for a teen boy. "Right this way, ma'am."
Emily's face reddened with the attention of everyone in the lobby. Dax beamed. He led her down the center aisle to the front row. The center seat wore a sign, Reserved for Emily Shepherd. Dax bowed deeply and indicated the seat with a flourish of his hand. She laughed, nervous, embarrassed, happy, surprised.
As she settled in her chair, taking care to keep the dress covered, a couple of faces appeared from the backstage edge of the curtains. Two girls looked right at her and then disappeared into a ruffle of fabric.
Suddenly, Leo's face appeared around the curtain. He looked right at her. His face broke into a wide grin, and it was obvious the kids had rushed to tell him she was there. Her cheeks were on fire with the knowledge that everyone was looking at her.
