My spine felt like it had been replaced with a jagged candy cane. Eight hours of managing the line, wiping down the velvet throne, and fielding questions about reindeer nutrition while wearing a green felt tunic that smelled vaguely of mothballs and despair. It was the last day before Christmas Eve, and the mall was a surging, squawking sea of humanity. The magic of the dynamic Ronan and I had built in the confines of his private space felt miles away, replaced by the grating reality of endless jingle bells and forced cheer.
"Final tally, Elf Katie," Ronan's voice boomed, startling me. He didn't boom in a jolly way. He boomed in a 'you have three seconds to comply, or I will calculate the precise velocity needed to launch you through the wall' kind of way.
I looked at the clock. 7:02 PM.
