Christmas at Divine's
Emporium was a study in merry chaos. Ken Jenkins retreated to the sidelines and
watched a dozen people help Angela decorate the tree and string pine garland
from room to room. He had done his part, bringing the granddaddy pine tree to
the shop and manhandling the monster in through the side door. A side door that
only seemed to appear at Christmastime.
The ceiling seemed
higher than usual, too. Things always seemed to work out just the way Angela
needed them to, inside her shop. Sometimes it seemed like the walls adjusted to
comfortably fit everything she put inside the store. Too bad the rest of the
world didn't reshape itself to accommodate Angela's friends.
Ken snorted softly at
his flight of fancy. He had given up on magic long ago. Not that he wouldn't
appreciate a bit now. This first Christmas without Brittney was one of those grit
your teeth and face it like a man situations, since this should have been
his first Christmas with Brittney.
It would be a lot
easier if he wouldn't see her traipsing around the company Christmas party in
two weeks, on the arm of Allistair Somerville.
Ever since nursery
school, Allistair believed whatever Ken had was his to take. If he couldn't
steal it from Ken, he lied or whined until someone gave it to him to shut him
up. All through school, no matter how big or small, whatever Ken prized or
needed, Allistair went after. Then used up, destroyed or discarded it a day or
a month or a year later. Ken's rubber ball. His tricycle. His basketball. His
BMX bike. His homework. His prom date. His expected promotion to junior vice
president at Myerhausen.
Allistair had mostly ignored
Brittney, who had come close to drooling after him, Ken realized in retrospect.
When she finally gave up and started dating Ken, Allistair saw the light and
went after her in a big way. Big gifts. Derailing Ken's plans for dates. Trying
to get him transferred out of state.
Ken wished now
Allistair had worked faster, or Brittney had given in sooner. Like between the
engagement ring and the wedding. They had barely been married four months when
she met Allistair for lunch. Two of Ken's buddies from college had seen them
and told him. Brittney lied when he asked, and Ken chose to believe her. He
thought she had better taste. Until she dumped him at their ten-month
anniversary.
Merry Christmas? Ken didn't think so.
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