“No. I should stay. I don’t want to be rude.”
He scoffed and crouched to be lower to her level. “Rude is leaving someone alone with their phone and more or less ignoring them through the meal. Your fun stories were the highlight of the afternoon so far as I’m concerned. You deserve better than sitting around by yourself.”
“Are you hitting on me?”
“Nope.”
“I didn’t think so. You looked at that empty chair a few times like you wanted to share an inside joke with someone and were surprised they weren’t there. Are you leaving?”
“Yup. I’m headed to the airport to get a standby flight out of here. Can I ask, why did you end up here with Danny?”
“Sometimes a girl gets swept up in the glamor, but even glitter can’t make a mud puddle something it’s not.” A sly smirk spread across her face as she glanced at the other end of the table. “Let’s go, James. Illyana, Cassia, see you around.”
Kaitlyn spoke loud enough to make sure she was heard as she stood and offered him an elbow. He linked his arm through, accepting the friendly gesture, so out of place in the hushed room. “My sister’s been texting me photos from the get together back home. I want to get back to my apartment and Facetime them. Thanksgiving isn’t the same without football and burnt stuffing.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“No you wouldn’t, and that’s a shame.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” As they walked, Kaitlyn kept pace stride for stride. He glanced at her fuzzy-boot-clad feet.
“It’s too cold for sandals.” He’d been caught staring, but she didn’t seem to care. “And I’m not being paid to wear heels today, so no way.”
They collected their coats. James held hers as she put her arms in. “I think I need more football in my Thanksgivings. I’m not sure about burnt stuffing.”
“Nobody is. It’s good for a laugh if nothing else. I’m going to wait here for a car. It’s warmer inside.” Her Texas drawl came through.
“Bye, Kaitlyn, and um, no offense, but I hope I don’t see you at future Fordham Thanksgivings.”
She laughed and pulled out her phone. “None taken. My sister and I were texting about that.”
He looked at the screen. “She’s right. Gaslight him. It would serve him right given how often he’s done it. But don’t date the cousin to piss him off. The cousin is done with games.”
“I thought so, but if you have a hankering for burnt stuffing, let me know.” She threw her arms around him in a quick hug. The gesture was unfamiliar but right.
“Thanks, I think. Good luck, Kaitlyn.”
“And to you, James. That contest? Kick his ass.”
Outside, the cool air rushed between skyscrapers and burned his cheeks. He raised his chin. The sky was growing darker, but between the clouds and buildings, there would be no sunset. Something crunched beneath his foot. He glanced down. A plastic fork. He couldn’t escape the garbage. There had to be another way, and he was going to find it.
Chapter 19
Adrenaline coursed through Claire’s veins. After months of anticipation and hard work, the clock ticked away the seconds until George, dressed in a restrained navy suit, opened the doors to the public. Walter and Bob stood at the engineers’ station sporting overalls, red bandanas, and stripped hats similar to her own. The high school homecoming queen held one basket of miniature candy canes. Sandy, dressed as Mrs. Clause, carried the other.
Claire glanced at the assembled crew. She was so proud of them. “George? Walter? Bob? Who wants to make the announcement?”
“Bob, George, and I agree, kiddo. You did the heavy lifting. Clem would want you to do it.”
Warmth washed across her face as George walked across the room and presented her with the red bandana from his pocket. “You earned this, Claire.”
She traced her fingers across the embroidered words along the bottom edge. “Chief Engineer.” The last time she’d seen this was when Clem waved it in the air to chase out the stragglers at the close of last winter’s display. With a last glance at the clock, she inhaled and raised the bandana as high as she could reach. “All aboard!”
The doors swung open and the orderly line outside shifted and morphed into serpentine mob. The children’s mouths formed perfect round ‘O’s as they tumbled through the open doors. Adult eyes widened before resuming normal shape as they collected hats, gloves, candy canes and everything else being thrust at them.
Between the fairy lights and decorative screens, the room had been transformed to an otherworldly setting. As generations of parents and children paraded before her and wove through the cordoned off maze, years melted away from crinkled eyes. Everyone became a kid again, experiencing the world anew. Transported to a mythical place where magic became real.
The room’s air warmed with body heat and coffee breath as excited shouts blended together. “Look at the train, Mommy.”
“Higher. Want to see.”
“Daddy, that’s my school!”
“The train’s going in the tunnel! Let’s find where it comes out!”
“Can I eat that?”
“That dog looks like Baxter.”
“Remember Mommy, when we stopped for a train on the way here and I counted 29 cars and then 13 but you said you counted 50. Remember?”
Each phrase drifted through the air like a bubble of joy until she’d inhaled so much happiness that the frothiness of it all threatened to carry her away from reality.
The increasing number of fingerprints smudged on the Plexiglas separating the gingerbread house from candy-loving kids kept her feet on the ground. Microfiber cloth in hand, she discreetly wiped them away. Time disappeared as she answered familiar questions that were as natural as breathing.
When Walter and Bob took a break, Claire took over the train controls. George helped, but mostly he worked the crowd, engaging them and answering every question as if it were the first time anyone asked him. Meanwhile, she bit her tongue so she wouldn’t snap at the kids who said,
