Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 67490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
“I agree with that,” Zip said. “Plus, we have no clue how to decorate one tree, let alone seven.”
“Do you think you have to put lights on it?” Val asked, looking slightly green at the idea of having to decorate.
“Let’s just do one really big one at Circus House,” I suggested. “That way, we only have to do one. And we can all help with that one, and then we don’t have to do anything else at our own homes.”
“I like that idea,” Val said. “Well, let’s go.”
Keene led the way through the throng of people, acting like a brick wall as people seemed to part before him.
We all lined up, single file, and followed him until we got to the Christmas trees.
“This one is the biggest, and it won’t look like a baby in the lobby of Circus House,” Keene pointed.
“Yeah, but it’s also more money than a down payment on a house.” I balked when I saw the thousand-dollar price tag.
“It’s eleven feet tall. All the other ones are nine feet, and some of those look like they came from Walmart. We’re at Home Depot for a reason. To get a good tree. This one is it,” he said. “And I’ll pay for it.”
“Why are you paying for it?” Val asked.
“Because if I don’t, then y’all are all going to bitch. You cheapskates,” he grumbled.
That was true.
We were all cheapskates.
“Okay, well you get the tree,” I said. “We’ll go find ornaments.”
The sisters moved toward the ornaments, and every last one of them were ugly and blah.
“Maybe we should brave Michaels or Hobby Lobby,” I suggested, the thought of getting anything so boring literally abhorrent to me.
“There’s that Christmas Super Store in Arlington.” Hades sounded queasy just thinking about it.
“Let’s try Hobby Lobby first.” She paused. “Keene’s going to murder us.”
“Why?” Keene asked, a huge flatbed cart holding the Christmas tree in front of him.
“We need to go to Hobby Lobby,” Zip said, looking sheepish. “Sorry, bro.”
“Why?” he asked.
We all pointed at the boring ornaments. “There’s not a single glitter or sparkle among them.”
Keene dropped his head and shook it, as if he was praying for patience. “Jesus Christ.”
“Is the reason for the season,” Hades sang, throwing her arms around his shoulders.
Keene pulled her in tightly, then scanned our faces. “Fuck.”
It was as we were pushing the cart to the front of the store that a woman stepped into our path.
“That’s my tree.” She crossed her arms across her chest, and planted both feet, as if she was ready for a battle.
Keene steered around her easily, and the woman, not expecting him to pay her zero attention, stood stunned as we passed her.
Me on top of the box being pushed.
The rest of my sisters surrounding the cart.
“What are you talking about?” I asked curiously as we passed.
“I need that tree!” she cried as she tried to catch up.
But Keene pushed into the lane, and since it was so narrow, there wasn’t room for her to push past us.
I reached for the handheld scanner, scanned the bar code, then held my hand out.
Keene pressed his card into my hand, then I was punching in his pin code for his debit card seconds later.
The transaction approved, and then I was grabbing the receipt just as the woman blocked our way screaming, “That’s my tree!”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Keene grumbled.
“Ma’am,” someone called to her.
“If you don’t get her to fucking move right now, I’ll move her. And it’ll be with my cart taking out her fucking shin bones,” Keene said. “Get the fuck out of the way.”
The woman, surprised at the annoyance in Keene’s voice, stepped out of the way almost subconsciously.
I glared her down as we passed, and she followed us to the van, her eyes narrowed on the Circus House emblem on the side. “Should’ve known. Nasty people, you lot.”
Keene whirled. “Fuck you, lady. You don’t know us.”
The woman held up her phone and smiled.
Keene flipped her the bird, threw open the van doors, then loaded the tree into the back.
Before he got into the van, though, he smiled at the woman and said, “If you want to visit the tree, come to Circus House. It’ll be decorated all nice and pretty. But we’ll chain it to the balcony so you can’t take off with it while we’re not looking.”
• • •
An hour later, after fighting Dallas traffic and a woman who tried to steal our tree, we arrived at Hobby Lobby.
“What do you think about these?” I asked Keene.
“I like these!” Zip flashed her pastel plastic ornaments.
“Me, too!” Tony said, holding up the same ornaments.
Pastel it was.
With lots and lots of glitter.
Three hours after that, we had the tree up in the lobby of Circus House.
“I think we need more ornaments,” Crimson murmured, tapping her lip with her index finger.
“I agree,” Val said.