Santa’s Huge North Pole

  Santa’s Huge North Pole

  Vivian Ward

  Copyright © 2018 by Vivian Ward

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is for all the naughty girls who will never make Santa’s list! May you find Santa’s Huge North Pole instead!

  Contents

  Vivian Ward Newsletter

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Epilogue

  Vivian Ward Newsletter

  About the Author

  Also by Vivian Ward

  Vivian Ward Newsletter

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  Chapter 1

  Jessica

  Sipping my morning coffee, I can feel myself in a bit of a funk. Everyone’s so damn chipper and cheerful, and here I am feeling like the Grinch while I look at the Help Wanted section.

  I guess it’s easy for others to be in the holiday spirit. They probably didn’t just move into an apartment they can’t afford, have a hefty car payment, and almost no money.

  At twenty-eight, you’d think I’d have my shit together but I’m not even close. It seems that all of my friends have the perfect life. They have husbands, children, homes, good jobs, 401K plans, savings, and the list goes on.

  But I’d like to think that I’m starting to get there or, at least, I’m trying. True, I’m single, have no children, and no savings, but I did just land a fantastic job with benefits. After I graduated college last year, I didn’t think I’d ever find a photography job that paid well but then my sister, Tamra, told me about a position open within her company. She’s an editor at Dining On A Budget and she just happened to overhear her boss talking about how their photographer quit. Tamra immediately mentioned my name but her boss was reluctant to hire me since I didn’t have years of experience. However, my sister convinced her that fresh meat was exactly what they needed instead of an old photographer who was set in their ways. After a bit of persuading and an amazing interview, she hired me right away.

  While all of this is great, the problem is that it’s Christmas time and I’m broke. All I can think about is money. I normally get everyone great gifts but not this year. To make matters worse, Tamra said that mom and dad wanted us to buy them cruise tickets to someplace nice for the holiday season.

  But the reality is that I’m lucky if I can afford a trip out of my apartment complex, let alone splitting the cost of a cruise for two with my sister. It’d be such a wonderful present, too, since dad retired this year. They do so much for us—like fixing things, paying student loans, and babysitting—and I really want to do something nice for them. I’d also like to get Tamra, her husband, and my niece and nephew nice presents.

  Looking through the Help Wanted ads, I’m hoping that I can find something—anything—that will give me a break right now. There are plenty of babysitting and home healthcare jobs, but I can’t do those since I work during the day. A part-time gig would be nice, just something seasonal for the holidays. I don’t want anything with long-term commitment, just something quick to make a few extra bucks for Christmas money.

  There’s literally nothing that I can do, though. Most of the postings are for full-time day jobs, or overnight gigs but I’ve got to sleep sometime. This might be the worst Christmas ever. Even when I was in college, I was able to scrape up a few bucks to get everyone something.

  This is pathetic.

  But then I see an opportunity that catches my eye, and it’s perfect! The mall is looking for a photographer to shoot Santa photos and it pays $15 per hour. It’s not life changing money but I can make it work, especially now that I have a steady income that pays well enough. I just hope that it’s not already taken. With the way my luck has been going, they probably hired the person right as I read the ad.

  But I’m determined so I grab my cell phone and call the number that’s listed in the paper. It keeps ringing and just as I think it’s going to go to voicemail, a woman answers the phone.

  “Thank you for calling South County Mall. This is Denise. How may I help you?”

  “Hi, Denise,” I say, trying to even out my voice. I’m so excited that I wanted to squeal when she answered. Don’t seem desperate. “My name is Jessica—Jessica Tudor—and I’m calling about the Santa photography position.”

  “Hello, Jessica. You’ve called the right place! We still have a part-time opening if you’re still interested. You’d need to come to the mall, fill out an application, and complete an interview.”

  “Oh, yes!” Now I sound desperate. But I don’t care. “I’d love to come in. Do you know when I might be able to complete an interview?”

  “Well,” she says, drawing out the word. The brief silence on the phone makes me a bit nervous and I start to wonder if there are other candidates already lined up. “Looking at my schedule, I might be able to fit one in this week. What would work best for you?”

  “I normally work 8AM to 4PM, Monday through Friday. I could come in any day after work,” I say. “I can come whenever it’s convenient for you—and I have photography experience,” I quickly add, hoping to increase my chances before she gives the job to someone else.

  “Oh, really?” She says. “That’d be nice for a change. I’ll tell you what,” she smacks her lips. “Can you come in tomorrow? Say around 4:30?”

  Energy surges through my core as I begin to get excited. “Yes! Yes, I’ll be there.”

  “Great, I’ll see you then. Thanks, Jessica,” she says.

  “Thank you, Denise. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  The phone disconnects just seconds before I squeal and bounce up and down. I call my sister right away to tell her the good news.

  “Tamara!” I exclaim when she answers the phone.

  “What?”

  “You’ll never believe this but you know how I’ve been a little short on cash? I was looking through the paper today and found a part-time photography job at the mall. I have an interview for it and I just have a feeling I’m going to get it!”

  “That’s great, sis, but won’t that cut into your schedule? I don’t want you dashing out of work early to make it to your other job. You’ll make both of us look bad and I practically pulled teeth to get you this job.”

  “No,” I roll my eyes. “This is only for evenings and weekends, and since it’s so close to work, I’ll have plenty of time to get there. Don’t worry.”

  “Well,” she says, banging pots and pans in the background as she starts dinner. “Good luck but remember, you have a full-time job so don’t screw it up.”

  “Thanks,” I say sarcastically as I play with my hair. My split ends are starting to get out of control. “I always love it when my big sis has confidence in me.”

  “You know what I mean,” Tamara says. “I’m happy for you; truly, I am. Good luck on your interview.”

  “All right, I’ll let you go,” I say, hearing my niece and nephew screaming in the background. “You sound busy but I’ll let you know how it goes.”

  I can hardly fall asleep because all I can think about are my p
arent’s faces when they get the cruise they’ve been asking for. Tomorrow will be torture at work until I meet with Denise for my interview. Hopefully, I’ll get the job and be able to rake up enough cash to buy everyone the presents they deserve.

  Chapter 2

  Jimmy

  Wearing this Santa suit sucks balls. It’s hot, scratchy, and it’s definitely on the small side. I think the last mall Santa who wore this was a short, scrawny drunk. It’s not made for someone who’s almost 6’3 and weighs 225 pounds.

  Don’t even get me started on all the whiny kids who are afraid of Santa. If they’re not screaming bloody murder, they’re getting their candy canes stuck in this God awful excuse of a beard. It has tons of little red stains all over it and almost looks like Santa lost a little too much blood. The kids who aren’t afraid of me are cool, though. They can’t wait to hop on my lap to tell me their mile-long lists of all the goodies they want this year. It’s amazing how many of them have come up with some unique ideas. They ask for things I’ve never even heard of, but I play it cool and tell them to keep being good and I’ll see what my elves can do.

  One perk of doing this job is having hot moms sit on my lap with their babies to make them feel more comfortable. I always thought being single was a bad thing until I had half a dozen curvy women wearing skin tight leggings and snug sweaters.

  I almost didn’t take this job but my twin brother talked me into it. The sewer line under his house busted while we were gone deer hunting and cost him a fortune. Everything backed up under the crawl space and ruined most of the flooring in three rooms of his house. He’s been letting me stay at his place for the past six months while I catch up on some debts, so I figured the least I could do is help him repair the damages.

  He found this gig when we came to the mall a few weeks ago and they were setting up the display. One of his friends was helping carry the props and told him they needed Santa’s. I should’ve known better when he said they go through them like crazy but against my better judgment, I let Jake talk me into taking the job. It doesn’t pay as much as our day job but it’s extra money, which is never a bad thing. I’ll finally be able to get out of all of my credit card debt while helping my brother, so it’s all good.

  Another thing that I hate about this gig is the tiny ‘room’ that we have to change in. It’s more like the size of a closet and it’s so cramped. To make matters worse, everyone has to share this room to change into their Christmas costumes. Normally, this wouldn’t be such a big deal, as I’ve never been shy, but Mrs. Claus? She’s an older woman with a bit of a foul odor who’s very large—not that big girls are a bad thing. In fact, I happen to like a girl with some meat on her bones. I prefer curves and a little extra padding to grab on to. I’ve always been cautious of being with smaller women because I’m always afraid I’m going to break them.

  Anyway, I hate when she gets undressed. It’s like all the musty stench creeps out of her clothes the minute she takes them off and it makes me gag. I’m a gentleman, so I try my best not to but it’s so fucking hard. My guess is she bathes as often as Santa comes. Maybe he’ll bring her some body wash this year—or, at least, one can hope.

  Just as I finish changing into my Santa outfit, Denise pushes her way past the long line that’s already formed even though we don’t officially open for another ten minutes.

  “Jake,” she whisper-shouts, careful not to let the children hear her.

  “It’s Jimmy,” I correct her. Everyone has always confused my brother and I since birth. It’s annoying but considering that we’re identical twins, we understand.

  “Oh, Jimmy,” she says, keeping her voice low. “I have a new girl coming. Have you seen her?”

  Oh, dear Lord, please let her hire a new Mrs. Claus.

  “No?” I say, even though it comes out as a question.

  “Hmm,” she places her hands on her hips, looking around. “We’re going to hire an extra photographer and I thought she’d be here by now for her interview.”

  Damn.

  “I haven’t seen anyone but if I do, I’ll be sure to send her your way.”

  While we’re on the subject of hiring new people, I want to ask her about getting another—or different—Mrs. Claus, but I don’t want to sound rude. The last thing I’d want is for her to overhear us and get offended. She’s a sweet woman, but she stinks to high heaven.

  “There she is,” Denise says as a woman carrying a large shoulder bag approaches us.

  “Hi, Denise?” She asks, sticking her hand out. “I’m Jessica and I’m here for my interview.”

  Well, hello, Jessica!

  This girl is smoking hot! She has long, wavy hair that flows down her back, gorgeous eyes, and a perfect body. Every curve is exaggerated by her clothing and all I can think about is how I’d like to bend her over and stretch those long legs of hers. She definitely beats the creepy dude they have taking pictures now. He scares all the kids and freaks the moms out a little. I hope Denise replaces that weirdo with this new girl. I’d work every day, all day.

  “I’m glad you made it,” Denise shakes her hand. “Let’s step into this room.”

  The two of them disappear inside the tiny room that we call our dressing room. Mrs. Claus brings me the first family from the line—a trio of children—to get their pictures taken together. The little boy refuses to sit on my lap but his sisters don’t mind one bit. While we’re busy talking about presents and smiling for the camera, I can’t help but keep an eye out on the door to see—what was her name again?—reappear with Denise. It seems like they’re spending an eternity in there but by the time we’re on picture number five, the two emerge from the room, laughing and shaking hands again.

  “Would you be able to start tomorrow?” I hear Denise ask while the current photographer is busy asking a mom which picture package she’d like to purchase.

  “Yes! I can start tomorrow!”

  “Great, we’ll see you tomorrow Jessica,” Denise says as the two bid each other goodbye.

  I can’t wait to get home to tell Jake about this but, on second thought, maybe I should keep this to myself. One disadvantage of having a twin is that you tend to like the same things and this new girl is right up both of our alleys. The question is: which one of us will get to park our car in her garage?

  One thing’s for sure, I want it to be me. It’s been a while since I’ve been with anyone, unlike my brother. He’s always been a chic magnet. For some reason, they always tend to gravitate towards him. We’ve never really competed for girls but I want to win this time. I swear, if he gets laid again before me, I’m going to die.

  Chapter 3

  Jessica

  I stop by Starbucks to grab an expresso on my way to my second job. Working all of these hours is going to be the death of me, but it’s worth it. My parents will be so surprised. Mom knows how bad my finances have been lately, so they’re totally not expecting this. I can’t wait to see the look on her face when they open the cruise tickets.

  Once I’m inside the mall, I head toward the Santa display and see there’s already a long line of children waiting. The man who’s taking their photos looks scary as hell and it’s a wonder how he gets any of them to smile. But I notice right away the very cute Santa beneath the costume. He’s very good with children and seems to ease their fears right away. I watch him for a few moments before I let them know that I’m here and my ovaries begin doing tiny flips as he promises a little girl that she’ll get the doll she’s been asking for. The smile on her face is contagious and I find myself staring with a goofy grin.

  “Hello, I’m Jessica,” I say to the creepy guy who’s working the camera. “I’m supposed to start in a few minutes.”

  “Hi,” he mutters. “Do you know what to do?”

  “Take pictures?” I ask.

  “For Christ sake,” he mumbles again. “Here’s a list of all the packages that we offer. You ask the parent which one they’d like and put it into the computer system. It’s all self-e
xplanatory. Then you take the pictures—and try to make sure the kid is smiling. Do you know how to work these types of cameras?”

  I look it over and it’s a basic Nikon camera, not too many frills. We used similar ones when I first started photography school until we upgraded to better models.

  “Yes,” I answer. “What’s your name?”

  He glares at me and I swear I can smell alcohol on his breath as he huffs in disgust. “Harry.”

  “Well, Harry, I can take over from here,” I say. “Thanks for explaining the orders to me. Have a great night.”

  “Yeah, it’ll be great since I had my hours cut,” he sputters.

  For a second, I feel bad but then I think about how the kids must feel. The man gives me the heebie-jeebies. The faster we get him out of here, the better off we’ll all be. Ignoring his snide remark, I wave over the next mom standing in line who has an adorable four-month-old baby. Her white and gold dress makes her look like a little Christmas angel. After she picks the package she’d like to get, she walks the baby over to….Santa.

  I don’t even know his name.

  He gently takes her from her mom’s arms and coos to her. The baby smiles up at him, her gums completely showing as her eyes light up. It’s the perfect opportunity to take her photo but I’m mesmerized by him and how this baby is responding to him. After a few seconds, I finally take my place behind the tripod and ask him to make her smile again. He says something to her—I can’t make it out, they’re too far away and he’s being too quiet—and her face lights up all over again. I snap a few photos before the mom takes her back from him.