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Square Halo

Toby was whistling Jingle Bells as he strolled into the service office.

“Hi, Toby. You’re in a festive mood.” Gretchen said as she twirled her chair his way.

“’Tis the Season.” He said with a smile. “Hey, can you find me a time slot for a tune-up? I told Steve you’d call.”

“Steve?” She turned back to her computer.

“Steve Woodard, Ian’s brother.”

“Woodard, Woodard, Woodard, oh, there he is.” She whacked a few keys and twirled back toward him. ”Sure, Toby, I’ll give him a call. How was the dinner?”

“Fancy schmancy. Should have seen that table. Thing was a mile long. Looked like the movies.”

“Turkey and stuffing?”

“The whole shebang with Baked Alaska for dessert.”

“Wow, you don’t see that anymore. Do you?”

“I know, right? Hey, thanks for taking care of that for me.”

“Did anything else happen?”

“Anything else?”

“Was there anyone, um, interesting maybe?”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Details, Toby.”

“There’s not really anything to tell.”

“Toby, you’ve got a goofy smile super-glued on your face. Spill it, boy.”

Toby threw a meaty paw over his mouth. “Seriously, though. There’s nothing to tell yet. One of Ivy’s bridesmaids happens to like the Sentinels, too.”

“And?” Gretchen leaned in.

“And she’s way, way, way too beautiful to be interested in a lug like me.”

“What? No way, Toby. You’re adorable. What girl wouldn’t want a big Teddy Bear like you, especially if you’ve got something like that in common?”

“C’mon, Gretchen. Don’t get my hopes up. I don’t stand a chance with this girl.”

“Ach!” She twirled back to her desk. “Wait until I find something to throw at you. Jeez.”

“Honestly, you’d have to see how stunning she is. There’s just no way.” He studied his reflection in the shop window.

Gretchen leapt to her feet. “Toby Belzer!” She planted a fist on one hip and waved a finger in his face. “There is nothing wrong with you! Any girl would be lucky to have a sweet guy like you. If she can’t see that, then there’s something wrong with her. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good, now get back to work. The Lillywhite’s tires aren’t going to balance themselves.”

The sun streamed around the periphery of her curtains like a square halo. That amused her, so she scrunched up her pillow to lay there and study it. She’d never seen a square halo before.

Considering how bright the corona was, she figured it must be close to noon. The sheer joy of having the leisure to sleep in for once and this enormous bed to do it in helped her drowse a while longer.

After a little nap, she stirred again. She slid the drawer of the nightstand open and pulled out her phone. There were a few texts and emails indicated on her app icons. The emails were probably work-related and could wait until after breakfasts. She’d check to see who the texts were before she got up.

Ivy asking if she wanted to go shopping with her and her nieces. Nope.

Ivy asking if she wanted to meet her and her nieces to build a stuffed animal. Tempting.

Ivy asking her if she was still alive. Maybe.

She stuck her phone back in the drawer and wriggled free of the blankets. Stretching as she staggered into the bathroom, she caught sight of herself in the wall-sized mirror and laughed.

“Major Bedhead, reporting for duty.”

That guy wouldn’t think she was much to look at if he saw her in these flannel pajamas and a hairdo that looked like she’d seen a ghost.

What was his name?

She brushed her teeth as she schemed of a way to find out his name without letting on to Ivy that she was interested.

Was she?

Sure, he liked the Sentinels but, so what? A lot of people were interested in the Sentinels. There were whole conventions held in their honor all around the country. She’d never seen him at one of them.

Maybe he only went to the local ones. Did they have Sentinels conventions out here in the howling wilderness?

She gave that some thought as she luxuriated in the shower. She let the near scalding water massage her aching neck and shoulders until the entire bathroom was fogged up with steam. Partly because it felt so good to let the hot shower loosen her tension and partly because she couldn’t bear the sight of herself in the altogether, but mostly because it was somebody else’s water bill.

Reluctantly, she wrapped a towel around herself and hurried out to find a change of clothes before the mirror cleared.

This was her vacation, so she was going to dress extra cozy. Fortunately, she’d checked the weather sites to know what to pack. Granny pants and a well-structured bra were quickly buried beneath a layer of thermal underwear. Extra-thick boot socks, comfy jeans and a floppy, cable-knit sweater completed the ensemble.

Back to the nightstand to check the time. She plucked the phone off the charging cord and texted Ivy back.

Did you guys build your bears?

She opened the curtains to light the room so she could find the room service menu.

Not yet. Wanna come?

Truth be told, she wasn’t excited about braving a crowded mall on Black Friday, but Ivy’s nieces were such sweet little girls it was hard to conceive of saying no.

When and where?

And how am I supposed to even get there?

Can we come get you in about 15 minutes?

Well, that answers those questions. She was dressed, so why not?

Sure, can we grab a bite on the way?

Yep. See you shortly.

Meredith dried her hair and did her face. She wasn’t one for slathering on war paint, but she had some basic touches she liked to attend to before going out. Satisfied with the transformation, she grabbed her coat and purse before heading downstairs.