CHRISTMAS
SHOPPING
A tale of Christmas mayhem
by
Angel Gelique
Christmas Shopping
Angel Gelique
Copyright © 2013 Angel Gelique
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without express, written permission.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidences are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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eBook Edition License Notes
Seventeen-year-old Jilly Carson was a sight to behold, her deep red wool pea coat highlighting her jet black glossy hair. She was barely five feet four inches tall and had a thin frame but stood out in the crowd nonetheless. She anxiously paced back and forth along a narrow strip at the far end of the Windcrest Mall as she impatiently waited for her best friend, Peyton.
The cellular phone in her shoulder bag began playing “Jingle Bells.” Jilly quickly fished her phone out, noticed Peyton’s photo on the screen then answered the call.
“Where are you? I’ve been waiting for almost twenty minutes,” Jilly said disappointedly.
“Sorry, Jilly, I have to watch my bratty sister. I tried getting out of it…really. My mom has to work late tonight….”
“No, you can’t do this to me…I’m all set to shop.”
“I know, I know. Maybe we can shop tomorrow instead.”
“But I’m here now. Can’t you just bring Meghan along?”
“My mom would freak out, you know how she is.”
Jilly released a long, frustrated sigh.
“Damn,” she muttered under her breath.
“Aww, don’t be mad,” Peyton said.
“I’m not…just disappointed. I don’t like being here by myself.”
“I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it. I know you’d rather be here than stuck with Meghan at home. I’m just gonna pick up a few things then head out, I’ll call you later.”
“Okay, have fun.”
Jilly took a deep breath then exhaled forcefully in anger, sending wisps of her long ebony hair flying away from her face.
She slipped her cell phone back into her purse as she walked toward the crowded shopping area. It was just 5:12 in the evening and she had a purse full of cash waiting to be spent. She was never fond of being along—especially while shopping at the mall. But with three days left before Christmas, she had little choice now. Making a concerted effort to curb her anxiety, she quickly walked into one of her favorite stores.
Twenty minutes later, she left the store carrying two full bags. Shopping always had a therapeutic effect on her. She even managed to crack a smile as her mood lightened.
Her bright smile did not go unnoticed.
“Well, hello gorgeous!” A tall, blonde-haired man who appeared to be nearly thirty years old called out to her as she passed by.
Just ignore him, just ignore him, Jilly thought nervously.
Her mother had repeatedly warned her about talking to strangers. She remembered the last time she disobeyed. A simple “hello” turned into a night she would never be able to erase from her mind.
Jilly picked up her pace. She didn’t dare to look back for fear that she would find the man following her. Her palms grew sweaty and one of the bags slipped from her grip. She trembled as she stooped down to retrieve it. She felt something brush against her back and jumped.
“Sorry,” a young woman said as she walked on. The woman made a greater effort to watch where she was walking as she texted her friend.
Instinctively, Jilly turned to look for the man who had spoken to her. There was no sign of the blonde stranger. She was greatly relieved that he didn’t pursue her. She ignored the puzzled stares and curious glances as she took a few deep, calming breaths before grabbing her bag and continuing on to the next store.
A couple male heads turned back to stare at her as she entered Gadjetz, her favorite electronics store. She could hear the two guys commenting about her.
Ignore them, just keep walking, she told herself.
Jilly was careful not to smile or make eye contact with anyone. She didn’t want to send out the wrong signals. She didn’t want any trouble. She just wanted to shop and return home. She cursed Peyton for abandoning her, for leaving her so vulnerable, even though she knew it wasn’t her friend’s fault. She just hated being alone in public places.
“Can I help you find something?” The young male clerk asked, catching her off guard.
Instinctively, Jilly looked into his soft brown eyes but quickly averted her gaze.
“I’m fine,” she said as she tried to walk away.
To her dismay, the clerk followed behind her. He was a persistent one.
“We have the new wireless ear buds,” he offered.
Jilly stopped. That was actually what she was looking for. She wanted to pick up a few pairs for Peyton and some of the other girls on their cheerleading team.
“I see I got your attention,” the clerk joked. “They’re right over here.”
Jilly reluctantly followed him to a display at the far corner of the store.
“You okay? You don’t talk much, do you?”
Jilly felt her cheeks burn. She was sure the deep red color must be quite noticeable against her fair ivory complexion.
“I’m fine, thanks,” she said quietly, her eyes glued to the ear bud packages.
Please just leave, just go now....
“So do you want to try them out?”
Jilly shook her head.
“Really, you should. Some people think they’re not worth the money. You don’t wanna have to—”
“Fine,” Jilly interrupted, hoping that she would be able to try them, buy them, then get away from the overbearing store clerk.
The clerk pulled the tester set from a package in the back. Jilly reached out to grab it, but he took it upon himself to place them within her ears. As he stood close to her, she could smell his cologne. Her stomach rumbled embarrassingly as her cheeks once again burned red.
“You must really be hungry,” the clerk laughed.
Jilly ignored him as she removed her phone from her purse and inserted an adapter into it. She opened her music application and her favorite song played clearly from the earbuds. She was pleased with the sound and clarity. It brought a smile to her face.
“You like ‘em, huh?” The clerk asked, donning a smile of his own.
The smile abruptly faded from Jilly’s face as she quickly pulled the earbuds from her ears and the adapter out of her phone. She handed them to the clerk and grabbed four new packages.
“Hey,” the clerk called to her as she began walking away with the packages of earbuds within her arms. “They come in other colors too.”
Jilly ignored him as she made her way to the long line for the register. The clerk was by her side seconds later.
“Do I smell bad or something?” He joked.
Jilly kept her eyes downcast as she stared at the backs of the sneakers on the girl in front of her.
“Okay, I get it…you don’t want to talk to me. Fine. You could just say that, you know. You don’t have to be so rude.”
Jilly felt pangs of guilt as the clerk finally gave up on his effort to converse with he
r. She lifted her head tentatively to watch him as he strode off. She didn’t mean to come off as rude or snobbish. She just couldn’t risk getting anyone’s attention. If Peyton was around, she wouldn’t have acted so socially awkward. She might have even given him her phone number. He was cute, after all, and funny too. But on her own and completely vulnerable, there was no way she would take chances with a stranger.
Jilly completed her purchases and left the store. There were still a couple of people on her Christmas list to shop for. Her anxiety level had spiked in Gadjetz with the over-friendly clerk. She was still trembling as she made her way to the Banana Cabana smoothie shop, hoping that a sweet, cold drink would calm her nerves.
Jilly ordered her favorite flavor, tropical tango, and waited for it to be blended.
“Well, hello again,” a deep, smooth voice called to her, startling her.
Jilly looked over to find the tall blonde-haired man who had tried having a conversation with her earlier. She stood, frozen in place as the man drew closer to her.
“I hope I didn’t—” he began saying, but stopped when Jilly quickly retreated in the other direction.
“Hey, Miss?” The young female worker at Banana Cabana called out to her.
The