Short Order

I was panting. “Yeah. Whatever. No problem. All yours.” I handed him my key and muttered, “Can you unlock it for me?”
He opened the door.
I leaned, resting against his back.
“Thanks for dinner, handsome,” I slurred.
Then he turned, and I kissed him, a little sloppy and a lot off center. But I managed to make it lips on lips.
He stepped back, a shocked look on his face, but lust shone from his eyes.
If I’d had any energy, I would have pulled him inside and fucked him until neither of us could move. Instead, I stumbled inside, took the coldest, shortest shower in the world, and collapsed into bed alone. I relived the kiss in the morning as I jacked off before work.

Chapter 5
John seemed to know Leo pretty well, or at least what Leo would do. The tall, tubby man showed up at Cuttings the next day with a short, younger guy in tow.
I’d just gotten a couple of curious little boys corralled after they decided to help by adding mistletoe berries to all the potted ivy. Somewhere in one of the nursery’s mistletoe displays was a plant or two missing a lot of berries. I hoped the boys hadn’t eaten any.
“The song says holly and ivy,” one of them whined while I wrestled the white berries out of their fists.
“These are mistletoe berries, not holly. Holly berries are red, not white.” The boys were pouting and really angry as I stood in front of them, peeling back their fingers. “These berries are poisonous. Did you eat any of them?”
With wide eyes, they shook their heads. They looked too scared to be lying. Still I should find their mother and warn her that they might get sick in a little while.
“That’s why we hang mistletoe way up high. So no one can reach it.” Holiday stories by Fen. This was how legends and fables began.
“Oh, look! He’s cute and smart,” I heard someone behind me say. As I turned to see who it was, the kids ran off yelling, “Mom! Mom! We need to get some poison berries for Christmas.”
Leo and a small, slim, very cute man maybe a few years younger than me with blond-white hair and sky-blue eyes blocked my way. I was stunned. Until I’d met my landlord, the only other small men I’d seen were in movies or TV. Now two showed up in Stone Acres. What were the odds?
Leo was wearing his sharkiest smile, unlike his companion, who seemed delighted to see me.
“Can I help you?” I asked, looking away from them. John had been fierce in his warning to stay away from Leo.
Leo and his much shorter companion stood out in the midst of our usual all-women shoppers.
Leo slipped into my personal space, towering over me.
“We need to talk, Fen.” His oily tone dripped down on me. He made me feel dirty inside, like he’d put his fingerprints on my soul.
John had warned that Leo’d find out my name and where I worked. It looked like the guy collected short guys for some reason.
Leo nodded to the other guy. “This is Ricky.”
Ricky smiled a grin that made his face radiate with good cheer. Something about him struck me as a little off, like I was seeing him through a funhouse mirror. His smile seemed tinged with too much childish glee for someone who looked like he was my age.
Even if John hadn’t warned me, I still would have shied away from both of them. Leo’s eyes gave a dead-man-walking stare that slithered over me, looking even more reptilian than it had before.
“Did Johnny explain to you who I am?” My space got even smaller as Leo shifted from one foot to the other, edging closer.
I shook my head and tried to figure out how to get away from them. I knew they weren’t customers, so I didn’t have to talk to them or even pretend to be particularly civil. I turned away.
“I’m the guy who’ll make you rich and fulfill all your dreams.” Leo’s low voice coiled around me, making me shiver. Coming from his mouth, the words sounded obscene and sordid, not like any life goals I’d ever had.
“He’s the Fairy Godfather.” Ricky’s laughter rivaled that of a baby’s glee. His fingers picked at his fisherman knit sweater. As Leo cleared his throat, Ricky stopped and wrapped his arms around himself. “I need Johnny,” he whined.
When Leo turned and glared at him, I fled into the employees-only potting shed. Knowing Leo was the type to follow, I slipped out the back and looped around to the checkout counter where I told Beth to be on the lookout for them. I added I was heading outside to work in the Christmas-tree prep area. Beth promised not to tell them where I was.
Quickly as I could, I put on my coat, hat, and gloves, all the while watching for Leo and Ricky in the security mirror. I spent the rest of the morning wrapping cut trees in netting and hiding behind them. By afternoon both of the men were long gone. I wasn’t sure why I was scared of overweight Leo and spooked by Ricky, but I was.
* * * *
After work, John was waiting for me when I pulled up in my truck. Fortunately, the snow had melted some during the day, so the sidewalks were clear enough that we could use the dolly to bring the tree into my place. I was so excited about putting up my own tree that I’d forgotten all about my morning visitors.
“What the fuck is this?” John was staring at the tree like he’d never seen one before.
“Christmas tree. Help me slide it onto the dolly.” I handed him a pair of gloves that I’d snagged from the supply cabinet in the employee area of the nursery.
“It’s in a pot.” He was staring at it as if he didn’t know trees grew in dirt. Maybe this was one of those supermarket moments for him, like when a child