Santa (Maybe): A Rom Com Novella by Alice Bex Read Free Book Online Page B

head. She smiled a fake smile and slapped him on the back. A lot too hard.
    “Little Marky Silvin!” Ami slapped him on the back again. Even harder. “Difficult to see any resemblance to the boy he was in high-school, huh Madeleine?”
    “I wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t told me, for sure,” Madeleine said.
    He hadn’t told her. This was all wrong. He was digging himself a hole. He should correct Madeleine right now. There wasn’t going to be a better time.
    “I could have sworn that in high-school you had green eyes,” Ami said.
    Mark tried to remember what color eyes Marcus Silvin did have. He couldn’t remember much about Marcus Silvin. He wasn’t at all sure that Marcus Silvin was someone he wanted to be mistaken for.
    “You know, what? I know you’re Marcus Silvin, but out of all Joe’s high-school friends, you actually look a lot more like—“ Madeleine was suddenly animated.
    Mark thought about cutting her off, but he was so curious, he let her finish.
    “—who was that guy, Ami? You know. That sweet little guy who had such an enormous crush on me?”
    Ami almost aspirated her cola.
    “He had a funny nickname. What was it? He was such a sweetheart, though. Remember after my law-school graduation, when I lost that—“
    Ami recovered her composure.
    “You must mean Matchstick?”
    “That’s him!” Madeleine said. “You remember him, Mark? Poor homely little thing. I thought it was kind of mean to call him Matchstick, but it certainly was an appropriate nickname.”
    Ami glared at Mark. He was sure that if they’d been sitting at a table, she would have been kicking him under it. Mark pretended to be thinking. Ami sat with her arms folded while giving Mark the stink-eye.
     
    Madeleine looked up. A harried nurse was calling for Emily Morgan.
    Madeleine took Emily’s hand and followed the nurse. When she looked back, Ami was still glaring at Mark. That was very odd. Ami liked Mark. Why was she angry with him all of a sudden?
    T hey got the gummy Santa out. The young Doctor, who had the grace not to laugh, put the offending candy into a zip-lock bag and handed it to Emily.
    “Put it under your pillow,” the doctor said. He smiled at Madeleine. “You might get a visit from the Nose Fairy.”
    Now Emily was sure stick to something up her nose every chance she got. This man obviously had no kids of his own.
    The doctor bent down on Emily’s level and said in a very solemn voice, ”But remember, the Nose Fairy visits only once in your lifetime. This is your big chance. Never, ever stick anything else up your nose again.”
    Well, maybe he did have a kid. He understood how the typical kid’s mind works, anyway.
    “OK,” said Emily. Then remember ing her manners, she added, “Thank you.”
    Madeleine wanted to get Emily home as soon as possible. It was w ell past her bedtime. She’d had far too much excitement and tomorrow was a school day. Emily would be a wreck by the end of the next day.
    W hen they got back out to the waiting room, Mark was gone. Ami still looked angry, but she gave no explanation either for Mark’s absence or her own stormy looks.
    By the time they made it back to Madeleine’s house and Emily was safely tucked in bed, Ami was ready to spill. Well, almost ready.
    “What’s going on, Ami?”
    “Not much.”
    “Don’t play dumb. You’re mad at Mark. Why?”
    “You know how Mark told you that he’s— you know what?” Ami paused and pulled out her phone. She dialed. “Hello, Mark. Just for the record, you’re a world-class wuss! Here’s my sister. Tell her!”
    Ami handed Madeleine the phone.
    “Hello.” Mark didn’t sound too happy.
    “Hi. What’s Ami talking about?”
    There was a long pause on the other end.
    “You know how you guessed that I’m Marcus Silvin?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Well, think back. Did I actually tell you that I’m Marcus Silvin?”
    Madeleine thought back. She remembered guessing. Then Ami called. No. He hadn’t actually told