Thank You, Santa

Thank You, Santa

by: Bikerider

“What?”  Jenny’s eyes widened.  “What did you say?"

“I said, this is a robbery.”  The voice came from under the curly, fake beard.  Santa’s furtive eyes moved around the jewelry store.  “I don’t want to hurt anyone, but don’t push me; I’m not the real Santa.”  His right hand reached under the white fur trim of his tunic.  Jenny stood frozen, her mouth formed an O.  Santa handed a large manila envelope across the glass counter.

“Fill it,” he instructed, as he nodded toward the diamond jewelry in the case to Jenny’s left.  She hesitated with disbelief as her almond shaped, blue eyes began to well with tears.

“Don’t bring any attention to yourself, young lady,” Santa hissed, his hidden hand moving slowing.  Catching her breath, Jenny moved to the display counter containing the expensive jewelry; diamond necklaces, rings, and bracelets.  Stooping, she pulled the pieces from their displays and dropped them into the oversized envelope.

“Hurry, I don’t have all day,” Santa said, and then added, “today is my busiest day of the year.”  His cotton-candy beard was unable to hide all of his smile.

Jenny quickened her pace and grabbed the necklace she had been eyeing for weeks.  Holding one up to her eyes, she hesitated before putting it with the other pieces.

“You like that necklace, don’t you?” Santa whispered.  Jenny didn’t answer, but lowering her eyes was answer enough.  Santa leaned across the counter, his weight caused the glass to tick.  “Have you been a good girl this year…Jenny?” 

She looked down at the name tag pinned to her blouse, then looked up at Santa, while a small curl slowly unfurled at the corners of her red lips.  Santa looked around the store as Jenny continued to fill the envelope.

“Yes, I have,” she said.  Wobbling on her heels as she stood, she placed her hands on the glass counter to steady herself.
 
“Well, then,” Santa said, as the cloud-like beard jiggled on his face, "Santa should bring you everything you want.”  Taking the envelope from Jenny, he looked around the store again.  There were two other customers; both were talking to the only other salesperson.

“Is there a back door out of this place?” Santa asked as he looked toward the rear of the store.

“Yes, it goes out to the alley behind the shop,” she said, then after a short pause she added, “but it’s locked.”
 
“Where’s the key?”

“I’ll get it,” she said.

Jenny stooped and reached into the wooden storage bin below the glass display case.  When Santa saw her hand disappear into the cabinet he gasped and ran for the front door.  Jenny didn’t move as she watched him push the front door open violently and run out into the cold, snowy day.  Locking the wooden bin, she turned to her co-worker and said, “We've been robbed!” 

“No, officer,” Jenny answered, “I never saw him before.”  She dabbed at her wet eyes with a twisted Kleenex.  She watched closely as the officer took notes into a small notebook.

Taking a long look at Jenny, the officer’s eyes were filled with sympathy as Jenny began to cry again.  A second officer that had been out in the store poked his head into the store manager’s office and saw Jenny crying.  His voice was tinged with disappointment as he looked at his co-worker.
 
“I checked the glass, there are only smudges, no usable prints.”  He turned and walked up front again.

“That’s too bad,” the officer said to himself.

“What did he say?”  Jenny asked.

“The robbers finger prints were smudged.  Even if we find him we won’t be able to prove he was in here.”  He made more notes.  “And you can’t identify him, right?”

“No, sorry officer,” Jenny sobbed.  “His beard covered most of his face, I wouldn’t know him if I saw him again.”  She remembered Santa’s grey eyes and how much she liked them.  Handing the officer the list of stolen property she had made, Jenny watched his eyes as they moved over the handwritten words and did a quick tally.

“Wow, over $20,000.00 worth of jewelry,” he whistled softly.
 
“Yes, he took very expensive pieces,” she said.  She smiled at him and noticed his eyes were now locked on her nylon-clad legs.

“Is this everything?” he asked as he held the list up.  “Earrings, bracelets, one broach, two necklaces?” he asked.

“Yes, officer, that’s all of it.”  Her smile widened when he sat next to her and handed her his card.

“If you think of anything else, anything at all,” his knowing look was not lost on her.  “Please call me…call for anything.”  The emphasis on "anything," was not lost on Jenny either, she smiled and touched the officer’s muscular arm.

“I will,” she said, “I definitely will.”

The officer took a deep breath and stood to leave.  Smiling down at Jenny, he said, “For anything, okay?”  Jenny touched his hand and nodded her assent.

“If I think of anything I'll call you," then she added sweetly, "I promise."  The officer smiled and walked through the open door.   

Jenny woke up on Christmas morning and thought about the robbery two weeks ago.  She was surprised at how quickly the fear of that day had left her.  As she stretched her long legs between the warm sheets, her hand went to her neck and felt for her gift...it was still there.  Sitting up in bed she turned to look in the mirror.  She loved how the diamonds sparkled and how the gold chain felt against her soft, pink skin.  As her fingers danced over the necklace she had placed around here neck last night, her other hand reached for a small key on the nightstand.  Picking it up, she reminded herself that the cabinet key had to be returned to the store.  Quickly, her eyes returned to the mirror and the image of the sparkling diamonds.  She smiled, and with a quiet giggle she said.
“Thank you Santa.”

____________________________

W/C 973
December 22, 2010