Casper Gets His Wish Read Online Free PDF

more from Hollyberry, that much was clear. Whatever had been in his voice, in his eyes, the last time they had spoken, hadn’t been anything. It definitely hadn’t been what Casper had hoped it was. If it had, Hollyberry’s paperwork would be here now, even if Hollyberry himself wasn’t.
     
    Hollyberry was the slacker he had always been. Whatever his other qualities, his surprising empathy, his sharp mind, his hot and inked body, he wasn’t going to ever care about Casper. Casper was a fool for wishing.
     
    At that thought Casper didn’t hesitate. Lumps of coal ! he thought to himself. Even the Big Guy probably knew that Casper could have found the way to Gift Development without looking at this point. He stalked out of his office, jammed the gumdrop button for the elevator and stood, fuming, to the tune of the tinkling music inside as it carried him to the right floor.
     
    It was late, even for elves, so Gift Development wasn’t as crowded as usual, but there were enough elves present to notice him and to stop to watch his progress with wide, wide eyes. Casper was this close to flipping them off, except that it was easier to glide forward and focus on his rage rather than see the amusement or disdain all over their faces. 
     
    He reached Hollyberry’s office and opened his mouth to yell the moment the door was open.
     
    Then he went still. He froze really, falling to one side against the doorframe as all his breath left him.
     
    Despite the noise of the door being slammed open, Dmitri didn’t stir. He was asleep across his desk, his head on his arms, smeared eyeliner on one arm. Casper finally shut his mouth, and then turned as Pinebough came up next to him. She had bags under her eyes and her clothing was wrinkled. He resisted the urge to point that out. It was the end of the day, after all, even Casper’s tie was loosened.
     
    None of that excused sleeping on the job of course, but there was something about the gentle sounds of Dmitri’s breathing, the heavy exhaustion pulling him to his desk, that left Casper unable to think of one sarcastic word.
     
    “It’s Weights and Measures,” Pinebough explained in a whisper, using everyone’s nickname for the Department of Lists and Judgment. “They changed their classification or standards or something, and dumped a million new requests on us this week. I guess a lot of names have been moved from Naughty to Nice, and the extra workload means most of us have been up for four days straight.”
     
    Casper stopped, looking at Hollyberry while listening to him breathe. Four days without sleep was a lot, even for an elf. No wonder he was exhausted.
     
    “He demands perfection in his work, you know,” Pinebough added, apparently in case Casper was going to argue. But he knew that too; he had played Dmitri’s video games.
     
    He hesitated for another moment, and then stepped from the room, letting the door close after him. He twitched a frown onto his face and glared at Miss Pinebough. If she was worth her paychecks, which of course Casper had seen, then she should know how to do what he needed.
     
    “Get me the end of the month reports, I don’t care what state they’re in,” he ordered, and then turned. He stopped in their break room, looking through their mugs until he found a clean one and then he filled it with the last of their coffee. Pinebough appeared in the doorway as he added truly frightening levels of sugar to it and stirred, but she didn’t speak. She had the necessary papers with her. Casper took them from her as he swept out. He pointedly ignored the surprise and delight in her expression.
     
    Even accounting elves were committed to their work, non-creative he might be, but he had a heart. It shouldn’t be so shocking. He arched an eyebrow at the elves who watched him leave with coffee and billing notes in hand, and waited by the elevators without uttering a word, pretending his cheeks weren’t the color of a strawberry