The Working Elf Blues Read Online Free PDF

that." Wes went to one of the drawers and started pulling out some silverware.
    Together, they set the table, and Garnet sat while Wes began to slice into the turkey. Almost immediately it became evident that Wes wasn't very practiced at carving meat. Garnet hid a smile behind his hands. Somehow, seeing Wes struggle with the task only further endeared him to Garnet, a feat which he hadn't thought possible. He liked that Wes wasn't perfect.
    Garnet knew from watching that Wes tended to be grumpy and a bit antisocial. He would shovel his neighbor's driveway, but be dismissive and gruff when thanked. He'd donated several pieces of furniture to a local women's shelter, yet shunned their invitations to stay for dinner. By nature—or perhaps conditioned by his upbringing—Wes was a loner. He obviously liked and cared about people, but Garnet recognized that Wes felt awkward in social situations. Often, his anxiety got mistaken for rudeness. He came across as abrupt, closed off. That, combined with his size, made for an intimidating package.
    Few people knew what Garnet did. Underneath the brusque exterior, Wes had a tender, giving heart. He only needed to find someone who understood. Garnet could be that man. Elf.
    All he had to do now was convince Wes.
    *~*~*
    Wes couldn't recall ever enjoying a meal so much. He knew it was the company more than the food, which was fantastic in and of itself. Garnet entertained him with stories about his life in the North Pole. There were tales of his father's inventions and the near-catastrophes caused by a few, rumors about the cause of the lifelong rivalry between Donner and Blitzen (according to the gossip, the paternity of a certain calf was in question—the scandal ), and how Mrs. Claus was a bit of a jokester and constantly pulling pranks on unsuspecting elves. Wes liked that last one best of all because it was so at odds with the image in his head of a matronly old woman baking cookies all day long.
    Garnet's hand gestures and reenactments had Wes doubled over the table at one point, tears streaming from his eyes as he tried to catch his breath. The laughter left his stomach aching in the best possible way as they popped a frozen cherry pie into the oven and went about cleaning the kitchen.
    Later, with plates of pie and mugs of warmed apple cider, they settled on the couch to watch Miracle on 34th Street . It was a childhood favorite for Wes, one he'd watched every year when Mitch was alive, but Garnet claimed to have never seen it. Wes decided that had to be rectified—immediately.
    Yet as the movie wore on, Wes found his attention straying to Garnet again and again. Garnet sat tucked into the corner of the couch, his legs curled up beneath him, hands stuffed into the sleeves of his oversized sweater. Usually, one of the dogs would be on the couch with Wes, but they'd all sprawled on the floor near the fireplace, leaving the space between him and Garnet empty.
    Wes didn't let himself think about it too hard before he reached over and grabbed Garnet's wrist, tugging softly.
    Garnet looked at him in surprise.
    Wes pulled again. "C'mere."
    Garnet shot him a shy smile and let himself be arranged to lay with his back to Wes's chest. Wes buried his face in Garnet's auburn hair, inhaling the scent of the spices he'd used to cook and an underlying hint of something minty. Garnet shivered a little in his arms.
    "I like this."
    Wes might have missed the whispered words had he not been so focused on Garnet. He had to admit, Garnet felt good in his arms. Wes enjoyed the difference in their sizes, the way he could tuck Garnet's head under his chin and how Garnet fit against his chest and their legs tangled together. Garnet's arms folded over his, and Wes hummed quietly. His body stirred at Garnet's proximity—which wasn't surprising; it had been a long time since he'd dated anyone—but he didn't want anything more right then. Just to hold and be held, share heat, comfort.
    He nuzzled the tip of