Holidays are Hell

Jill bit her lip, watching John with the same fascination she'd watched a snake about to strike. She then became aware that Nick had moved away from her.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a whisper as he moved back to the door between the front and back of the shop, then her attention shifted back to the front door as John began to tug at it again as if he could force it open by sheer will. Nick paused too, she noted, but her attention was on watching John try to open the door, then the scientist suddenly stopped and moved away on the sidewalk, trying to look nonchalant. They understood why when a police officer appeared in front of the store and approached him.

Jill supposed the officer had spotted him working at the door and briefly hoped that he'd arrest him or something, which would leave her and Nick safe and free, but the officer merely spoke to him for several minutes, then turned and continued along the sidewalk. Jill supposed there wasn't really anything he could arrest him for. Trying a door wasn't an offense.

"The cop must be keeping an eye on him," Nick murmured when several moments passed after the policeman moved out of sight, and John didn't return to his efforts with the door. He was merely leaning against the telephone pole out front, his gaze fixed on Nick's storefront. "It looks like he's decided to wait out front for us to try to leave."

"Until he remembers there are back entrances and tries that," Jill said unhappily.

"You're right," Nick muttered and suddenly pushed the door between the back of the store and the front closed. "We'd better be quick."

Hurrying to her side, he caught her arm and urged her toward the back door. "We'll slip out through the alley and—" He paused and turned to frown when Jill didn't budge, but held her ground. "We have to move quickly, Jill."

"Not like this. Santa and Mrs. Claus are too conspicuous. He'd spot us a block away like this," she pointed out.

Nick peered from her red cape to the padded Santa costume he wore and sighed. "You're right."

Jill was about to point out, as patiently and gently as she could that it was safer for her to go alone, when he suddenly brightened, "I keep a change of clothes here in case of spills or such. They're in my office. You can wear those."

"What about you?" she asked with a frown.

"Unlike you, I have jeans and a t-shirt on under here," he said dryly. "I'll just strip off the costume and beard."

"Oh." She was silent for a minute, then nodded. "Yes. Go find the clothes."

The moment he disappeared into his office, Jill headed for the back door. Despite what she'd said, she had every intention of slipping away. She'd be doing them both a favor. The man had said one of the things he liked about her was that she was normal and sane. If that was so, he'd hardly be interested in her once he knew the truth of what she'd become. There was nothing normal or sane about being a shape-shifter.

No, it was better this way, she decided unhappily. She'd get out of his life before she forced him to break her heart by rejecting her.

Jill's hand was on the doorknob to the back door when she spotted the calendar on the wall next to it. Pausing, she stared. It was open to December and showed a couple walking down the city street in warm winter gear. Jill glanced from the picture down to herself and back. She'd be less noticeable in the calendar woman's face and outfit than as herself. And as much as she wanted to spare herself the humiliation of explaining everything to Nick—if she even could—she didn't wish to do so at the expense of getting caught and caged up for the rest of her life by a madman.

Shifting to look like the calendar girl seemed her safest route, and it would only take seconds, Jill assured herself. She'd be changed and gone before Nick got back.

Decision made, she released the door knob and concentrated on the picture, imagining herself looking like that woman. Wanting it. Needing it.

"Jesus."

Jill blinked and glanced toward the door to Nick's office, a small gasp slipping from her lips as she spotted him standing frozen in the doorway. He was beardless and in only his street clothes, the clothes he'd sought for her a bundle clutched to his chest, but it was the shock on his face that concerned her.

She glanced down at herself, not surprised to see that she had changed successfully to the calendar girl. Her only wonder was whether he'd been there long enough to see her change or if his shock was at finding a stranger in the room.

"Jill?" he said with disbelief. "How did you do that?"

Well, that answered her question she supposed, her shoulders sagging. He'd seen her change. Now he knew how un-normal and unsane she was.