Hope couldn’t stop the small smile that formed at Josie’s teasing grin as she flipped the sign to show the restaurant was closed. If anyone else had walked through the door, she probably would have been cursing whatever careless hostess had forgotten to flip the sign. Of course then Josie had to call her adorable and a grinchy scowl crossed her face. “I am not adorable,” she argued, but there was no bite behind her words. It was hard to even pretend to be angry at Josie Saltzman and her damn Christmas cheer. (Though Hope thought guiltily for a moment of the unused paints still sitting in a giftbag that Josie had given her the previous week.) “You know I’m basically a human Krampus about Christmas.” She rolled her eyes, remembering attempts in high school by some of her cheerier classmates to get her into the Christmas spirit. The jolly guy in red just didn’t do it for her. She was more prone to believe in a monster that ate bad children than some magic guy climbing down chimneys and delivering presents to the good little boys and girls. Holiday magic lost its charm when it was just a reminder of how much she’d already lost.
She searched Josie’s eyes for disappointment, but she couldn’t decipher the emotions she found there. She couldn’t decipher what had brought Josie here. Here, standing at the door of her work on Christmas Eve of all days, when she had a family she could be spending time with before she left town again. Josie asked to talk and suddenly Hope could sense the buzz of nervousness behind the other girl’s words. Hope glanced over her shoulder and shrugged. The guys in the kitchen were laughing over something and blasting screamo Christmas music (because that was a thing she didn’t need to know existed) and she knew they’d hardly realize she was gone.
With a shrug, she leaned the mop against the nearest table and grabbed Josie’s hand with a mischievous grin. “Fuck it. It’s almost Christmas, right?” Hope dared to let a small laugh escape as she pulled the tall brunette out into the cold and locked the door behind them, taking them a block away before dropping the other girl’s warm hand and crossing her arms, taking the moment to seriously study Josie’s face. “What’s going on?” she asked, the spark from before fading as a seriousness entered her tone and she slowed her pace. “Is everything okay, Jo?” Hope wasn’t good at this – emotional support, listening, giving advice – but Josie deserved for someone to try.
“Cute, adorable, both work” Josie replied with a grin. Teasing Hope was always fun and even if it’d been a while they seemed to easily fall into back habits which Josie was glad for. She really had missed hanging out with Hope and had worried a little that seeing her again would be more awkward. Luckily it hadn’t been too awkward. “At least you’re not the Grinch and stealing other people’s Christmas” she joked with a slight smile.
“Are you sure you won’t get in trouble?” She asked as Hope pulled her out of the restaurant. She wanted to talk to Hope but it wasn’t too urgent and she didn’t want Hope to get in trouble at work because of her. Though they were already a block away now and she didn’t think Hope would want to go back. Hope dropped Josie’s hand and she couldn’t deny she was a little disappointed, missing the warmth of the others hand in hers, she didn’t show it though.
“Yeah, yeah” she nodded as she placed her hands in her pockets to ward against the cold. “Everything’s fine, I just-” she paused for a moment. “I got a job offer.”