by Krista Lakes
Aliyah texted her back a thumbs up as well as an eggplant emoji. Holly rolled her eyes and put her phone away. She wished Aliyah was feeling up for the party, but was glad she was at least doing better. That sandwich really knocked her for a loop.
“Who is doing your makeup?” Flora asked, pinning a curl to the side of Holly’s head.
“I was just going to do it myself,” Holly admitted. “My friend Aliyah said she would help.”
“I don’t mean to be pushy, but I’d love to do it for you,” Flora said. The curling iron clicked and hissed as she put it in Holly’s hair. “I wouldn’t charge you. I’m taking a class and I’d love the practice. Your bone structure would be so much fun to work with.”
“Um, sure?” Holly shrugged.
“And don’t worry, I plan on a more natural look. But, I think a little bit of smoky eye mixed with a good eyeliner, maybe some red lipstick...well that depends on your dress...” Flora started rambling on, coming up with her plan.
Holly let her ramble. She was having fun. She could see the shape of the up-do Flora was creating and couldn’t wait to see the end result. Her dirty-blonde hair looked shiny and perfect. It almost didn’t look like her real hair, it was so lovely.
“Here’s the dresses,” Merryweather announced, stepping into the salon area and holding up two garment bags. “One’s blue and the other is pink.”
“I like the idea of a pink one,” Flora said, giving one last spray of hairspray. “Is it still snowing out there?”
“Like crazy,” Merryweather replied. She almost sounded proud of the snow outside. “The locals all say they’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I hope it doesn’t go too overboard,” Flora replied, pursing her lips at Merryweather. “We can’t stay here forever.”
“Oh, I know.” Merryweather hung the dresses and pulled open the bags. “Oh, it’s not blue. It’s actually green.”
Flora leaned over from where she was standing and smiled. “I think the green one is actually going to be the winner. Let’s see her try them on.”
Holly stood up and looked at the two dresses. The pink one looked soft and feminine. The pink was pretty without being too girlish. The cut was mermaid with a lace overlay that took away much of the pink color and softened it.
The green dress caught her eye though. It was a dark emerald with a deep v-neck and beautiful silver bead work. It reminded Holly of the 1920’s, but in a modern design. It was elegant, yet sexy.
She could see herself wearing it and dancing with Nathan.
“I’ll try the pink one first,” she said, standing up and taking the dress. Flora directed her to a small room off to the side where she could change. She quickly put on the pink dress and stepped out.
Both Flora and Merryweather frowned. So did Holly when she looked in the mirror.
“It’s not bad,” Flora told her. “It’s just not... you.”
Holly hurried back and put on the green dress. It felt soft on her skin and she loved the weight of the beading.
“Oh my,” Merryweather gasped when Holly stepped out.
“Oh my, indeed,” Flora agreed. “That’s the dress.”
Holly looked in the mirror and thought a princess was looking back at her. She looked radiant. Lovely. Slim and yet curvy at the same time. The green of the dress brought out the green of her eyes.
“Let’s finish that makeup,” Flora said, motioning Holly in the mirror to come back and sit down. “It’s almost time for the party.”
Chapter 12
Merryweather
They were perfect for one another. Merryweather could see the strands of love starting to bind them together. The magic of love mixed with the magic of Christmas, making a heady combo for Merryweather to work with.
She rubbed her hands together once again, excited at the possibilities before her.
Love like this didn't happen every day. This was where magic came from.
Chapter 13
Holly
“Hot damn, girl!” Aliyah whistled when Holly walked into the bedroom of their suite to grab her shoes. “Where did you get that dress?”
“It was from the hotel. Kind of a fluke thing,” Holly replied. “You like it?”
“Like it? I love it. It’s perfect. It’s like it was made for you,” Aliyah told her. “You look like a freaking princess.”
Holly looked over at her friend, taking her in. Aliyah was still in bed, a big silver bowl in the bed with her. There were saltines and ginger ale on the nightstand.
“You doing okay?” Holly asked, feeling guilt creep in at leaving her friend.
“I’m doing great,” Aliyah assured her. “Well, other than my stomach deciding that it doesn’t need to keep anything down. I’ve gotten through nearly half a season of Game of Thrones.”
“I don’t want any spoilers,” Holly reminded her. She went to the window and peeked out. Snow was still coming down hard. The entire ski basin was covered in a thick blanket of fresh powder.
“I’ll try not to,” Aliyah promised. “Is it still snowing? I heard they might let us stay an extra day if we can’t get out.”
“Are you okay with that?” Holly asked, closing the curtain and turning back to Aliyah.
“Heck yeah. I don’t want to teach like this.” She motioned to the silver bowl and ginger ale. “Besides, I still have half a season to watch. I already called the school and gave them a warning. They said it’ll probably be a snow day there, too. It’s super lucky.”
Luck seemed to be on Holly’s side this weekend. She chuckled and slid on her black heels. They weren’t super fancy, but they were comfortable. No one would see them anyway since they would be under the hem of the dress.
“Have a blast,” Aliyah told her, pulling the covers up to her chin. “I want to hear all about it. And your day. You said it was good?”
“Great.” Holly felt a warmth fill her core. “I met this guy. His name’s Nathan.”
“Ooo,” Aliyah sat up a little in bed. “Tell me more.”
I couldn’t stop the smile from creeping across my face as I thought about him. “Well, he likes to read, he’s funny, and he can’t throw a snowball to save his life.”
Aliyah laughed. “Is he cute?”
“Super cute. He’s got short dark brown hair, and these amazing dark eyes. Like, movie-star eyes. And his smile is just a little bit crooked, but in a way that makes his whole face light up when he smiles. Plus, he’s got these... You’re laughing at me.”
Aliyah sat snickering in the bed. “I’m sorry.” She put her hands to her mouth. “It’s just that you’re gushing. You look so damn happy. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re in love.”
“Love?” I scoffed. “I just met the guy. We haven’t even spent a full day together yet.”
“Maybe you found the one. Maybe it’s a Christmas miracle,” Aliyah teased. “I’m just glad that you are having fun. It’s nice to see you happy again. I haven’t seen you smile like that in months.”
“I feel happy,” Holly admitted. “Maybe it’s just getting away from all the negative talk in town. Maybe it’s being on vacation. Maybe it’s Nathan.”
“My money’s on Nathan,” Aliyah told her. “You should see the smile on your face when you say his name.”
Holly blushed. And thought about Nathan and smiled.
“Get out of here,” Aliyah told her. “I have dragons to watch. You have men to seduce and smile at.” She gave Holly a wink.
Holly shook her head and picked up her purse. She checked her makeup in the mirror by the door. It was still perfect. Flora was amazing. He looked up and down at the green dress, the curled and styled hair, and the eyelashes that went on for days.
She gave herself a thumbs up and headed down to the party.
The hotel had a beautiful reception area located to the the west of the lobby. The walls matched the rustic wood-cabin look of the hotel, but the inside was elegant and ornate. The center of the room had a dozen beautifully
decorated tables, all with centerpieces of evergreen and flickering candles. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, huge windows overlooked the snowy mountains outside, and beautiful people mingled drinking champagne. There was a fireplace and several cozy looking nooks with comfortable leather chairs along the back walls. A giant Christmas tree stood by one of the windows. The sparkling lights in the tree reflected on the dark windows like winter fireflies.
A man at the door took her ticket and gave her directions on how to find her table for dinner. She didn’t really need them. The table for the VIPs sat in the center of the room in full view of the other tables, and she could see the placard with her name on it from the entrance.
She was the “guest of honor” for tonight. It was framed as an awards ceremony, but it was more of a fundraiser. There were supposed to be lots of rich and famous people here tonight, all donating money to education initiatives. She was just the face of their work for the evening.
Holly picked up a glass of champagne from one of the servers and made her way to the table. There was to be dinner and speeches, and then a reception to follow. There was an open bar and she’d ordered the prime-rib for dinner, although she now felt it would be too much after lunch.
Still, she was excited.
“There you are,” Merryweather greeted her. “Come have a seat. We’re about to begin.” The woman now wore a dark blue business suit and had her silver hair pulled into a tight bun. Holly still couldn’t place her age. She was simultaneously twenty-six and seventy-three.
“Thank you,” Holly said as Merryweather walked her to the table. “Do you just do all the jobs around here?”
Merryweather laughed. “This snow has a lot of the staff home-bound. I live within walking distance, so I’m happy to come in so they can stay safe with their families. Besides, I love a good party.”
Merryweather pulled out a heavy wooden chair at the head table for Holly to sit in. Most of the other chairs were filled, except for the one in the middle. Holly couldn’t see the name placard, but whomever it was, obviously was the main host for the night. It was probably someone from one of the sponsoring companies.
Holly sipped on her champagne and watched as guests arrived. The ballroom seemed slightly empty, but she assumed it was probably due to the snow. Slowly people began to take their seats as servers notified everyone that the food would be arriving shortly.
That’s when Holly saw Nathan. She nearly dropped her glass of champagne.
He wore a stunning black tuxedo. He’d shaved and smoothed his dark hair back. He looked like something out of a movie. He was more suave than James Bond. More handsome than Prince Charming. Sexier than Christian Grey.
He paused at the edge of the tables, his brown eyes scanning the faces. A slight frown creased his brow as he looked. Merryweather tugged at his elbow, pointing to the edge of the room. Holly thought of calling to him, or at least waving, but this was a fancy party. Merryweather pulled him to the side of the room.
The lights dimmed, and Holly realized that there was a projection screen to her right. The words “Educators make the world bright” flashed across the screen. A video montage of stock-photo children with teachers in perfect classrooms scrolled across the screen. Luckily, they shifted into the various real teachers who had been nominated for the award and the images became less forced. Holly sipped on her champagne, and then nearly spit it out when her smiling face filled the screen.
Small clips of her laughing with her students danced across the screen. She heard herself saying words about education and the importance of treating children with respect and finding what made kids want to learn. She remembered giving an interview on camera upon winning the award.
She grimaced as she listened to herself. Her voice sounded too high and she wished she had said something more profound. She glanced around the room, but luckily all the guests seemed to be smiling at the screen and nodding their heads. Maybe she didn’t sound as dumb as she was afraid of being.
The lights rose and the room filled with applause. Holly felt her cheeks heat. She knew she’d won the Educator of the Year award, but she still wasn’t prepared for the public video or the fact that everyone was now staring at her.
Everyone, including Nathan. He stood at the edge of the tables, a microphone in one hand and the award trophy in the other. Their eyes met and he grinned at her.
“Thank you all for coming,” he said into the microphone, his eyes still on Holly. The room stilled and turned to look at him.
“My name is Nathan Reed. I’m the CEO of Paradigm Technologies and will be presenting the award to this year’s Educator of the Year award.” He paused, giving a small smile to Holly.
Her stomach tightened and went ice cold while her cheeks turned to fire.
Nathan was the CEO of Paradigm Technologies? This was the man buying out her town’s company. This was the man who was ruining the lives of everyone she cared about.
And yet, she didn’t hate him. Not when he smiled at her like that.
Her mind began to race. Maybe he doesn’t know about Elements Computers’ move to California, she thought to herself. Maybe it’s one of his underlings. Maybe this is fate’s way of fixing things. Maybe this is the Christmas miracle Devonsville needs.
“I was lucky enough to meet Ms. Jones earlier today,” Nathan continued. “I can see why her students adore her. She’s smart and funny, and a pro at dodge-ball. She’ll make you feel like the most important person in the world with just a smile.”
The crowd chuckled and Nathan made his way toward the main table. Holly couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. Every step closer made her heart pound just a little bit harder.
“This year, I am honored and proud to give Ms. Holly Jones the Educator of the Year award.” He now stood next to her. The spotlight centered on the two of them as she rose to her feet and he handed her the trophy. He shook her hand, posing for a photographer. Applause filled the room.
Holly hoped the picture came out okay. She only knew she was smiling because her cheeks hurt. Otherwise, her entire body was numb with shock.
And then Nathan handed her the microphone.
She fumbled with the award and the microphone, nearly dropping both but managing to keep them both in her hands.
“Wow.” She glanced around the room. Nathan had made it look so easy talking to all these fancy people. She was used to speaking in front of children, not adults. “First of all, thank you. I know that students nominate a teacher for this award, so I need to thank my class.”
Applause caught her off guard.
“My students and the families that raise them are the most important things in my world,” she continued. “I thank you for this award.”
She’d had a much longer and far more eloquent speech prepared, but upon seeing Nathan, it all went completely out of her head. She sat down hard in her chair and took a big gulp of champagne. The applause for her speech continued for a moment and then died down.
“Please enjoy the rest of your dinner,” Nathan said, taking the microphone. “Remember there’s an open bar and we are still taking donations for the literacy campaign. Thank you all and have a wonderful time tonight.”
The lights went back up and Holly felt the spotlight leave her like a physical release. She took another sip of champagne and looked over to see Nathan sitting in the chair next to her and grinning.
“So you really are a teacher,” he said, and then began to laugh.
Chapter 14
Nathan
When Holly said she was a teacher, he’d assumed private tutor or possibly college professor. He didn’t expect her to actually be a public school teacher, let alone the one he was giving an award to. He hadn’t paid any attention to the name of the recipient for tonight’s award. He never did. He learned it two seconds before the speech and promptly forgot it once the applause came.
He wouldn’t be forgetting the name this time.
He took his seat next to her, sipping on c
hampagne and excited about the evening. This award just became a lot more fun.
“So you’re Nathan Reed?” she asked him. Her green eyes held a touch of concern, as if she were no longer certain of him.
“The one and only,” he replied.
She looked like she was about to say something, but their food arrived. He was still full from lunch, so he didn’t plan on eating much. He looked over to see Holly had her fork and knife ready, but pausing at the plate.
She set her fork down and turned to face him. Her brow was serious and her mouth set in a thin line.
“Do you know anything about Elements Computer Technologies?”
Nathan thought for a moment, trying to place the name. Lucy had mentioned it. “I believe my company just acquired it,” he replied. “We just acquired three companies with the finalizations coming at the end of the year. It’s been a crazy couple of months.”
He didn't want to think about RentTech tonight. The name sounded familiar, but since he'd been preoccupied with RentTech, he wasn't sure. Lucy would know. She'd managed things for him. He wasn't sure what all she'd done, but he was sure it would make money for them both.
“Oh.” Holly looked disappointed. “Do you know anything about them moving the headquarters?”
He thought he remembered Lucy telling him something about a tax deal. He'd been so focused on RentTech that he wasn't sure what was going on. “Not really. I’m trying to take this weekend off from work.”
She nodded, her brow still dark. She opened her mouth to say something, then shut it, then open it again. “Elements Computer Technologies’ headquarters is in my hometown.”
He wasn’t quite sure what the connection was.
“The move is taking the major employer from my town.” Her words started slowly, but came out quicker and more emotional as she spoke. “If you could do something about it or even stop it, it would save our town. I know that we just met, but...”