by Krista Lakes
“Right.” Money was what was important. It was what drove him. It was what had always driven him.
“Okay.” Lucy smiled. “Your flight is scheduled in four hours. I already had Gregory pack your things. That should still give you enough time for dinner with what’s-her-name.”
“Holly. Her name’s Holly.”
What was he going to tell Holly? He could still see her smile when he told her the company was staying. She would be crushed. Her students, her father’s bookstore, her town... he was taking it all away from her.
“Sure.” Lucy shrugged. She frowned at his expression. “It’s going to be okay, Nathan. We’re going to make millions. Money is everything, remember?”
“Right.” He hoped he sounded more sure than he felt.
Lucy sighed, her face concerned.
“Boss, can I make a suggestion?” She put her hand on his shoulder.
“What? You have more companies you want to move?”
“The girl. She’s not good for you,” Lucy told him. “She’s got you all sentimental. You aren’t making sound business decisions because of her. It’s not like you. You don’t give up money for anyone.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you aren’t yourself. Two weeks ago, you were a bloodthirsty shark. Today, you’re all cuddly and soft. You want to keep a business here because it’s the nice thing to do,” Lucy explained. “You can’t run a business and be nice.”
Nathan sighed. He had felt the same thing. He wasn’t hungry for the thrill of seeing his bank account numbers go up like he used to be.
“I think you need to choose between her and your business.” Lucy squeezed his arm. “I don’t mean to be cruel, but I want to be honest. I’m here to help you make money, remember? And she’s not helping you with that.”
“I know,” Nathan admitted. “I’m not thinking about the business when I’m with her.”
“And that’s a problem if you want to make money,” Lucy said. “It’s already a problem, but it’s just going to get worse.”
She grabbed a pen, scribbled something and handed him a slip of paper. It was big number and lots of zeros.
“That’s the projection,” Lucy told him. “That’s all going to be yours if you choose the company.”
Millions. Millions of dollars. He’d have an even bigger bank account. He felt the usual thrill of seeing money in his account. This would fix all the loses. This would make him happy. He knew it. Money always made him happy.
“Money is everything,” he repeated.
“Money is everything,” Lucy agreed.
Chapter 36
Nathan
Nathan sat in the empty office, staring at his bank account numbers on his phone.
He was down ten million today, but the market looked like it might swing up by the end of the day. A ten million dollar fluctuation was nothing, but it was worrying. He hadn’t had a good up day since meeting Holly.
He could see the choice in front of him. Holly or the money.
The money had always been there for him. Since the beginning, money had given him what he needed. It wasn’t his family that had made him successful, it was the fact that he liked seeing the numbers in his bank account go up.
He wished he could have both worlds, one of business and one with community and friends. He knew it couldn’t be. It had to be one or the other. That was the way it had always been, and up until this moment, the easy choice had been the money.
He wanted to forget the smiles on the children’s faces today. He wanted to forget the warmth of the town. The way everyone said hello and treated him like he’d always lived there. He wanted to pretend that taking this business away wouldn’t change the town. That it would stay the same.
But he knew it wouldn’t.
ECT was the lifeblood of the town. Without it, the majority of the high-paying jobs would disappear. The housing market was already experiencing a downturn because so many houses were being put on the market for the move to California.
“Money is what matters,” he told himself.
The money would be worth it. He would see his bank account and this would be justified.
Except, he knew that the money didn’t matter for Holly.
He mattered to her.
He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what the next few months would look like.
The company would move to California. He would be busy with molding it into what Paradigm wanted. He would gut ECT and change everything about it to fit the Paradigm model. It wouldn’t be the company Holly remembered when he was done.
In California, he would barely see Holly at all. He would go back to his old life. The one where he slept at the office and only ate because Lucy brought him food. He would barely have time to shower, let alone have a relationship.
It wasn’t fair to Holly. She deserved someone who would love and cherish her. She deserved someone who could volunteer in her classroom. Who could be in parades and sit and discuss books, who could lay in bed and snuggle and laugh.
He wasn’t that person.
This week had been heavenly, but it wasn’t who he was. He was Paradigm Technologies. He was a cut-throat businessman who took what he want. His only concern was money, and getting more of it.
He could give Holly money, but that wasn’t what she needed.
She needed love and time.
He didn’t know how to do that. Not with his life. Not with the way his world worked.
He’d let himself believe the dream. He’d let himself think that if he kept ECT in Devonsville, it would change things. That he could have both worlds.
But he couldn’t.
He could only have one.
He had to end things. If he did it now, they would both survive the heartbreak. She would have her family and Christmas to help her through it. He didn’t want to ruin her Christmas with memories of him.
He was the Grinch. Scrooge. The enemy of Christmas. It was better for her to have the holiday without him ruining things. Better to leave before the stakes were too high. If he left now, she could still have a happy Christmas.
Better to wake from the dream than have it turn into a nightmare.
His hands went to his head, his heart aching with the choice. A tear trickled down his cheek.
He held his phone in his hands, cradling the numbers he could see there. The decision was made and he was choosing wealth.
It would be worth it, he told himself.
The money always was.
Money was what mattered.
Chapter 37
Merryweather
Something was wrong. Merryweather could feel the shift in her bones, much like the ache in her joints before a big storm. She could feel the magic starting to fade.
Darkness was coming.
The love was fading.
Something had to be done.
Chapter 38
Holly
“There,” Holly whispered, carefully placing the last piece of tape.
She smiled at her work. The wrapping paper was neatly folded around the corners and she’d even made the tape look nice. She wrote Nathan’s name in neat print on the corner. It was possibly the best wrapping she’d ever done on a present.
It was just a copy of A Christmas Carol, but it seemed like the perfect Christmas Eve present for Nathan. She’d agonized over which book to get him for the Christmas Eve tradition, but had finally settled on this one.
It was tradition in her family to gift a book on Christmas eve. She was excited to share this tradition with Nathan. She was excited to share everything with him.
Life was good. She tucked the book under the small tree in her apartment next to the other gift she’d picked out for him. It was just a t-shirt with the name of the town and a printed mountain background. It wasn’t much, but she thought he would like it since he was moving his company here. It felt like a good gift and she couldn’t wait for Christmas to come so she could give it to him.
Half the fun of Christmas was giving gifts. She knew he wouldn’t be expecting anything, which made it even better. She felt a little like Santa Claus.
It was time for dinner with Nathan. She smoothed her black dress down and checked her earrings. She’d even curled her hair and put on makeup since it was supposed to be a nice dinner. They had reservations at Mountainside, which was one of the nicer restaurants in town. The last time she’d eaten there was for a wedding.
Cold wind blew as Holly hurried into the restaurant. The hostess told her that Nathan hadn’t arrived yet, but was happy to take her to the table. They had a small, romantic table in a corner. A small candle flickered on the table, and two pristine white napkins sat ready and folded.
A thought hit Holly.
“Can I order two glasses of champagne?” she asked the server.
The champagne arrived and Holly sat waiting patiently for Nathan to arrive. With her hands in her lap, she watched the tiny bubbles in the golden liquid dance to the top. She checked her watch and found that he was ten minutes late. She chewed her lip before remembering that she had lipstick on.
Had he forgotten? She checked her phone, but didn’t see any messages saying he’d gotten tied up in a meeting. She hoped that he was okay. The roads could be icy this time of year. Every time the front door opened, she perked up, hoping it was him.
Nathan arrived nearly twenty minutes late. He walked through the restaurant with a cool confidence.
Holly stood up to greet him. “Hi,” she said, coming to kiss him. He sat before she could.
There was a darkness to his eyes that she hadn’t seen before. It didn’t match the smiling joy she’d seen earlier that day.
It must have been a rough day, she decided.
“I ordered us a couple of glasses of champagne,” she said, motioning to the delicate glasses on the table. “I don’t know when you plan to make the announcement about Elements, but I thought we could celebrate a little tonight. Just the two of us.”
She smiled at him, hoping that now that he was sitting in the warm restaurant, he might relax and have a better evening. He didn’t smile back.
“Is everything okay?” she asked him. “If you don’t want champagne, they have some amazing cocktails here.”
Nathan’s jaw twitched. “ECT isn’t staying in Devonsville,” he said, his voice flat.
Holly’s smile faltered. “What do you mean? You sounded so sure earlier.”
“I mean the company is moving to California,” he replied.
“Oh.” Holly’s shoulders fell. She immediately thought of her father. He’d been so excited to hear he might be able to keep his bookstore running. She thought of her students. Nearly a quarter of her class was preparing for the move to California. They were scared and unsure of changing homes. Moving was hard on kids. “Is there a reason why?”
“Because I said so,” he said sharply. “I own this business. I can do whatever I want with it.”
Holly pulled back at the sharp tone. He’d never spoken to her like that. He sounded angry with her, but Holly couldn’t figure out why. She hadn’t done anything wrong, at least not that she could think of.
“Okay.” She fiddled with the napkin in her lap. “How was the rest of your day?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he snapped at her. He reached out and drank his champagne without offering a toast. He didn’t even look at her.
Holly was a patient person. She had to be as a second grade teacher. She was good at managing her emotions and not responding when people reacted poorly. Still, this grated on her nerves. Her nice night out with a charming date was turning sour.
He finished his champagne and made a face. “What kind of cheap champagne did you order?”
“I just ordered regular champagne,” she said, surprised at the defensiveness in her own voice.
“It’s terrible,” he scolded her.
“Okay...” She picked up her menu and pretended to read it. Her eyes blurred with hurt tears that made her feel stupid. His sharp words shouldn’t affect her like this, but still it stung to be spoken to like that. She blinked, trying to clear them so she could see if she wanted the filet mignon or the salmon.
To be honest, at this point she wasn’t sure she wanted to eat at all.
She cleared her throat. “So, I thought we could go ice skating tonight,” she said, setting her menu to the side and trying again. “It’s this fun tradition in town to go ice skating the evening after the parade. It’s just for couples and the rink hangs mistletoe in every corner. I thought it would be fun.”
She had been looking forward to having a date for once to go with. It was usually full of teenagers and old married couples, but she could see her and Nathan having a wonderful time. Maybe it would even put him in a better mood.
“I’m leaving tonight,” Nathan announced, not looking up from his menu.
“You’re leaving?” Holly frowned, surprised. They’d made plans for Christmas Eve. She was looking forward to sharing her holiday traditions with him.
“Do I have to repeat everything?” He set down his menu and glared at her.
“No, but you can explain. We had plans.” Holly tried to keep the irritation out of her voice.
“Business.”
Anger flared up in Holly’s chest. “That’s it? Business?”
“I don’t need to explain myself to you,” he told her.
Holly’s jaw dropped. Who was this man? This wasn’t the Nathan she knew and loved. “No, you don’t have to explain. But it would be polite.”
Nathan focused his gaze on her, but instead of feeling like the center of the galaxy, she felt like a negligent vendor for his business.
“I have a business to run. I’ve spent too much time playing here. I have work to do.”
“And Christmas? Our plans?” she asked, crossing her arms.
His jaw twitched again. “Business comes first.”
Holly stared at him for a moment. Her eyes narrowed. “What’s going on?” she asked. “This isn’t like you.”
His eyes flashed once. “It is like me. You just don’t know me.”
Holly’s heart fell. “I guess not.”
“I can’t do this, Holly,” he said, his voice going soft. “I have to go.”
“Go?”
He stood up and reached for his wallet. “I’m sorry, Holly.” He placed a bill large enough to cover the champagne on the table. He then turned and left, putting on his coat as he walked through the restaurant. He left her.
Holly sat in shock for a moment. This wasn’t how she’d seen this evening going at all. She stared at the champagne glasses, one empty and one full. What just happened?
She grabbed her coat and chased after him. The streetlights were just starting to flicker on as the winter sun dipped red behind dark clouds. The wind nipped at her, making her shiver and wish for a heavier jacket.
“Nathan, wait!” she called to him, chasing him down the street.
He turned, his brown eyes sad. She slowed, breathless beside him.
“Nathan, what’s going on?”
He sighed. “Holly, go home. Enjoy the holiday with your family. Celebrate with your friends and the town.”
“What about you?”
“I don’t have Christmas,” he told her. “I have my business. That’s what I’ve always had. It’s what I want.”
“And us?”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “It was good while it lasted, but I’m not the one for you. I’ll only end up hurting you.”
“Nathan...” Holly shook her head. “No. Please.”
“I’m letting you go,” he told her. “It’s my Christmas gift to you. I can’t give up who I am, and I don’t fit here. I don’t fit in your life and you don’t fit in mine. My company comes first, and you are so much better than second place.”
“We could make it work,” she said, but she knew it wasn’t true. She’d seen what being a CEO did to George Element’s wives. That wasn’t s
omething she was willing to sign up for. She didn’t want to be second to the company.
There were a lot of things that she was willing to compromise on. This wasn't one of them. It appeared that their initial reservations were correct.
They should have just left things at the ski resort. They both knew this was never actually going to work. It had been a silly dream to think otherwise. They were just too different and they both knew it.
Nathan was right. This needed to end here.
“Goodbye, Holly.” Nathan kissed her cheek one last time. His lips were soft as they grazed her skin. “Thank you for this week.”
She closed her eyes, not wanting to cry.
When she opened them, he was gone.
Chapter 39
Merryweather
Merryweather watched as Nathan got on a plane and headed for California. Holly was no where in sight.
“Oh, fiddlesticks.” Merryweather frowned. This was going to take some fixing.
She picked up the phone.
“Fauna? I need a favor,” she said.
Her sister sighed. “You always need favors.”
“Yes, but this one is worth it,” Merryweather promised.
Fauna sighed, but at least she agreed to listen.
Chapter 40
Nathan
“Mr. Reed?” a soft feminine voice asked at Nathan’s office door. “I have some files for you. May I come in?”
“Sure,” Nathan said, motioning forward. He was glad for the distraction. No matter what he did, he couldn’t seem to be able to focus on work. His heart just wasn’t in it.
The woman came in with a stack of files in her petite hands. She wore a black pant suit with a soft, pale green undershirt that brought out the light green color of her eyes. He wasn’t sure what her age was. Her hair was so blonde it appeared to be almost silver against the black of her jacket.