Chad smiled. “Hell no. We’re going to kill ourselves together.”
If looks could kill, he would have just died on the spot. He tried to hold back his laugh, but failed. Devyn smacked his arm, the sting from her palm in the cold actually hurt. He laughed harder, snaking his arm around her waist to pull her close to him.
“Relax,” he cooed in her ear. “This is going to be fun. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never been good at this, we’ll be lucky to be able to stand, but I know a few tricks.”
“What kind of tricks?”
“Like holding onto the side of the rink. You’re less likely to fall.”
“I could have told you that one.” She rolled her eyes. “You’re going to get me killed. Was this your plan? Make me agree to a date with you and then you bring me somewhere to kill me and then steal my job?”
Chad doubled over, a laugh escaping his lips.
“Please.” He wiped a tear from his eye. “If I wanted your job, I wouldn’t kill you for it. I’d just take it.”
“Arrogant. That’s what you are.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Whatever. Lace up. We have a limited amount of time here.”
It didn’t take long for Devyn to get the hang of ice skating. Before long, she was doing circles around Chad, who was actually half decent at ice skating. He had played up how bad he was to make her feel better about the fact that she couldn’t skate, but turns out she didn’t need it.
“Oh my god,” Devyn said, staring up at the snow falling around her. She pushed off her heels, picking up speed. She had never felt so good in her entire life. Her breath was ragged, falling in uneven breaths as she pushed on her heels to gain momentum.
She skated toward Chad, slowing down to meet him by the other end of the skating rink.
His arms fished around her, wrapping her up in a hug. Their bodies were pressed against each other, the heat between them was the only thing keeping her from shivering. He stared at her. Her lips parted and the words tumbled from her lips before she could stop them, “I think I’m falling for you, Mr. Weeks.”
He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. Her entire body lit on fire. She reacted in ways she never thought she would. The warmth pooling in her belly again. Her heart skipped, fluttered. She wanted more. He pulled away. He was smiling, showing off the perfect row of white teeth.
“I think I’ve already fallen for you.”
“I’LL PICK YOU UP IN the morning,” Chad murmured against Devyn’s neck. Her arms were wrapped tightly around him, face snuggled closely into his chest. “Just let me know when you wake up. I really have to go.”
Chad looked down at her face peering up at him. “I wish I didn’t have to.”
“I wake up at 5:30 every morning.” She laughed. “So just let me know when you’re ready to go.”
“You are Wonder Woman,” he muttered, pressing his lips to hers again.
“Go. You need to get home, remember?” She pushed lightly on his chest.
He nodded, pulling away from her and walking down the stairs of her porch. She stood in the doorway watching him until he was settled in his truck. Chad rolled the window down and waved at her. She opened the door and slipped inside the house.
She flipped the light on, walked into the living room. Maria poked her head through the kitchen, raising an eyebrow at Devyn.
“Why do you have that look on your face?” Maria crossed her arms over her chest.
“What look?”
Maria leaned into the kitchen doorway, studying her. “You look like you’ve been enjoying yourself.”
Devyn rolled her eyes. “Next time I’ll asked for your permission.”
She stalked over to the coat closet, stuffing the puffy winter coat she had been wearing inside. Another suggestion from Chad that had came in handy.
Maria shrugged. “It just looks nice on you is all.”
“I–,” Devyn stuttered, fighting to find the right words for the way her stomach filled with butterflies and her brain had turned too goo for a guy. A guy who had tormented her. Devyn glanced to the floor, avoiding her sister’s gaze.
Maria stepped toward her, unwrapping the scar she hadn’t taken off.
“Did Alex change the dress code?”
Devyn refused to look Maria in the eyes. Her cheeks burned and she could only imagine the way she might look. “I went ice skating.”
“Oh. With anyone in particular?” Maria’s smirk was plastered on her face. Devyn didn’t have to look up to know she was about to be given a big ‘I told ya so.’
“I went with Chad,” Devyn said in a meek voice. “And I enjoyed it. I enjoy him.”
Devyn swallowed the lump in her throat and walked past her sister into the kitchen. She grabbed a tall glass and the whiskey from the refrigerator door.
“Since when do you drink?” Maria teased. “Don’t tell me Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome has passed his bad habits onto you.”
She raised the glass to her lips, the scent filling her nostrils. Images of Chad flashed through her mind. His lips against hers. His fingers in her hair. The way he said her name. The taste of whiskey on his mouth. She didn’t want to give him up, but she wasn’t sure how they would make things work since she was his boss.
Devyn took a large drink. The alcohol burned the back of her throat.
“I’m his boss,” she said into the void. “I’m not ready for this to end.”
Devyn met Maria’s eyes.
“Who said it had too?”
CHAD PULLED INTO HIS driveway. It was past 8 and he knew he was in deep shit. His sister’s car was still sitting in the driveway at least, so thankfully she hadn’t decided to ditch their mother.
He climbed out of the truck, preparing himself for the argument they were about to have. He fumbled with his keys, pushing the front door key into the lock. He twisted it, pushing the door open.
“Where the fuck have you been Chad?”
Chad met her eyes. Lidia had never been easy to live with. He pushed the door closed before pulling his boots off his feet.
“You can go Lid. I’ve got this.”
“Bullshit,” Lidia’s voice spiked. “I covered for you all night. Now you ask for more time and then you can’t even make it home on time.”
“It’s only a half hour.”
“And what’s your point? Last night was only over night. You can’t suck all my time away like this. We agreed mom would live with you.”
Same old Lidia. Chad pushed past her, smiling at his mom.
“Hey Ma.” Chad wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She smiled up at him.
“How did your date go?” His mom peered up at him, raising an eyebrow.
He smiled back at her, “Better than I could have expected.”
“Excuse me,” Lidia interrupted them. “You’re late because of a date? Was that what last night was too? You’re such a dick. You said it was a work thing that was keeping you.”
“Not a complete lie.” Chad looked up at his sister, annoyed he had to explain himself to her and that he had to lie to get a chance for a date with Devyn without having to bring his mother along. “She’s my boss. Technically.”
A cruel expression formed on his sister’s face. “Fucking the boss Chad? What are you trying to sleep your way to the top?”
“Could you please watch your mouth around her?” He gestured to their mother sitting behind them.
“Not like you ever have,” she spat. “I’m outta here. Fuck you. I won’t cover for you again.”
Lidia picked up her bag and slammed the door behind her.
Chad ran his hand over his head, before slumping into the chair beside his mom. A sigh fell from his lips, and he rested his face in his hands.
“How is she?”
His mother's voice pulled him out of his funk. He smiled at the thought of Devyn.
“She’s good. Ma,” Chad started, unable to think of the words to finish his sentence. “I don’t k
now how to say this. I think she might be the one.”
His face blushed at the words after only a couple dates with her. He hadn’t spent a lot of time with her, but he couldn’t deny the way their chemistry worked off each other. They’re thoughts, actions, everything melted together almost as well as the way their bodies fit together before their almost encounters in bed.
“When you know, you know.”
Chad smiled. “I think I’m in love with her. I’ve barely spent any time with her, but I can’t get her out of my head. She is all I think about. I don’t know what to do.”
“You tell her sweetie.” His mom cupped his chin, tilting his face up toward her. “I want grandchildren before I die.”
“I know Ma.” Chad smiled.
His phone rang, the harsh noise cutting through the quiet moment he was having with his mother. He frowned at the unknown number. He racked his brain trying to figure out who would be calling him from a block number.
“Hold on, Ma, I need to take this,” he said, walking from the room. He unlocked his phone, accepting the incoming call.
“Hello?”
“Why, if it isn’t my favorite managerial candidate,” the voice on the other end purred.
“Alex?”
“The one and only.”
“Why are you calling me?” Chad asked, his anger rising as they spoke.
“To let you know I made a mistake.” She sighed on the other end of the line. “I hired the wrong candidate for manager at Maxi’s. It was silly of me. I tried to believe Ms. Kennedy could handle the job because of her management experience and her degree, but as bad as I hate to say it, I was wrong. She hasn’t been able to handle the most simple of tasks I’ve given her. On top of that, she has been very rude to me when I call for progress updates. I’ve given her until the weekend to get me product from Jamie Ray’s holiday line, but I'm afraid if she doesn't pull through, I’m cutting her. It’s a sad but harsh reality.”
So many emotions rushed through him. He didn’t believe her. There was no way that Devyn would have been rude to the woman who owned Maxi’s. She had to be lying, but why would she have a reason to target Devyn? His brain struggled to keep up, but then he remembered what Devyn said in front of his truck.
I can’t let loose when I have my job on the line.
She hadn’t meant to tell him. She was always so stressed, working more hours than anyone else at the company.
Alex was lying. He was not about to play this game with her. “What are you saying Alex?”
“I wanted to see if Devyn was as good as she made herself out to be. No one can get Jamie Ray’s, so I’m seeing what she is really made of. Truthfully, I wish I would have just hired you. It shouldn’t be long before the job opens back up.”
Chad’s throat went dry and his stomach dropped. Alex was trying to set Devyn up to fail. Of all the time he had spent wishing he had gotten that job, he had never wished Devyn would lose it so he could get it.
“Anyway dear, I have a few meetings to attend. I just thought you should be aware of what was happening. I’ll hear from you soon.”
The line went dead before he could say a word.
14
Devyn wanted to get the day over with. She had a feeling she wouldn’t get what she wanted though because as Chad pulled into the company parking lot a BMW caught her attention. A BMW that was too familiar. Dread washed over her.
“Shit,” she muttered, digging in her purse for her cell phone. It was a quarter past eight, and despite not being scheduled until 8:30 and continuously coming in early and leaving late, Devyn was going to be on her shit list. There was no denying that.
Devyn was here early, but if Alex was here, she should have been there way before that.
“What is it?” Chad raised an eyebrow in her direction.
“I’m late and Mrs. Girdler is here. I need you to take me around the front, drop me off, so it looks like I walked here from my house.”
“What? Are you insane? Why would I do that?”
She didn’t expect him to understand the way she was. He didn’t see the side of Alex that Devyn did. No one could see Alex as anything but the sweet lady who owned the company, but Devyn found out the hard way that how she behaved in front of everyone else was all an act. A clever, convincing act. It took Devyn a few months to finally accept the truth.
“Because if she sees us together then your ass will be on the line too. She won’t understand. We won’t be able to play this off as a friendly carpool to save gas money. She will not hesitate to fire us both.”
Chad stiffened, remembering the phone call from the night before. Alex had been looking for an excuse to fire Devyn. He didn’t want to give her another. An easier solution to her problem of “hiring the wrong candidate.”
“Listen Chad, I wouldn’t ask you to do this if it wasn’t her.” Her eyes were glassy, on the verge of crying. She was terrified of Alex taking the one thing she had left away from her. At some point, this had become more important than intended.
Devyn wasn’t ready to let someone take this away. Whatever this was between them.
Slowly, Chad nodded, shifting the truck into reverse and driving back out of the parking lot. He drove to the front of the building, parking in one of several parallel spots saved for visitors.
“Devyn wait,” Chad called after her, “I need to tell you something.”
Devyn was already out of the truck and straightening her skirt when he called after her. She looked up at him, trying to prepare herself for the encounter she was about to have with Alex.
“It can wait. Let me take care of her, and I’ll come find you after work. I promise.”
Devyn shut the truck door and walked toward the office entrance.
DEVYN ROUNDED THE CORNER of the hallway, panting as she tried to catch her breath from running to her office. Her hope to beat Alex there hadn’t worked because her office was lit up like a Christmas tree.
She tried to stabilize her ragged breathing, but failed. She walked toward the door and peeked inside.
“Ms. Kennedy, would you care to join us today or were you deciding to take the day off?” Alex raised her eyebrow and motioned for Devyn to take a seat. Alex was sitting at her desk. Devyn took one of the chairs across from her, sitting uncomfortably in front of her boss.
“Mrs. Girdler, I didn’t realize you were coming in today or I would have gotten you a coffee.” Devyn tried to keep her tone even.
“I don’t need coffee.” Alex crossed her arms over her chest. “What I need is an employee who shows up to work on time.”
Devyn glanced at the clock across from them, reading the numbers in red.
“I’m early. My shift starts at 8:30.”
“You are salary, so your shift starts when I say it does,” Alex hissed.
“Okay I understand that, but how am I supposed to know what time to come in then? I can’t read your mind.”
Alex’s face turned bright red. “There is no reason for you to be a smart ass to me.”
Devyn narrowed her eyes. “No, I’m just trying to understand what you want, because I want to be a good employee. I want to do what you ask and do well for this company, but I don’t know how to do that if you don’t tell me what you want.”
“What I want is to know why you’re playing games on company time.” Alex pressed her lips together in a firm line.
She pulled the green card stock from her purse and pushed it over to Devyn. She reread the words that Penelope had written onto the paper. The note she had forgotten to throw away. She forced herself to keep her face even.
“It’s not a game,” she said, pushing the note back to Alex. “Someone slipped it under my door and I threw it in my drawer because I thought it was a silly prank. I didn’t look for anything.”
Alex chewed on her bottom lip before reaching under the desk and pulling out an oversized candy cane.
Devyn’s furrowed her brows. “What is that?”
“I was hoping
you could tell me.” Alex pushed it to her. “I found it in the umbrella holder. There is a note on it.”
Devyn grabbed the note and pulled it off the candy.
Devyn, hope this helps your sour mood. I know you hate Christmas, but maybe this could make your day a little better. I also might have hidden some hot chocolate in the break room for you.
If Alex hadn’t been sitting across from her she would have already started crying. Penelope had hidden one of her favorite holiday snacks in her office and she hadn’t even tried to look for it. Damn her.
“Why were you in looking the umbrella holder? It’s not even raining.” Devyn said staring at Alex.
“I don’t think that is the point here Ms. Kennedy.”
“Actually, I think it is.” Devyn sat the note on the desk. “Someone pushed a piece of cardstock under my door and I didn’t think anything of it. You find that note and start digging around in my office. Are you looking for a reason to be angry with me?”
Alex’s face burned and Devyn could tell she was testing her patience. She was pushing just the right buttons to make her crack.
“Well.” Alex let out a long breath. “I guess it’s time for us to discuss the second reason I’m here. Where is my Jamie Ray’s. Where is the shipment?”
Devyn froze, staring up at her boss. She didn’t have it, and there was no way she could get it. What the hell was she going to do?
“Well actually.” Devyn said staring down at the desk as she spoke. “It’s on its way. They said they would send me what they could. I gave them a max number for the units.”
The lie fell from her mouth with ease. She felt disgusting. She looked up to Alex, pulling her shoulders back. She kept her eyes locked on hers. Devyn pressed her lips together in a firm line. Alex was waiting for her to break, but she held out. She wasn’t going to get through today without making her believe her.
“It better be,” Alex said, eyes burning into Devyn. “Or you’ll be out of here.”
15
Chad was pretty sure that Devyn wasn’t going to agree to this. Hell, he didn’t really agree with it. The only thing he knew for certain was if Maxi’s didn’t get Jamie Ray’s line, then Devyn was going to lose her job, and as badly as he wanted that job, he wanted Devyn more.
His Secret Santa Page 7