by Holly Rayner
Oh, and Taffy’s bed and toys, which were strewn about the place.
“How was work today?” Corinne asked.
Adison’s phone went off with a text, and the two of them locked eyes.
“I should see who that is,” Adison said, feeling slightly sick. She was used to it being Danny nearly every text. She hadn’t yet programmed herself to not think of him when she heard the familiar notification.
She grabbed the phone from the windowsill, her heart jerking when she saw the text was from him. “It’s Danny.”
Corinne bit into an egg roll, her eyes narrowing. “What does he want?”
Adison read the text, which was short and to the point. “He said that I left some things at his place. Books and pictures.”
Her chest tightened. If there were photos at Danny’s, she definitely needed them back. They could be of her parents.
Corinne set her hand on Adison’s. “You don’t need to go back there.”
“I need my things.”
“Tell him to meet you somewhere so he can give them to you. Or I can meet him.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that, but I should be the one to meet him.” She sent a text back asking him about meeting up during her lunch break tomorrow.
That done, she put the phone on mute and set it down. She would check for a response after dinner. Until then, she wanted some time to not think about the pathetic-excuse-for-a-man.
“What were we talking about?” Adison asked.
“Work.”
“Right.” Adison broke apart a set of chopsticks. “How was it today?”
Corinne shook her head and laughed. “I was asking about your job, but okay. Mine was fine. Living the dental assistant dream, one day at a time.”
Taffy meowed, then sat down and looked at them expectantly.
“Really?” Adison asked the cat. “I don’t know where she gets this from. I never feed her from my plate.”
“Oh, yeah, gosh, I wonder where she gets it from,” Corinne said as she snuck Taffy a piece of chicken.
“Work was okay today.” Adison jabbed the chopsticks into a carton of fried rice and mixed the food around. Though her stomach was growling, the idea of eating no long appealed to her.
“Anything special happen? Are you making any friends?”
Adison thought of the break room that morning, of Mr. Montoya leaning against the counter and watching her with electric blue eyes. She’d been uncomfortable during the interaction, but she’d had trouble not thinking about him since then.
“My boss tried to make small talk with me,” she said. “I think he might have felt sorry for last week. When we met, he acted uptight, like he secretly hated me or something. Supposedly it’s because he hates Christmas, and I had put some decorations up around my desk.”
Corinne’s nose wrinkled. “Ugh. Really? Why does he hate Christmas?”
“I dunno.” Adison shrugged. “Anyway, he came into the break room this morning and tried to talk to me. It seemed hard for him, though.”
“Is this your manager?”
“No, it’s Ken Montoya.”
Corinne’s eyes bugged. “Ken Montoya! You didn’t tell me that!”
Taffy jumped at the loud voice and ran into the bedroom to hide.
“Sorry, Taffy,” Corinne called.
Adison shrugged. “His office is on the same floor as mine. I think he was trying to make me feel welcome.”
“Yeah.” Corinne grinned wickedly. “Welcome.”
Adison put the paper carton down, giving up on eating for the time being. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’ve seen pictures of him. He’s smoking hot.” She pointed a chopstick at Adison. “And you’re hot.”
Adison rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you for the compliment, but one attractive person plus another attractive person doesn’t equal chemistry.”
“Okay.” Corinne studied Adison’s face. From the tone of her voice, it was clear she thought otherwise. “But what’s he like? Other than being grumpy about holidays and then regretting it later?”
“I have no idea.” Adison leaned back on her palms and gazed out the living room’s one window.
“Is he single?”
“Corinne.” Adison turned from the window with a frown. “I hope you’re asking for yourself.”
“I’m not.”
Adison shook her head. “I can’t even think about that right now. Danny and I just broke up.”
“I get that.” She pushed her fingers through her long hair and shook it out. “Sometimes, though, jumping right back into dating is what helps.”
“And sometimes taking time and space is what helps.”
“True.”
“So we’re in agreement.” Adison stuck out her tongue.
“Yeah, we are.” That didn’t stop Corinne’s wicked grin. “But you can at least ogle your sexy boss.”
Something brushed against Adison’s elbow. It was Taffy, returned from the bedroom. Adison scratched her fluffy ears, considering things.
Now was definitely not the time to start dating. Or to get her hopes up about anything related to men. She needed to focus on her job, focus on her new apartment, and focus on getting through the holidays.
Christmas was her favorite time of year, but that was only because she worked so hard to enjoy it. The first holidays after losing her parents had been brutal, filled with a depression she’d never imagined possible. After that, she had told herself never again.
So far, this season was kicking off with a bang. If she let herself, she could easily mope and feel sorry for herself. But she wouldn’t.
She would see this as an opportunity, a fresh start to spend time with herself. When she was ready to date again, she’d be sure to choose better. No more overlooking the red flags from the past.
Maybe, just maybe, when she did date, she’d be lucky enough to snag a guy as handsome as Ken Montoya—without the negative attitude about Christmas, of course.
Chapter 6
Ken
His morning emails answered, Ken dialed into the line that connected to both his assistants’ phones.
“Yes, Mr. Montoya?” Sabine answered.
“Have you heard from any of the party planners?” he asked.
“Yes, sir, all but one have responded. They are currently booked for the season.”
Ken felt his jaw tighten. It was the day after he’d decided to throw a Christmas party in order to appease Thea Sorentis, and they needed to move fast if they were to pull everything together in time.
“There’s still one, though,” Ken said, choosing to look on the bright side.
“Hold on,” Aaron chimed in. “He texted me right now. Let me read his response…”
Aaron’s sigh said everything. “Nope. He is also too busy to take on another project.”
Ken closed his eyes and counted to ten. Not to curb anger, but to curb disappointment.
“Let’s keep trying,” he said. “There has to be someone available. Broaden your searches beyond Buffalo. We’ll fly someone in from New York if we need to.”
“Yes, sir,” Aaron and Sabine said at the same time.
Ken hung up, doing his best to not feel discouraged. The party had to be a great one, and he knew nothing about what made great parties possible. He was a man of efficiency. He found pleasure in numbers, statistics showing the impact of his work. In order to impress his potential donor, he needed someone who saw the world through another lens.
Leaving his office, he passed through the adjoining room where his assistants’ desks were and walked down the hall that led into the main work space. At the sight of him, employees sat straighter and suddenly became a whole lot busier.
There was a personal break room adjacent to his office, but recently he’d taken a liking to the main one. The coffee maker in there was decent, and there was a nice view of the nearby park.
Plus, he had the chance of running into her.
His stomach warmed at the thought of Adison. He knew next to nothing about her, but she’d caught his interest nonetheless. There was something magical about her. He couldn’t put his finger on it yet, but he wanted to find out what made her so special.
Dating employees was a no-no. He’d never done it, and he didn’t plan on making it a habit anytime soon. Which was why his curiosity about Adison could only go so far.
In the break room, there was only one other person, but it wasn’t Adison. It was Jazzie Hale.
At his appearance, she put her phone down and smiled. “Good morning, Mr. Montoya.”
“Good morning.” He opened the cabinet and chose a mug.
“How is everything?”
“It’s…” He hesitated, considering not saying a customary “fine” but instead opening up a little more. “I’m having some trouble planning a party. There doesn’t seem to be an event planner available in this whole city.”
“Did you ask Adison? She used to be an event planner.”
He set the mug on the counter without pouring any coffee into it. “You don’t say.”
“Mm-hmm.” Jazzie's eyes brightened. “She showed me some pictures of a baby shower she did last month. It was amazing. It had this ‘High in the Sky’ theme. She made clouds out of balloons, and everything was glittery.”
Ken couldn’t believe his luck; it seemed too good to be true.
“Do you think she could do a Christmas party?” he asked.
“Definitely. She could do any party.”
“Great. I’ll talk to her now.” He headed for the door.
“She’s not at her desk,” Jazzie said. “She took her lunch early. She said she had to meet someone down at Drip.”
Drip was the coffee shop a couple blocks away. Ken was familiar with it since he often stopped there in the mornings.
“Thank you for your help,” he said on his way out the door. “I appreciate it.”
He could wait until Adison returned from her break, but that had never been his style. Ken owed his success partly to jumping on opportunities the moment they presented themselves.
Plus, honestly, he wasn’t about to say no to a little time with Adison away from the office.
Chapter 7
Adison
Sitting at a table window at Drip, Adison pulled her phone out and used the front camera to check her makeup. She’d put extra thought into getting ready that day, but of course had to walk the line between looking amazing and not appearing to be trying too much.
The paisley blouse, paired with a tight skirt that made her butt look amazing and red high heels, had been perfect. She’d gone a little extra with her makeup, after watching a tutorial on how to create a daytime smoky eye. With her hair loose and falling over her shoulders, she both felt and knew she looked amazing.
Just to be clear, she wasn’t trying to get Danny back. Screw that guy. No, she only had two goals to meet in their short interaction that day: get her things and show him how great she was doing without him.
Putting her phone away, she took a deep breath—just in time to see Danny walk through the coffee shop’s front door. He wore his puffy orange jacket and walked in a slinking way, weaving a path between the tables.
Adison’s stomach flipped, and for a second she thought she missed him. But then she realized that feeling in her gut was disgust. The trance she’d been in while dating Danny had broken, and now she saw him for what he really was. A lying loser.
When he saw her, his eyes widened the slightest bit.
“Hi.” He put the small cardboard box he carried on the table.
Adison sipped her cappuccino. “Is that everything?”
His face tightened. “Yeah.”
“Great.” For lack of anything else to do, she took another sip of coffee.
Danny sighed. “Look, Ad.”
She didn’t invite him to sit, but he did so anyway. Having him so close made her stiffen.
“I hate how things went down,” he said.
She raised her eyebrows, doing her best to appear calm even though her heart was racing. “What exactly do you hate?”
“The way it all ended.” He spread his hands.
“You mean your getting caught.” A lump formed in her throat.
He looked away and licked his lips.
Right.
He wasn’t sorry for cheating on her. He only regretted that he hadn’t been more careful about it. If she hadn’t come home early on Thanksgiving, they would probably be going on the same way they were before. He would be sneaking around behind her back while she continued to sacrifice herself for the relationship.
A relationship that had been a sham.
In a way, it was good to see Danny again. It cemented the realization that he had nothing she wanted. Knowing that she would never go back to him, she could finally move forward.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “We’re done. You’re in the past.”
His face hardened. “Oh, well, I, uh, I’m moving on too.”
“Great.” She couldn’t care less.
“Jess and I are getting a place together.”
Adison’s mouth went sour. “It’s good to hear you found a girl that’s okay with cheating.”
A slow smile pulled at his lips. “What? Who… Oh, right. That girl you met wasn’t Jess. Naw, that was some girl I met at the bar.”
At first, she thought he was kidding. He didn’t correct himself, though, and the truth sunk in.
Unbelievable. Exactly how many girls was Danny running around with?
Nausea rolled up Adison’s chest, and she thought she might vomit.
She didn’t get sick, though. The nausea disappeared. In its wake was a cocktail of disrespect, disgust, and hurt. Danny wasn’t just a jerk; he had a total lack of empathy.
“Don’t worry, Ad,” he said. “You’ll meet someone eventually.”
“I already have,” she snapped.
He blinked in surprise. “Really?”
“Yep,” she lied.
She had no idea where the claim came from. It seemed to have sprung forth instantaneously from somewhere deep in her subconscious.
“Who?” Danny demanded.
“A guy. Obviously.” She sipped her cappuccino, buying some time.
His eyes narrowed. “Yeah, right.”
“Excuse me?” She slammed her paper cup onto the table. Coffee sloshed through the sipping hole and onto her hand, but she ignored it. “Not everyone lies all the time, Danny.”
“Where’d you meet him?”
“At work,” she said, naming the first place that came to mind.
“What’s his name?”
“His name is None-of-your-business. You’re no longer part of my life. You don’t need to know anything about it.”
As she finished talking, she spotted a familiar face entering the coffee shop. Ken Montoya strode past the displays of scented candles and locally knitted scarves, but instead of approaching the counter, he stopped and searched Drip as if looking for someone.
His eyes landed on Adison, but instead of waving or nodding hello, he made a beeline for her.
“Whatever.” Danny shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. “Like I care.”
By this time, Ken had arrived at their table. He stood next to Danny, waiting to be addressed. Feeling someone there, Danny looked up.
Adison cleared her throat. “Danny, this is Ken Montoya. From work.”
Danny looked between the two of them. “So you’re the new boyfriend?”
She could have said no. That would have been logical. As a matter of fact, if she’d only chosen different words with which to introduce Ken, things might have taken a different path. As it was, she had said “from work.” Not “my boss,” not “founder of the Montoya Foundation.” She’d used the same words as she had when telling Danny where she’d met her new—and imaginary—boyfriend.
Which is why, before she could tell herself how crazy she was being, she bl
urted out, “Yes.”
Danny blinked as if he were trying to focus his eyes, and then his cheeks turned red.
Adison bit the inside of her lip. Oh, God. Why had she done that? What was she thinking? This job had been an amazing opportunity, and one week in she’d blown it. There was no way he wouldn’t fire her for this.
Not only that, but Mr. Montoya was only a millisecond away from correcting her. So not only would she not have a job, but she would also be shamed in front of Danny.
She swallowed hard, looking for some way to save herself. But there was nothing to say, and she couldn’t even bring herself to look at her boss…
Who pulled up the chair next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “That’s right,” Ken said coolly. “And who are you?”
Adison’s jaw dropped. She turned her head to look at Ken, but he was studying Danny with a confident, easy expression.
“I’m her ex,” Danny said. He stared Ken down, as if daring him to challenge the statement.
Ken sucked in sharply between clenched teeth. “Ah. Right. I’ve heard about you.”
The tone of his voice insinuated that he’d heard nothing good. Of course, Adison had never even mentioned Danny to Ken. The man, for some reason beyond her, had decided to play along.
“And you guys met when?” Danny asked.
“At work,” Adison said quickly, fully aware that she was dodging the question.
Ken nodded in agreement.
“I have to go.” Danny unceremoniously stood. “There’s something else you left,” he told Adison.
“What?”
“Your body wash. You can come get it later.”
She tried not to laugh. Danny was obviously just trying to remind Ken that at one time Adison had belonged to him.
So. Even if she was about to be unemployed, at least her plan to make Danny jealous was working. It wasn’t mature in the slightest, but in times like these a person deserved a break from adulthood.