Restoring Christmas
Page 22
Wyatt enjoyed December in the city as well, but his reasons were a little different. In December, people left him alone. The frigid morning forced people to keep their heads buried in their scarves. No one made eye contact or said hello; it was perfect.
He’d moved to the city because it was one of the few places he’d been where you could be surrounded by people but be totally alone. Raised in a large family with two brothers, two sisters, and a slew of cousins, Wyatt spent his childhood trying to find his own nook in the big, old house he grew up in where he could have solitude. He was a quiet child who enjoyed baseball and books; the chaos of his home was overwhelming. While the rest of his siblings stayed in their suburban Connecticut hometown and worked for the family business, Wyatt escaped to college in New York City as soon as he graduated from high school. And then he never left.
Every time Wyatt entered the law offices of Dawson & Hancock, he felt a surge of pride. During his undergraduate years at NYU and then law school at Columbia University, he worked every waking minute of every day. He sacrificed the partying at clubs and fraternities and worked to pay his own way through all the years of schooling. Once he graduated, he worked even harder, determined to start his own law firm as soon as possible.
His first job out of law school was at Specter North, a giant law firm in the city. The bigwig partners, if they noticed him at all, only teased him for being so serious or asked him to get them coffee and pick up their dry cleaning. The day he quit to start his own firm; his co-workers laughed. They warned him he would fail and come crawling back to beg for a job in six months. They clearly didn’t know Wyatt Dawson very well.
Fueled by the skepticism from both his family and his old co-workers, Wyatt and his partner, Charles Hancock, built Dawson & Hancock into one of the largest and most powerful law firms in New York City in a relatively short amount of time. When David Dapper, an old co-worker from Specter North, came to him years later asking for a job, Wyatt had the chance to even the score. Based on how David had treated him in the past, he would have been justified in denying the position. However, the look of panicked desperation on David’s face left Wyatt feeling pity for him. That moment with David was a crossroads, giving Wyatt an opportunity early on in his career to decide what kind of leader he wanted to be. He chose to give David the job. Fast-forward a few years and David Dapper was one of the most loyal, hard-working lawyers at the firm.
Wyatt took his time walking through the maze of cubicles, saying hello to all his employees. He wanted the office to feel like a family and for everyone who worked for him to feel appreciated and respected. It was not uncommon for him to catch an employee off guard by asking about an ailing parent or sick child. He remembered everything; his brain was a virtual computer. He knew every employee and their family members by name. In the cold, corporate world of New York City law firms, Dawson & Hancock proudly did things differently, and people talked about it. They became one of the most sought-after firms in all of Manhattan.
In his private corner office, Wyatt settled in to get some work done. After checking and responding to emails for over an hour straight, he leaned back in his soft leather chair and stretched.
“Mr. Dawson.” A voice belonging to his assistant, Alice, buzzed through the intercom. “Marissa Mulvaney is here to discuss the Christmas party details with you.”
“She needs to see me? I thought that was Dan’s department. Or maybe even David’s?”
“Ms. Mulvaney would like to speak with you specifically.”
“Okay, send her in,” Wyatt sighed.
He picked up his now cold coffee and took a sip. Gross. He pushed the button on the intercom. “Alice, would you mind getting me another cup of coffee? Please?”
Marissa knocked once on his office door but entered before Wyatt had the chance to respond. In a fitted red sheath dress and sky-high heels, she looked as flawless today as she did every day. Never a hair out of place or a crease in her dress, her attention to detail made her perfect for her Event Planning/Client Relations job at Dawson & Hancock.
“Marissa, how are you today?” Wyatt smiled as he stood to shake her hand.
“Good morning, Mr. Dawson. If you don’t mind, I’d like to go over a few items regarding the office Christmas party.” She motioned to a tablet in her hands.
“How many times do I need to tell you to call me Wyatt?” He smiled.
“Right, sorry. Wyatt.”
“And of course, I don’t mind. The party is top on my list of priorities,” he clapped his hands together enthusiastically.
Marissa looked down at her tablet, unfazed by the sarcasm in Wyatt’s voice. Then, matching that sarcasm, she said, “I can tell you’re very excited for the Christmas season, Wyatt. Look how cheery and festive your office is!”
They both glanced around the bare office, not a strand of garland or string of twinkle lights to be found. There was no artwork, no framed photos of family members; there was absolutely nothing personal at all.
Wyatt chuckled. “Well, you got me there, Marissa. And I appreciate your sarcasm. However, I would also like you to know that although the Christmas party, and the whole holiday season in general, is not really my thing, I understand how important this event is to everyone who works here.”
Marissa smiled and nodded, her blonde pin-straight hair bobbing with the movement of her head.
Wyatt returned her smile. “And that is why we have you. You are the event planning queen. I know you will put on a fabulous party that will be the highlight of the year for all Dawson & Hancock staff and clients.”
“Thank you, Wyatt. I do plan to take the party to a whole new level this year. This event will go down in history as the most amazingly luxurious event this city has ever seen. Photos will be plastered all over the society pages. Everyone will want to work with us just for an invite to next year’s party.”
Wyatt stared at her; his eyes wide in surprise. “What exactly do you have planned? I was thinking laid back and fun—maybe a Christmas carol karaoke contest or an ugly—"
“Do not say ugly sweater contest,” Marissa interrupted, her face pinched as if she had sucked on a lemon. “Didn’t you receive the invitation?”
Wyatt looked around his desk that was bare aside from some files he was working on. “Ummm, I know I had it here somewhere…Why, are you not going to let me in without it?” he teased.
“Funny. No. All I meant was that the invitation sets the tone for the entire evening. This year’s invitation is glamorous and elegant, exactly what the party will be like. I should know; I’m the one who designed the invitation.”
Wyatt shrugged, ready to get on with more important work. “Okay, if that’s what you think will make people happy then you have carte blanche. I trust you.”
Marissa smiled like a kid on Christmas morning. “Thank you for your confidence, Wyatt. I truly appreciate the support. And now, the reason I’m here. Would you mind signing off on the catering bill, the musicians bill and the lighting crew bill? I have the contracts right here.” She pulled out some paperwork and handed them to Wyatt.
He raised his eyebrows as he saw the costs displayed. “Wow, you’re really going for it. Are you sure we need this much lighting? Maybe we could—"
“Yes, we need it. You said you trusted me, right?” Marissa interrupted again. She was not going to waver on this; that much was clear. The woman knew how to get what she wanted.
Wyatt relented. He nodded his head and signed the papers. “It is Christmas after all, right?”
“Now that’s the spirit, sir. And since today is Wednesday and the party is on Sunday, we really don’t have a choice at this point anyway.”
“Thank you, Marissa. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get back to work. Someone needs to pay for this party,” he teased.
“Of course, sir. Have you seen this morning’s Post?” Marissa asked on her way out of the office. She was referring to the New York Post, one of the local newspapers.
“Um, no
, not yet. Why?”
“I think you might be interested in what’s on Page Six.” With a mischievous smirk, Marissa glided out of the office.
As soon as Marissa was gone, Alice walked in with a cup of coffee and the day’s Post.
“Thought you might want to read the paper while you have your coffee, sir,” Alice giggled a little as she placed the coffee and paper on his desk. “And a reminder, your sister Alexa called again. That’s twice in three days.”
“Right,” he nodded. “I forgot. I’ll give her a call later. Thanks, Alice.”
Wyatt took a sip from the steaming mug before picking up the newspaper. He flipped through the pages until he found the Page Six section, which was oddly never on page six. Halfway down the page, a headline caused him to spit out his coffee.
NEW YORK CITY’S MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR
The resulting short caption was almost too much.
Wyatt Dawson, Founding Partner at Dawson & Hancock, the coolest law firm in town, has made it to the top of the list of our New York City’s Most Eligible Bachelor search. He’s incredibly handsome, whip-smart, and crazy successful—and somehow the man is single. I know what I want to find under my tree this Christmas—anyone else agree?
Next to the article was a large photo of Wyatt walking down the street in a long coat while holding his briefcase. His face was serious, obviously oblivious to the photo being taken. He slammed the newspaper closed, sat back in his chair, and sighed. Who took that photo? This was the last thing he needed right now.
Finish reading THE CHRISTMAS INVITATION today!
About the Author
Kate Kasch is a displaced New Englander living in northern New Jersey with her (amazing) husband and four children.
Aside from Restoring Christmas, she has written two mystery/thriller novels: Jane Street and The Dakota.
Her latest holiday romance, The Christmas Invitation, is available on Amazon now!
More information can be found at www.katekasch.com.