Christmas in the City II

by Samantha Chase

  “You’re damn right, we are.” He brushed his lips against mine, and I moaned into his mouth before pushing him back.

  “I loved your story. It was perfect.” I flung my arms around his neck.

  Josh laughed. “You can fix it. Rewrite it so it’s good.”

  “I don’t need to rewrite anything. That’s our story.” I wiped another happy tear away with the back of my hand. “We just need a good ending.”

  “That’s the great thing about our story.” Josh cradled my face in his hands. “It doesn’t have one.”

  The End…for now.

  About the Author

  Stephanie Rose was born and raised in New York City and still lives there with her superhero-obsessed husband and son.

  She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business and a day job in marketing, but she always has a story in her head. Her books are full of swoon-worthy men and feisty heroines.

  This lifelong New Yorker lives for Starbucks, book boyfriends, and 80’s rock. Her accent is often mistaken for a Mob Wives trailer.

  In 2015, on a dare from a friend, she wrote her first novel. Since then, characters have taken residence in her brain and won’t shut up—and she hopes they never stop talking.

  Find Stephanie Rose online at:

  Facebook Author Page:

  https://www.facebook.com/authorstephanierose

  Rose Garden Facebook Group:

  https://www.facebook.com/groups/StephsRoseGarden/

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/StephRoseAuthor

  Instagram: https://instagram.com/authorstephanierose

  Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8475934.Stephanie_Rose

  Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/stephanie-rose

  Books by Stephanie Rose:

  Always You

  Only You

  Always Us, A Second Chances Novella

  Finding Me

  All I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

  SAVANNA GREY

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system – except in the case of brief quotations embodied in the critical articles or reviews – without the written permission of publisher or author, except where permitted by law.

  Published by Savanna Grey

  Edited by Kim Huther of Wordsmith Proofreading Services

  Copyright © 2016 Savanna Grey

  All rights reserved.

  DEDICATION

  While plotting this story, I met someone by chance—an 89-year-old woman named Margaret. We struck up a conversation, and I was in tears when we finished. She has led an amazing life. Still drives. She’s the epitome of a true Southern lady. Why was I crying?

  Her husband of 69 years—yes, 69—now in a nursing home. She resides in a retirement community. They are parted because she can no longer handle the round-the-clock care her husband requires. She goes to see him daily.

  Her story was as beautiful as she is. A wonderful love story I just may have to write one day. For now, I want to dedicate this short story to her, as my character Noah had to learn what Margaret and her husband have known all along. Life is all about love.

  Thank you, Margaret, for sharing your story with me. You’re truly an angel.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  This short story has more emotion packed in than I thought was possible! I want to thank Stephanie Delamater Phillips for allowing me to be part of this project. The story of Noah and Mia falls right in line with the purpose of the project…to give back.

  Thank to my friend, Stacey, for giving of herself and her wisdom during our Saturday morning chat sessions. They mean the world to me.

  Lastly, thank you to my family for allowing me to lock myself away for hours and days where I do not participate in cleaning, laundry, or even dinner. Your support and patience are everything.

  I hope you not only enjoy meeting Noah and Mia, but take away the same thing that Noah does.

  XXXOOO,

  Savanna

  CHAPTER 1

  “Miss Benedetti, I’m waiting on those files!” Noah Westbrook’s voice bellowed through the desk phone intercom. Mia Benedetti took a deep breath and pushed her chair away from her desk, straightening her black pencil skirt as she stood. Her boss was in rare form today.

  Gathering the requested files from her desk, she walked the few feet to his office door and rapped lightly before entering.

  He didn’t look up from his computer screen. He just motioned her over. Creases lined his forehead where his brow furrowed.

  Sunlight poured through the office windows overlooking downtown Raleigh. Its glow softened the dark interior of his leather and mahogany office.

  She placed the files on his desk in his inbox, and turned to go.

  “Everything is in there?” His gruff question halted her exit.

  “Of course,” Mia replied calmly, clasping her hands in front of her.

  “Alex reviewed and signed off on the new numbers and the revisions have been updated?” She was used to his questions. She knew he would double-check behind them. He never left anything to chance.

  “Yes, all the changes were made, and Alex and his team reviewed the numbers. He brought the file back this morning. It’s all there.”

  “Good.” He nodded, returning his attention to his computer screen.

  Before she returned to her desk, she reminded him, “Don’t forget your mother is coming by for lunch today. She’ll be here in thirty.”

  His eyes shot up and met hers directly, frustration burning in their depths. “That’s today?”

  “You know it is, and no, you cannot reschedule. You’ve done that three times already.” She didn’t hesitate to remind him.

  His brows lifted as his lips quirked upwards.

  “Is that so?” He paused, his eyes boring into hers. “You and my mother do realize I have a company to run? We are negotiating the biggest deal in this company’s history, and I am supposed to be concerned about going to lunch with my mother?”

  “Even you, my dear, must eat.” Mia jumped at the sound of Nancy Westbrook’s voice behind her.

  The older woman was dressed in a bright red dress suit with black stripes. Her short white hair was perfectly styled around her smiling face.

  “Mrs. Westbrook, so good to see you.” Mia immediately walked to her and embraced her. “How have you been?”

  “Mia, it’s good to see you, too. You look lovely as ever. I would ask how my son is treating you, but I can see—or better yet hear—that he is as stubborn as ever. However do you put up with him?” Grasping Mia’s hands affectionately, she looked over to her now-standing son, his hands planted on his desk and his lips compressed in a firm straight line.

  “If you two are going to continue the lovefest, how about you do it outside of my office,” he commanded. “Some of us have work to do. Actually, two of us have work to do,” he finished, his pointed gaze on Mia.

  “Enjoy your lunch. You’re booked at Ricardo’s. Leo will be waiting out front,” she said to Mrs. Westbrook.

  Mia closed his office door behind her as she exited. Jeanie Ferguson was waiting for her at her desk as she came out.

  “Hi, Jeanie. Hope I haven’t kept you waiting too long.”

  “No. Of course not. I wouldn’t dare interrupt you while you were inside the lion’s den,” her friend joked.

  “Jeanie, he isn’t that bad,” Mia quietly defended him.

  “Well, you’re the only one who thinks that, and you seem to be the only one who can handle working for him. His other assistants only lasted a few months before they quit.
You’ve been here—what is it—three years now?”

  “Almost four now, but who’s counting?” Mia laughed. “You know this time of year is always one of our busiest. We all have a lot on our plates on top of the holiday activities. It’s stressful for everyone.”

  “I hear ya. I love our Christmas parties, but I’ll be glad when it’s over. It certainly eats up a lot of my time in addition to everything else,” Jeanie said as she handed Mia a stack of papers.

  “This should be the last of the check requests we need signed for the party vendors. Everything is in order—or it is as of right now.”

  “Your department always does a wonderful job, Jeanie. I look forward to it every year. I’ll get these signed and down to Finance for you this afternoon.”

  “You’re a gem, Mia. Don’t know what we’d do without you. Any chance you’re bringing one of your gorgeous brothers with you this year?” Her eyebrows wiggled mischievously.

  “Are you kidding me…after the last time? I don’t think so. The only one I’d trust is Luca, and he’s married, so no. Matteo and Frankie aren’t getting anywhere near my company Christmas party.” Mia rolled her eyes. The thought was enough to freak her out. Her brothers were incorrigible women- magnets, and they knew it.

  “That’s a shame. I enjoyed Matteo’s dance performance.” Mia swatted at her friend as she turned toward the elevators; her laughter could be heard as she walked down the hallway.

  Mia had just finished answering phone messages when Noah’s office door opened, and he and his mother stepped out.

  “I’ve had to drag him by his collar, but we are finally off to lunch, Mia. Can we bring you something back, dear?” Mrs. Westbrook hooked her arm around her son’s elbow.

  Mia couldn’t help but smile. She admired Mrs. Westbrook’s spunk.

  “Thank you, but I’m fine. Enjoy yourselves.”

  Noah stopped beside her desk. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck, causing her skin to prickle. Lord, help her.

  “Miss Benedetti, I’m going to need you to work late tonight. The Conway contracts have to be reviewed, adjusted, and sent out tomorrow morning.” He placed a file on her desk, his hand absently brushing against hers.

  Again, not a question. It was an expectation.

  “Of course, Mr. Westbrook.” Mia understood the pressure Noah was under, and she didn’t mind the long hours or the hard work. The irony? She must be a glutton for punishment emotionally, because the more time she spent with him, the more she wished…well, no need to go down that rabbit hole.

  Noah watched Mia’s expression change, ignorant to her ponderings.

  “Is there a problem, Miss Benedetti?” He waited for her response.

  “No, sir. Not at all.” She busied herself reorganizing the papers on her desk, a flush spreading across her cheeks and down her neck.

  “Come on, darling. We’re going to be late.” Thankfully Mrs. Westbrook pulled Noah away from Mia’s desk and on to the elevator.

  Mia released the breath she’d been unaware she was holding in, her face falling into the palm of her hand. Her only saving grace from her boss realizing she had very unprofessional feelings for him was that Noah was a workaholic. She wasn’t even sure he thought of her as a woman. She could be part of the woodwork for all he cared personally.

  “Why did I have to fall for someone who doesn’t even know I exist?” she asked herself for the umpteenth time.

  ***

  “I don’t know how you ever survived before you had Mia. I certainly hope you know how lucky you are to have her,” Noah’s mother was saying as they were seated at the restaurant.

  He was ordering. He gritted his teeth. Here we go. Another lecture.

  “Yes, I am aware of how good my assistant performs her job, Mother. She is, after all, my assistant.” He focused on Ricardo’s menu, even though he already knew what he was going to order. It wasn’t the first time his mother had brought up Mia. He didn’t want to talk about how good Mia was. He had a difficult enough time keeping his mind where it needed to be where Mia was concerned. Business. That’s the only focus he could risk where she was concerned.

  “Does she know you think she’s a good assistant? I would hate for you to lose her because you didn’t take the time to make your appreciation shown, son.”

  Laying down the menu, he faced his mother directly.

  “She receives her paycheck every week without fail. We provide excellent benefits, and our employees work for a company that continues to grow, providing them with financial security…as long as we all do our jobs. We are a good company to work for, Mother.” Noah found himself unexpectedly on the defense.

  His mother’s hand covered his on the linen tablecloth.

  “Sweetheart, you, like your father, are an amazing businessman. No one would ever question that, but I wonder if you realize how important the human element is to your company. Your father took great pride in taking care of the people who worked for him. That’s what made them so loyal.”

  “There are few people I trust as much as I do Miss Benedetti.” He even surprised himself with that response, but it was true.

  “Mia. Her name is Mia. Why must you be so formal? These people spend more time in your office than they do with their own families. They are your work family. Don’t you see that, sweetheart?” His mother squeezed his hand affectionately.

  “What is this all about, Mother? Did you bring me to lunch to tell me what a terrible leader I am? I don’t understand where this is coming from, and quite frankly I’m offended. I am very respectful to my employees. What’s really going on here?” It wasn’t like his mother to beat around the bush, but this conversation was certainly circling something.

  “I worry about you, Noah. I don’t want you to be alone forever. You work too hard. You never have any downtime. Work isn’t everything to life, Noah. Your father realized that. I don’t want you to forget that, but I fear you have. You have nothing to prove anymore to anyone, Noah. Not to the board, not to me, not to anyone. When your father died, you stepped in and did not hesitate to take the reins. Look at what you’ve accomplished in just four years. The company has doubled in size thanks to your ingenuity and business sense. At the end of the day, who are you celebrating with, Noah? What’s it all for? If I could have anything for Christmas this year, it would be for you to realize there is more to life than work, son.”

  Their conversation was cut off when the waiter arrived to take their order. Noah didn’t know why, but he felt like his mother had sucker-punched him. It didn’t matter how old he was; she could manage to make him feel like a five-year-old in 60 seconds flat.

  He appreciated his employees. Didn’t he?

  chapter 2

  As Noah walked through the lobby leading to the elevators that would take him up to his offices, his mind was still funneling the conversation he’d had with his mother.

  He made his way to the back of the elevator as several others filtered into the car. Their chatter was incessant. Bits and pieces of their conversations filtered to him. Discussions about finding the perfect gift, decorating their trees, holiday get-togethers. So much time, energy, and money spent on one day. It was ridiculous.

  Irritation rose, tightening in his chest. Exiting onto his own floor, the holiday cheer continued. He could smell peppermint something coming from the breakroom as he passed cubicle after cubicle that had greenery and red, gold and silver garland lacing their walls.

  Rounding the corner to his office corridor, his frown deepened. His gaze met that of a smiling Mia as his head came up. He stopped short, his focus interrupted.

  “Uh-oh. Did you not enjoy your lunch with your mother?” she asked cautiously.

  “My mother is still just as meddlesome as she always has been. That will never change, but I suppose you know that, don’t you?”

  “Trust me. You wouldn’t have it any other way,” Mia championed.

  “Well, consider yourse
lf lucky that you don’t have one,” Noah said half-jokingly.

  “Are you kidding me? You do realize I’m Italian, right?” She was looking at him as if he had two heads.

  “Uh…yes. I do. Your point?” His eyes squinted, waiting for her to clarify.

  “Apparently you haven’t spent any time around an Italian family. If I sneeze funny, someone is around to question me about it. Everybody knows everybody’s business, and if they don’t, they are determined to find it out. Try growing up with three older brothers on top of a very protective mama and papa. Your mother is Mother Teresa compared to my clan.”

  Several things struck Noah at once. One, he’d never really asked Mia about her family. He knew she had one, but didn’t know any of the details. They didn’t talk about personal things. Well, no. That wasn’t true. Mia knew just about everything there was to know about his life, both personally and professionally. He, on the other hand, didn’t know much of anything about Mia’s life outside the office.

  A sinking feeling started to grow in the pit of his stomach. Had his mother been right? No, she was just getting under his skin and messing with his head.

  Secondly, he loved the way Mia expressed herself with her hands, which led his gaze to her hips, where her hands were currently resting.

  Thirdly, he realized how sleek and curvy her hips looked in the outline of her black skirt and…Whoa! The No Trespassing sign blinking inside his brain brought his train of thought to a screeching halt.

  Clearing his throat, he stood straighter. “I’ll keep that in mind if I ever need some advice on handling my mother.”

  “Anytime.” She smiled back at him. “I’ve put a stack of checks on your desk that need your signature to finalize the company Christmas party. If you’ll sign them, I can take them down to Accounting.”

  She followed him into his office as he hung up his jacket and came around to his chair.