Christmas Joy

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Christmas Joy Page 3

by Nancy Naigle


  The VP of Marketing met Joy at the front desk and escorted her to the meeting room. He was on the tall side of six feet, and his tan skin, even in December, told of weekends spent doing other things aside from being hunched over a laptop. Probably sailing, or some other luxury pastime.

  Joy yearned for the day she’d be in a position that would give her a little more work-life balance, but for now her focus was on her career.

  The marketing VP opened and held the door to the conference room for her. They took their seats, and he got right down to business. “Our second annual Santa at W event has been sold out for over a month. Leveraging what we learned from the market research conducted by MacDonald-Webber last year, we are positioned for an even bigger success this year. Joy Holbrook is here to give us an update.”

  Joy noted the faces of the executives at the table, then sucked in a breath when she made eye contact with the petite woman sitting at the end. Poppy Wetherton. “Thank you.” Joy ignored her twirling tummy, diving straight into the data points. All those butterflies began to settle as she outlined the next key milestones of the plan. “My team has completed the calls to generate the right representative sample for our post-event focus group.”

  She glanced toward Poppy Wetherton. Her upswept white hair might look severe on anyone else, but she appeared youthful and vibrant despite her years. No one seemed to know exactly how old Poppy was, and even standing this close to the woman, Joy couldn’t guess with any confidence. “Ms. Wetherton’s generosity certainly made it easier for us this year. It’s a difficult time to recruit, but parents were delighted at the chance to earn the exclusive twenty-percent discount in exchange for their child’s participation in the study.”

  Poppy gave Joy a nod.

  Joy paused, not for effect, although it would certainly appear so, but because a nod from Poppy was like an all-out gale of wind in Joy’s sails. This might be the best day of my career.

  Joy continued with the update, making eye contact with each person in the room. This. This is what I want to be doing, impacting big business and interacting with senior leaders. Not dangling candy bars in front of children.

  “We’ve refined the questions and we’ll be working diligently to keep the focus group session to a maximum of fifteen minutes, start to finish. My experience has been that if it goes any longer than twenty-two minutes, the data becomes a bit unreliable because we start losing the children’s attention. We’ll get the information you need while making it a fun and exciting session for your customers.”

  “Maybe we should try keeping our staff meetings to twenty-two minutes,” the marketing VP joked.

  Polite laughter filled the room.

  The executives appeared pleased with the progress report, and those who hadn’t been around last year seemed eager to see the event unfold.

  Hoping she’d nailed her presentation, Joy shook hands with the team, then headed for the door.

  “Joy?” Poppy Wetherton said with a lift of her chin.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Joy’s stomach sank. Maybe I didn’t nail it. Why would Poppy call me aside? She ran through a mental checklist, hoping she hadn’t forgotten an important detail. “What can I do for you?”

  “May I have just a moment with you?”

  Joy’s hands trembled. “Yes, ma’am.” She gripped her tote bag to steady herself. “Of course.” She followed Poppy to the edge of the conference room as the others cleared out.

  “I’ve been watching you.” Poppy tilted her head slightly. “You did a wonderful job on our Santa at W event last year, and I admire your dedication to this project. I’m very impressed by what you’ve done for us over the past year. Your ideas and innovation have pushed my team to work even harder. You’ve exceeded all my expectations to make this year’s event even brighter. I like that.”

  Was there a “but” coming? She held silent for a two-count, but no. She’s impressed! “Thank you.” Joy hoped the words actually came out. She was so overcome by the compliment that she glanced away to be sure she was really still in Wetherton’s executive meeting room. This is really happening.

  Poppy extended a shiny gold envelope with a swirly silver W on it. “From me, but don’t open it until Christmas.” The old woman gave her a mischievous wink.

  Joy hesitated, worried about the rigid guidelines that restricted MacDonald-Webber employees from accepting gifts from clients. Even so, she was dying to know what was inside the envelope. “What is—?”

  “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t. It’s not business. It’s personal. Just say thank you, dear.”

  “Thank you.” If it had been anyone else, Joy would feel obligated to refuse. But this was Poppy Wetherton! And she’d said it was personal. Even making the Christmas-card list of someone like Poppy was a gift in itself.

  “Good. Now, you keep infusing energy and ideas into my team.” Poppy placed a gentle hand on Joy’s arm. “If you ever want a position here at Wetherton’s, you come talk to me personally.”

  Poppy’s vote of confidence was better than anything that could possibly be in the pretty envelope Joy had just tucked into her bag. She tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. “You can’t begin to imagine how much that means coming from you.”

  “You remind me of myself about a hundred years ago.” Poppy smiled and, without so much as a wobble, walked away in heels higher than Joy’s.

  Rather than take the elevator, Joy headed for the stairs. For one hot second, she wished she were brave enough to set her butt on the shiny brass railing and slide down with a whoop. She was that exhilarated!

  As soon as she stepped out of the stairwell and into the store, the melody of “Silver Bells” filled the air. The Bing Crosby version had always been Mom’s favorite. An overwhelming feeling of pride mixed with nostalgia filled Joy.

  She blinked back tears as she whisked through the racks of gem-colored gowns to a beautiful off-white desk that appeared to be a turn-of-the-century antique, empty except for the simple tablet register, which took up very little space. A sales associate appeared out of nowhere, as they always seemed to, and said, “How can I help you today?”

  “I’m here to try on my dress,” Joy said. “The last name is Holbrook.”

  Without having to check a log or look up anything, the tall, model-like platinum blonde responded, “Yes, ma’am. We have it ready for you to try on. Right this way.”

  Joy followed her. “Oh, and I’m meeting a colleague. Her name is Renee. If she comes looking for me, would you let her know how to find me?”

  “She’s actually in the Cameo Dressing Room now, trying on some dresses.”

  The sales associate led Joy through the spacious salon area furnished with upholstered couches with white-on-white swirly Wetherton Ws woven into the fabric, flanked by silver side tables. Champagne buckets were placed like sculptures throughout the room.

  “Champagne?” the associate offered.

  Joy almost declined. It was barely afternoon after all, but this was a good day to celebrate, so she answered with a simple “Thank you.”

  With a crystal flute of champagne in hand, Joy was led to the Fleur-de-Lis Dressing Room, where her gown hung from a dazzling hanger that looked as if it were studded with Swarovski crystals. Her heart fluttered just as it had the day she’d spotted the dress for the first time. She’d been killing time before a meeting, wandering through Wetherton’s with no intention of buying a thing when she’d laid eyes on the emerald green dress. The color was rich, the lines elegant and simple. And seeing it again today, she had that same awestruck feeling, like this was the most beautiful dress she’d ever seen.

  Joy stepped out of her heels, then her deep teal blue pantsuit, and draped the slacks over a padded hanger. She scratched her manicured nail over a smudge on the hip of her pants. “Chocolate?” She stepped to the mirror. Thank goodness there wasn’t anything on her face. How many people in that meeting noticed I had something on my slacks?

  Even if they had, it didn’
t stop the most important person in the room from complimenting her. A flurry of excitement zipped through her again as Poppy’s words replayed in her head. Turning her back on the pants, she marveled at the dress hanging there.

  Joy reached for the exquisite fabric. The airy fabric slipped between her fingers, light as snow. And the translucent beading shimmered under the dressing room’s bright lights. It wasn’t often that she splurged on something so frivolous, but she hadn’t been able to resist this dress. The shoes she’d purchased were placed neatly on the floor beneath the gown—barely there strappy sandals that looked as if they’d been made to match her dress. They were as comfortable as they were expensive, and that was very.

  Joy stepped gingerly into the dress, then pulled up the zipper. Her heart danced as she gazed at herself in the mirror. The dress’s simple neckline didn’t reveal a thing, but was still alluring in a sophisticated way.

  A light tap sounded at the door. “How are we doing in there?”

  “You can come in.”

  The sales associate walked in and helped Joy zip the back. “Beautiful. The color accents your green eyes. Not just anyone can pull off that color green.” She linked the tiny hook at the top of the zipper for Joy, then tugged in a few places. “It hangs nicely. What do you think?”

  Joy smoothed her fingers along the fabric. She’d been worried that too many junk food lunches on the run might have compromised the fitting she’d had two weeks ago. “Even prettier than I remembered.”

  She turned and looked at her reflection in the wall of angled mirrors. “I love the way the top is embellished like fine jewelry.” She lifted the skirt, liking the way it fell ever-so-softly. “But the rest is so simple.”

  The saleswoman stepped out of the dressing room and motioned to Joy. “Come on out here.”

  Joy stepped out into the main salon. Renee stood on a platform in the center of the room in a short, shimmery black dress that showed off her never-ending legs.

  Renee’s expression in the mirror made Joy blush.

  “You look breathtaking,” Renee said, then turned and faced her. “I think I need to go back and find something more like that.” She stepped down from the platform, looking a little deflated. “You look beautiful and smart and capable, and you even look sexy with just about every inch of you covered.”

  “Don’t be silly, that dress is great on you,” said Joy. “You look amazing. I could never pull it off.”

  “We have different styles, but your dress is perfect for the gala. I’m so glad you get to go this year.”

  Joy couldn’t wait to attend the MacDonald-Webber holiday gala, to which old, new, and prospective clients were invited. The event had such a reputation that it was often the differentiator that had caused some of the company’s most impressive accounts to choose MacDonald-Webber over the competition.

  “I set the research schedule this year, and I made sure it didn’t conflict with the gala,” Joy said. “Last year, while everyone else was enjoying a swanky evening rubbing elbows with clients and celebrating, I was gathering data from dozens of sugar-buzzed children while they waited for Santa. Talk about a bum deal.”

  “I remember.” Renee shook her head. “I was so glad my job with you didn’t start until the next week. If I’d had to miss the gala, I would have been crushed. It’s one of the best perks of working there.”

  Joy lightly twisted a loose tendril of hair that had fallen across her shoulder. Renee’s choice of a short, flirty number made Joy feel almost overdressed. “You don’t think this dress is too fancy for the gala, do you?”

  “No. It’s elegant and feminine,” Renee said. “It’s absolutely you.”

  Joy barely recognized herself in the mirror. “The bodice reminds me of my favorite Christmas ornament when I was a kid.” That’s what drew me to this dress in the first place. “A delicate, sphere-shaped glass ornament with finely etched details that seemed to change color from every angle—from turquoise to deep emerald green.” The fabric felt smooth against her skin. “Just like this.”

  “That sounds pretty,” Renee said. “We always had a theme tree. One color. Lots of ribbons, and I wasn’t allowed to help. Christmas was just one more business party for my mother.”

  “I can’t imagine not getting to help with the tree. When I was a kid, it was almost as fun as Christmas morning. I’m sure your Christmas tree was picture-perfect, though.”

  “Like in-a-magazine perfect in that living room look-don’t-touch kind of way. Trust me. It was no fun.”

  “Our tree was probably a hot mess in comparison, but we loved decorating it together. Mom loved the holidays.” Joy’s throat felt dry. She missed her mom more than anything. “Picking the right spot for that special ornament on the Christmas tree with her is one of my favorite memories.” Joy wasn’t sure what had happened to all the boxes of family decorations after her mom died, but it didn’t really matter. She hadn’t bothered to have a tree since then. Christmas just wasn’t the same without Mom.

  The sales associate poured more champagne for Joy and Renee.

  “Are you bringing Todd to the gala?” Renee asked.

  “Todd?” Joy was surprised to hear his name. “No, he’s pretty much in the ex category these days.”

  “I hadn’t heard you mention him in a while, but I didn’t know it was over between you two. Sorry.”

  “No, it’s okay. That relationship never really went anywhere. He’s more into his work than I am. Who knew that was possible?” But she’d be lying if she didn’t admit that she still missed having him around for those late-night ten-minute chats. Feeling connected to someone—heck, anyone—meant more to her than she’d realized. But if Joy wanted to meet her thirty-year goals by her next birthday, her job had to be her top priority. “Hard to be over, when it never really got started.”

  “He never really seemed like your type anyway. He always seemed just a little too slick to me.” Renee finished her glass of champagne.

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “I would’ve if I ever thought you might get serious about him, but I figured you saw him for what he was. Anyway, that’s not important now. Tell me! How’d the meeting go?”

  “Amazing.”

  “I knew it would, and when you get that promotion to director, Margie won’t be able to drop her kids off on you anymore.” Renee cut her eyes. “And when you’re choosing your new team, please think of me being stuck with that crazy woman.” Renee pressed her hands together. “You wouldn’t do that to me, would you?”

  “You mean like you left me earlier today when Margie was shoving tickets to her kids’ Christmas pageant down my throat?”

  Renee raised her hand to her mouth. “I did leave you hanging, didn’t I? I had to. There was no way I was letting her guilt me into buying tickets. Besides, I’m not as nice as you. I’d have ended up fired for sassing her about that mess with her kids.”

  “Cost me two hundred dollars,” Joy said.

  “You’ll make more than that with the raise that comes with the promotion.”

  “That promotion is not mine yet.”

  “Everyone says you’re the best candidate. I think the interview was just a formality.” Renee placed her empty glass on a nearby side table.

  “I hope you’re right. My fingers are crossed. Well, I better change out of this so we can get back to work. Now’s not the time to look like I’m slacking off.” Joy headed to the Fleur-de-Lis Dressing Room to change.

  Back in their business attire, Renee stood looking through a display of holiday scarves while Joy settled her alterations bill.

  Joy’s phone rang. She glanced at the unfamiliar number and quickly silenced the incoming call as she signed the receipt. Just as Joy took the clear plastic dress bag from the sales associate, that musical tone letting her know someone was calling sounded again. “Someone is being persistent. I better take this. Thank you for your help.”

  “You’re welcome, Ms. Holbrook.”

 
Joy answered the call.

  “Joy, honey, it’s your aunt Ruby’s friend. Shirley.”

  Her mind spun as she imagined a hundred dreadful situations. “Yes. Is everything okay?” Joy hugged the dress.

  “Ruby took a fall and broke her foot. Her ankle—well, I’m not sure what all, but it didn’t sound good. They just took your aunt into surgery. I thought I better call and let you know.” Shirley’s words were rushed and hushed. Joy could picture her in the hospital waiting room.

  As the news sank in, Joy’s body felt weak. She walked over to an upholstered bench and sat down.

  “Is everything okay?” Renee whispered, looking concerned.

  Joy held up a finger. “Do they know how she fell? Was it an accident or did something else cause her to lose her balance?”

  “I’m not sure. Ruby was fussy and kind of out of it. I’m not entirely sure what happened or how long she’d been lying out there hurt when I found her. She told me not to bother you, but—”

  Shaking her head, Joy said, “No. I’m glad you didn’t listen to her and called to let me know. Which hospital?” She ended the call and stood there, almost unable to breathe. “It’s my aunt.”

  “Ruby?”

  She pressed her phone against her chest. “They took her by ambulance to Bridgewater Regional Hospital in Crystal Falls.”

  “Is it serious?” Renee stepped closer.

  “I didn’t think so at first. She broke her ankle, but they’re taking her straight to surgery. That’s always serious, right? Especially for someone who’s seventy.” This day had pushed her emotions like a pendulum—from awful to amazing, and then princess to peril. If she were ever at a risk for a heart attack, today would most certainly have done her in.

  “I can catch the Metro back to the office,” Renee said, “and I’ll give Margie an update. You’d better go.”

  Sweat dampened Joy’s forehead, making her bangs feel heavy. “It’s over a five-hour drive. I’ll never make it back in time for the presentation at the off-site meeting tomorrow.” Panic filled her, making the chorus of “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” playing in the store sound like white noise as she tried to process the news.

 

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