by Nancy Naigle
“She’s not afraid to let people know she loves Christmas.”
“Cheers to Poppy,” Renee said, and clinked her champagne glass to Joy’s, then tossed back the rest of the bubbly liquid in one gulp. “Keeping ’em coming, baby,” she said to Kevin.
“Boy, both MacDonald and Webber are over there schmoozing Poppy,” Renee said.
“She’s an amazing businesswoman.”
“Sure is.” Renee sipped her champagne. “And I love working on the Wetherton’s account.”
Joy watched the art of negotiating go on across the room. It might be under the guise of a holiday gala, but there was no doubt this was 100 percent business.
Renee broke Joy’s concentration. “Did you get everything at Ruby’s all decorated?”
Joy nodded. “Yeah, just about. I have a few more things to do when I get back. Ben was a huge help. It really looks pretty. It was actually fun.”
“You really like this guy, don’t you?” Renee smiled wide.
“Ben?”
“Yes. Ben. The only person you’ve talked about all night, Ben.”
“No. Of course not. I don’t even know him. Besides, he’s not my type.”
“Then why are you talking about him nonstop?”
“I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.” Renee elbowed Kevin. “She is, isn’t she?”
“She is,” he said. “Have to say his name has been in about every other sentence.”
Renee bobbed her head in agreement. “Yeah. And speaking of types. Was Todd your type? Because frankly, I think he’s kind of an ass.”
“Well, he wasn’t always as bad as he seems now. I don’t guess he was my type from the beginning either, though. Todd was … convenient. He was really nice when I first met him, and then he turned kind of cutthroat and one-track-minded about his career, not caring about anything or anyone he hurt along the way. But that doesn’t mean Ben is my type.” But was that the point? “I don’t even know if I have a type.”
“Ben’s single, right?”
“Yes.”
“You said he’s good-looking.”
“Very.” His dark hair and blue eyes were a tempting combination, and he was more handsome than some of the guys who were paid big bucks to model in some of the ads in their research studies. And she’d be lying if she didn’t admit, at least to herself, that her first impression of him was how good he’d looked in that suit.
“And he’s nice. And handy. What’s the problem?”
Yeah, what is the problem? I’ve never met anyone quite like Ben. He has it all. He’s smart and rugged. Handsome and romantic. “He lives in Crystal Falls.”
“Instead of Crystal City, like these folks?” Renee raised her hand in the air, gesturing toward the high-society accents that surrounded them. “Seems like a plus to me.”
Kevin interjected. “What’s wrong with Crystal Falls?”
“Nothing. It’s nice. And actually, you should plan to bring the family for the Crystal Christmas Cookie Crawl. I think the kids would love it. It’s a lighted home tour the Saturday before Christmas. Please come.”
“That sounds fun. I’ve been telling Renee that we need to find something different to do this year. What do you think, honey?”
“Works for me. But…” She turned back and glared at Joy. “You quit changing the subject, missy. What’s the problem?”
“Accountants aren’t my type. Is there a more boring career than accountant?”
“But your Ben sounds anything but boring. I bet when he looks at you, it’s not a budget he’s got on his mind.”
Her insides tingled at the thought of the way Ben looked at her. There wasn’t one thing boring about him. In fact, he kept her completely off balance. She kind of liked that. “I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do. That pause. Right there. Right then. That said it all.”
“You’re reading too much into that.”
“Listen to your heart—you’ll always find your way.”
“But my job is here. The promotion I’ve been waiting for so long, and he is down in that little town, and happy to be there.”
“Hard as we work, we don’t have to settle. There are lots of jobs you’re qualified to do. Besides, who says he won’t make a change for you? Why are you assuming you are the one who would have to make the sacrifice?”
Kevin kissed Renee on the cheek. “My girl moved here for me.”
“We’ll just see, I guess.”
Kevin winked at Renee and said, “Next thing you know, you’ll be married with two kids. You should have seen the Christmas concert at the kids’ school yesterday. Too stinking cute. Cassie totally forgot her one line, so Renee shouts it out like she’s a ventriloquist.”
“Shut up. I’m her mother. I was helping,” Renee said, looking anything but apologetic.
“It was great. And as usual, you were the best part,” Kevin said with a smile, kissing Renee on the cheek again and then the mouth. “I love this girl.”
“I love you too, honey.” Renee’s eyes flashed. “Don’t look now, Joy, but you’ll never guess who is headed this way.”
“It better not be Todd.”
“Nope. Poppy Wetherton.”
Poppy Wetherton worked her way through the crowd. Joy was tempted to wave, because it looked like Poppy was heading right toward her. But wouldn’t that be one of those awkward moments when you waved only to find out the person was looking at someone else, beyond you? Joy smiled, and to her surprise, Poppy did approach her.
“How are you tonight, Joy? You look absolutely beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
Poppy turned her attention to Renee. “And Renee. It is Renee, right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I see you found an equally beautiful dress. Well done, ladies.” Poppy leaned toward Joy. “Could I have just one quick teensy word with you, dear?”
“Of course,” Joy said, flashing a what-the-heck look over her shoulder toward Renee as she turned her back on the couple.
Poppy pulled Joy close. “I just want to thank you again for doing such a wonderful job for Wetherton’s. I appreciate that.”
“Wh—?” But before Joy could get the question out of her mouth, Poppy Wetherton had breezed away, leaving Joy standing there with her mouth half open. Joy pivoted around to Renee.
“What’d she say?”
“She—”
Someone tapped the side of a glass, and the conversation quieted from a swarming buzz to a soft hum. “Thank you,” Jacob MacDonald said. “Webber and I have a couple quick announcements, and then we’ll let you get back to enjoying your evening. This celebration is about you, after all.”
Everyone clapped.
Renee leaned in. “What was it?”
“I’m not sure.” She paused, looking around to see who was within earshot. “I don’t think I’m getting this promotion.”
Renee looked crushed, and Joy was sure her own expression wasn’t hiding much. She swallowed hard and steadied her smile, hoping no one would notice that her lip was quivering. She’d worked so hard for that promotion.
MacDonald droned on, ticking off a list of thank-yous to the who’s-who list of execs in the room. Joy was barely listening, wishing she could snag another glass of champagne.
Renee whispered, “This is it.”
“We at MacDonald-Webber not only appreciate all of you—our clients, our staff, our partners—but we consider you part of our team too. Tonight I have two promotions I’d like to share with you. As many of you know, John Pinkerton is retiring. We are excited to promote Edward Rose into the position of Director of Market Research and Analytics.”
Joy clapped. Ed was a great guy and a whiz with analytics and all things technical. He’d take that department to new heights.
“And one more promotion. Join me in congratulating Joy Holbrook, as we welcome her to the director table as Director of Focus Groups. And our youngest director.”
Joy gulped a mouthful of air.
She’d gotten it. Todd stood just to her right. In her periphery, she could see him giving a slow, uninterested clap. He wasn’t even happy for her. What a waste of time he’d been.
“Big things are on the horizon here MacDonald-Webber. Thank you, and happy holidays!”
MacDonald stepped down, shaking hands and accepting slaps on the back as he headed for the bar. Joy smiled and accepted the congratulatory remarks from those around her.
“I knew you had it,” Renee said.
Then what did Poppy mean?
Renee hugged Joy. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you.”
“The kids just texted us. It’s snowing at our house,” Renee said. “We’re going to sneak out. We don’t want to get stuck in the city if the snow heads this way, and we have a first snowy night tradition of making snow cream.”
“Oh my gosh. Condensed milk, vanilla, and snow? My mom used to make that for me too.”
Renee laughed. “Are you kidding me? We do chocolate peanut butter snow cream.”
“Now, that’s worth racing home for.” Joy hugged Renee. “I could never have done all of this without you on the team. I can’t wait to see what next year brings us.”
“Me either.”
“Have fun. It was so good seeing you. And think about coming to Crystal Falls for the cookie crawl. It’ll be even better if you’re there.”
“We will. Kevin said he thinks it’ll be fun, and he’s the driver, so I think you can count on us.”
Margie walked over and stood between them. “Am I interrupting?”
“No. Not at all,” Renee oozed.
Margie turned her back to Renee, who promptly made a face behind her back and made her exit. “Congratulations, Joy. You deserve that promotion. I hope you don’t mind me keeping it a surprise. They wanted me to call and tell you a week ago, but with all you had going on, I thought the surprise would be nice.”
It would have been nice to know, but then, Margie’s decisions never ceased to surprise her. “Thank you so much.”
“We’re working on a schedule for some kickoff meetings. I’ll let you know as soon as we have the dates and location nailed down. We’ve got some clever scheduling to do. Turns out we’ve got quite a bit more work on the horizon. We’ll likely be shifting some things around.”
“I’m ready.” Only honestly, she wasn’t sure how she could squeeze out even one more hour in her workweek. She already spent all her time at the office as it was.
“I’m so sorry you missed Lola and Richard’s Christmas performance.”
Joy held her tongue. Refusing to pretend she’d been sorry to miss it.
Margie rambled on. “Especially sweet Lola. It was simply amazing. I swear it was Broadway caliber. Should have been. We had legitimate staff on board to train everyone for an outstanding performance. I mean we have to give the ticket holders their money’s worth, even if it was a fund-raiser.”
“I wish I’d thought to have you pick up my tickets. They went unused. Sitting right there on my desk.”
“Well, next year. It was heartwarming as a parent to see my children so excited about something. These little shows are so important to a child. Not just fun, but also for growing their character and confidence. I took some pictures. I’ll have to show them to you.”
“That would be so nice.”
Margie went all wide-eyed. “What am I thinking? I have some of them right here on my phone.” She whipped out her phone as if it were a magic wand and started scrolling through the pictures.
Joy had to admit, if she hadn’t been subjected to the brattiness of Lola and her wicked brother, Richard, she wouldn’t believe they were capable of such behavior. Lola looked like a little princess in the costume with layers of tulle and a tiny rhinestone-studded crown. Her thoughts drifted to Molly. She’d looked so disappointed when Joy said she wouldn’t be able to go to her Christmas pageant.
“She really looked lovely, Margie.” And Joy surprised herself because she wasn’t just being polite. “I can tell you’re very proud of them.”
“Oh, I am. I know I probably spoil them, but I love them so much. They are my whole world.” And Margie’s eyes glistened as she beamed with pride. “I wouldn’t miss one of their shows for anything.”
“I bet it means a lot to them that you’re there too.”
“You can’t begin to imagine,” Margie said. “I’m surprised that some of the parents don’t make time for their children. A child grows up so quickly. Every one of these milestones means something that will affect how they think, act, and treat others later.”
Those words held so much meaning.
“Will you excuse me, Margie?”
“Sure. Is—?”
“Everything’s fine. There’s just something I need to do.” Joy weaved through the crowd and went outside.
“Car, ma’am?”
“Yes, please.” She shot a look over her shoulder. She hoped everyone was so busy that no one would even notice that she’d slipped out.
The valet raised a white glove in the air, and a black town car pulled in front of the building.
“Thank you,” Joy said. She slid into the backseat. “Excuse me. Do you have a pen and a piece of paper?” she asked the driver.
“Yes, ma’am.” He ripped a sheet of paper from a spiral notebook on the front seat and handed it back to her with a pen.
“Thank you so much.” She started listing all the things she needed to do. Tonight a lot of things were finally beginning to make sense.
The car slowed to a stop in front of her condo. The driver got out and came around to open her door.
“Thank you so much,” Joy said. “And Merry Christmas.”
For once, the elevator was waiting for her. She stepped inside and pressed the button. It shouldn’t take too long to change into some decent travel clothes, pack up a few things, and get on the road to Crystal Falls. And she could make it in time to see Molly in her pageant.
She stepped out of her gown and draped it across the chair in her bedroom. Once she was packed, she looked back over at the dress, remembering Molly making a fuss about how pretty it was. An idea popped into her mind. Ruby was going to love it. Joy would have someone take a picture of her in this dress with Molly in her fancy red dress wearing Ruby’s pearls at her side and decoupage it onto a Christmas ornament. One to remember this year by.
Joy flung the dress over her arm and snagged the shoes by their straps, then headed out the door with her bags over her shoulder.
She pushed through the door that led to the ground-level parking and got into her car.
If she drove straight through, with no stops, she’d be back in Crystal Falls by early morning and have time to catch a couple hours of sleep before Molly’s pageant. Her gas gauge was down below a quarter of a tank, so her first stop needed to be to fill up with gasoline. She pulled into the station near the interstate ramp and got out to pump her gas. She swiped her credit card through the reader, but when she went to pick up the nozzle, a man who looked like he’d just stepped out of an old Western movie stepped in. “I’ve got this. Get back in your car. It’s cold out here.”
“Thank you,” she said, hesitating only for a moment, because tiny snowflakes had just begun to fall.
The man had one hand pushed into the pocket of his heavy jacket as he filled her tank. A ponytail hung down his back, slightly curling in the damp snow. His mustache wiggled as he spoke, puffing steamy condensation with each breath in the cold night. He patted the back of her car when he was done, and she waved. Thankful for the good deed. That was so nice.
She watched him walk off, tall and straight and not looking like he was in much of a hurry. He climbed into a black GMC pickup truck with a livestock trailer behind it. How often did you see that kind of truck, or that kind of guy in this area?
She started her car and pulled away from the pump, just as the guy in the truck started his and all the lights down the side of his shiny aluminum trailer lit up and
danced.
“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” played on the radio. Fitting now that the snowflakes were falling at a pretty good pace. She wasn’t too worried, though. She’d probably run out of it the farther south of the city she got.
Three hours later, the adrenaline that had pushed her on the first part of the ride was wearing off just as she crossed the Carolina border. And if she heard “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” one more time, she might request they add a toll to Main Street and let the jolly guy pay his way in and out of this town … she’d had just about too much of that song by now.
She’d beaten the snow, and even the drizzle through most of Virginia had finally given her a reprieve, but she wasn’t sure if she could make the last stretch of the ride. She rolled down the window to get some fresh air, but when the next exit boasted a chain hotel, she gave in to stop and grab just a few hours of rest.
When she got to the counter, a bleary-eyed, gray-haired man greeted her.
“I need a room,” she said.
“Got a reservation?”
“No.” The parking lot had been practically empty. There was no way the place was full.
He punched a couple of buttons, then slapped a slip of paper up on the counter. “Initial for me. That’ll be ninety dollars and twenty cents.”
She pushed her credit card across the counter and signed the paper. He traded her for the room key in a pouch. “Free Internet, and breakfast starts at six.”
“I’ll be out of here before then. I just need a quick nap,” she said. “Thank you.”
“Sleep well, ma’am.”
She’d much rather have been sleeping in the bed at Ruby’s house, but there was no sense in risking an accident. The room was nice. Nicer than she’d expected for a random pick just off the interstate. She sprawled out on the bed fully dressed. Just one quick nap, and she’d be back on the road.
All those dreams she’d had of wearing that gown at the fancy gala hadn’t proved to be like the night she’d had. And that promotion wasn’t nearly so spectacular a moment either. All she wanted right now was to be back in Crystal Falls.
Her body eased a little as she let her attention fall away.