“It’s perfect.” I smiled. I looked around the room, admiring our handiwork. “I have an idea.” Grabbing his tablet I tugged him in front of the tree. “We need a selfie!” We snapped a dozen pictures of ourselves around the room.
Joy knocked on the door. “Are you two coming to dinner?” she asked, pushing open the door. She froze, looking around the room. Her eyes welled up with tears. “It’s beautiful! You haven’t decorated in years.” She considered her son for a moment then pushed him aside, giving me a big hug. “Thank you!” she whispered into my ear.
“You’re welcome. I didn’t really do anything though.” I hugged her back, realizing how much I missed my own mother.
“You’ve done more than you could ever understand.” She whirled around to face Justin. She kissed him on the cheek and whispered something in his ear. His eyes flared with surprise.
At dinner the table was abuzz with talk and laughter. More people arrived with each meal. Dinner was a selection of winter veggies, fresh bread and ribs. What was left of the brew I brought back from the Dwarven Stronghold was passed around the table, causing conversations to run more freely. At least a half-dozen members of the family asked us when our binding ceremony was. I’m not sure who stuttered more, Justin or me.
I offered to help clean up, but the aunts and cousins refused, all but pushing me out the door. All things considered I did want to take a look at the cases that Justin had brought back Friday. If I could get a jump start on them before Monday I would feel better prepared. I slipped away back to his room.
I sat facing the fire with my laptop in front of me. There was an email that had come from the company that bought out Bob’s business. They wanted to know if I was available for an interview. I considered what to say and ultimately decided to see if they would do a video call interview. Leaving the North Pole wasn’t an option until after my contract was up.
I closed the laptop and reached for the files. They were Ian’s and the lady who didn’t want her assistant to leave. The first one seemed easy enough. I was still confused on the second one. I needed to find a way that everyone could win. The way I saw it either the assistant or the old woman was going to lose out.
I looked at the clock. It was roughly seven in the morning in Seoul. I grabbed my phone from where it had been charging. Flipping through the numbers I found Ian’s cell and hit call. On the third ring there was a click followed by a gruff voice. “Grace, what’s wrong?”
“I spoke with Marthailain today - I really need to speak with Alizeyah. It’s an emergency.” I did my best to sound official.
“Why do you need to speak with Kat?” he asked, concern seeping into his speech.
“I thought her name was Alizeyah?” The question just slipped out.
“It is. That’s her actual name. Her Human name is Kathryn,” he corrected. I heard him speaking in muffled tones.
“Hello?” There was a voice on the other end that sounded confused and innocent. She sounded like she was ten years old.
“Hello Kat, my name is Grace and I’m Ian’s cousin. I need you to pay close attention and only answer yes or no to my questions. Do you understand?” I grimaced a little, feeling bad to be worrying Ian like this.
“Yes.”
“Has Ian asked you about coming to meet the family this Yule and Christmas?”
“No.”
“Ok, give him a few days and if he doesn’t bring it up, you ask him. You must go to Boston with him. It’s very important that you do this. Can you do that?” I drilled the question.
“Ummmmm...”
“That wasn’t a yes or no. Ian doesn’t know this, but it’s a really big deal he’s there and he is going to need your love and support through the holidays. Do you understand?” I prodded her again.
“Yes.”
“Can I count on you to get him there and be with him? You can bring friends if you want to.”
“Alright, I’ll take care of it.” She sounded more awake now.
“Excellent. Thank you for helping out. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important,” I told her before hanging up the phone. I needed to email Mom and let her to know to expect two to four more. I filled out the completion paperwork that went with the case and slid it into the folder.
The door clicked open. “Gracie, are you in here?” Justin said as he opened the door to find me working. His face softened. “Workaholic,” he accused.
"Why hello there, Mr. Kettle, and how are you feeling today?"
"Very fine and black, Ms. Pot, and yourself?"
"Just as pitch as coal, thank you for asking!" I couldn’t help but laugh. Justin rolled his eyes.
“Since I didn’t work yesterday I wanted to make sure I wasn’t falling behind. I want to get my ten contractual cases taken care of.” I reached out to take his hand, giving it an affectionate squeeze.
His face fell. “Do you want out of here that bad?”
“No, nothing like that. There is a huge backlog of cases that are years old. If I finish early I figured I could address some of those. Clean out ones that no longer need addressed. Your Holiday Spirit department is a disaster.” He considered my words for a long moment before letting some of the worry leave his face.
“Maybe you should slow down with your cases. I don’t want you to burn out.” He sat on the ottoman beside me.
“I just finished my fifth case,” I told him, closing the folder.
“Just like that, while I was helping clear the table?” There was disbelief in his voice.
“Yep. Halfway done,” I answered with a confident grin.
He took the folders and laptop from my lap and placed them on the table. Then in a movement out of a movie he swept me up out of the chair and cradled me in his arms. “I’m glad you’re so productive. I don’t have to feel bad about taking you to bed and keeping you there all day tomorrow.”
“Why would you feel bad about that?” I smiled what I hoped was a seductive grin. “I like the sound of that plan.”
“Because you may be very sore tomorrow after what I have planned tonight” he gave me a wink.
“I’ve never been all that kinky… but what the heck. I’ll try anything once.” I leaned against him. “Should I tie you down and lick every inch of you?”
His breath caught in his throat. “Not quite what I had in mind but we will absolutely add that to the agenda for tomorrow.” He pulled a scarf out of his pocket.
“Oh a blindfold, that could be fun too.”
He chuckled. “Yes it could.” He reached out and tied it over my eyes. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course”, I said and the scary thing was… it was true. Totally true.
“Good.”
I didn’t struggle when he helped me into a coat and boots although I had pictured clothing coming off and not going on. He took my hand and led me out into the cold night air.
“Are you sure we should be out here while we are recovering from colds?”
“Probably not, but there is something I want to show you.” He continued to guide me through the snow for a walk that seemed to last forever.
“Ok, sit down.” His voice was tentative but warm. He guided me to sit. I reached up to take off the blindfold but he stopped me.
“Leave it on.” I felt him sit beside me and was startled when he reached down and pulled my boots off. Just as quickly he slid me feet into the familiar fit of my ice skates.
“Lace the right one first, tight over the instep and room through the ankle.” He laughed but followed directions.
“Your control freak is showing,” he teased.
“I spent a lot of years skating. I have a method.”
“Were you a figure skater then?” he asked as he smoothed my pants leg down.
“No, but my father loved to take Michael and I skating. We did it almost every weekend as far back as I can remember.” I felt the smile creep into my voice and then suddenly his mouth was there kissing that smile.
When he withdrew I fe
lt like something was missing. “That was a beautiful memory. I only hope you remember this with a fraction of the joy you just showed me.”
Taking my hands he guided me across the rubbery terrain. When we stopped he picked me up and cradled me against his chest. I felt the glide of ice underneath us. When he sat me down again there was an anticipation between us that was charged and harmonious.
I felt his fingers tug at my blindfold and then it happened. The world was flooded with twinkling lights. We were standing in the middle of a small pond with lights hung on every available branch, fencepost or surface they could be secured to. It was like a million tiny stars reflecting off the surface of the pond.
“Oh, it’s the most beautiful thing I think I’ve ever seen.”
He grinned that special smile with two dimples just for me, then took my hand. “Skate with me, Gracie.”
We laughed and twirled about the glassy surface of the pond among all the twinkling stars and lights until we were so frozen neither of us could feel our legs or faces anymore. When he tugged me to a stop once more at the center of the ice, it was to capture my face between his freezing hands and lower his lips to mine.
They were warm against mine and I found myself leaning into the kiss. I wanted more and I never wanted it to stop. When he finally broke the kiss he held me against his chest. “I feel like you belong here, held against me like this. Grace, I’m afraid.”
I knew exactly what he meant. I felt at home in his arms listening to his heartbeat. Wrapping my arms tighter around him I snuggled as tightly as I could. “What are you afraid of?”
“I’m afraid I’m falling and you might not be there to catch me.”
I took a deep breath. “I will be, if you let me,” I whispered.
Taking my hand in his he guided me back off the ice. “Let’s get back in so I can warm you up. I think I may need to keep you warm all night tonight and all day tomorrow.”
“Does that mean more bedsport?” I asked jokingly.
“Of course, can you think of a better way to keep warm?” He tugged at my hand, pulling me against him for another kiss.
“If you keep kissing me we’ll freeze to death.”
“No we won’t. Have you ever made love in the snow?” There was a wicked gleam in his eyes as he asked.
“No, but I think that is better left until we are both fully recovered from our colds.” That seemed to be all the encouragement he needed because he was rushing me back towards the house at almost a run.
“What’s the rush?” I asked
“I want to warm you up right now.” He turned to look at me over his shoulder.
“With all the naughty things you brought back is there anything you would like me to wear?” I was hoping the playful suggestion would add to the moment.
“Yes, I want you to wear the blindfold and only the blindfold.” I froze where I stood, thinking about it for a moment. He quickly added, “Only if you want to.”
“Oh I do, only if you’ll wear it for me too,” I purred at him. That’s all it took and I was tossed over his shoulder while he sprinted the rest of the way back to the house.
Once in and behind closed doors we only separated long enough to remove our clothing before diving into the warmth of the bed and each other’s arms.
Bedsport turned to lovemaking and true to his words, I was barely allowed to leave bed on Sunday. I was allowed a few trips to the bathroom but otherwise we slept, made love, ate, cuddled, watched movies and did it all over again from the comfort of his large rustic bed.
Chapter Ten
Monday came all too quickly but I was going to kick it off with a new uniform. When I walked into Maggie’s office I wasn’t surprised that I was met with a look of disgust. “I’ve come for a different uniform.”
She gave me a sinister smile. “I’m afraid that’s all we have in your size.”
“You see, I know for a fact, that’s not true. I could go get Justin, but Joy told me to let you know that she would personally come down and help you find one if need be.” I forced a big wolfy grin showing lots of teeth.
Maggie rolled her eyes then trotted off out of sight. When she returned a few minutes later she carried more white garments, but these looked heavier. “You still have to wear the wreath. But here is a new gown and a white wool coat.”
I looked over the garments and signed the slip. “Are we done here?”
“I hope so. Please don’t make me look at you until after Christmas.” She started to go back to work and then stopped. “Everyone here is talking about the two of you. Justin is special. He’s been hurt too many times. Don’t lead him on.”
“I’m not leading him on,” I told her, but I started asking myself what was going to happen after the Holidays.
Gathering the clothes into my arms I made haste to leave the uniform room and make it to my office on time. When I arrived the room was full of chatter - which died the second I stepped through the doorway. Everyone stared at me with wide eyes. I cleared my throat uncomfortably. “Ummm, good morning. Did everyone have a nice weekend?”
Nobody answered me. They just kept staring. “Ok, well sounds like you all had quiet weekends then. Good for you. I’m just going to log in and get some work done.” As I sat at my desk I flipped through the stacks of folders in front of me. I pulled out a couple cases that I thought I could resolve this morning with some phone calls and online detective work. I was just preparing to go find a cup of coffee when Mary plopped in the chair beside me.
“Good morning,” she said with a grin.
It was so nice to see a smile I relaxed a little. “It is. Maggie gave me a uniform I won’t freeze to death in.” I motioned to the clothes covered in plastic garment bags.
“Oh, that is a good way to start Monday,” she agreed. Mary leaned close, dropping her voice to a whisper. “Everyone is shocked that you spent the weekend with Justin. They want to know if that’s how you got out of work Friday. He left early that day.”
I had the urge to roll my eyes. “Actually I was caught in a blizzard working on a case with a missing Dragon artifact. I ended up getting a cold. My fever was high enough he insisted I not work Friday. I did still complete a case this weekend though, so it wasn’t a total bust.”
She shuddered. “I hate working with Dragons - glad it was you and not me. It sounds like you’re keeping up with your case load then. How many of your ten do you have done?” She seemed sincerely interested.
“I finished number five Saturday night. I think I may be able to resolve three more by lunch if things go my way.” I looked at the files I had set to the side.
Her jaw dropped. “You haven’t been here a week and you’ve almost completed your ten?” Her voice was no longer hushed. Everyone was once again staring at me. “You must really want out of here.”
I waved the idea a way. “No, it’s not like that. I can see there is a backlog of cases that need done. I figure when I finish my assigned number I can begin working on the backlog.” A mumble ran through the small office.
Mary leaned close again. “Are you trying to make us all look bad?”
I laughed. “No, not at all. I just want to do a good job and help out. I have the time. I don’t have a job to rush home to, so why not?”
“I’ll tell you why not. They used to have a really hard time getting workers for this department. Enough so that it became a paid position, and it’s a pretty comfy gig when you think about only needing to complete ten cases. If you make it look too easy they may change it.” She glanced around the room again. “If you’re seeing the boss and over-performing… are you trying to land a supervisor position?”
“It would seem everyone here is more concerned about what is going on outside of office hours then during. I’m not trying to get a supervisor position, I’m not trying to make people look bad, I just want to do a good job and I like helping people. Is that so wrong?” I felt like beating my head against the desk.
Mary took my hand in hers. “
I understand. Let me give you some advice then. Don’t get involved with Justin. At the end of the season you’ll leave and he’ll stay. One or both of you will get hurt. You seem like a nice girl. Listen to me, I have a hundred years of wisdom on you.” She smiled before sliding out of the chair and returning to her own desk.
I opened the files again and began working. By lunch I had finished the three files I had pulled out, plus two more. I was officially done with my ten. Everything I did from here on out was bonus. I went to the cafeteria feeling almost weightless. As I stood in line to get a salad a thought struck me. I grabbed a cup of coffee and returned my tray, rushing to get back to my desk.
I opened the browser and checked my email. Sure enough, there was a message from the company that wanted to interview me. They were surprised to know I hadn’t returned to the East Coast yet but were happy to do a video call interview. They asked if I was free Tuesday afternoon. After I compared time stamps I set it up for lunch time so all I had to do was find a quiet place. Before closing my email I opened the one from Justin. It had some of our selfies in it. I smiled as I flipped through them, making sure to close it down before everyone returned.
After lunch I pulled on my new dress. It was sleeveless and white with a deep plunging neckline. It seemed very ethereal when I moved in it. The gem, though, was white wool duster trimmed in silver braid with an oversized hood. Maggie had been nice enough to include red fur-trimmed gloves to go with it. I was toasty warm when I departed to check on my case involving the mistreated assistant.
I had been right. The older woman was terribly lonely, but it didn’t justify her treating her assistant like that. The girl was truly miserable. When I returned to the Pole I was as confused as ever. I came in and changed back into my civilian clothes, happy to find it wasn’t quite six yet. I filed all my completed cases and started prep work for the next day. When it turned six I didn’t waste a minute sticking around. I headed for the snowmobiles and waited for Justin.
Holiday Spirit for Hire Page 9