Harlequin Romance December 2020 Box Set

by Susan Meier, Sophie Pembroke, Jessica Gilmore

  He sat back. “Alina, this isn’t your problem. I don’t expect you to fix it.”

  Alina glanced at the time on the monitor. “I have to go.”

  “Already? But you just got here. You haven’t even had time to eat or rest.”

  “I’ll be fine. It’s a big event. Do you know the Hulligan Group?”

  He nodded. “They’re a big financial firm.”

  “And they rented out the entire café for a holiday party. I was told it was going to run late.”

  He reached out to her. His fingertips caressed her cheek, making her heart pound. “You look tired. You’re on the go from first thing in the morning until you collapse in bed at night. There are lunch parties and evening parties on top of your regular shift. This is, what, your eighth party this week? Just quit. I’ll pay you to plan my holiday party.”

  “No.” She pulled away from his touch, angry that he’d disregard her job so quickly.

  “My job might not be as important as yours but I like it and there are people counting on me. Now I have to go.”

  She jumped to her feet when Graham said, “Alina, wait. I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant.”

  Her back was to him. Her mind said to just keep walking, but another voice said to let him explain himself. She turned to him and found him standing there with a frown on his face.

  “I don’t have a lot of experience talking with women. Not like this.” He raised his gaze to meet hers. Uncertainty showed in his eyes. “The last woman I was involved with, well, I thought things were going good. We’d been together more than a year when she dumped me.”

  “I’m sorry. That must have come as a shock.”

  He nodded. “It did. When I asked her why, she said I was too focused on my work and she felt invisible. I don’t want to make that mistake again. Not that we’re dating or anything.”

  Was he trying to say he’d spoken out of actual concern for her? She didn’t want to jump to conclusions. She’d done that with her stepmother and stepsisters and look how that had turned out.

  Graham’s gaze met hers. “I just meant I was concerned about you. If there’s anything you need me to do, just say the word.”

  Her heart fluttered in her chest. He cared about her. “Thanks for the offer. If I think of something, I’ll let you know. For now, I need to go change.”

  She rushed out the door and headed for the steps. All the while her heart was pounding. Graham really cared about her.

  A voice in her head said to be cautious. After all, he was the enemy, poised to take away her home. She wanted to say that was business, this is different—it’s personal—but could you separate the man from the business?

  * * *

  While the CEO was away, the party planner could scheme.

  Okay, so maybe scheme was too strong of a word. But this Christmas party was nearly impossible to plan. Even though Graham thought finding a location to hold the event would be the hardest part of this last-minute party, it was in fact the easiest since he owned the venue.

  The Toliver conference space on the top floor of the Diamond Building was perfect for his purposes. Though Graham thought it was too cold with the black-and-white decor, she knew the right decorations could change the starkest room into a cozy Christmas setting.

  The more she thought about taking on the task of planning Graham’s party, the more she saw an opportunity. Not just for Graham but for herself, too. If living here in the apartment building and interacting with its residents hadn’t changed Graham’s mind about the pending demolition, she was going to have to work harder. And she thought she had an idea. The only question that remained was whether or not Graham would go for it.

  She knew she was going out on a limb here because planning an elaborate party in just a few weeks, well, it was a crazy notion. And yet, she found herself willing to take on the challenge because she was running out of options.

  First, she’d have to come up with the theme for the party. And then it came to her: the Snow Ball. Other party details would prove to be more challenging…that is, unless you lived in an apartment building full of talented people. She just hoped everyone had the time and interest in helping her. After all, it would be asking a lot of them to help Graham, of all people.

  Still, what would it hurt to ask them? And that’s why she’d called the residents she was closest to and asked them to meet in her apartment.

  “Thank you all for coming,” Alina said. “I really need your help.”

  Mr. Jackson glanced around. “Where’s the handyman?”

  Alina smiled at the CEO of Toliver Investments being called a handyman. “Graham had a meeting at the office. I told him I would handle things here while he took care of his other work.”

  Merryweather crossed his arms over his chest. “Is he at the office plotting to kick other people out of their homes this holiday season?”

  “He’s not like that.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Alina felt as though she was having an out of body experience. Since when had she started defending Graham?

  Pearl Sanders, the sweetest eighty-year-old woman, sent her a knowing smile. “I understand, dear. He is quite handsome. If only I was a few years younger, you’d have a challenge on your hands.”

  Challenge? There would be no challenge. Graham wasn’t hers. And she didn’t want him to be. Did she?

  “What I want to know is why we would help someone who’s kicking us out of our homes,” Grace Taylor asked.

  “I don’t have anywhere to go,” one person said.

  “Neither do I.”

  As other residents chimed in with their discontent at helping the enemy, Alina felt caught in the middle. It was a very strange and uneasy place to find herself.

  Because she was beginning to really know Graham as a man, not the high-powered CEO. He wasn’t the big mean monster that people wanted to think about him. He was fun. He was caring. And he was hot. Very, very hot.

  “I understand your hesitation,” Alina said. “But what if in exchange Graham had his people track down affordable housing for all of us?”

  “He agreed to do this?” Merryweather asked.

  “Well, uh, no.” Alina worried she was about to lose any chance of them agreeing to help. “But he told me how important this party is to him. I think he’ll be agreeable to our term. Trust me. I’ll work it out.”

  Mr. Jackson frowned. “I still don’t like it. No matter what they find, it won’t be home. Our home.”

  “I know.” Alina’s heart ached at the thought of them all being separated. “But I haven’t given up hope that he’ll find an alternative building site.” She’d seen Graham take to the people in the building. Tearing down this building was no longer going to be a case of faceless numbers on a report.

  For a moment, everyone chatted among themselves. Alina hoped they’d see it as an opportunity to win Graham over.

  “What do you say?” Alina asked. “Are we going to do this?”

  Though they lacked enthusiasm, they all agreed.

  “Thank you.” Alina smiled at the people she thought of as family. “Let’s get to work.”

  Everyone stated their special talents. The people who claimed not to have any talents befitting a grand party were relegated to the decorating committee. Their first task was tracking down a live Christmas tree that was relatively slender but tall, something close to twenty feet. And second on their to-do list was buying an enormous amount of twinkle lights in blue for the ceiling and white to drape about the various support posts in the ballroom and the Christmas tree.

  “I know the Stirling has some snowmen in storage,” Alina said. “I’ll pull them out and see if they’re usable.”

  “I’m assuming you’ll want music for the event,” Mr. Jackson said. He played the sax professionally until he retired. Now he and his retired bandmates played loc
al venues. When she smiled and nodded, he said, “I suppose I could see if the band is available.”

  She’d wanted to ask him, but she hadn’t wanted to pressure him. “Thank you. Your band is amazing. I’ll mark you down. Let me know if there are any problems.”

  Mr. Jackson nodded before adjusting his bifocals. He started to type a message on his phone.

  Merryweather offered to check with the theater where he used to work and see if they could borrow some props. Someone else had connections with an art gallery and was going to see if they could track down a bunch of winter-themed pieces to decorate the walls. Piece by piece and person by person this event was coming together.

  She hoped when it was all pulled together that it would live up to Graham’s expectations. She knew this event had to be high end and she planned to do everything to make it so.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  A DAY OFF.

  Today would be Alina’s day to catch up with everything that hadn’t been done around the apartment building—that is, whatever Graham hadn’t been able to complete. She was expecting a really long list. She knew Merryweather always had problems—lots of problems—though most of them were quite minor.

  Merryweather’s family didn’t live in the state and so he didn’t get many visitors. And now that he was retired, he stayed in his apartment most of the time. He was lonely and she couldn’t blame him.

  As she rushed through her Wednesday morning routine, her thoughts returned to Graham. She’d heard from some of the residents that Graham didn’t appear to have a clue about the difference between a nut and a washer, but he’d persevered. More times than not, he’d called in outside help. That wasn’t surprising. She had to do that, too, when a task was beyond her ability. But what surprised her was that he stayed and observed the hired help, even asking questions. The man was certainly full of surprises. She smiled.

  When she moved to the kitchen to feed Prince, her gaze strayed over to the calendar. Time was running out before everyone had to move. Her good mood dimmed, but she wasn’t giving up on a Christmas miracle.

  With her coffee made, she headed for the door, planning to stop in at Graham’s office. She would check to see what messages the tenants had pinned to the punchboard on the outside of the door to the building manager’s office. It wouldn’t hurt to give Graham a helping hand.

  But no sooner had she opened her apartment door when Graham appeared before her. “Hi. I was just heading out to see you.”

  “Look no further.” He held up a pastry bag. “And I brought goodies from the Polka Dotted Bakery. Thought you might enjoy the treat after your exhausting week.”

  How did he know she had a soft spot for pastries? Lucky guess. Still, it did have her retreating back into the apartment. “I can’t stay long. I have to see what needs done around the building.”

  “Nothing.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing needs done. I’m on top of everything.”

  Surely she hadn’t heard him right. “Everything?”

  He smiled at her. “I can tell by your one-word responses that you expected me to fail miserably at this building maintenance stuff.”

  Even she couldn’t stay on top of everything in the building. “What about Merryweather? He always has a leak or a clog or a squeak.”

  “All of his faucets and drains have been tightened. His bathroom is just fine. And his door hinges have all been lubricated.”

  Her mouth gaped. She caught herself and pressed her lips together. “That must have taken you forever.”

  He shrugged. “I think that was the point.”

  “So you noticed he’s lonely.”

  Graham nodded. “I started taking him cookies and staying to chat. Once I started stopping by every day or so, the repair requests slowed down.”

  “You know, I’ve been thinking of getting him a rescue dog. I figured they could help each other out. The pup would get a good home. And Merryweather wouldn’t be alone and he’d have a reason to leave his apartment.”

  “That’s a good idea. I bet he’d love it. You should do it.”

  Alina sighed. “I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  And then she explained her reasoning about the move and the possible restrictions on pets. “I just couldn’t do it to him. I couldn’t imagine him getting attached to a dog and then having to give it up.”

  “And it’s my fault.”

  She didn’t say a word. Now that she was getting to know Graham, he was no longer the big bad monster she’d originally imagined. She didn’t want to like him, but it was difficult not to when she found out what he’d done for Merryweather. I mean, how can you dislike a man that indulges a lonely retiree and goes out of his way to get him cookies?

  In an effort to change the subject, she said, “I’ve been giving your problem some thought.”

  His brows scrunched together. “What problem?”

  “Impressing your prospective partners with a big splashy party.”

  “Oh.” His brown eyes lit up. “What did you think of?”

  “How about a Snow Ball?” She smiled at her pun. “Get it? Snowball as in something to make Frosty out of. And a Snow Ball as in a winter dance.”

  “Cute.” He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. He didn’t like it. “I’m sure they’ll be invited to scads of parties.”

  Though her excitement had been punctured, she wasn’t giving up. He hadn’t heard the whole idea yet. “Perhaps, but this would be a chance to show them that you support local artists.”

  His eyes widened and she could tell she had his full interest. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

  “I don’t have any specifics but it can’t be that hard to get a bunch of local artists to come together for a party. It would be free publicity for them. Who would pass that up?”

  “I don’t know. There isn’t much time until the party. They might already have other plans.”

  She wanted the party to also represent some of Graham’s interests. “What do you enjoy about winter? Maybe something you liked to do as a kid.”

  He shrugged. “When I was a kid, I’d go sledding.”

  “What about going to the tree lighting at Rockefeller Center?”

  He shook his head. “My mother hated the noise and rush of the city.”

  “Oh.” Alina couldn’t imagine anyone not loving the energy of New York City. There was no other place she wanted to live. Ever.

  “About this party,” Graham said, “I just don’t see being able to make it work. There’s too much to do and not enough time.”

  “What would you say if I were to tell you I already started planning it?”

  His brows rose. “You did?” When she nodded her head, he asked, “But how? This is the party season. Everything is going to be reserved.”

  He was right. If she were to pull this party off, it would have to be by nontraditional methods. But then again, when had that ever stopped her? When Mrs. Campbell’s oven had died, their prior landlord refused to replace it per the lease agreement, and Mrs. Campbell didn’t have the money to replace it, so Alina had taken it upon herself to locate a gently used oven. She’d bartered her services to plan the seller’s birthday party for their five-year-old daughter in exchange for the oven. In the end, everyone had been happy. It wasn’t the only time Alina had negotiated to make things work. This would be no different.

  Desperation to save her home—and to save the homes of her beloved neighbors—drove her onward. “Let me worry about the details. What would it be worth to you to pull this off?”

  His gaze met hers. She saw the doubt in his eyes but she wasn’t backing down. “It’d be worth a great deal.”

  “Then I propose I plan your party while you seriously consider another site for your high-rise.”

  “There is no other site.”

&nbs
p; “You aren’t even trying!”

  “Don’t you think we did that before we started buying up property here? I can show you all of the paperwork, if you don’t believe me.”

  It was worth a try. And with a heavy heart she said, “I believe you.”

  “I’m sorry.” His deep voice sounded sincere.

  She wasn’t giving up. She had a backup plan. “Fine. If I do this, if I plan you a grand holiday ball, I need you to find affordable housing for all of the residents of the Stirling.” Her gaze met his. “Can you do that?”

  “I… I don’t know.”

  She pointedly stared at him. She wasn’t going to back down. This party was going to be the biggest and most challenging of her career.

  When he looked at her, she crossed her arms, pressed her lips into a firm line and narrowed her gaze. He had to know that she meant business. She wouldn’t budge from this demand.

  After a moment of tense silence, Graham said, “Okay. I’ll get some people at the office started on it, first thing in the morning. But I can’t promise you’ll like what they come up with.”

  “All I’m asking for are some legitimate options for people who didn’t ask to have their home demolished.”

  “I understand. I’m just surprised you didn’t ask for something for yourself.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t need anything special.”

  There was a look in his eyes—was it respect? She wasn’t sure. But she hadn’t done anything more than someone else in her position would have done.

  “Alina, you’re the most giving person I know, but sometimes you have to slow down and do what’s best for you.”

  She waved off his concern. “I’m fine. Prince and I will land on our feet. We always do.”

  This time there was concern in Graham’s eyes. “You can’t ignore your own needs forever.”

  If he was talking about her lack of a boyfriend, she was too busy. She’d date again. Someday.

  Her stepmother’s voice echoed in her mind. “You’re too chubby, Al.” She always called her Al because she knew it bothered Alina. “Men will never notice you. What kind of woman wears overalls and carries around a toolbox? Honestly, Al, you’re embarrassing.”