Mistletoe Match (No Match for Love)

by Lindzee Armstrong

  At ten o’clock, she led her students in a single-file line to the gym, nerves making her hands clammy. Their Only Voice would know of her betrayal by the weekly meeting that afternoon. But was it really a betrayal? The children were being given an amazing opportunity to learn about conservation efforts at one of the world’s foremost zoos. And while Wellsprings Pharmaceutical might be the bad guy, Austin was good to the core.

  The children sat on the floor, legs crossed, and Michelle sank into a chair at the end of the row. Three reporters with cameras slung around their necks stood at the back of the room. Michelle nervously patted her hair. Where was Austin? He might be hiding backstage right now. She shivered, aching to see him again. What was wrong with her?

  It figured that after a decade of searching, she’d find herself falling for a guy who was completely wrong and completely right simultaneously. Why did he have to work for Wellsprings? She thought of Bella, and some of her anger returned.

  The principal walked out onto the stage, and a chorus of “shhh” filled the room as teachers quieted their students. Michelle’s heart was going to pound through her chest like an uncontrolled sledgehammer. Excitement at seeing Austin again warred with dread at facing Their Only Voice tonight.

  “Good morning boys and girls, and happy holidays,” Principal Rhodes said. The mic screeched and she quickly pulled it away from her mouth with the kids covered their ears and laughed. “We’ve got a really fun assembly planned today, and we’re kicking it off with an exciting announcement. I’d like to welcome Sydney and Spencer’s dad, Mr. O’Neal, onto the stage.”

  Scattered clapping sounded around the room, mostly from the faculty. Austin strode onto the stage, his steps long and confident. A red Santa hat was perched on head at a jaunty angle, and a smile tugged at Michelle’s lips. This wasn’t the first time he’d made Christmas look good. An image of mistletoe flashed into her mind, but she pushed it away.

  Austin took the mic from Principal Rhodes, causing another screech of feedback from the ancient system. “Thank you,” he said, his lips looking way too enticing as they formed the words. He waved a hand in a wave. “Hey, guys. I’m here today because I work for a company called Wellsprings Pharmaceutical, and we wanted to give all you awesome kids a Christmas present. Can anyone tell me what pharmaceutical means?”

  A hand tugged at her skirt, and Michelle looked down to see Sydney smiling up at her. “That’s my dad,” she whispered.

  Michelle barely held back a chuckle. “Yes he is, sweetie.”

  “That’s right,” Austin was saying. “My company makes new medicines to help sick people. Our medicines can even save people’s lives. And sometimes, to make sure those medicines are safe, we test things first on animals.”

  Michelle’s smile froze, and her posture stiffened. Austin continued to talk about how much Wellsprings Pharmaceutical wanted to help the community, and her anger continued to rise. Had Austin forgotten about Bella? He couldn’t honestly be saying these things.

  “Miss Collins, will you join me on stage?”

  She wanted so badly to yell “no” and walk out of the room. But one look at the eager faces of her students convinced her otherwise. She wouldn’t take this away from them.

  Michelle rose—gracefully, she hoped—and walked to the front of the room, hoping her smile looked natural instead of angry. Austin offered her a wide smile, and she felt some of her anger fade. What was happening to her? A good looking man didn’t mean she could suddenly forget all about her principles.

  She took her place beside Austin, staring into the bright lights that beat down on the stage. Austin reached offstage and brought out a giant golden ticket, at least six feet long.

  “On behalf of Wellsprings Pharmaceutical we would like to present a field trip to the San Diego Zoo, complete with transportation and sack lunches, to each student at this school.”

  The gym erupted with cheers and students leapt to their feet, clapping. Gratitude warred with hatred inside Michelle as she took the ticket from Austin and forced a smile. Why couldn’t he work for PETA or something? It would make everything in her life so much easier.

  Principal Rhodes raised a meaningful eyebrow from her place just offstage, and Michelle took the microphone from Austin. “Thank you so much for providing our school with this amazing opportunity to teach our students about endangered species and conservation efforts so that we can make our world a better place.” She could thank Austin. But she wouldn’t thank Wellsprings Pharmaceutical. Couldn’t. She thought back over his speech, and knew Ruth would be livid at the meeting tonight.

  Principal Rhodes walked onto stage, holding up a hand for the students to settle down. “Wow,” she said. “We cannot thank Wellsprings Pharmaceutical enough. We will eagerly look forward to our field trip this coming February. Let’s give Mr. O’Neal and Miss Collins another round of applause.”

  Clapping filled the gym, along with a few cheers. Austin raised his hand one last time in farewell, then rested it at the small of Michelle’s back and led her off stage. The hallway was eerily quiet, the sound of the continuing assembly muffled by the closed gym doors.

  Austin’s grin was all teeth, his eyebrows raised in excitement. “I think they liked it.”

  “They loved it.” Michelle looked at the floor, drawing a circle with the toe of her shoe. “This is a great opportunity for the students, and I’m glad they get to experience it.”

  He rested his hands in his pockets, a line forming between his brows. “You’re still upset.”

  “You basically told the kids that animal testing is okay.”

  “I personally believe it can be okay, in certain circumstances.”

  “Animals don’t react to medications the same way humans do. It makes testing drugs on them pointless.”

  He reached out, his fingers stopping just short of her cheek. He let out a sigh and dropped his hand. “Regardless, I hope you understand the position I’m in. I’m here to represent Wellsprings Pharmaceutical’s interests, not my own.”

  She nodded. But it wasn’t that easy to separate Austin from Wellsprings.

  “I wanted to thank you for Saturday night. The kids all went to bed with smiles on their faces instead of crying, and that’s because of you.”

  Michelle grasped at the subject change like a lifeline. “Did you end up going to Santa’s Village?”

  “Yes. The kids were quieter than normal, but we had a good day. At least Victoria didn’t steal that from them as well.” He offered her a small smile—a truce. “Sydney mentioned three times that she wished you could’ve come with us. I think Spencer and Mariah missed you, too.”

  “They’re great kids. I missed them yesterday. I missed all of you.”

  “And how are you doing?”

  “It’s been hard, but I’m holding on.”

  He nodded, electricity crackling between them. Austin had his weight balanced on the balls of his feet, leaning toward her, and she knew he wanted to hold her as much as she wanted to be held.

  She took a step back, clearing her throat. “I’d better get back to my students. If I’m not there to keep them quiet, they get rowdy fast.”

  “Of course. I’ll see you around?”

  “Yes.” Michelle quickly walked away, feeling Austin’s eyes follow her until the gym doors once again shut.

  By lunch, the local paper had posted an article about the assembly, and by the time school was out, Michelle had seen it shared online at least a dozen times. Parents were ecstatic, and it seemed that the public’s opinion of Wellsprings Pharmaceutical had already shifted to a more positive slant. Ruth would be furious.

  After school, Michelle headed to the library for the weekly meeting with Their Only Voice, apprehension making her stomach churn.

  You did nothing wrong, she reminded herself. The children deserved this field trip, and Principal Rhodes hadn’t exactly given Michelle a choice.

  She hid in her car until the last possible minute to avoid chit-chat with th
e other members of Their Only Voice. The meeting room was already filled with the most active members. Ruth stood at the front of the room, and Doug and Autumn were snuggled up together on the back row. Ten other members were spread across the three rows of seats.

  Michelle slipped into a seat next to Autumn.

  “Where have you been?” Autumn hissed.

  Michelle shrugged.

  “Ruth asked me if you were coming at least three times,” Autumn said.

  Ruth let out a grunt, her back toward the room as she taped papers on the whiteboard. Michelle closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing heart. There would be no running today. A full-page photo of her accepting the golden ticket immediately captured her attention. Ruth knew, just as Michelle had known she would.

  “Seems Wellsprings Pharmaceutical has hired a marketing director who actually knows what he’s doing,” Ruth said. “This afternoon, Mr. O’Neal announced that Wellsprings would be funding a field trip to the San Diego Zoo for an entire school. Anyone care to guess who accepted the golden ticket?”

  Everyone turned in their seats, staring at Michelle.

  “You accepted a bribe?” a college kid with a Mohawk demanded from the front row.

  “I thought you said you barely knew him,” a middle-aged woman exclaimed.

  Michelle sank lower in her chair, frustration with Austin welling within her. How dare he put her in this position? But asking her had been a strategic move—one she would’ve made herself had their roles been reversed. And he’d asked before they’d become friends.

  “How could you let him get to you like that?” Autumn asked, her expression hurt.

  Michelle sat up, her frustration shifting from Austin to the room. “What was I supposed to do—deny five hundred students the opportunity to interact with animals at the San Diego Zoo? I wasn’t about to ruin this for my students.”

  “You didn’t have to be the one to receive the donation,” Doug said.

  “My job was on the line. Austin specifically asked me to do it, and my principal told me it was non-negotiable.”

  “So your job means more to you than animal rights?” Autumn demanded.

  Michelle looked at her friend, an ache settling over her entire body. Did Autumn not know Michelle at all? She closed her eyes, recalling the terror that had gripped her as she sneaked Bella out of the lab in a duffel bag all those years ago. “Absolutely not. But allowing the kids to visit a world-class zoo isn’t hurting anyone. If anything, it’s helping us raise a new generation of activists.”

  “Michelle, you’ve always been very loyal to our cause,” Ruth said. “But I’m beginning to think you have a personal relationship with Mr. O’Neal that’s impeding your judgment.”

  “That’s not true. Austin and I are acquainted, but our friendship isn’t making me go soft.” If anything, Their Only Voice was impeding her relationship with Austin, not the other way around.

  “If you have his ear, you should push our cause as forcefully as possible,” Ruth said.

  “I won’t take advantage of our friendship that way.”

  “We should stage a picket outside his house,” Doug said. “I bet Michelle knows where he lives now.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Michelle’s chest felt tight, and she looked around at the room of angry faces. “He has three kids. Staging a protest outside their home would scare those kids to death.” She thought of Sydney curled up in a corner of the living room, crying because the angry chanting made her worried. She thought of Spencer growing quiet as the picketers hurled insults at his father.

  “Why should we stop at picketing?” Autumn asked. “Let’s graffiti his driveway. I know a guy who never gets caught.”

  “Austin is a good man,” Michelle said, raising her voice. “Yes, he works for an awful company. But he’s a single father trying to support his children. He has a good heart and doesn’t deserve any of that. If we want to picket Wellsprings again, okay—I will be there with a sign. But there’s no need to personally attack Wellsprings employees.”

  “He’s one of them,” Autumn said.

  “He’s my friend, and he wanted to provide this opportunity for the students at my school. Austin doesn’t hate animals. He rushed me and Bella to the vet when she was hit. He brought me flowers after I yelled at him, which is more than I can say for any of you.”

  “We are sorry about Bella,” Ruth said quickly. “We know this is a really hard time for you. But turning to Wellsprings Pharma—”

  “I’m not turning to them,” Michelle said. “I’m turning to Austin, my friend, not Austin the marketing director. And Their Only Voice doesn’t get to comment on my personal life.”

  “The Michelle I know would’ve volunteered to make the signs, not told us it was wrong to directly target Mr. O’Neal,” Ruth said. “Maybe you aren’t as dedicated to Their Only Voice as you used to be. Maybe your priorities have changed.”

  Michelle looked around the room, and angry faces glared back at her. She’d thought these people were her friends. She’d thought they valued peace and compassion as much as she did. “You’re absolutely right, Ruth—this group is no longer working out for me. I want to work with people who are genuinely concerned about living creatures—all living creatures. Not crusaders who don’t practice what they preach.”

  “Michelle—” Autumn said.

  But Michelle walked out of the room, not turning back even once.

  Austin walked into the lab, his nose wrinkling in disgust at the smell. Cages lined two walls and the rustle of tiny feet against bedding filled the otherwise silent space. Blindingly white paint accented gray desks, and empty lab tables lined the center of the room.

  A technician appeared around a shelving unit, a box in one hand. He paused, his face going pale. “Mr. O’Neal. I wasn’t expecting you until eleven.”

  “I found out a meeting has been scheduled for that time, so I decided to come early. Is that a problem?”

  “Of course not,” the technician said quickly. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with a lean build and square glasses. “I haven’t had a chance to do the morning cleanup yet. Sorry.”

  “Not a problem,” Austin said, although the smell was most definitely a problem. How could scientists work down here? Austin glanced at the boy again. Maybe he was so used to frat houses he’d gone nose blind.

  “Well, let me show you around.” The technician held out a hand. “Sorry, I didn’t even introduce myself. I’m Rob. I’ve been here since the beginning of the semester doing research for my graduate program.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Austin said.

  “Uh, yeah. So this is the main lab room. We keep the animals over there and most of the lab equipment through those doors. Let me show it to you. It’s really top-of-the-line. All my school buddies are jealous I get to do my research here.”

  Rob took a step toward the door, but Austin ignored him, instead walking over to the animal cages. The smell grew stronger the closer he got. Austin held his breath, the stench stinging his eyes. He peered into a cage and found a rabbit huddled near the back. Ribs protruded through its fur. Were rabbits supposed to be that thin? Austin wasn’t exactly an expert. The smell grew even stronger and he gagged, taking a step back. The animal had just defecated on the already soiled straw.

  “How long since this has been cleaned?” Austin asked.

  “Every morning,” Rob said quickly.

  Austin seriously doubted that, and he wasn’t above calling this lab technician on his lie.

  The lab door flew open, bouncing off the wall. A scientist in a white lab coat that matched his hair strode into the room. “Mr. O’Neal,” he said, extending a hand. “I’m the lead scientist, Gregory Reid. So sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived. Let me show you to our labs.”

  “I was just saying hello to the animals,” Austin said.

  “Yes, we keep them on a strict schedule and it’s better they aren’t disturbed. Right this way.”

  Dr. Reid co
nducted the rest of the tour with an iron-fisted control that left little room to explore the lab or ask questions. With each staged laugh from the doctor, Austin grew more and more suspicious. Were lab animals kept on any sort of schedule? Why was Dr. Reid so determined he not examine the animals closer?

  That rabbit had been too thin. The cage had been too dirty. Austin had never owned a pet, but this seemed neglectful at the very least. When he left the lab an hour later, it was with a twinge in his gut that had him questioning his superiors.

  Now he understood why Mark hadn’t wanted to offer Their Only Voice a tour. Did this mean Michelle—and by extension, Their Only Voice—was right? In the beginning, he’d thought Michelle was a bit of a fanatic. But meeting Bella had changed things. He thought of the ancient beagle stuck in one of those filthy cages and shuttered. He would get to the bottom of this.

  Back in his office, Austin fired up his computer and started digging through old scanned documents, starting with lab inspections. Was it typical for them to have so much whiteout, with new notes made over the top in different handwriting? He kept reading, comparing copies and documents while the twinge in his gut turned into a knife. He pulled out his personal phone and started taking pictures and making notes as he researched. Then he carefully closed out all the documents and left for the meeting.

  What was Mark trying to hide? Austin tapped his foot against the carpet as an accountant droned on about the year-end numbers, his mind whirling with conflicting emotions. He should’ve listened to Michelle. Something had to change.

  “Now we’ll turn the time over to Austin for an update on public perception,” Mark said.

  If the public only knew what Wellsprings Pharmaceutical was hiding. Austin rose, buttoning his suit jacket closed. “Things have taken a turn in the right direction this week. The kids are extremely excited about the field trip and the local paper wrote a great piece that’s garnered a positive response from the community. It seems we spent the money in the right place.”