Holiday Flirts! 5 Romantic Short Stories

by Scott, Lisa

  Afterward, when he dropped her off at her car in the parking lot, he kissed her again; this time with a passion that could start steaming the windows. “Good night,” she whispered, slipping out the door before that kiss could become something more.

  But she didn’t stop thinking about him all night. Can’t have everything, sister.

  ***

  “What’s up with you?” Darcy asked over coffee and croissants the next morning. “I thought you’d be devastated working at Save Land, but you’re so…” She frowned, looking for the words. “You’re so happy. What gives?”

  Lindy set down her coffee cup on their kitchen table and settled her chin in her hand. She hadn’t realized how much Darcy had thrived on her disheveled life. But it wasn’t like that anymore. Lindy found herself smiling in the morning and whistling when she came home from work. Whistling! Lindy was not a whistler.

  Darcy snapped her fingers. “Earth to Lindy.”

  “Sorry. I’m just…” She sighed. “I’m great. Work’s good. I love the holidays and…” She snapped her mouth shut. She wasn’t going to tell Darcy how she felt about Alex. Her crush would have to run its course; there was nowhere for it to go.

  She pushed away from the table and headed to the store even though it was her day off. Alex was there, and she wanted to talk about plans for her fashion workshops. Yeah, that’s why she wanted to see him.

  ***

  They were scheduled to deliver toys the Saturday before Christmas. She arrived at the charity warehouse and scanned the big room packed with boxes. She didn’t see Alex. The charity director was there and some other people, along with a Santa, but no Alex. Had he forgotten?

  Wringing her hands, she wondered how long she’d wait for him before leaving. That’s when Santa headed her way. “Ho, ho, ho, little girl. Have you been naughty or nice this year?”

  Her jaw dropped. “Alex?” She stepped back, taking in his red velvet glory. It wasn’t a cheapie Santa suit, either, but an expensive, gorgeous costume with thick fur and beautifully detailed buttons. His shiny black boots were made of real leather.

  She tugged at his curly beard. “You look great. Too bad they don’t have Mrs. Santa suits at Save Land. I could’ve dressed up with you.”

  He raised a whitewashed eyebrow. “You’re not the first person to ask for a Mrs. Santa suit from Save Land. But luckily, I picked one up at the costume shop for you.”

  She planted her hands on her hips. “And how did you know my size?”

  “I’ve worked in retail my whole life. I can spot a six when I see one.”

  She knew she was blushing, especially with the way he was surveying her size-six shape. “Thank you. Let me go change.” She grabbed the costume and dashed to the bathroom. After changing, she did a quick twirl in the mirror, pleased with her holiday transformation.

  Alex rubbed his belly appreciatively when she came out. “Looking good Mrs. Santa. Or is it Miss?”

  She adjusted the tie on her apron. “I met a lovely gent online, but that kind of fell through.” She narrowed her eyes at him.

  “Well, maybe Santa will come through with a new beau for you.” He held out his arm for her. “Shall we?”

  ***

  Alex couldn’t believe how much fun he was having. Some families opted to have their gifts discreetly delivered so they could surprise the kids Christmas morning. Others had decided to get their gifts early. The Johnsons were one of those families. Alex transferred the contents of their donation box into his big canvas sack, then he and Lindy dashed up the creaky steps of the duplex and rang the bell for the lower apartment.

  A little blond-haired girl peeked out the door. Her eyes widened. “Mommy, Mommy! Santa’s here early! And he brought Mrs. Clause! Hurry!” She jumped and twirled and clapped waiting for her mom. Alex tried to remember when he’d ever seen someone so happy.

  A short, thin woman opened the door and smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Hello, Mr. And Mrs. Clause! Please come in.”

  The moment Alex stepped in, the little girl latched her arms around his legs. His throat tightened and he struggled to swallow.

  Luckily, Lindy spoke up. “Are you Madison Monahan?”

  The little girl nodded enthusiastically.

  Lindy clasped her hands in front of her. “Oh, good. Santa and I are doing some early deliveries. We’re so busy on Christmas, you know, and we wanted to be certain we got presents to some very special children, like you.”

  Madison’s eyes were wide and she tucked in her lips, not saying a word, lest she break the magical spell that they all seemed to be under

  Alex knelt beside her and opened his bag. “These are all for you.” He did his best to make his voice sound deep and jolly.

  Madison’s jaw dropped and she fell to her knees. She looked at the presents, then looked up at her mother. “See? I told you Santa wouldn’t forget us. You said Santa might not come this year but you were wrong.” She grabbed a present, and stared at the big gift tag that read, “To Madison, From Santa.” She hugged it, holding it tight against her chest. She started tearing open the package, when she paused. “Santa, did you bring anything for Mommy?”

  Alex looked at Lindy, who subtly shook her head no. Then inspiration struck. “That’s so thoughtful to think of your mommy. I’m glad you reminded me. It’s out in the—it’s outside.” He held up a finger. “I’ll be right back.”

  He slipped out the door and unlocked his car. His wallet was stuffed in the glove compartment, and he fished out four fifty-dollar gift cards to Save Land. Dashing back inside he smiled at Lindy and her questioning look. “Mrs. Monahan, these are for you.”

  “It’s Miss,” she said, softly. “But thank you. Thank you so much.” She looked at the gift cards, and swiped the back of her hand along her cheek.

  Madison looked up from the doll she was struggling to free from its plastic prison. “We’re not married anymore. Daddy left and it’s really sad. All the time.” She reached for another present.

  Lindy’s hand hovered over her throat. She bent down next to the girl and stroked her hair. “Things will get better, honey. Don’t ever give up hope.”

  Madison beamed up at her. “I won’t, Mrs. Clause.”

  ***

  Lindy broke down when they got into his car. Alex reached for her. “That must bring back a lot of memories.”

  She nodded. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be crying.” She tried to fake a laugh through her tears, but he knew she was bluffing.

  He brushed a finger along her cheekbone, catching a tear. “That girl will always remember this Christmas, just like you did. Me, I don’t remember any. We didn’t go to church. Didn’t decorate beyond a simple tree. Sure, there were presents, but nothing I can remember to this day. I bet you remember every present you got that Christmas.”

  She nodded and laughed for real this time. “Four dolls—one which peed when you gave it a bottle. A stroller and high chair for the dolls. Doll clothes, too.” She stared out the window, and he bet she could still see the toys. “Art supplies, two teddy bears, and an etch-a-sketch.” She looked at him and smiled with a shrug.

  He turned the car on. “And she’ll remember, too. Come on. We’ve got a few more houses to hit.” He wasn’t sure how he was going to do it, but Alex knew he had to make this a Christmas to remember for Lindy.

  ***

  When they finished delivering the gifts, Alex invited her back to his place. She hesitated, but she wasn’t ready for their day to end. “I think I missed my calling,” she said.

  “How so?”

  “I’ve spent so long working with the wealthiest clientele, and a big commission day is awesome, but today? It’s one of the happiest days I’ve had in a long time. I think someday I’d like to open a thrift shop with great, affordable merchandise, so I can really reach out to people like Madison and her mom. Maybe I could even offer sewing classes, and teach them how to embellish their clothes.” She clasped her hands, just thinking of it.


  “They’re not going to appreciate your designer wardrobe.”

  She shrugged. “I’ll save it for special occasions.”

  “What do you say we go out for dinner tonight, and you can wear one of your favorite Chanels?”

  She tipped her head. “That would be great.”

  ***

  He wasn’t planning to see his folks until after Christmas, so he was surprised to see his father’s number show up on his cell two days before Christmas.

  “Alex, what the hell’s going on up there?”

  “Happy holidays to you, too, Dad.”

  He laughed. “Right. And I hear that holiday sales have been very happy in your neck of the woods. Your numbers are great. And this new assistant manager is doing some good work. I’m impressed with the publicity she’s garnered for the store.”

  Alex grinned to himself. Pleased, not that he’d salvaged a potential PR nightmare with the dressing room incident, but that Lindy’s ideas had caught his father’s attention—a tough old coot to impress.

  “So, here’s an early holiday gift for you, son. Your stint in Rochester is up. Promote that gal to manager, and take your pick of stores. Get back to me after the holidays with your decision.”

  Alex said nothing for a moment, then, “Right. Of course, thanks, Dad.”

  He held on to the phone for a while after his father hung up. He wasn’t sure how he felt, but he knew he had to see her. He didn’t know what her plans were for Christmas—he was working the night shift, she was working the morning—but he didn’t want to wait to share the news. Would she be pleased by the promotion? Of course she will. More money, she’s in charge again. But what did this mean for them? He took a chance and stopped by her place.

  When she opened the door, she was wearing sweats. Not what he’d expected, but cute nonetheless. Her eyes went wide.

  He reached for her arm. “Don’t worry. It’s good news. I’ve got an early Christmas gift for you.”

  She grinned. “Ooh, I like presents. Come in.” She led him to the family room and sat down. Her teacup yorkie hopped on her lap and a blonde stuck her head in from the kitchen.

  “Darcy, this is my boss, Alex.”

  “The one who nearly gave me a heart attack by locking you in the dressing room?”

  “That would be the one,” Lindy said.

  Darcy crossed her arms. “I should have scored a gift card out of the deal, too. I was a wreck.”

  Alex reached in his wallet and handed over a fifty-dollar gift card. Darcy snatched it and giggled. “Thanks! I’ll leave you two alone.” Her mood had instantly lifted and she put on her coat and slipped out the door. “I’ll do a little last minute shopping with this.”

  Lindy rolled her eyes. “Sorry about her. Hope that wasn’t my present she ran off with.” She laughed.

  He set his hand on her knee. “It’s a little better than a gift card. I heard from my father today and he wants to promote you to manager of the Rochester Save Land.”

  She suppressed a chuckle. “That’s really nice of your dad, but maybe you have to clear this with your boss?”

  He looked at her, and realized she wasn’t kidding. She didn’t know who he was. They had this ‘thing’ between them and she didn’t know who he was? His chest tightened in a way he hadn’t felt before. Had anyone ever wanted him—just for him and not his fortune or his name?

  He took her hand and squeezed. “Lindy, my dad is my boss. He started the Save Land chain forty years ago.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Oh, my God. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know who you were.” She smacked her hand on her forehead. “You must think I’m the biggest idiot. Like, deserving-of-a-crown idiot.” She tickled her dog’s chin. “Bitsy here probably even knew who you were.” She let out a long sigh.

  “I’m thrilled you didn’t know who I am. I thought maybe…” He shook his head. She wasn’t like Zoe, not at all. “But really. He wants to move you up to manager after the holidays.”

  She rubbed her dog’s ears, probably a bit too hard. It yelped and jumped off the couch. “And what about you?” she asked.

  He pressed his lips together. “My dad will transfer me wherever I want to go.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t want you to leave.” She closed her eyes and her voice dropped to a whisper. “I’d miss you too much. I won’t take it.”

  He hadn’t expected this; but he was thrilled. “We can’t be a couple if we’re both working there, Lindy.”

  “And we can’t be a couple if you’re not living here. It just won’t work.” She looked down and sniffed. “And I thought this was going to be a great Christmas.”

  He put his arm around her. “It’s not Christmas yet, honey. We’ll figure something out.” He stood up and headed for the door.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I need to find you another Christmas present now, don’t I?”

  Her jaw dropped as he opened the door.

  “I won’t disappoint. I promise.” He knew exactly how he was going to give her another Christmas miracle.

  ***

  Lindy hated to cry, but here she was crying again for the third time in a month. She sighed. Was she only allowed professional or personal happiness? Not both at the same time? There didn’t seem to be a solution here. They couldn’t be a couple and keep working together. And if she took the job, he was gone. Feeling too sick to eat dinner, she went to bed early, certain Santa wouldn’t show up in a few days with a way to make it all better. That was only fairy tale stuff for kids. Because no matter what gift Alex showed up with, she wouldn’t be able to have what she wanted—him.

  She woke up without the close-to-Christmas thrill she usually had this time of year. She didn’t want her mood to rub off on the shoppers, so she donned a Santa hat, dressed in a red sweater from Save Land, and brought along a mug of peppermint hot cocoa.

  The number of shoppers rushing in for last minute gifts, or extra party supplies surprised her. Why did everyone wait until the last minute? She always had gifts purchased and wrapped weeks ahead of time. Sometimes months. The store was busy enough that she manned a register next to Gloria, one of her favorite cashiers.

  During a lull in business, they took a fifteen-minute break and headed back to the lunchroom. Gloria popped open a soda. “Sure is nice having you on board, Lindy.”

  She grinned. “Thanks. It wasn’t the most auspicious beginning, but I’m happy here.” But will I be if Alex leaves?

  Gloria took a long drink. “We all had a bet on how long you’d last.”

  Lindy planted her hands on her hips, but Gloria set her soft hand on Lindy’s arm. “We’ve all taken our money back. The bet’s off. We’re keeping you. And the boss is pretty happy with you, too.”

  Lindy just knew she was blushing.

  “Mercy, when he bought six carts full of toys to fill up that trailer of yours, we didn’t know what happened to our boss.” Her eyebrow cocked up.

  Lindy placed her hand on her chest. “What?” she whispered.

  Gloria’s smile fell. “Shoot. I wasn’t supposed to tell you that.” Gloria checked her watch. “Time to get back to work.” She hustled out of the break room before Lindy could ask any more questions.

  Still stunned, Lindy wandered back to the manager’s office; Alex’s office. She dropped into a chair and stared at the ceiling, wondering what to make of this news.

  The door opened and she looked up. It was Alex. “You alright?” he asked.

  Her hands circled in the air as she searched for the words. “The toys. You bought all those toys.”

  Alex frowned. “I never should have scheduled you and Gloria together. She gets the word out faster than Twitter.”

  “Why did you do it?”

  He walked over to her and knelt beside her. “So you didn’t have to spend another night in the changing room.” He slid his hand on her shoulder. “So your idea would be a success. So you could wear whatever you wanted for a week.”

  Sh
e leaned her head against him. “Thank you. For someone who says he doesn’t have the Christmas spirit, you certainly came through.”

  “And then there’s this.” He handed her a box. “Since the promotion wasn’t such a hit.”

  She pulled the ribbon off the gold box and lifted the lid. She gasped. “The Hermes scarf from Sublime! I was saving up for that.” She clapped her hands like a little girl.

  “I know. You mentioned that when you were telling me off for losing your job.”

  She felt her cheeks burning. “Sorry. My priorities were a little different back then.”

  “Speaking of which, there’s one more thing. Get your coat on.” He stood up and held out his hand.

  “What if it gets busy?”

  “The second shift is filing in now. We won’t be gone long.”

  She followed him, knowing she was just making this worse. They didn’t have a future, and she was falling harder for him each moment.

  He led her to his car, and they drove to an empty plaza a few miles away. He parked the car and leaned over to kiss her.

  Nose-to-nose, she giggled. “You brought me all this way to kiss me?”

  “That’s just a bonus. I brought you here to show you your other gift.”

  Her laugh bubbled out. “What do you mean?”

  “See that store right there?”

  She followed his gesture and looked at the empty storefront with a for rent sign in the window. “Yes….”

  His grin was huge. “It’s yours. I rented it for you for six months. Now you can open that thrift store you were talking about and I’ll stay at Save Land.”

  Her heart was stuck in her throat. “Seriously?” she whispered. “You’re staying?”

  He nodded. “Unless you don’t want me to.” His face paled a bit.

  She grabbed his hand. “Of course I want you to stay.” She shook her head and sighed. “I never thought another Christmas could match that one when I was five.” She looked over at the store, then back at him. “I can’t believe it.” She squeezed his hand. “Thank you for helping me believe in holiday magic again.”