Mrs. Claus

by Amanda Lanclos

  “I’m also going to call into the Food Bank and see if they want to set up donation bins for non-perishables. We’ll have our own bins for things we need for the shelter and I’ll set up an account for monetary donations and provide a link that people can donate to from computers or mobile devices. We can see what restaurants and food trucks want to be out there to sell food and we’ll charge a fee and ask for a small percentage of the profits. We can also sell a few booth slots for local crafters or business people who want to bring out Christmas stuff and sell it.” Looking over all of the ideas I have laid out in front of me excitedly, I grin. “This will work and since I have pull with people in high places…” I grimace. “Dad is good for something after all.” Becks raises her brow at me and I glare at her. “I’m not too proud to call in favors.”

  Becky laughs while shaking her head at me and claps. “Not going there.” Enthusiasm fills her face. “I knew you would do it. I can make some calls, too. Between the two of us and everyone we know, we can do this. It’s not a lot of time, but that’s ok. We’re going to make it work!”

  Staring at the phone next to me, I groan. “Come on 8AM,” before looking at the clock Becks recently bought (She mounted it over the coffee pot.) that says, “It’s Never Too Early or Too Latte For a Coffee.” The spoon hands are clearly displaying the time. 7:06AM. Jumping up, I head to the pot to fill my cup and turn back to Becky. “Get your ass up, lazy bones. Go beautify that face and get dressed. We have a busy day ahead. Hell, with all we’re going to have going on, we’re going to have to recruit some help!”

  Becky glares at me and circles her face with her finger, “This face needs no beautification.”

  Laughing, I nod. “Yeah, I know, you lucky little bitch.”

  Becks is gorgeous. She looks like a Playboy Bunny, only all of her features and her figure are genetic and God given.

  She looks like our momma with her light hair, blue eyes, and bombshell body while I favor our father. I have his darker hair and eyes though I inherited the curves I rock from Momma, too.

  Looks are the only thing I inherited from him. His life is nothing like mine. I choose to help the less fortunate while he’s made his name and fortune from taking advantage of them.

  I’ll never be like him. And I’ll never use his money for my shelter.

  Though I should.

  It would be fitting. Like Robin Hood and Prince John.

  Nope. Don’t even think like that for a second, Holley.

  This Christmas Concert idea will work. It’s GOT to work.

  Mason

  Groaning in denial, I slap at the phone on the night stand, attempting to shut it up. It’s blaring with my alarm.

  It cannot be 7AM already. I only went to bed like five minutes ago.

  Squinting at the bright light peeking through the window, I grimace. Ok, so it’s morning. I fell asleep with the television on again last night and as I wake, I realize that the super annoying national morning program that comes on my station is on. And son of a bitch, they’re talking about the best gifts for Christmas.

  It’s NOVEMBER, y’all! Thanksgiving isn’t here yet! Why are you already talking about freaking Christmas?!

  If I was Thanksgiving, I’d whip Christmas’ ass! Christmas is like the little brother who gets all the attention and everyone likes more.

  Stupid shit!

  My foot nudges something and I lift my head to see the remote peeking out of the mangled comforter near the bottom of the bed. Using my toes, I move it up so I don’t actually have to get up. When my hand can reach it, I jab the button and smile as the bright red and green eyesore disappears from my screen.

  Stretching, I groan as my muscular body pops and cracks. It looks like a pretty day. I should get up and head for a run before making my way down to the station to see what’s happening today. Glancing at the time on the FitBit covering my wrist, I nod.

  Yeah, I can get in a run and have plenty of time to shower and get to work before our 10AM meeting.

  I’m sure it’ll be more of the same… Christmas… Christmas… Christmas…

  Gah, I hate my job this time of year.

  Everyone is in the meeting room for the daily pow wow. I have a story idea I’m about to toss into the mix as soon as Theo, our news director, finishes talking.

  “Mason, I’m going to want you to cover this. They are personal friends and we’ll have the inside line to the happenings and will also be on hand for the actual event.”

  Huh? Shit, I wasn’t listening.

  What event?

  I look over to Brad for some help and the shit-eating grin on his face as he watches me has my spine straightening.

  What the hell did I just get assigned to?

  I nod, trying to cover the fact that I have no fucking clue what I’m supposed to be covering. “Ok. When do you want me to get started on it?”

  Please give me information to clue me in so I don’t look like a total incompetent jackass.

  Theo looks directly at me. “Today. We’re going to mention it at noon and then run your segment at five, six, and ten. The Joyful Noise Christmas Concert is going to be a major event for Baton Rouge and with it benefitting the Blessings House Homeless Shelter, it’s exactly the kind of feel good story that will have people coming back to us for all of the information.”

  “You’ll be there quite often for the next few weeks. I want interviews with the director and employees of the shelter, the businesses that will be involved, why the shelter is important, and even individual stories of those who have benefited from it and will need its help throughout the holidays.”

  A fucking Christmas Concert? Are you shitting me?

  And he wants ME to be the one to get all up in this thing?

  Why the hell is this happening? What did I ever do to deserve this shit?

  You and me are going to have a coming to Jesus meeting, God. I don’t appreciate being thrust into the middle of the one thing I detest.

  Outwardly, I nod. “On it.”

  I look at Brad again and my jaw tightens as I see the genuine amusement on his face at this predicament I’m now in.

  He stands and says, “We best be going, Mason. It’s already quarter to eleven. We have a busy day ahead and I bet traffic is a mess.” He tosses the keys to the van we use from hand to hand as he waits for me. His enjoyment of my discomfort makes me want to punch him in his face.

  Theo affirms his decision. “Yes, you two get going. Since your main focus is Blessings House and the concert for the next while, there’s no need for you to stay around for the rest of the meeting.”

  He turns back to his board, effectively letting me know the conversation is over.

  As I reach the door, cussing under my breath, Theo calls out, “Keep me updated.”

  I nod and mutter, “This fucking blows.”

  Brad laughs. “I think it’s pretty awesome.”

  I glare at him and growl, “Fuck off,” resisting the urge to flip him off in the middle of the news station.

  He notices and laughs harder as he heads out of the station and to the van.

  This so sucks.

  Chapter Three

  Noelle

  I called our old neighbor, Theo, first thing, as soon as I got the approval from the city for the concert. Theo is the news director of the largest station in Baton Rouge and he was all too happy to take on our story. In fact, he had a fantastic idea to expand on it that will make it better than I imagined and probably help us raise a lot more funds.

  His reporter and cameraman should be here any minute to interview me. He also let me know that I need to get familiar with them since they are going to be covering the shelter and the concert in its entirety.

  Mason Christmas. I’ve seen his reports before and his smoldering good looks always have my pulse fluttering as his face fills my screen. He’s been at the station for a couple of years and I think I’ve heard he came from some station in Texas before that.

  Becky is in my off
ice with her cell phone camera, supposedly checking out how everything will look on screen. “Move that vase thing to the left. It’s blocking my view of you.”

  I do as she asks, but mutter, “Becky, I’m fairly certain that your camera phone and a professional news organizations camera are not even close to the same thing.”

  She laughs, “I know that. But I can get a general idea and that’s less shit we’ll have to move once they get here and set up.” She look around at my inviting and comfortable office. “Why are you wanting to do it in here anyway? Shouldn’t you be in the shelter or something for this?”

  A soft and timid voice from the hall calls out, “Miss Noelle… Miss Becky… Um, someone is here to talk to one of you about becoming a volunteer.”

  Becky looks out of the door and smiles as she greets one of the patrons of the shelter who has been helping at the desk. She says, “Thank you, Melissa.”

  I can see Melissa over Becky’s shoulder and I also smile at her. “Thank you, Melissa. I’ll be out in just a second. Can you give them an application and make a copy of their driver’s license while I finish up?”

  Melissa nods, “Yes, Ma’am,” and scurries back up toward the lobby of the shelter. I sigh, “She’s doing so much better, but she’s still so nervous.”

  Becks nods sadly. “Yeah. It’s going to take a bit I think. At least she’s talking to us now. It’s got to be hard to have your husband wipe out your bank account and leave you and your kids with no way to pay rent or your bills. I would be scared to death, too, if everything I ever had was suddenly ripped away.”

  This is why this concert is so important. Melissa and those like her from various situations deserve a safe place to stay, enough food to nourish them, and even a few small luxuries.

  This is exactly why this concert will be a success.

  Failure is not an option here. Too many people are counting on us.

  We can’t let them down.

  We won’t let them down.

  I won’t let them down.

  Looking at Becky, I ask. “Yeah. I’ll go talk to the volunteer, ok? Can you finish up with whatever you’re trying to do in here?”

  She salutes me and nods. “Yup. It’s under control. Go ahead. That dreamy reporter should be here any minute anyway.”

  A slight twinge of jealousy pings in my stomach at her words.

  Oh, hell no. I don’t even know Mason Christmas. Sure, he’s nice to look at and I certainly enjoy his face on my nightly news, but he’s nothing to me.

  Of course Becks thinks he’s dreamy. He IS dreamy.

  I also know that once he sees her, I’ll practically be invisible.

  Whatever, Noelle. Not like it matters. He’s going to cover the story.

  That’s it.

  Whatever other foolishness you’re suddenly deluding yourself over… stop it. Right now.

  It’s not like I’m even looking for a love prospect anyway!

  Laughing at myself, I walk down the hall and into the lobby. Glancing around, I see the groups of people consisting of those staying here and some of our volunteers working on the things I’ve assigned them for the concert and the promotion. I have flyers being delivered this afternoon and they’ll start distributing them throughout the city. Several people are making phone calls to local businesses and restaurants to ask if they’d like to be a part of the Joyful Noise Christmas Concert. When I checked just now, we already had five corporate sponsors and six vendors wanting a food booth. We’ve only been at it for a couple of hours!

  This is so going to work.

  My eyes widen as I see the petite redhead wearing a matching bright red dress and glittery gold flats standing near the desk. I can’t help but smile as I see the first genuine, lighthearted smile on Melissa’s face I’ve witnessed since she’s been here. A light, musical laugh echoes throughout the room and the woman responsible for the smile turns. As she sees me, she gives me the most welcoming smile I’ve ever seen. I instantly feel… joy. Crossing the room, I walk over to her.

  As I reach the desk, I smile at Melissa and for the first time, she smiles back without hesitation. Warmth at the moment fills my chest. Looking down at the small woman in front of me, I nod. “Hello, I’m Noelle. I’m the director of Blessings House. How can I help you?”

  The small woman grins at me as if she’s knows me and then looks around the room before once again smiling at me. “Hello, Noelle. I’m Joy and I’m here to volunteer. Are you in need of any help for the holidays?”

  Joy, huh? How fitting a name for this tiny woman.

  Why yes. Yes, we certainly are.

  Why does it seem as if I know this woman?

  I nod and my eyes search her face, trying to place her. She seems like the perfect fit for us.

  Slow down, Noelle. Follow procedure.

  “Yes, we’re always looking for help, but we certainly won’t turn it down over the holidays. We actually have a very big event coming up that we only got approval for this morning. Things are about to get very chaotic, more so than normal around here.” I smile at her again and reach for the application I see sitting on the counter, along with a photo copy of her ID. No driver’s license…

  Well, not everyone drives, Noelle.

  I ask, “Would you mind if I look over this right quick?”

  Joy shakes her head and laughs musically again. “Not at all. Please do. I can start immediately.”

  I look over everything and it all seems legit. The box at the bottom is checked allowing us to run a background check.

  “Are you alright with us running the background check?”

  Joy laughs and her eyes seem to twinkle. “I certainly am.”

  Of course they aren’t really twinkling, Noelle. It’s just the fluorescent lights out here.

  Shaking my head, I nod again and head behind the desk to enter all of her information into the computer before submitting it. It takes several minutes and as I wait for the results of the background check, I watch her interact with Melissa. She seems so lighthearted. So comfortable. Joy has a very welcoming and comforting presence. She would do wonderful here.

  The computer dings, alerting me that the results are ready to be viewed. I look over them and smile when everything checks out. Raising my head, I meet Joy’s kind eyes. “Everything checks out perfectly. If you’re serious about starting immediately, I can certainly put you to work. Just let Melissa know when you think you’ll be able to come in and she can enter it into the computer. If ever you can’t come in on your day or you just don’t want to, it’s totally ok. And if you choose to discontinue your volunteering at any time, that is also fine. We just ask that you give us a heads up if you’re able.”

  Joy smiles brightly. “All of that is perfectly acceptable. I can come daily from now through Christmas. Just let me know where you’d like me and what you’d like me to do.”

  My brows draw together. “You want to come every day for almost six weeks?”

  Joy nods. “Of course. I can’t help with the mission if I’m not here.”

  What a strange statement.

  I choose not to overthink it and instead be grateful for the help. “Well, ok. But if you want a break or need some time away, feel free to take it. This is all volunteer. We can’t pay you.”

  Joy nods. “I know that. I have no need of your money.”

  Huh? Is she rich or something?

  Don’t overthink it, Noelle. Just accept the help!

  “Ok, then. I appreciate your help. If you’re comfortable with it, would you mind taking a few pages from the list of people we’re contacting? We need to call all of them to let them know about the concert and ask if they’d like to be a part of it in any way?”

  In answer, Joy asks Melissa for a few pages. “I’m certain I can convince some of them to participate. It’s a wonderful cause and will be a fantastic event. After all, it’s a blessing to bless others.”

  Mason

  Thankfully Brad found some parking behind the shelter that
we were able to squeeze into. Otherwise, we’d have had to park at the garage farther Downtown and walk five blocks. All of the street parking Downtown is full, but then again it’s the middle of the day on a weekday. All of those employed by the offices and businesses down here grab that parking before the sun comes up most days.

  Brad slides the back door open and unloads his gear while I reach for my bag. It contains my microphone, portable mics with battery packs, and a few other essentials. After slinging it over my shoulder, I straighten my shirt and walk to the drive to wait for him. Within seconds, he’s beside me and together we walk up the small alley. We both look up at the exterior of the shelter. It’s a concrete building with three floors. It’s much bigger than I expected. I’m almost embarrassed to say that in all the years I lived here and since being back, I’ve never even driven past it. Though, I’ve frequented several of the bars and restaurants just two streets over.

  Brad curiously asks, “Have you ever been here?”

  Shaking my head, I answer him. “Nope. I was just thinking that I haven’t even driven past it though I’ve been all around it.” Turning my head, I ask him, “Have you?”

  “No, I haven’t. I didn’t even know it was here.” He sounds surprised. He smiles. “You ready to go get all wrapped up in Christmas and goodwill toward man?”

  I mutter, “I’m ready to get the story. I’ll do my job. I’ll do an awesome job, because that’s what I do, but the rest… not interested. So, don’t go getting any ideas.” I walk past him and follow the small opening to the sidewalk that leads to the front of the building.

  His laugh trails behind me. I choose to ignore him.

  When I get to the front of the building, I look at it with my reporter’s eye, looking for the best angle to shoot it from. Brad stops beside me. “You want to do an intro from out here with the shelter in the back?”

  He knows me so well. This is why we’re a team. We understand each other and work perfectly together. I nod. “It looks like the light is better from the right. What do you think?”