Colton reached over and took my hand in his.
“I’m happy to hear that,” he said. “And I hope that it’s helped to get this off your chest.”
“It has,” I said with a smile. “Strangely enough, it has.”
“I want to ask you something else, if you don’t mind.”
“What’s that?”
He glanced down for a second, as if trying to figure out the best way to ask whatever it was he had on his mind.
“You have all of these bad memories of spending Christmas alone. But surely there has to be at least one good memory of the holidays that you have?”
At first, I was sure that there wasn’t. But then, one occurred to me.
“I can tell the answer is yes,” said Colton. “Because there’s the tiniest hint of a smile on your face.”
My hand shot up to my mouth. I’d smiled without even thinking about it.
Colton sat back, wine in hand, a smile on his own face.
“Let’s hear it,” he said.
“Well, when I was around ten, this couple fostered me, Lucas and Annie Miller. They were an older couple, both in their late sixties, and they lived in Holly Lake, upstate. They’d had kids, but no grandkids. So, I think with me they were hoping to have someone like a grandkid that they could just dote on whenever they wanted.”
Colton smiled as I spoke, picking up on my brightened mood.
“I arrived at their place a little before Thanksgiving. They lived in this adorable little cabin not far from the lake, and when I got acclimated I began to think that I might’ve found my home. They were both as sweet as could be, making sure that I was settling in just fine. And for Thanksgiving, Mrs. Miller went all out, making a delicious turkey with stuffing and pumpkin pie and all the trimmings. I remember telling her that this was the first home-cooked Thanksgiving meal and she almost cried.”
I willed the tears to stop forming in my eyes.
“And next door—though next door was a five-minute walk—was this other family, with a girl named Jamie who was about my age. I was really shy back then, but we ended up bumping into each other a few times, and the Millers and her family arranged some playdates. She helped me come out of my shell, and we became fast friends.”
“Sounds like you had a lot of what you weren’t used to,” said Colton. “A lot of what other kids took for granted.”
“That’s right,” I said. “That Christmas season was the first time since my parents’ accident that I felt normal. I had a friend, a family, and a place to call home. Jamie and I spent that December playing together all the time, building snowmen and snow castles near the lake, which was totally frozen over. And that Christmas the Millers gave me the first real presents since I’d been put in the system. And I gave them and Jamie some of my first drawings, paintings I’d done of the lake.”
“And then what happened?” asked Colton.
My stomach tightened, and I had to press hard to keep going.
“It all seemed too good to be true. Then, near the end of January, Mr. Miller came down with something that put him in the hospital. I don’t remember exactly what it was—something to do with his kidneys—but when he came home, I remember the two of them talking quietly. I knew it was about me.
“I’d hoped that I’d be able to stay with them forever, but Mr. Miller was too sick. It was going to take all of their time and effort just to be able to take care of him, let alone a foster kid. By February, I was back at the group home. I eventually heard that Mr. Miller passed that March. Poor Mrs. Miller died soon after—heartbreak, plain and simple .”
I glanced down, seeing that Colton was still holding onto my hand. Without thinking, I gave it a squeeze.
And he squeezed right back.
“I’m…so sorry, Shayla,” he said.
“Thank you,” I said. “But in spite of everything, it was a fond memory for me. And I discovered how much I loved drawing when I made those gifts. I wouldn’t be where I am without it.”
Then Colton’s expression hardened into a look something like determination.
“Listen,” he said. “I understand now why Christmas is such a rough time for you, but I swear that the one pleasant memory you had of the holidays isn’t going to be the last. Got it?”
I smiled, my free hand shooting up to my eye and quickly wiping the beginning of a tear away.
“You don’t have to go out of your way or anything,” I said. “I’m happy with what I already have.”
“Too late,” he said, a smile spreading across his face. “I’ve already decided that I’m going to do something special for you this Christmas. And you’re just going to have to deal with it.”
I laughed, already feeling better.
“Thanks, Colton,” I said. “For everything.”
“It’s my pleasure,” he said.
A moment took hold, one in which the urge for him to kiss me came over me. But I put it aside as quickly as I could, chalking it up to the outpouring of emotions. I glanced behind Colton at the downpour of snow, now coming down even harder than it was before.
“Wow,” I said. “Talk about a winter wonderland.”
Colton turned and looked. “No kidding,” he said. “Might have to call a snow day tomorrow.”
“Are you serious?” I asked. “With everything we have to get done?”
“Just about everyone in the office can work from home, and if you want, you can stick around tomorrow and work from my office here in the apartment. So, just calm down and relax.”
So that’s what I did. Sitting there with Colton, the roaring fire, the delicious wine, and the calming snow, I felt my eyelids grow heavy. I set down my drink and wrapped a nearby blanket around my body. Surrounded by warmth, I soon fell into a deep, contented sleep.
Chapter 8
Shayla
It was the day before Christmas break and, more importantly, the day that Richie and I were going to show Colton our finished work for the VR project. If it all met his approval, then Richie and I would’ve completed the most high-profile—not to mention profitable—project for Liminal to date.
“You ready for this?” asked Richie as he and I worked in the conference room putting the final touches on the presentation.
“About as ready as I’m going to be,” I said.
“Now, I told the rest of the team they were done. And that’s because I trust you to be able to handle this presentation with me. If you’re feeling hesitant about it or anything like that, just tell me.”
“I’m good,” I said.
“I mean, I know you and Mr. Cooper have been getting pretty close, so that might be something you could use to your advantage.”
I raised an eyebrow as I looked up from my work.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.
“Just saying I’ve noticed that you’ve been working with him pretty closely on some of the finer points of the project.”
It seemed innocent enough, but something told me there was something more to Richie’s comment. He’d always been a little possessive of me as an employee, and I wondered if this was his way of letting me know that he was suspecting that my loyalties were shifting.
“Yes,” I said flatly, “making sure that he and I are on the same page. And that’s it.”
Richie raised his hands. “Just saying. If you’re in good with him on a personal level that might help us.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but before I said a word, I spotted Colton through the windows of the conference room, standing on a desk near his office and gathering the attention of all the employees on the floor.
“We’d better see what’s going on,” I said.
We left the room and joined the employees who’d been gathered together.
“Great!” said Colton. “Everyone’s here. Now—” He checked his watch. “—it’s ten minutes to noon, and for those of you who are new to CooperWare, I don’t like to keep you all a single minute past noon on the first day of your break. I w
ant you all out there enjoying the holidays, and if I catch any of you still at your desk…”
He made a humorously angry face as he wagged his finger, laughs sounding from the group.
“But,” Colton went on when the laughter died down, “I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a few minutes to tell you all how freaking amazing you’ve been. Things have been crazy with the VR project, but you’ve all been bringing your A game, and I’ve noticed. Because of all your hard work, we’re going to have a product ready to ship by spring of next year. So, to thank you, I’ve included a little extra holiday bonus.”
Eager talking sounded from the employees.
“So, go buy some extra presents for your friends and family, or hell, go take a nice vacation. Thank you all so much, and I’ll see you next year.”
A beeping sounded out from Colton’s pocket. He reached in and took out his cellphone.
“And that means it’s officially noon, so all of you get out of here and have a merry Christmas and happy New Year!”
“Too bad that doesn’t apply to us,” Richie grunted as Colton hopped off his desk and headed back into his office. “We still have a presentation to get through.”
“Then let’s do it,” I said, feeling eager and confident.
Richie nodded, and the two of us gathered our materials from the conference room. When we had everything, we approached Colton’s office. Richie knocked on the door.
“Come in!” called out Colton from inside.
Richie opened the door and held it as the two of us stepped in. Colton’s eyes lit up when we entered.
“You guys ready?” he asked. “I’m psyched to see what you’ve done. Not to mention that the sooner we put this to bed, the sooner the break starts for the rest of us.”
“We’re ready,” said Richie, plugging his portable drive into the laptop we’d brought in and projecting it all to Colton’s office TV.
“So,” I began, launching into the introduction Richie and I had talked over earlier. “For the last few weeks, we’ve been hard at work putting together graphics that we hope will knock your socks off. Now, without further ado…”
Richie started, going over the improved and more realistic interface we’d been working on. I went through the graphics as he spoke, showing Colton how the interface looked, and how it changed when users went from one history module to another.
Colton watched with fascination as we went from one display to the next, and by the time we were done, he looked so pleased that I couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride.
“I brought your team in to do a killer job, and you didn’t disappoint,” Colton said. “Everything you’ve showed me is perfect—exactly what I was looking for.”
“So pleased to hear that, Mr. Cooper,” said Richie, stepping over to Colton and shaking his hand eagerly. “I know it was quite a thing to take a chance on an external team, but I knew we’d be able to give you want you were looking for.”
“And what I said about bonuses applies to the Liminal team, too,” he said. “You both, along with the rest of your crew, can expect a little extra on your billings.”
I was beside myself. After the insanity of the last few weeks, we’d done the job. It was over.
“Now,” said Colton. “I hope you all don’t mind if I hang onto what you’ve brought. I’d like to go through it before I head out.”
“Of course,” I said. “It’s your work, after all.”
Colton stepped over to us and shook our hands again.
“Guys, thank you so much. And give my thanks to the rest of the team.”
“Thank you, Mr. Cooper,” said Richie.
“Have a wonderful break,” Colton said. “And a Happy New Year.”
His eyes stayed on me as he said those last words, and I knew that he had in mind our evening together when he spoke them.
Richie led me out of the office, and when the door shut a feeling of melancholy came over me. The two of us reached the elevator, and as the doors opened and we prepared to step inside, I turned around and took one last look at the office.
I committed to memory the sight of the place adorned with Christmas decorations, trying to take some of the joy Colton had spread around and keep it with me. As though it were a little fire I could keep near my heart to warm me over the break.
“Something wrong?” asked Richie, his hand on the elevator door as he held it open for me.
“You know, I used to think all this stuff was annoying,” I said, gesturing to the decorations. “But it’s kind of nice. Cheery, even.”
Richie flicked up his eyebrows in surprise.
“Interesting words from the girl who rolls her eyes whenever I bring the box of Christmas decorations into the office.”
I stepped into the elevator, the doors silently closing as Richie took his hand from them.
“I don’t know what it is,” I said, the greens and reds and whites of the decorations disappearing behind the doors.
“Might be that someone like Colton can afford to hire a team of decorators to pretty this place up,” he said. There was a tinge of bitterness in his voice. Was he jealous of how large CooperWare was when compared to his company?
“Anyway,” Richie went on, his face brightening. “We did it! We busted our asses, and he loved the work! Do you have any idea what this is going to mean for Liminal?”
I was happy, sure, but there was still something lingering inside of me, something that didn’t allow me to fully share in Richie’s enthusiasm.
“I know,” I said. “This is so great. The team really kicked butt this month.”
Richie shook his head, an excited smile plastered on his face. “How about you and I grab some lunch to celebrate?” he asked. “It’s on me.”
“Sounds good,” I said as the doors opened, the normally bustling first floor of CooperWare now desolate and dark.
But when we arrived at the front doors and Richie pulled one open for me, I realized something.
“Wait,” I said.
“What is it?”
“I’ve left some of my own work in Colton’s office,” I said.
“So?” Richie said. “Just get it when we come back from break.”
“No,” I said, already turning around. “It’s stuff that I was planning on working on over the holidays. I’ll be right back.”
“All right, but hurry,” said Richie. “I’m hungry.”
The reason I gave to Richie was true, but there was something more. I was intensely private with my personal projects, and the idea of someone—especially someone like Colton—going through them was enough to make me sick to my stomach. I hurried back to the elevator and up to the third floor, rushing so fast through the office that I nearly tripped.
“Yes?” came Colton’s voice after I rapped on the door to his office.
“Hey,” I said. “It’s me, Shayla.”
“Come in.”
I opened the door, my heart thudding. Of course, Christmas music was playing in his office. And as I stepped in, my eyes latched onto the TV screen.
The TV screen that currently had my work on full display.
The current design on the screen was a design I’d been tinkering with here and there, and which was in an embarrassingly unfinished state.
“Just the woman I was looking to talk to,” Colton said, the remote in his hand and his feet on his desk. “This doesn’t look like anything to do with the VR project.”
“That’s because it’s not,” I said, hurrying over to the TV and yanking out the portable flash drive. “It’s all stuff that I’ve been working on in my spare time.”
The TV screen went blank, and Colton’s face drooped with disappointment.
“Hey,” he said, taking his feet off the desk and placing them on the floor. “What’s the rush? That was good stuff!”
I flashed him a confused look.
“Are you serious?” I asked. “It’s barely even started.”
Colton extended his hand to me.
/> “Let me take another look at it,” he said. “If that’s okay with you?”
I pressed the flash drive more firmly against my chest. Normally, I’d have given a hearty “hell no” to the idea of sharing unfinished work, but something about Colton’s open, warm expression made me feel differently.
Hesitantly, I handed the drive back over to him. He took it and stuck it into his personal computer.
“Come here and tell me about it.”
Anxiety running up my spine, I made my way around his desk, leaned over the keyboard and mouse, and brought up the Pegasus image again. Colton gave it a thorough inspection, his eyes narrowed in concentration.
“It’s a Pegasus,” he said. “The winged horse from Greek mythology.”
“That’s right,” I said. “I’m really into Greek and Roman mythology. This is going to show the moment the Pegasus allows Bellerophon to ride her. He’s obviously not there yet.”
“It’s really, really good,” he said. “But I’m not surprised in the least to see this kind of work from you.”
He clicked around on his computer and removed the flash drive, handing it back to me.
“You’re unbelievably talented, Shayla,” Colton said. “And I can’t wait to see what else you can do.”
I blushed, never one to be able to take compliments.
“But I’ve taken up enough of your time,” he said. “Get out of here and enjoy your holiday.”
I didn’t know what to say. I slipped the flash drive back into my pocket and hurried over to the door.
“Oh, and Shayla?”
I turned to look back at him.
“Merry Christmas.”
An irrepressible smile curved my lips.
“Merry Christmas to you, too.”
Chapter 9
Shayla
It might have been December 25, but to me it was a Saturday like any other.
Seated at the tiny kitchen table in my apartment, I wrapped my hands around my cup of coffee. Snow fell gently outside of my window. I cranked the heat, the extra warmth making me feel toasty underneath my favorite fuzzy blue robe—the one with little cartoon coffee mugs on it. Who would care that I was still in my pajamas on a Saturday afternoon? It wasn’t like I was planning on heading out anywhere.
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