by Ali Parker
“Thanks.”
“One problem.”
“What?” I asked.
“I don’t have any elves.”
“What about the Santas? They always have elves at the mall and stuff.”
“Those were usually employees of the stores looking for some extra hours. But I do know some people who did the elf thing as a temporary gig when they were off from college.”
“Does the Santa union include elves?”
She burst into laughter. “That sentence is so ludicrous. I have no idea if elves are a part of the union. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were though. Maybe our current Santas know some elves.”
“Talk about a ludicrous sentence,” I said with a laugh.
“If anyone eavesdropped on our conversations, they would probably think we’ve lost our damn minds.”
“Who cares what anyone thinks? We need elves. I’ll make some calls and see if I can round some up. How many do you think you’ll need?”
She looked thoughtful, her lips moving as she did some mental math. “Fifty? Is that too much? Too few?”
“I’ve never hired elves before,” I told her. “I think fifty sounds like a decent number, combined with the volunteers Cori told me she was collecting and any staff that have the day off and want to pick up some extra cash.”
She nodded, her worried look fading a little. “That’s a good idea. Good plan. I like it. Now, I just need to figure out the fun element. There has to be something big, a main event.”
I looked around her office, trying to find inspiration. My eyes drifted to the window, looking outside at the snow-covered ground. I was used to the snow, but it was still so damn pretty to look at. I could see the ski slopes beyond and the many people in their various ski outfits sliding down the hills. The snow always brought out the youthful part of people. It was fun and exciting and had such an element of youthfulness it was hard to resist.
Even the oldest, crankiest person could find fun in the snow, even if it meant throwing snowballs at people. I remembered the snow days and how all of us neighborhood kids would flock outside and build snow forts.
“Harper,” I said, pulling myself back to the present.
“What is it?” she asked, turning to look out the window as well.
“Why not let the kids entertain themselves in a true winter wonderland?”
“What do you mean?”
“The snow. We have the best outdoor activity right out the back door.”
She wrinkled her nose as she looked up at me. “I don’t think the kids will be thrilled to come here just to get pushed outside into the same snow they have at their own houses.”
“This would be different. We could turn one of the bunny slopes into a sledding hill. We could have a snowman-building contest. We’ll provide all the accessories, right down to carrots and scarves. And snow forts. I know a local guy who builds igloos for people. I bet he would come down and show the kids how to do it safely.”
“That could work,” she said. “We could have a place for kids to learn to use snowshoes.”
“Absolutely.”
She squealed and launched herself at me, throwing her arms around my neck. “This is such a good idea. I knew I liked you for a reason.”
Before I knew what was coming, her lips were on mine. My arms went around her, squeezing her close to me as our mouths melded. Her tongue darted inside my mouth, causing a chain reaction that led to me growing hard. It was only a little embarrassing a single kiss from her could have that effect on me.
She pulled away from me just when my brain decided sex was on the table. Literally. I would push everything off her desk and fuck her on the damn thing.
“We have a lot of work to do,” she said with a smile.
I closed my eyes, adjusting the hard-on in my pants. “Yes, I guess we do. Do I get a kiss every time I have a brilliant idea?”
“Maybe,” she teased. “We’ll have to see.”
“I’m going to drink some ginseng tea and sit down until I come up with a hundred really good ideas.”
She burst into light laughter. “You’re silly.”
Her laugh warmed my soul. I really did enjoy working with her and just being around her in general. I couldn’t imagine my life ever going back to what it was before she came back into it. “I’m going to make those calls. Is there anything else you need?”
“I don’t think so. You did a lot already. You really are a genius.”
“You inspire me.”
She patted my chest, gently pushing me back. “I’m going to get to work. I need to finish my list of staff that are going to be helping. I hope you don’t mind, but I pulled in the event team on this. They are so much better at this stuff than I am. Plus, the ballroom isn’t booked. I kind of feel like that’s their domain and I don’t want to go stomping all over their toes.”
“That’s very generous of you and I’m sure they all appreciate the thoughtfulness. They are all yours. As far as I know, the schedule is relatively clear until after the new year. We’re still working on bookings and I believe they’re putting together a wedding brochure to get a jump on any spring and summer weddings that might be planned as a result of New Year’s.”
“What do you mean?”
“Everyone proposes on New Year’s. Then they all want a spring wedding four months later.”
“I had no idea you were so in tune with the wedding industry.”
“It’s a big industry, and this hotel needs the boost in revenue during the spring and summer months. Weddings are where it’s at.”
She grinned again. “Always thinking ahead.”
“You’ve got that right,” I said and walked out of her office.
I was thinking ahead. I was already thinking about my own wedding that I hoped to have in the very near future. I just needed my future bride to agree to date me first. I was already making those plans as well.
The more time I spent with her, the more I knew I couldn’t possibly go on without her. She was quickly becoming my other half. It was more than lust. It was everything about her. Her sweet laugh, her brilliant mind, and her ability to always be thinking about what she did and how it would impact others.
I wanted to grow with her. She made me a better man. Together, we would be unstoppable. We would dominate the hospitality industry.
Chapter 42
Harper
I looked around the table at what I was calling the heads of the fair committee. They were the people helping me organize the event. The head of the event team sat across from me. The woman was in her mid-fifties and had a lot of experience. I was relying on that experience to help make this fair a success.
“All right, Jordan, you are going to be in charge of booth set up. We’ve nixed anything to do with water in the ballroom due to the risk of damaging the floor. Parker has a map outlining what booths go where.”
“We’ll use tape on the floor with numbers for the booth owners,” Evelyn, the event team manager, said.
“Great idea,” I told her. “Molly is in charge of the food trucks and food booths. Dave, I’m counting on you to get the tents set up with the patio heaters. We have a huge attendance expected and we won’t be able to keep everyone in the ballroom. Chase has agreed to let us use two of the conference rooms for a few of the activities to help keep things from getting too crowded. We’ll also have use of part of the kitchen. However, we need to keep that minimal. The chef is not thrilled with the idea of anyone in his kitchen.”
There were murmurs of agreement. We had all met the chef on one occasion or another. He was great at his job but not great with people. He did best tucked away in his kitchen with no one getting in his way.
“What about the elves?” Parker asked.
“Me and you. We’ll be training them and walking them through everything they are supposed to do. We have a few of the local teachers from the elementary schools coming in as volunteers. They will be handling some of the craft tables. We need to make
sure the elves know the teachers are in charge.”
“How many kids?” Molly asked.
I winced, afraid to tell them. “As of now, Cori has an estimated one thousand. They won’t be all at once. At least, I hope they won’t. Some local churches and daycares are planning on bringing groups of twenty or so at a time.”
“A thousand!” Evelyn repeated. “That can’t be right! Are there that many kids in Vail?”
I laughed. “Yes. You have to remember we are also including our current guests. The kids are sure to be thrilled to have the chance to play in a winter carnival.”
Evelyn let out a low whistle and shook her head. “You don’t do anything small, do you?
“I don’t try to,” I replied.
“We’ve got this. I’ll get with the rest of my team and start dialing in job duties. I’m just thankful we are keeping the decorations to a minimum. It would be a fulltime job keeping everything where it was supposed to be.”
“We plan on pulling a few things from the kids’ area and using the decorations from the Winter Wonderland party,” I told her.
She grimaced, clearly not pleased with the idea. I didn’t care. I couldn’t advertise a winter festival and have the kids gather in a boring ballroom. That would never go over well. Everyone left, leaving me and Parker alone.
“Do you think the elf training will go better than the Santa training?”
I rolled my eyes. “I certainly hope so. Maybe I should bust out the Mrs. Claus getup again.”
“You might need to. Aren’t elves supposed to be unruly and mischievous?”
“Our elves better not be if they know what’s good for them.”
She giggled. “There’s Mrs. Claus cracking the whip.”
Jake walked up to our table. “Are you guys finished with your meeting?”
“We are,” I answered.
He looked at Parker. “Do you want to grab lunch at that new gastropub I was telling you about?”
Parker looked at me. “Do you want to come?”
I smiled, knowing Jake did not want me tagging along. “No, thank you. You guys go. Let me know how the food is.”
Jake looked relieved. I wasn’t sure how long they planned to deny their relationship, but I had no business talking.
“Can we bring you something back?” he asked.
“No thanks. I’m going to grab a sandwich from the kitchen. I’ll meet up with you later.”
“Sounds good,” Parker said, clearly eager to leave with her boyfriend that was not her boyfriend but just a friend.
I watched them leave, smiling as they bumped shoulders and smiled at each other. I didn’t know why, but when I looked at them, I saw young love. When I thought about me and Chase, it was like we were old shoes. When did we become the old couple?
I walked toward the door that would lead me into the kitchen. The chef was kind enough to make sandwiches up for the staff and leave them in the big walk-in cooler. He said it kept us out of his hair. I was sure it was because he was secretly nice but didn’t want anyone to know. I skipped breakfast and was looking forward to sinking my teeth into a turkey on white.
“Harper,” someone said.
I turned toward the bar and saw Oliver Rook sitting on a stool, looking like he owned the place.
“Hello,” I said, hoping to get away with just a hello.
“You look like you’re in a rush.”
“I was going to grab some lunch and head to my office.”
“Ah yes, another one of your wild ideas is being played out,” he said.
I forced a smile. “I suppose so.”
“Have you considered my offer?”
I almost choked. Hell no, I hadn’t considered it. I didn’t think he was being serious. He insulted me and offered me a job on the same breath. That didn’t exactly scream serious. He was still a guest and I couldn’t be rude.
I forced a smile. “Exactly what was the title of that job you were offering?”
“Chief Curator,” he replied. “You would be in charge of organizing my many collections.”
In my mind, I was thinking of eccentric baubles, maybe spoons or even shot glasses from the many places he traveled. “Your collections, huh? What kind of collections would I be organizing?”
He smiled, and I knew there was something big coming. “I have a vast collection of East Asian vases and one of the largest collections of first editions of major works of literature. But those aren’t my favorite collections. My surrealist art collection would rival that of the Louvre.”
I was shocked. Not really shocked that he possessed all those things but shocked he was actually asking me to be his curator. “Oliver, you have a very valuable, rare collection. I know nothing about any of those things. I don’t know the first thing about that stuff. You would be better off hiring someone with an art degree or someone with experience working in a museum.”
“I don’t expect you to know what is real and what isn’t. You don’t need to vet an item. I just need you to help me acquire them.”
I wrinkled my nose with confusion. “How would I be any good at that?”
“You’re tenacious, professional, and very organized. I’ve been watching you. You are exactly what I need to stay on top of the collection and my strategy for acquiring my treasures. I keep a lot of balls in the air and things can get complicated.”
“I appreciate the compliments, but I’m really underqualified.”
He sighed, acting like I was really putting him out. “Let me explain it a little clearer,” he said, giving me a slow look up and down my body.
I had to look down to make sure I was still wearing clothes. “I should go.”
“I’m a collector of beautiful things. You’re beautiful. Not just beautiful but sophisticated and very capable. I need you. I want you. I want you for my collection.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Do you plan on putting me on a shelf?” I joked.
“Not a chance,” he replied in a husky tone.
I realized in that moment he was being very serious. I didn’t know why I hadn’t seen it before, but he wasn’t an unattractive man. He was a little older than me. I knew he was wealthier than Chase. I just couldn’t see myself ever dating a man like him. He was really not my type and I knew for certain I wasn’t his type.
“Oliver, you seem—” I started my rejection when Cori showed up.
“Hey, I need to talk to you,” she said.
Saved by the friend. “Okay, I’ll be right there,” I said, grabbing her arm. “Oliver, I’m sorry. I need to handle this. I’ll see you around.”
“Don’t forget what I said,” he said with a sly smile.
I rushed out, my arm through hers as I dragged her along.
“What the hell?” she muttered, stumbling over her heels.
“That guy. Thank you for rescuing me.”
“Sure, but why didn’t you just walk away?”
“Because I couldn’t.”
We were walking toward the hall that led to the guest rooms. “Harper, where are we going?”
I stopped walking. “I don’t know.”
“Sheesh, woman. You’re crazy.”
“Sorry. Dammit, I didn’t get my sandwich.”
“We’ll go through the restaurant. Why don’t you just tell him to leave you alone?”
“Because that would be rude.”
“You are too nice. Come on. We’ll get your sandwich and then we need to get to the conference room. I’ve got a few of the food truck guys in there trying to figure out which way is up. I sure as hell don’t know.”
“Fine, but first you have to feed me. Parker—” I remembered Parker left the building and was sure to be gone for a couple of hours. “Shit, I’ll figure it out.”
Like a good friend, Cori made sure the coast was clear before we raided the fridge. I carried my loot back to the conference room. The moment we walked through the doors, I heard the arguing. It was deja vu all over again. I groaned, looking down at my goodie
s that I wasn’t going to get to eat because I was going to be too busy putting out fires.
“Everyone please settle down.”
“Who are you?” someone snapped.
“My name is Harper Lincoln,” I announced. “I’m the lady putting this thing together.”
That seemed to get them to quiet down for a minute.
“He’s in my spot,” someone complained.
“I have already assigned the spots. There will be no changing of the spots. They are established. You were given your assigned spots. This is not an issue.”
“Then I’m not coming.”
I rolled my eyes. I was not in the mood to play peacemaker or referee. “You guys are all signed up for this thing. The flyers have already been sent to the printers. Your names have all been added to the list of vendors donating your time to this event. You better believe if any of you back out now, I will blast you all over the damn place.”
That got their attention. I heard Cori’s laugh and shot her a glare. She quickly quieted down.
“Any questions?” she asked.
There were some murmurs and groans but my little speech worked. There were promises to see us at the fair as the food truck owners filed out of the room. Once they were gone, I ripped the plastic off my sandwich and took a very large, healthy bite.
“I’m so sick of men acting like children. I think I’m going to wear that Mrs. Claus costume for the rest of the week.”
“You might have to do it. I’ve got the set-up crew coming in thirty minutes. Stick around. I need your bossiness.”
“I’ll be here, but if I don’t eat this sandwich, I’m going to eat the next human that walks through that door.”
“Eat your sandwich. I don’t think we can handle that kind of a lawsuit.”
Chapter 43
Chase
“Hey, big brother,” Cori greeted when I caught her in the dining room polishing off a rather big breakfast.
“Hungry?” I commented.
“It’s breakfast and lunch. Don’t judge. I’ve been working really hard.”