His Stand-In Holiday Girlfriend (Christmas in the City Book 1)

by Kasey Stockton

  They reached the elevator when Monica stopped suddenly and offered Brady a sweet smile. “Would you be a doll and fetch us some of those delicious pastries? I’m sure we’ll all be famished by the time we are finished hammering out these details.”

  It was a job so beneath Brady that Ellie wanted to sink into the floor from embarrassment. Was Monica playing her status here or did she have another reason to get him to leave? “I can run out for something,” Ellie said quickly. Brady was protected by their relationship now, anyway. “I’m the intern, after all.”

  “No, I’ll go,” Brady said.

  “Just have Julianne get you up to the right floor when you return,” Monica said.

  He spun for the door and disappeared from sight right away.

  Why did Monica constantly want pastries?

  The elevator door dinged and opened, and Monica clicked her way inside before sliding a card into the panel and clicking a button. The elevator doors closed, shutting Ellie in with her fake boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend. She swallowed, then shot Monica a fleeting smile.

  “How long have you been together?” Monica asked suddenly, her voice as serious as her gaze.

  Ellie paused, surprised by Monica’s directness. “I’m not sure it’s appropriate to discuss while we’re working. We try really hard to keep everything above reproach.”

  Monica’s gaze narrowed, her dark ponytail had flipped over her shoulder and she was playing with the ends of it. “Is it serious?” she asked, ignoring Ellie’s previous request completely.

  “That is less appropriate than the last question,” Ellie countered.

  “Forgive my curiosity,” Monica said as the elevator doors opened to reveal a hallway lined with doors. “I only dated the man off and on for years. And all of a sudden, he’s got this brand new girlfriend that I’ve heard nothing about. Neither have any of his friends,” she added with a sidelong glance before stepping into the hall.

  Ellie was grateful for the walk down the hall to gather her wits. When Monica let her into her office Ellie stepped inside and took a seat. “Well that’s probably because we’ve kept everything low key. Brady didn’t want to announce anything until he was sure it was going to work with Harver Allen. And I don’t blame him, really. I’m just an intern. I wanted to be cautious as well.”

  Monica clearly had a hard time swallowing the story Ellie was feeding her. She knew something was up or she wouldn’t have questioned Brady’s friends.

  “In fact, we planned to tell everyone for Christmas,” Ellie said. They wouldn’t still be together by Christmas anyway. “It was going to be a surprise.”

  Monica’s eyebrows lifted. “At the Garrison family party? That’s bold.”

  “Well, why not announce it with a splash?”

  “You haven’t met the Garrisons,” Monica said with a smug smile.

  Oh, dear.

  The door opened and Brady stepped inside, taking a seat beside Ellie and dropping a paper bag on the desk. Monica finally lowered herself in the chair on the other side of the desk, leaning back and crossing one leg over the other knee.

  “I was just hearing all about the big announcement,” Monica said sweetly, reaching into the bag for a pastry. She lifted out a muffin and arched an eyebrow at him.

  “It’s what they had,” Brady said unrepentantly. “What big announcement? Did you settle on a charity?”

  “No, the big announcement you’re planning to do at your family Christmas party.”

  Brady turned confused eyes on Ellie and she tried to convey her apologies through her own gaze, but she had a feeling he wasn’t reading her mind.

  This was her fault, so she had to find a way to get them out of it. “You know, about us,” Ellie said smoothly. “I mean, I know it wasn’t meant to come out yet, but Monica won’t tell anyone.”

  “Of course I won’t,” Monica added.

  “Right,” Brady said. “Except that I thought we decided not to discuss our relationship during work hours. HR and all that.”

  “I tried—”

  “Exactly,” Monica said. “Let’s get started on this charity. We are simultaneously raising money to go toward…”

  “Kids Afterschool,” Ellie said at once.

  “Kids after school what?” Monica asked.

  “It’s a program in the San Francisco school system that helps kids who are less fortunate have more exposure to the arts. They put together plays and have a special library program,” Ellie explained. “And they assist children who have English as a second language learn to read faster.”

  “That sounds worthy to me,” Brady said, shrugging.

  “And our patrons love those sorts of things. It always makes them feel like they’ve accomplished something,” Monica said with no tact.

  Ellie was tempted to tell Monica that she had spent quite a few years in Kids Afterschool while her grandparents were both working. She wasn’t ashamed of her less privileged upbringing, but she bit back the comment. “Then let’s give them plenty of opportunities to spend their money.”

  “Agreed,” Brady said, shooting Ellie an amused smile. “Now is that all we had to discuss? We better get back to the office. I assume we can leave the coordinating between Kids Afterschool and the museum to you?”

  “Absolutely,” Monica said. “I’ll be sure to find their lead board members and issue them invitations as well.”

  “Wonderful,” Brady said, rising.

  Ellie looked between them, certain her list of things to discuss was a mile long. But Brady seemed eager to go, so she got up and followed him out. The farewells were awkward, but they made it outside where Brady let out a breath, like he’d been unable to breathe regularly indoors.

  “So what exactly was all that about?” he asked the moment they left the building.

  Neither Monica nor Brady had seemed to care about the charitable component to the gala, but Ellie did. And why not give back to a foundation which had helped her immensely as a child? “I figured it was wise to choose a charity that really could use the money,” she defended.

  “No, not that. Yes, that sounds great. I am wholly in agreeance with you on that. I meant the big announcement.”

  “Oh, that,” Ellie said, rolling her eyes. “Monica questioned your friends about me and wanted to know why you hadn’t said anything about our relationship. She asked how serious we are and how long we’ve been dating… so I told her we were saving the news to make sure it was going to work out first.”

  “But my family party?” he asked, his face pained.

  “That was her. I just kind of agreed.”

  He scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “It’s not possible. We can’t do it.”

  Ellie reached forward and grasped his arm. “She doesn’t have to know that. I wasn’t actually intending on going to your family party and making a big announcement. We only have to pull this off until Christmas Eve anyway and the gala is over.”

  He leveled her with a look. “Except that my family party is next week.”

  “Oh.”

  “And Monica is probably going,” he added.

  “Oh.” Ellie dropped her arm.

  “Yeah,” Brady said. He turned for the street and flagged down a cab. “She’s really tight with my sister, who lives in Seattle. So every time Becky comes back to the bay to visit, we see a lot of Monica.”

  “Lovely.”

  A cab stopped and Brady slid in first this time, leaving the door open for Ellie. He gave the office address to the driver and leveled her with a look. “So what are we going to do?”

  “I guess I’m coming to your family Christmas party.”

  Chapter Eight

  Pepper was busier than usual that evening and Brady slid into a booth as soon as another woman and her friend vacated it, despite the mess of drinks they’d left behind. Ben was supposed to meet him in another half-hour but he had work to do and could use a minute alone to gather his bearings. A man stepped up to his table to clear away the dishes and a
woman stopped by really quickly, saying, “I’ll be right with you!” before she disappeared again.

  He settled into his seat, glancing around the busy restaurant for any faces he might recognize.

  His gaze landed on Zane at the bar and he turned away before the guy noticed him and they made eye contact. Brady was not in the mood to socialize with coworkers at present. Instead, he pulled out his phone and began sifting through emails he hadn’t had time to reply to during work earlier that day.

  A few minutes went by before the waitress returned. She had a bright smile and frizzy black hair pulled up high on her head. “What can I get for you?”

  Brady ordered some dinner and went back to his phone after explaining that another man would be joining him shortly.

  His group family chat had been blowing up all day with everyone discussing the family Christmas party. He should tell them he was bringing a woman with him, but he just didn’t know how to word it. Besides, they were all arguing between Mexican and Italian for dinner like they did every year, and soon they would settle on Italian, like they did every year. He just needed to give them time to come to that conclusion again.

  When his food arrived, Ben followed shortly behind it.

  “Are you coming to our gala?” Brady asked as his friend took a seat.

  “I don’t know, maybe. But you are not distracting me that easily, man,” he said, a wide grin showcasing his perfect teeth. “I heard you got yourself a girlfriend.”

  “How?”

  Ben shrugged. “Word gets around. Monica’s been asking questions.”

  Brady blew out a breath through his teeth. “She works fast.”

  “So?” Ben asked, leaving the question hanging.

  “I took your advice,” Brady said, shrugging. He winced. “And I may have asked an intern to step in for a few short weeks.”

  Ben’s eyes bulged. “That has to be against company policy.”

  “I’m breaking all the ethical rules these days. But I didn’t know what else to do. And you know what?” he added, smiling. “It worked.”

  The waitress returned and Ben ordered his own dinner before they were left in privacy again. “Really?” Ben said, picking up where they left off.

  “Yeah. I wish I’d thought of this scheme last year when we got back together and I had to buy her that Prada bag as my apology gift.”

  Ben just laughed.

  Brady gave a self-deprecating shake of his head. “I’ve learned.”

  “And now you’ve got an intern girlfriend protecting you.”

  Arching his eyebrow, Brady picked up his fork. “Hey, it could be worse.”

  Stepping into Pepper, Ellie was hit with the aroma of sizzling steak and too many people. She grazed the bar for a single open seat and caught one at the far end. Beelining her way toward the chair, she caught Kayla’s attention across the floor and sent a little wave.

  Kayla was obviously swamped, but she would probably still manage a discount for Ellie. She was the best.

  Settling herself onto the bar chair, Ellie hung her purse on the back of the chair and turned to face forward, ordering a Coke and a steak—her favorite meal.

  “Hey there,” a man said to her left, and Ellie turned, surprised to find that she’d sat directly next to Zane from work.

  Her cheeks warmed. “I didn’t see you there. I’ve been distracted,” she said with an awkward laugh.

  Zane flicked his wrist to shove aside her apology. “It’s fine. How was your second day?”

  “Better,” she said. “I didn’t stomp my foot like a five-year-old in front of the entire design team, if that’s what you mean.”

  Zane’s smile was understanding. “It can be overwhelming starting a new job. It’s overwhelming for me and I’ve been there for over a year.”

  “Yikes,” Ellie said. “That’s not what I want to hear.”

  “I’m sure it won’t be the same for you. I just don’t get much opportunity to show my abilities, so I’m always stuck on the menial jobs.”

  She gazed into his dark brown eyes and read the resignation there. “Have you tried to find a way to show them that you’re capable of more than they are giving you?”

  “Yes,” he said immediately. “But it doesn’t mean much if the boss isn’t willing to give you a chance.”

  “Gaines?”

  “Brady.”

  “Oh.” That was odd. Brady didn’t seem like the sort of man to stunt a coworker’s growth intentionally. Unless there was a reason for it…

  Ellie asked, “Do you have access to any of your designs now? I’d love to see them.”

  “Sure thing,” Zane said. He pulled out his phone and swiped around for a moment before placing it on the bar in front of her. Ellie pulled it closer and swiped through the photos.

  Mockups for a large skyscraper with edgy, modern shapes and rows upon rows of shiny windows filled the screen. There was a center courtyard that was tastefully done, and a beautiful archway that led to the foyer. She was suitably impressed. “Wow. This is amazing.”

  “Tell that to Brady,” Zane said under his breath.

  She turned to face him. “Why don’t you?”

  “I’ve tried,” he said, taking his phone back. He swiped through the photos as he spoke. “I wanted to try and get this in the running for the new Bear Mobile building we’ve bid for and he keeps putting off looking at it. I don’t know why.”

  The waiter slid a steaming plate in front of her on the bar, but Ellie ignored it, turning toward Zane and making her face as stern as she was able while she waited for him to slide his phone back in his pocket. “Try one more time. That project deserves to be looked at. I don’t know how they go about making decisions at Harver Allen, but your design deserves a shot.”

  Kayla sidled up between them right then, leaning on Ellie. “We are so packed tonight,” she said, never-ending enthusiasm pouring from her. Ellie would hate working at such a busy steakhouse, but Kayla thrived off of it.

  “Kayla, this is my friend Zane. We work together.”

  Kayla turned toward him, her eyebrows raised in interest. “Hi, Zane. You enjoying your steak?”

  “Yes. It’s one of the best cuts I’ve ever had.”

  “I’ll pass that on to the chefs.” She gestured between Zane and Ellie. “Did you two come together, then?”

  Zane shot Ellie a smile and she laughed. “No, actually. It was just a funny coincidence.” She turned to Kayla. “Hey, when are you off? Want to watch The Holiday tonight?”

  “Eleven and yes.” Kayla turned to Zane. “I gotta run. Nice to meet you.”

  Kayla spun away before Zane could respond. “She’s fiery,” he said, his eyes trailing Kayla as she checked on some tables along the far wall.

  “And she’s single,” Ellie said.

  Zane’s dark skin reddened with a blush and Ellie turned back toward her plate. Cutting into her steak, she gave Zane a moment to cool down.

  They chatted about the people around the office and the quirky receptionist.

  “She’s hot and cold,” Zane said. “You have to figure out which side she’s on that day and then you’ll know how much she’s willing to do for you.”

  “Weird,” Ellie said, finishing off her steak. “I think I’ve gotten hot and cold from her in the same day. With crying in the middle.”

  “Pretty normal,” Zane said, swigging his drink.

  “Zane and Ellie?” a voice said from behind them. They turned in unison. Brady stood just between their chairs, his hands slung casually in his pockets and a computer bag swung over his shoulder.

  “This is a coincidence,” Brady said, looking between them with suggestive eyes. “Wow. So how do you know each other?”

  Was he being serious? Ellie tilted her head to the side, lifting her soda to her lips for a drink.

  “From work,” Zane said.

  Brady nodded, his gaze jumping between them. Was he bothered to find them together? It was on the tip of Ellie’s tongue to remind
him that Monica was not in the vicinity, but she kept quiet. For all she knew, Monica was sitting at the other end of the bar.

  The bartender took Ellie’s plate and left a bill. She busied herself pulling her wallet from her purse and sliding her card into the black billfold.

  “Did either of you hear about the work ice skating party?” Zane asked.

  Brady’s judgmental expression shifted to amusement. “Yeah, I heard about it. It’s not like our normal activities.”

  “I don’t think it’s actually Harver Allen sponsored at all,” Zane said. “I heard Cassie just threw it together and is calling it a work function so people will come.”

  Ellie picked up her Coke, swigging the remainder of the soda. “Good for her. Someone should promote coworker camaraderie.”

  Brady’s eyebrows lifted. “Are you not finding Harver Allen to your liking?”

  Ellie rolled her eyes. “I have no qualms with Harver Allen. I just think it’s great that Cassie is taking some initiative. And we should all support her endeavors.”

  “Uh huh,” Brady said, nodding his head slowly. “Well, I’ll let you guys get back to your…” he looked between them again. “Anyway, see you at the office.”

  Ellie smile at him until he turned and left the restaurant.

  “That was strange,” Zane said. “I saw him come in a while ago and I could swear he saw me too and then pretended not to.”

  “Well I guess you were wrong. If he was pretending not to see you, he wouldn’t have come over.”

  Zane shot her a wry smile and Ellie scanned the room for Kayla. Her friend was busy chatting with a table on the other side of the room.

  “I better get going,” Ellie said, signing her check and sliding her card back into her wallet. “I guess I’ll see you at work. And don’t forget, those designs deserve a shot.”

  Zane shook his head. “You’re a force to be reckoned with, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t know if that’s a compliment,” Ellie said, “but I’m planning to take it as one.”

  Chapter Nine

  Brady knew he was going crazy, but he couldn’t help it. Monica had found a reason every single day over the last week to either drop by the office or give Brady a call on his personal cell phone. Each time she had an issue with the gala or a point she wished to discuss, he quickly drew Ellie into the meetings or phone calls.