Wrapped Up for Christmas

by Katlyn Duncan

  Entering the café, the strong scent of freshly ground coffee filled his nose. The light from the hazy December sun cascaded down through the front windows. Nick unzipped his coat and stepped into the line already six people deep.

  While waiting, he scrolled through several emails to get a head start on work.

  ‘Two everything bagels with extra cream cheese,’ the woman in front of him ordered.

  While Nick only really wanted to order for his dad, the thought of a bagel made his stomach growl.

  Vickie, the twenty-something barista, caught his eye as she started on the food. She winked her false eyelashes at him. ‘The usual?’

  ‘Yes,’ Nick said. ‘Also, a scone and a wheat bagel with lite vegetable cream cheese.’

  ‘Toasted?’ she asked.

  ‘No,’ Nick said, checking the time on his platinum watch.

  The woman in front of him glanced over. She did a double take and her eyebrows arched before she turned back to Vickie.

  Nick had no idea what that look was for, but he couldn’t help moving closer to explain himself. ‘Your order sounded good.’

  ‘I can’t stand wheat bagels. I mean, what’s the point if you’re not going all in?’ she said.

  Nick smiled at her. ‘Should I change my order?’

  The woman smiled, and her light green eyes crinkled at the corners before she turned back to her phone. ‘Do whatever you want.’ She was several inches shorter than him, wearing workout gear and a puffy red jacket. Under a knitted gray hat, her shiny dark brown hair almost reached the middle of her back. The same style of gloves peeked out from her pockets.

  ‘Are you starting your Christmas shopping early this year?’ Nick couldn’t help himself. He wanted to think it was more because of his line of work than wanting to talk to her.

  ‘Already done,’ she said. ‘I’m an online shopper.’

  Nick winced. Not what he expected, but at least she was honest. She also had no idea what he did for a living. ‘Are you from around here?’

  The woman cut a look his way. ‘I grew up in Brookside.’

  ‘A local?’

  ‘Does that surprise you?’ she asked, finally putting down her phone.

  He cleared his throat, lifting his hands in surrender. ‘You have enough outerwear for a trip to Alaska.’

  Vickie came back with her order and rang her up. The woman handed over her card to pay.

  The woman pulled the hat from her head, smoothing her hair back. ‘I’ve lived in California for years. I’m so not used to the cold anymore.’ She unzipped her jacket, revealing another layer.

  Nick wanted to ask her where in California, but Vickie spoke first. ‘It’s not working.’ She held the card between them.

  The woman wrinkled the paper bag of bagels she held close to her chest as if she wasn’t willing to let it go without a fight. ‘Please try again.’

  The door opened, letting another gust of cold air into the café, and three more people joined the already growing line.

  Vickie shrugged, holding the card between two fingers. ‘I’ve tried it twice, and it’s not going through.’

  The woman lowered her voice. ‘Please try it one more time.’

  Vickie sighed and tried again.

  The same double beep sounded from the machine.

  Vickie raised her thick eyebrows at the woman. ‘Do you have cash?’

  The woman blew out a breath. ‘I can’t believe this.’

  ‘Do you have another card?’ Vickie made a point to examine the line behind them. It was almost to the door now.

  ‘What’s the hold-up?’ someone behind them asked.

  Nick glared at the guy.

  The woman at the counter looked as if she wanted to crawl into the bag she gripped in her hands.

  ‘Here,’ Nick said, handing his card to Vickie.

  The woman scowled at him. This time her eyes held an edge of skepticism. ‘You don’t have to do that.’

  ‘It’s fine,’ he said.

  Her eyes narrowed as she looked him up and down. ‘No, really.’

  ‘You need to pay for your stuff,’ Vickie said.

  ‘Just take the card,’ Nick said, handing it over. ‘It’s no big deal.’

  Vickie swiped the card and handed it to him.

  ‘I’m paying it forward—’ Nick’s words dried on his tongue as the woman was already halfway to the door.

  Vicki turned to the next customer as she slid Nick’s bag across the counter. ‘See you tomorrow.’

  The woman was already at the door before Nick caught up with her. Couldn’t she even thank him? He misjudged the distance between himself and the door as two teens rushed inside. The door swung so quickly that the collision was inevitable. He braced himself as he gripped his coffee. The door nailed the lid, and the flimsy cup buckled under the weight. The searing hot liquid splashed his shirt, coursing down his chest.

  The two teens linked hands and joined the line as if they had no idea what they had done. Apparently, it was a day for rude people.

  The woman whipped around, and her jaw dropped at the sight of him. She gave an apologetic smile and wave before taking off across the street. The countdown of the walk signal at the traffic lights wasn’t enough for him to safely catch up to her.

  Nick wasn’t about to get into another accident on her account. He curled his lip and sidestepped the door, grabbing several napkins from the nearby dispenser. He could go home and change, but his dad would never forgive his tardiness. There was no separation between family-dad and professional-dad. He was all in, all the time, and held Nick to a higher standard.

  It was a good thing Nick liked to be prepared and had backup clothes at the office. All he had to do was make it there without his dad spotting him.

  ***

  Nick trudged through the office, holding his coat against his sopping wet shirt.

  ‘What happened to you?’ Maya asked, sipping from her snowman-shaped mug.

  Nick turned toward the head of Human Resources. Her cubicle was across the hall from his office. He didn’t have a lot of time to delay before the morning meeting with his father. ‘Someone rushed the door as I was leaving the café.’

  ‘People are insane around the holidays. Do you have an extra shirt?’ she asked.

  ‘In my office.’ He didn’t want to talk about the mishap anymore – though he had a few words for the woman who left him dripping wet. ‘How are the Christmas hires going?’

  Maya smoothed a chunk of black hair from her face. ‘Only a few more spots to fill.’ Maya had come in as an assistant right out of high school and made her way up the ladder quickly.

  Nick’s dad, Quinn Bower, popped his head out of his corner office and spotted him.

  Nick’s entire body tensed as Quinn’s eyes met his. ‘I should go. Have Carrie send me the numbers at the end of the day.’

  ‘I know how to handle my assistant, thank you,’ Maya said to his back.

  Nick smirked. Maya never let him get away with anything. After David left his position, Nick was there to swoop in. As the son his dad had never intended on working with, Nick’s first year was harder than all the rest. With David as a manager, Nick had passively sat by while his father and brother ran the corporation. Nick had proved himself over the years, but Maya never gave him any slack and kept him grounded when he needed it.

  Nick opened the thin closet at the back of his office and changed his shirt. As he walked toward his dad’s office, he plastered on a confident smile while his fingers gathered the top of the paper bag in his hands.

  ‘Nice of you to join us,’ Quinn said, gesturing at Nick to close the door behind him.

  Nick lifted the pastry from the bag in his hands. ‘It’s five of eight, and I picked this up for you.’

  Quinn’s eyes sparkled for a moment before darkening again. ‘I need to speak with you about something important.’

  ‘Okay,’ Nick said, handing over the bag.

  Quinn placed it on his desk befo
re shoving his hands into his pockets. ‘You’re coming up in the business, which is great. But I want to discuss a move forward.’

  ‘What did you have in mind?’

  ‘You remember Jared Kent.’ Not a question.

  ‘Sure,’ Nick said, racking his brain to place the name. ‘He was into real estate. You went to business school together.’

  Quinn nodded. ‘We’ve stayed connected over the years and are going to dinner this week. We’re discussing a new project, and I would like for you to attend.’

  ‘Really?’ Other than holidays or business lunches, his dad rarely wanted to share a meal.

  ‘I’ll have Rachel put the details in your calendar.’ Also, not a question. His dad already knew Nick’s schedule, especially during this time of the year. Maybe the Christmas spirit had affected him as well? Whatever the reason, after the morning Nick had had, his mood improved slightly. The moment with the rude woman faded into the background as he considered what his father had in mind for him.

  Chapter 3

  Angie bolted across the street, holding the paper bag against her chest. She didn’t dare look behind her until she walked through the entrance of the mall. She couldn’t believe she had embarrassed herself like that. The first cute guy in a suit she saw brought her back to the foolish woman she had been with Brett. Then, her card was denied.

  The reminder that things like food and clothing cost money reeled in her head. She didn’t think she had spent that much in her move back home, but last-minute plane tickets after Thanksgiving were expensive, along with moving her furniture into storage until she had found a permanent place to live. The severance check should have been enough to cover all her budgeted expenses.

  Heat seared her cheeks as she glanced over her shoulder. From the furious expression on that guy’s face, she fully expected him to come after her. Thankfully, he was nowhere in sight. It wasn’t her fault those kids had knocked the door into him. She supposed he was upset she hadn’t thanked him for paying, but she was too embarrassed to stick around. Reese’s voice screamed in the back of her mind to run away. This was her chance to get a break from men like Brett, and she had failed her first test.

  While the guy was attractive, their short conversation reminded her so much of Brett – the suit, the slick-backed hair, and throwing money around like it wasn’t a big deal. While it was nice of him, the fact that she had no money to pay for bagels loomed over her like a thick cloud.

  Brett had said she would get a severance check. She hadn’t bothered to review her bank account; she had simply assumed the money would be there. He couldn’t have lied about that too. It was a silent deal they had made. She didn’t want to make a big deal of their breakup, and she got what she needed to get out of there.

  With two bagels in her hands and Reese waiting for her, Angie would have to wait to find out what was going on with her finances. She located Reese outside of Bloomfield’s department store. Somehow, her friend appeared even more tired than when she had seen her last. As she neared, the bags around Reese’s eyes darkened.

  ‘Finally,’ Reese said. ‘I’m starving.’

  ‘Sorry. Did you eat breakfast?’ Angie asked, sitting next to her on the bench.

  Reese cut a look at her. ‘If I say yes, don’t judge me.’

  ‘I won’t,’ Angie said, grinning.

  They were the type of friends who could pick up where they left off every time they met. Reese dug into the bag and pulled out a bagel.

  ‘I’ve been dreaming about this,’ Reese said, admiring the food from all angles.

  ‘Really?’

  ‘It’s my favorite place to eat down here. I needed some fuel this morning. I hate coming to the mall after Thanksgiving, though.’ Reese narrowed her eyes at the people walking past them. ‘Especially this year. I’ve realized how many shoppers don’t care about mowing down a pregnant woman as long as it means they get their cheap television.’

  ‘Turning a little green there,’ Angie said.

  Reese tilted her bagel toward Angie. ‘Don’t you dare call me the Grinch.’

  Angie laughed. ‘You said it!’

  ‘What’s on your list?’

  ‘I can’t get anything today,’ Angie said.

  ‘Why not? Don’t tell me you’re Scrooging it.’

  ‘I couldn’t even pay for the bagels this morning.’

  Reese stopped chewing and stared at her bagel. ‘You didn’t get these out of the trash, did you?’

  Angie groaned. ‘No, some guy paid for them.’ She drifted into her thoughts, thinking of him. She started to regret her reaction of fleeing the scene.

  ‘What happened?’

  Angie told her every agonizing detail of the story. Reese’s expression went from pity to confusion.

  ‘What?’

  Reese grabbed her arm, smearing cream cheese on Angie’s coat. ‘Sorry.’ She licked the remaining cream cheese from her fingers before continuing. ‘Why are you smiling like that? Was the guy hot?’

  She almost wished her best friend didn’t know her that well. Angie knew where Reese would go with the information and besides that, she didn’t want to be interested in any guy. ‘He was attractive, I guess.’

  ‘No way, Ang. You need to back up.’

  ‘I know! I’m horrible. He swooped in like some prince charming and I fell for it! He reminded me so much of Brett and the way he used to flaunt his cash.’

  ‘Well, as long as you’re aware of it. Don’t you want a little time to be single and recalibrate your life?’

  ‘Yes.’ Angie shoved her hair away from her face, stuffing a piece of bagel into her mouth. She needed a minute to think. This was typical behavior for her. Angie had only been single for a few days before she met Brett. And before that with Jonathon. There wasn’t much of a break between men in her past, and she needed to change her pattern, give herself the time and space to heal.

  Reese eyed her friend but gestured for her to continue. ‘So, let’s get back to why you don’t have money. Did Brett do something else to screw you?’

  Angie put her food down and grabbed her phone. ‘I was supposed to get the severance already. Do you mind if I check my account?’

  Reese waved a hand at her to go ahead, while she started on the second half of her bagel.

  Angie plugged her mobile banking data into the app. In the few seconds it took for the website to load, her stomach clenched. Then it plummeted when she saw the overdraft notice.

  ‘I’m assuming it didn’t go through?’ Reese asked.

  Angie shook her head, willing away the sting in her eyes as she moved money over from her savings to account for the overdraft. She tried not to dip into that account often, but in this instance she had no choice. Her job had been enough to keep her afloat while she saved as much as she could. Angie never counted on Brett dumping her, in a way forcing her to leave her job. ‘I don’t want to call them. It’s so mortifying.’

  ‘You did nothing wrong. He made you uproot your life. I’ll call them if you want.’

  ‘No,’ Angie said, protecting her phone. Reese had always been like a big, scary older sister to anyone who messed with her. Angie had to do this on her own.

  ‘Do you need a loan?’ Reese asked.

  ‘No.’ Angie had created this mess, and she was going to fix it.

  ‘Well, the offer stands. Whenever you need it.’

  Angie nodded and drafted an email to Melissa from the hotel. She handled all the employee paychecks and would be discreet in Angie’s hour of need. She wanted to avoid contacting Brett if she could help it. It would only prove that he had made a better choice with whatever woman he thought was worthier than Angie of his grandmother’s diamond ring. Though she had some choice words she wished she could give him.

  She had only just put her phone in her bag when her email pinged.

  ‘That was fast,’ Reese said.

  ‘They owe me,’ Angie said, checking the message. It was from Melissa, but her hopes disappeared as s
he read the out of office reply.

  ‘She’s not in the office today,’ Angie said, reading the email three times, hoping it would change into a message more in her favor.

  ‘Is there anyone else you can talk to?’ Reese asked.

  ‘No,’ she said, even though it wasn’t true. Today wasn’t about her old life. She had enough savings to get her through as long as she kept to a tight budget.

  Angie couldn’t help the sinking feeling that her pride was getting in the way of reaching out to Brett about her paycheck, despite it being what she was owed. Her heart was heavy in her chest, and she was considering that it might be better to go without than confronting Brett again. Her cheeks burned with anger and frustration. Shaking Brett from her mind she glanced up at her friend.

  ‘So, what are you looking for?’ Angie needed to change the subject. ‘I’m your bag carrier for the entire day.’

  Reese ticked names off her fingers. ‘Jeremy, his parents, our niece and nephew, his coworkers too. Are you sure you’re not going to do any shopping?’

  Angie knew Reese was fishing to find out about her gift. She was awful at accepting surprises. When they were kids, Reese used to come over even more than usual around her birthday and Christmas to try and find presents in Angie’s house. Little did she know Angie’s hiding spot was behind her dad’s toolbox in his basement workshop.

  Reese pushed off the bench. ‘Well, let’s get going then. I might fall asleep here if we stay any longer.’

  ***

  As they walked through the department store, Angie continued eating her breakfast. Her stomach was a jumble of nerves, but she tried to savor each bite. There was no way she was eating lunch out. She was looking forward to her mother’s home-cooked meals, and there was no way her bank account would allow too many frivolous purchases until she was sure of the extra money. Sneaking small pieces of bagel out of the bag at a time, Angie remembered how food wasn’t allowed in the store. It didn’t stop her keeping candy in her pocket when she worked there all those years ago, and it certainly wouldn’t stop her now.

  ‘Bringing back memories for you?’ Reese asked.

  ‘It’s like stepping into another time,’ Angie said. The harsh lighting was still the same, and the warmth inside the store was unmistakable. It was a simpler time and place in her mind, yet it had a substantial impact on her life. Starting work young had helped her understand the importance of responsibility. It helped that Dad was proud of her for accepting the important responsibility of work. Paychecks funded her trips to the movies and new clothes for school.