Wrapped Up for Christmas

by Katlyn Duncan

  Angie glanced over her shoulder. She wasn’t sure of the location of Nick’s office, but she didn’t want to miss him either. ‘I’m sure the women at Bloomfield’s would be happy to help. I’m not sure I’ll be around next year.’

  ‘Well, that’s a shame. But you are always welcome back. You’ve made quite the impression on this place since you’ve been here.’

  Angie hadn’t intended to do anything other than breeze in and out of this town, but after years away, it did the same to her. It burrowed into her heart, just as Nick had.

  ‘I appreciate that,’ Angie said.

  Ginger slid the envelope into her drawer. ‘Have a good Christmas if I don’t see you.’

  ‘You too,’ Angie said, slipping out of the room. She stood in the hallway, unsure where to go. Her phone blared from her bag, and several of the office workers peered over the tops of their cubicles to look at her.

  Maya’s eyes met hers.

  ‘Sorry,’ she said, silencing her phone. The screen lit up with Reese’s face. She couldn’t leave Reese hanging when she was so close to having the baby. But she was so close to Nick’s office.

  As she was about to answer a woman’s voice floated out of the nearest office. ‘Nick, what do you think about Peruvian food? There’s this place nearby I’m dying to try.’

  She stepped out of the office. The tall and lithe woman wore a fitted pant suit with spiked heels and glittering jewelry hanging from her ears and neck.

  Ivy, Angie assumed. She looked like a female version of Nick; perfectly groomed and successful. Why wouldn’t he choose her?

  ‘Angie,’ Maya hissed, waving her over.

  Angie shook her head and fled toward the elevators. As if someone was looking down on her, the doors opened, and an older gentleman walked out dressed in a Santa suit completed with a white beard and mustache. A Christmas miracle.

  ‘Thanks,’ she muttered as she flung herself inside. She pressed the button for her floor, listening to the clicking heels coming her way. No way was she going to share an elevator with Nick and Ivy.

  The door slid closed, and Angie held her breath as it started down. At least she’d got her answer about Nick’s relationship status. He might have told the truth about them being friends. If they were going out, it was probably for the best. They probably deserved each other, and Angie needed to move on with her life too.

  To distract herself, Angie wanted to look toward her future and inquire with Emma about the job offer. Instead, a voicemail from Reese lit up the screen. In her mad dash out of the office, she had forgotten about the call. She opened the voicemail and listened as her heart thudded in her chest.

  ‘The baby is coming!’ Then, Reese’s cackling laughter sounded on the other end. ‘Just kidding. Scared you, didn’t I? That’s what you get for not picking up for me. I’m currently polishing off a pint of ice cream and I have an extra spoon for you. Come by and we can eat our way through your feelings. Like I need an excuse.’ More laughter then the call dropped.

  Reese always seemed to know when Angie needed to talk. It was as if she knew Ivy would be at the office, and Angie would almost confront Nick and her together.

  Chills rolled up her arms, and she tried to rub them away. At least she avoided that confrontation. Angie texted Reese back to let her know she would be there soon. Nick was a part of her past, and she needed to move on with her life.

  ***

  When Angie arrived at Reese’s house, she pushed through the front door. She noticed a duffel bag resting by the couch.

  ‘Our overnight bag,’ Reese said, walking into the room. She wore a long-sleeved dress, her bump looking bigger than Angie remembered. Two pints of ice cream rested in her hands. ‘Anytime now.’

  ‘How do you feel?’ Angie asked, plopping on the couch. The weight of the day settled over her, and her body buzzed with relaxation. She wasn’t sure if she could move from her spot if she wanted to.

  Reese handed over a fresh pint of ice cream, and Angie tore off the top. Reese tossed a spoon at her, and it landed in her lap. ‘I’m okay. Waiting sucks, but I’m not going to force the kid out. She will come when she wants.’

  ‘Like mother, like daughter,’ Angie said. ‘I’m not sure I could wait.’

  ‘You do like to rush into things,’ Reese said.

  Angie pulled a face. ‘You were the one to tell me to pursue something with Nick.’

  ‘Oh good, a segue into him. I was wondering how we would get here.’

  As if she didn’t orchestrate it herself.

  ‘Did you talk to him today? I assumed that was where you were when I called.’

  Angie shrugged. ‘He came to the booth this morning, but I didn’t give him much of a chance. I went up to the office right before coming here, and Ivy was with him.’

  Reese nearly choked on her ice cream. ‘His supposed fiancée? This is better than a movie. What happened?’

  Angie wasn’t sure she wanted her life compared to a movie. At that moment, it was more of a tragedy than a spunky romance. ‘They were getting dinner together. I practically sprinted away when I saw her. She’s gorgeous.’

  A cool hand brushed over Angie’s cheek. ‘You’re gorgeous.’

  ‘That doesn’t matter anyway. He’s with someone else. It’s over.’

  ‘Well, at least you got back on that horse. You would have to do it eventually. Now, you can move on.’

  ‘Speaking of moving on,’ Angie said, licking her spoon. She wanted to delay the inevitable if possible. Reese wasn’t going to like what she had to say. ‘I think I’m going to quit this job.’

  ‘Because of Nick? No, you should keep going and make him feel awkward.’

  ‘Emma emailed me today. About a job offer.’

  ‘Oh,’ Reese said, staring into her pint. ‘Are you going to take it?’

  Angie swallowed. In her rush to get to see Nick and going to Reese, she hadn’t even looked at the email. ‘It has to be better than working so close to Nick and there’s not much of the season left anyway.’

  ‘Don’t abandon me again, okay? In a few weeks, you’ve made me get used to you being around. I don’t want months to go by without you coming to visit my girl and me, but I completely understand. Nick made this super awkward, and if I see him again, he’s going to get a piece of my mind. But I was happy to have you as long as I did.’

  Angie leaned over and wrapped her arm around Reese’s shoulder. ‘I’ll do better this time.’

  It wasn’t until Angie got into her car that she pulled out her phone. She opened the email app and began typing. This is the right thing to do, she tried to convince herself. Her heart hardened again as she took hold of her future.

  Chapter 22

  For most of the night, all Nick could think about was Angie running away from him at the office. After watching her enter the elevator, he’d had the urge to follow her. Had she come to talk to him and seen Ivy? Even though it was innocent, he knew what she saw. Once again, she mistook information as truth. He had his dear old dad to thank for that.

  Ginger called his office number to let him know the final details for the shelter. Angie had dropped off the rest of the wrapping station money and then left without saying anything to him.

  Nick absently dipped his spoon into his soup as the restaurant noise filled his ears. He had been lost in thought all evening.

  ‘Nick?’ Ivy asked.

  ‘I’m sorry.’ Nick placed his spoon on the table. They were in the Peruvian restaurant she had recommended. Since it was Saturday, the place was filled with people and the loud voices didn’t do much to drown out his thoughts. ‘What did you say?’ Had she said something about snow? It hadn’t snowed all season, and Nick was convinced there wouldn’t be a white Christmas this year.

  Ivy sipped from her water glass. ‘You’ve been distracted. Are you all right?’ She had asked him to dinner to share her ideas for the development by the ice rink, and he couldn’t even get that right.

  ‘Recently, I me
t a woman, Angie. I hurt her. Not on purpose. But I really screwed things up. I’m sure I ruined any relationship we could have had.’

  Ivy patted her lips with a white cloth napkin. ‘I had a feeling this had to do with another woman.’

  ‘I don’t want to monopolize your time with my relationships when we are supposed to be discussing your new business venture.’

  ‘That’s what friends are for, right?’ she said, sipping from her glass. ‘As much as I hate meshing my personal and professional lives, I tend to think of them similarly. If you want to grab an opportunity in life, you have to fight for it. Did you know that I wasn’t the first choice for this project? Not even my father’s reputation helped get me in the door, but I set up all the meetings with the right people and made the connections. It’s the same with relationships. You have to try for it before you lose her for good. Then that will be on you.’

  Nick blinked and cleared his throat. ‘I see what you mean.’

  Ivy laughed. ‘From what you’ve said, you really like her. The worst thing you can do is let her go over a misunderstanding. You’ll kick yourself for it later.’

  ‘Is that what you’ve done with your boyfriend?’

  ‘Actually, it was him. Which is why I can speak from personal experience. Even long-distance he created opportunities.’ She stared off over Nick’s shoulder and smiled as if she were remembering something. ‘My father isn’t happy with any of it. He never liked Trent, but you can’t help who you love.’

  She was right about that. If Ivy could go off on her own without an apology to her family, so could he.

  Nick asked Ivy about Trent, and she carried on about him without pausing. The excitement in her eyes filled him with envy. He had seen that same sparkle in Angie’s eyes before and he longed to have it back. He knew without a doubt, they had fallen for each other, and he had screwed it all up. He should have run after her at the office, but maybe it wasn’t too late. He had to plan out what he wanted to say to Angie before he tried to see her again.

  Ivy had survived a breakup, and she was well on her way to happiness. Nick and Angie could get over this bump in the road. Everything between them was out in the open, and her issue with Ivy wouldn’t hold. They were just friends and their fathers wouldn’t be able to push them together anymore.

  Nick wasn’t sure Angie would forgive him at all, but he was willing to work for it. For the rest of his life if necessary.

  ‘Ivy, I wanted to ask about the development in the park.’

  Ivy carved a piece of tres leches from the plate in front of her. ‘What about it?’

  ‘Our fathers seemed to think we were going to work on it together.’

  ‘Well, they don’t seem to know much about us, do they?’

  ‘They don’t.’ This was why his father wanted him and Ivy together, and why both their fathers had discussed ‘marrying’ their businesses. Nick had no interest in working in real estate. Why had his father lied to Jared about it?

  As much as things weren’t settled between him and Angie, he had to find out what his dad’s motivation was for pushing him into an agreement neither Ivy nor he knew anything about.

  ***

  Monday morning, Nick texted David to meet to pick up the table from the booth. He hadn’t been there when he had dropped it off and wondered if he could have avoided everything if he had. Their father wouldn’t have shown up to derail Angie over his non-existent relationship with Ivy, and the drama with David. Nick could have cleared it all up in person. The sick feeling in his stomach kept him from dwelling on the past too long.

  Angie worked the morning shift, so it was a perfect time. With David as his wingman, he could gain the courage to convince her that they belonged together.

  Nick’s nerves spiked as he made his way to the booth. He hoped after this conversation, he wouldn’t need an excuse to check in with her at work. They would be back to the place they’d been before. All his insecurities twisted in his gut. What if, after his explanation, she still wanted nothing to do with him? Nick tried to push away the negative thoughts and homed in on David standing next to the table with a rolling cart.

  Darkness masked the inside of the booth, and Nick wondered which Angie he’d meet. Would he see forgiving Angie or angry Angie? He hoped for the very least indifference. His nerves wouldn’t be able to take a twisted scowl or narrowed eyes in his direction.

  What he didn’t expect was an older man walking toward the front and plopping at the desk.

  ‘Do you need help?’ the man asked Nick.

  ‘No, thank you,’ Nick said, recalling the man’s name – Gary. Apparently, Nick’s face wasn’t that recognizable.

  ‘Morning,’ David said from the other side of the booth.

  ‘Hey.’

  ‘If I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought you were here to see me.’

  ‘I am,’ Nick said.

  ‘The way you looked at that guy makes me believe you wished he would turn into a particular woman. Angie, perhaps.’

  Nick shook his head. ‘We’re in a rough spot right now. She’s pretty upset with me.’

  ‘I’m sure you’ll smooth it over.’

  Nick wasn’t sure about that.

  ‘Theresa wanted me to let you know Christmas Eve dinner is at five-thirty. She wants the kids to go to bed early. Putting the presents out takes a lot of time, and the boys always get up earlier on Christmas Day.’

  ‘Okay,’ Nick said absently.

  David waved a hand in front of him. ‘Hello? Earth to Nick.’

  ‘I did this. I should have fought harder. Now she’s avoiding me.’ Though, how would she have known he would stop by at that time to see her? She couldn’t have switched her schedule that quickly. Maybe he was too predictable.

  ‘Well, I’ve never known you to give up on anything. If you feel you’re meant to be, it will work itself out.’

  ‘Is that the motivational talk you’re going to give me today? It will work itself out?’

  ‘It worked for me. If you hurt Angie, she might need time apart. If you’re meant to be, you’ll find a way back to each other.’

  Nick wasn’t sure how much time he had before Angie found a new job. There was a time clock on their relationship, and he wasn’t on the right side of it.

  ‘You sure you want to help? You might mess up your fancy suit.’

  ‘I remember a time when all you wore were fancy suits.’

  David shuddered and managed to get a small smile from Nick.

  Nick looked down at his clothes and then at David’s jeans and button-down shirt. Since he’d started his workshop, his uniform consisted of flannel shirts and jeans. Nick liked his suits but wouldn’t have minded the comfort. He helped David lift the table onto the cart, and together they wheeled it through the mall. He couldn’t help checking the crowd of shoppers, thinking of the possibility of Angie running late for her shift. That would explain Gary being there during her scheduled time.

  But when they made it to David’s truck, Nick knew he wasn’t going to see her today.

  ‘I’ll see you later?’ David asked, clapping a hand on Nick’s shoulder.

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Chin up, little brother. It will be fine.’ David quirked his lips as a silent understanding settled between them.

  As Nick walked away, his good mood plummeted. He had to know what happened to Angie, and if he would get a chance to see her again.

  ***

  When he returned to the office, Nick headed over to Maya’s desk. She glanced at him before returning her attention to the computer screen. ‘I need to tell you something.’

  ‘What’s going on?’

  Maya glanced at the other cubicles next to her and waved him closer. ‘Angie sent an email this weekend.’

  ‘She did?’ From Maya’s expression, he had an idea of what it was before she said anything.

  ‘She resigned. She thanked us for giving her the job, but I guess one of those hotels called her back.’
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br />   Nick’s shoulders sagged. That was why Angie wasn’t at the booth. She’d quit. He was happy for her getting a new job, but would she have stuck around for the holiday if he hadn’t lied to her?

  ‘Are you okay? You look pale. Sick, even.’

  ‘I’m fine. It’s fine.’ He trudged into his office and closed the door. His confidence in talking to her before went out of the window. He checked his phone. There were no messages – just the string of texts he had sent after the party. The many apologies had gone unanswered. The last message from her was her telling him she was on her way to Reese’s party.

  Nick rubbed a hand over his forehead, shoving his hair aside. He wanted to try again, but her actions spoke volumes. Now, she would move on with her life, neither of them getting the closure they deserved. Though he didn’t deserve much, and he didn’t want it. There was more to their story, but it turned out someone had ripped out that half of their book. He turned in his chair to face the window. The clouds in the sky were thick and gray, adding to his already dark mood. It wasn’t going to be what he had expected of a white and happy Christmas after all.

  Chapter 23

  Angie woke again to the sound of cabinets slamming in the kitchen. They were louder than normal, and so was her family. To anyone else, it sounded like arguing, but she knew better. Without Donato’s hearing aids, the volume intensified.

  The bright light from her phone blinded her for a moment. She had rolled down the shades to blanket the room in darkness since she didn’t need to get up early again until after the holidays.

  It was almost eleven in the morning. It had only been two days since she left the job at the mall, so there was no reason to set the alarm for herself.

  There was no reason to quit the information booth until after New Year’s for her new job, but she couldn’t stand to be so close to Nick and she wanted the space to clear her head. A surge of guilt moved through her when she realized Gary would have to cover her shifts, but with the holidays slowing down, Maya assured her that it was fine.

  Somehow, one of her family members managed to slam the refrigerator door, and Angie understood what was going on.