by Krista Lakes
The snowflakes were a cleverly disguised learning opportunity. They’d already talked about the science of freezing water, but cutting the flakes let Holly introduce some geometry and math concepts.
When everyone had a snowflake they were proud of, they quietly worked on transferring their corrected holiday wishes onto their snowflake.
When lunch came around, Holly hung the snowflakes on the walls. She walked around, reading each child’s wish. Many asked that their parents didn’t need to move. Others asked for toys, puppies, and various dreams. Holly wished she could grant every single one of these wishes.
For the millionth time that day, she thought of Nathan. Was he looking into the business relocation? What was he doing now? Was he back in California thinking of her?
She checked her phone for a reply to her thank you, but there was none. She tried not to pout as she slid the phone back into her desk. He was a busy business owner. She sighed and went back to work.
The children rushed out the door as soon as the bell rang. Coats and scarves flew in the wind and several gloves scattered the hallways. A lone snow-boot waited by the door. Holly dutifully went around and picked up the various items, knowing that tomorrow children would look for them in the lost and found.
She cleaned up the classroom and finished grading the math worksheet. With the end of the year so close, the kids were having a hard time concentrating on anything that didn’t mention Santa or was made of candy.
Holly left the school, giving a wave to Chellie in the office, and headed to her father’s bookstore. She parked on a side street and walked down Main Street to the large, red brick building.
The bookstore was an old building on the corner of Main Street and Oak Lane in the heart of downtown Devonsville. A family-owned Italian restaurant sat to the right, and a ice cream shoppe to the left. Everything was decorated for the holidays. Christmas-tree lights sparkled in the windows over carefully arranged books and gift ideas.
The door chimed softly as she walked inside. The soft scent of paper and books mingled with fresh coffee and right out of the oven chocolate chip cookies. It was the smell of home. She took a deep breath in and smiled, feeling content.
“Anything interesting happen today?” her father asked from his perch at the checkout lane.
Mark Jones was a man in his early sixties. He wore dark rimmed glasses over green eyes that matched Holly’s and the two also shared a nose. His hair was gray now but cut short to hide just how gray.
“Two dragons and a flock of flying bananas,” she replied, coming over and kissing his cheek. Mark smiled and laughed. It was a game they’d played ever since she was a little girl. He would ask if anything happened at school, and she would make up fantastical stories. “How’s business?”
“Fine,” he replied. There were only a couple of customers browsing the books, but the coffee shop was comfortably busy. “Let me get someone over here and we can go to the back to work on things.”
Mark motioned to a teen-aged girl to come take his place at the cash register. Holly smiled her. The job at the bookstore was a coveted position around town. Mark always hired the local teens, but he made them submit real resumes and held interviews. Even if it was just for a entry-level, part-time position, he wanted them to be prepared for the real world.
Holly and her father went upstairs and to Mark’s office. The leather love-seat was worn and thin, but still her favorite place to take a nap. Books filled the room and the window let in the late afternoon sun.
A large piece of paper with the parade route sat ready on the desk. Holly pulled out fresh paper and pens for them to continue their planning.
She tried not to think that this was the last time they’d do this. She loved this time spent with her father. They’d designed so many parade floats in this room. She’d wrapped so many presents for the Christmas party. This was a room of fond memories.
And it was going to end. She pushed the heartache away.
“Let’s get to work,” she said, opening up a pen. Her father smiled and together, they bent their heads over his desk and planned.
Chapter 24
Nathan
Lucy had chosen him a local hotel, one of the big-chains, and rented out several rooms on the top floor. Hal and Gregory weren’t fans of the security situation, but as a middle-sized town, there weren’t many other hotel options. He could stay in Denver, but that was over an hour’s drive away.
Nathan stood in his hotel room and looked around. The room had a decent sized living area that connected to the bedroom and bath. There was a big-screen TV and a comfortable couch. The bed was a queen with fluffy pillows.
It felt tiny and cheap to Nathan after the luxury of Blue Aspen. He knew it was still a nice hotel room. He’d just grown used to his wealth.
His father’s words echoed in his mind. He’d grown soft. He was now one of them. He spent too much money. He should stay someplace cheaper. He didn’t deserve even this level of comfort.
Nathan shook his head, trying to clear his father’s voice from his mind. His father loved money, but hated spending it. Nathan had the same love of money, it was just that he had so much of it, he could afford to spend some.
“Sir, your car is here,” Hal announced. “Would you like me to tell the driver to go around again?”
Nathan shook his head. “No, I’m ready.” He checked his watch. He was right on time for the meeting with the Element Computer Technologies group.
Gregory was waiting with the dark windowed car. Nathan had requested not to have a limo, opting for a more economical and less visible vehicle. Gregory took the passenger seat next to the driver. Hal flowed behind in a second car.
Nathan gazed out the window, taking in the view. The Rocky Mountains stood with white peaks and heads in the clouds to the west. The town itself was picturesque. A cute downtown area with shops and restaurants. Nathan thought he saw a sign for “The Book Bag” but the car turned down a different street.
ECT headquarters was located at the northern end of town. Several large buildings sat around a man-made lake that had frozen over. It looked like an average high-end business location.
Nostalgia hit Nathan hard in the chest. Paradigm Technologies had looked like this at one point. A nice building with room to grow, but comfortable. He found himself missing those early days. He’d made more than enough to be comfortable, but the challenge was still there. He knew his employees then.
These days, he was so busy with board meetings, investor meetings, and the unending slog of emails requiring his constant attention that he no longer created technologies anymore. It had been ages since he’d even built his own computer. He just didn’t have time for it anymore.
The irony that the king of tech didn’t know what kind of video card he used was not lost on him. His fingers itched to touch a motherboard again. Ideas swirled in his mind for ways to improve function and speed, but he knew he’d never get to play with them.
He had meetings to attend.
He thought of Holly and wondered what she was up to today. He had to do the meeting first. Then he could go and surprise her. Business before pleasure, no matter how much he wanted the pleasure. Yet, it was just another thing that he couldn’t do. One more limitation.
He sighed and rested his head against the cold glass of the window. He pulled out his phone and checked his bank account. Up one million today. The thrill was small. He put his phone away still unhappy with the work before him.
What was he going to do if this kept happening? It was the money that drove him. It was the thrill of seeing his bank accounts go up. He did everything possible to keep that happening. The last month with the RentTech fiasco bringing his numbers down had nearly destroyed him.
“Sir?” Gregory turned around in his seat.
Nathan looked at his watch and saw it was time for the meeting. He needed to meet the men who ran this business before his company bought it.
He opened the door and stepped out into the
bitter cold air. There was the smell of frost on the wind that made the late afternoon feel colder than it was. Already the sun headed toward the icy mountain peaks to the west.
Nathan walked confidently into the building. Gregory and Hal trailed behind him, dressed in dark suits and darker sunglasses. He liked both men, but he had enjoyed the freedom of Blue Aspen. He liked not having someone following him constantly.
The front entrance was made of glass and sparkled in the sunlight. Inside, a mural filled the entrance. There was a picture of a man with eighties-style hair and seventies-style mustache. He stood in front of a garage, the smile beaming from his handsome face.
Nathan studied the photo. He knew that smile. It was the same one he’d worn when he’d first started his company. The pride. The joy. The excitement for the future. He knew that look.
“That’s George when he first started the company,” a young man told Nathan. He wore a polo with the ECT logo. “If you’ll follow me, the meeting room is this way.”
Nathan followed the man to a large room. A conference table dominated the space, but the windows overlooked the mountains. It was a nice place for a meeting. He found the coffee maker on the side of the room and poured himself a cup.
The door opened and an older man walked in. He wore a nice suit, but he looked ragged. He’d tried to hide his balding hair by sweeping longer bits over the top. His eyes were sunken and defeat hung on his shoulders.
“George Element,” the man said, holding out his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
This was George Element? The man in the photo was young and vibrant. This man should be in his early sixties, but looked like he was nearly eighty. His eyes were yellow and his skin like old parchment. He’d put on weight since the picture, and it didn’t suit him.
Nathan wondered what had happened to George that had aged him so quickly.
“Thank you for meeting me here,” Nathan replied. “You have a lovely campus.”
George gave a small smile and he looked around, taking the place in. “That we do. Would you like a tour? I know you’re moving the company to California, but you might as well see what you bought.”
“Why not?” Nathan agreed. “We can talk as we walk.”
George opened the glass doors to the conference room and headed out. “You’re the one that came up with the Quad-Ram system, aren’t you?”
“I am. It was my first big success.”
“A real nice innovation,” George agreed. “You still creating stuff like that?”
“Unfortunately, no.” Nathan shook his head. “It’s all meetings and business. You know the CEO life.”
“That’s disappointing. It was a reason we sold to you and not someone else. Because you innovate like we do.” George shook his head slowly. He turned and faced Nathan, his eyes grim. “You’re young. Don’t let them do that to you.”
“What do you mean?” Nathan asked, confused.
“I love computers. I love putting them together and figuring out ways to make them faster. I love figuring out how to make software more effective. How to make both of them work together better than before. That’s why I made this company. That’s what this company is supposed to do.”
“That’s why Paradigm bought you,” Nathan said, not quite understanding what George was trying to say. “You're known for coming up with new tech.”
George nodded. “Do you know why I’m selling Elements Computer Technologies?”
“I’m afraid I don’t. I just know that we jumped at the chance to purchase it. You weren’t struggling in the marketplace, so I assume it was for personal reasons?”
George tipped his head as a yes. “This company was my pride and joy.” He reached out and touched the wall. “Until I lost why I started it. I got caught up in the money. I had to make more. I had to succeed more.”
“That’s not a bad thing,” Nathan told him. That was the reason Nathan was CEO. Paradigm was successful, but it was the drive for more money and more success that drove him. Money was everything.
“I have more money than I know what to do with,” George told him, focusing gray eyes on Nathan. “But it cost me. It cost me two marriages. It cost me seeing my kids grow up. I’ve never held my grandchildren. My own kids don’t recognize me. Sure, I have a nice house. I drive a great car. But I’m not happy.”
Nathan took a step back. For a moment, he could see himself in this man. The unhappiness. He hadn’t done something he’d loved in years. He loved the money, but the building and designing was what made him happy. It didn’t make him rich, though.
“I gave up my soul for money,” George told him. “When I realized what it was doing to me, it was too late. So, I’m selling my company. I want to be happy. Money doesn’t matter if no one loves you.”
Nathan wasn’t quite sure what to say to that. He simply nodded and followed the older man down a well lit hallway.
“I should be selling you on all the amazing things we’ve done,” George said after a moment. “But instead I’m rattling my chains of regret at you. Don’t mind me. I’m selling my life’s work. I’m proud of ECT. The company is the best around. It’s my decisions that I’m bitter about. I made my own decisions. I chose to be CEO. I chose to focus on the money. It’s why ECT is so successful today.”
Again, Nathan wasn’t quite sure what to say to that. This was one of the stranger meetings he’d had for a while. He was wondering if maybe having the meeting here rather than California really was a good idea.
He looked over at George and did a double take. For a moment, he saw himself in twenty years. He saw someone who had chased the allure of money and had only money to show for it. A lonely existence. A ghost of the future possibilities of his life, carrying golden chains.
He shook himself and the vision vanished. It was probably the altitude making him see things. He probably just needed to hydrate better. He tossed his coffee into a trashcan and looked around at where they were.
“Wow. This is your view?” Nathan asked, eyes going wide. They stood on an upper walkway over what looked to be a cafeteria. Everything was made of glass and open to the amazing views all around. To the west, the mountains loomed into the sky. To the east, the plains stretched out for miles. The town stood directly in front of him. It was small and cheery. He could see the colorful lights of Christmas decorations starting to flutter on.
“This is everyone’s favorite spot,” George said with a proud smile. “That’s Devonsville just down there.”
“Is that the elementary school?” Nathan asked, picking out a large building with a flagpole. He wondered if Holly had received his gifts yet.
“It is,” George replied. “We have one of the best school districts in the state. The Colorado State College is just a few miles north of here. They just ranked second in the nation for computer science programs. We work closely with the schools around here. It’s easier to get the best talent before they know they’re talent.”
Nathan nodded, not really listening. His eyes were on the school. “Do you know Holly Jones?”
He felt dumb as soon as the words left his mouth. This was supposed to be a business meeting. He shouldn’t be asking about a random school teacher.
“Jones... Jones...” George leaned against the railing and thought for a moment. “I think she’s a teacher at the school. I know her dad. He runs the bookstore in town. He also manages all our reference materials for us. Well, he did, anyway.”
Nathan nodded. Paradigm would supply all the needed reference materials.
“Will you be here for Christmas?” George asked him.
“I’m not sure,” Nathan replied. He was hoping to see Holly and convince her to come back to California with him. He loved the idea of seeing her in that swimsuit on a beach.
“If you are, we’re having a parade on Friday. All the businesses make floats and the kids walk in it. It’s great town spirit. And Jones throws a party on Christmas for the kids. Hands out presents. The whole town shows up. You sho
uld come if you’re here.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Let me show you the rest of the place,” George said, motioning them on. “I think you’ll love our Research and Development area. It seems like something the creator of the quad-ram would appreciate.”
Chapter 25
Merryweather
Merryweather closed her eyes and smiled. The snow. The lights. The Christmas tree. It was all set up and perfect.
All that they needed was the kiss.
Merryweather rubbed her hands and made a little magic.
Chapter 26
Holly
Holly stepped out onto the street and watched as her breath frosted and drifted away. There was a boy in her class who claimed he was part dragon because he exhaled “smoke” whenever it was cold. She smiled, blowing out an extra long breath into the dark night.
Christmas was everywhere downtown. Holly wrapped her jacket around her and wandered the brightly lit streets. Window were filled with toys and goodies. Restaurants were filled with happy diners. Christmas lights sparkled everywhere.
Holly meandered down the street, pausing to look at the holiday themed windows of the stores. She made her way to the city center where the mayor made speeches and the holiday parade started and began. This year, the tree stood in the center of the courtyard. It was decorated in silver and purple with lights strung from top to bottom.
Carolers walked the streets wearing old fashioned clothes and singing in perfect harmony. Holly recognized several members of the group as the high school choir. She made sure to put a couple dollars in their tip jar.
“Thanks Ms. Jones,” one of the singers piped up.
