by Alice Brown, Lady V, Samantha Potter, Rayne O'Gara, Lei Carol, Hazel Gower
He had taken her car shopping, clothes shopping, and jewelry shopping. She felt like a whole new person. She got up out of bed and dressed for work, careful not to wear anything of value. She didn’t see Garrett around anywhere, so she left him a note and went to work. So far, her boss hadn’t shown up, so he still had no idea that Garrett had broken the lock off the heat. Now the building was a warm haven. A couple of street people came in and spent an hour or so just warming up, but she didn’t mind. They had no place else to go.
She’d been at work about two hours when Mr. Crickett came in the front door. She wondered why he was here, other than to check on her to make sure she had shown up. She knew better than to hope he would be giving any type of Christmas bonus, let alone be willing to close early for the holiday. The minute he walked through the door, a scowl hit his face, and he immediately walked back to where the thermostat sat on the wall.
“I hope you know the electric bill is coming out of your pay check, girlie!” he bellowed at her. She remained sitting up front, not wanting to confront him in any way. She had hoped that if she remained quiet, he would drop it. Luck was not on her side.
A moment later, he marched up to the front counter where she sat. “Did you hear me? I said, the...” She didn’t give him a chance to finish bellowing in her face. She absolutely refused to allow this little, ugly man ruin Christmas for her.
“I heard you the first time,” she stated evenly and quietly.
He narrowed his eyes at her, then shook a beefy finger in her face. “You are going to be in for it now, girlie. You and your pregnant little friend think you can take advantage of me? Well, good thing I have business knowledge and don’t let you. But you are in for a surprise. I sold the business as of this morning.” At Bree’s surprised look he continued, “That’s right. To a businessman that I know won’t put up with your nonsense. And I’ll be telling him exactly who broke the lock on the thermostat and tell him to take it out of your check! You’ll be working for free for a while, girlie!” he chuckled with glee, thinking he had finally gotten her between a rock and a hard spot. “I noticed you got a new car out there. You might want to figure out how you’re going to be paying for it.”
Bree was careful to school her features and not let on that she didn’t have a thing to worry about regarding her car. Garrett had bought it outright, but there was no need for her scrooge of a boss to know that.
Suddenly, Garrett’s voice popped in her head. 'Hi, baby. I didn’t get a good morning kiss before you left this morning. Is that asshole of a boss giving you a hard time?'
Before she even had a chance to form a reply in her head, Garrett walked up from the back. Mr. Crickett turned toward him with a big, fake smile planted on his face. “Mr. Mason, how good to see you again so soon. Decide to have a look around the property, did you? I’ll be happy to go over anything you may want to look at regarding the books.”
Garrett ignored her boss and headed straight to her, walking right past Mr. Crickett, who had his hand stuck out to shake hands. He walked behind the counter where she sat and plucked her up, spun her around, and wrapped her legs around his middle. With one hand supporting her head, he maneuvered it until their lips touched, and then everything melted away except for his kiss. Bree forgot she was currently at work and that there were a few customers mingling around. She forgot her boss was standing right in front of them. She forgot everything. His kiss was that good.
When he finally let her come up for air, he grinned down at her. “Good morning, baby.”
“Good morning,” she replied a bit sheepishly as her brain started working again. As soon as she realized what she had just done, she groaned and ducked her head against Garrett’s shoulder, but not before getting a glimpse of the total shock on Mr. Crickett’s face.
“Crickett, just show me where the books are and you are free to leave. I don’t want you back in this building ever again. And if I ever hear you talk to my fiancée like you just did, you won’t be alive to tell the tale. Are we clear?” Garrett had leveled the man with a stare that had her old boss trembling in fear.
“Oh, certainly. You just call if you need anything. I’m sorry. I didn’t know…uh, umm, congratulations,” he mumbled as he hurried out the front door. Once the door was closed and Mr. Crickett was gone, the few customers in the store started clapping. They were all just as happy to see the old miser go.
“You really bought this place?” Bree asked in wonder.
“I sure did. And I think we need to throw a Christmas sale. Everything is fifty percent off for the rest of the day. And we are closing early today, babe. How about four p.m. rather than six p.m.?”
“Sounds good to me. Do you mind if I make a sign to put out front regarding the sale? It might bring in a few more customers.”
“Babe, whatever you want to do in here is fine with me. I bought it for you to run. I’ll handle the books until you get the hang of things, but the general day-to-day business operations, I’m leaving to you. Now,” Garrett started as he carefully sat her back down on her stool, “I have a few more errands to run, so I will see you at about four o’clock, baby.” She watched as he walked away and stopped to talk with several of the customers. He even stopped to talk to the homeless man sitting in the corner trying to stay warm. She watched as he took what looked like a large sum of money and a card out of his pocket and handed it all to him. She smiled. She had found someone that truly cared.
*****
It was snowing by the time Bree closed the store up. But it had been a wonderful, busy day. Word had quickly spread through town the secondhand shop had been sold and there was a huge fifty percent off one-day sale. More than once, Bree actually had a line at the cash register of people waiting for their purchases to be totaled up.
She walked out the backdoor with a smile on her face. She couldn’t remember ever being this happy on Christmas Eve. She looked out into the parking lot to see Garrett leaning against her car.
He walked over to her and immediately wrapped her in his arms, planting a quick, gentle kiss on her lips. “So, how was your business today, baby?” Her business. She had always dreamed of owning a business, but didn’t think it would ever come true. Now, thanks to her generous mate, it had.
“It was great! Word really spread quickly the shop had been bought out and the new owner was throwing a one-day sale. I have never seen that many people come in over an entire week, let alone all in one day!”
“Sounds like you were busy. Let’s get you home and warmed up. Then we’ll need to find you some warm clothing for tonight’s adventure.”
As he drove them back to his house, he filled her in on everything he had been doing. “Phillip Jackson and John Blackmon are in for a rude awakening when business opens back up the day after tomorrow. They are both going to be walking in to find that I now own controlling stock in all of their companies. I’m going to give them one last chance to do the right thing for this community. If not, they will find that I can be a shark when it comes to business. I will take over immediately and they will be forced to find another place to set up shop.”
“Really? You took over both of their companies?” Bree confirmed.
“No, I took over all of their companies. Blackmon had three and Jackson had two. I took over all five. The good news is that all of these companies will be doing a lot of hiring within the next week. I know several people that are in need of a job.” He sent a wink over her way as he reached across and patted her knee affectionately.
They arrived home and he gently sat her in front of the blazing fire in the fireplace. Mrs. Worthington brought her a steaming cup of hot cocoa, as Garrett wasted no time in getting rid of her coat, hat, and gloves. Now sitting beside her with his arm wrapped around her, he inquired, “So what time do you usually get things started on your deliveries?”
“I’m usually able to hit the first few houses at about nine-thirty. I have a couple of families that go to bed early, so it allows me to hit them first.�
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“Okay, let’s plan on starting at about ten. That will give us a couple of hours to spend together first. Besides, there will be one item that you won’t need to bring with you tonight,” Garrett stated softly as he lightly ran his fingers down her cheek.
“Your lock pick set. We are going to teleport in and out of everyone’s house, which will save time,” he stated this as casually as if he’d been talking about the weather.
Bree sat up quickly, spinning around to face him. “Really? You can keep that up with me tagging along for that many houses?”
He knew immediately that she wasn’t questioning his abilities; she was just in awe of them. And she was concerned about him, which he found endearing. “Yes, darling. All twenty-five houses. Now are you ready to open some Christmas presents?”
“Now? It’s only Christmas Eve. Don’t you want to wait until tomorrow?” she countered. Besides, what in the world was he giving her for Christmas? He’d already bought her so much in the last week, much more than she had ever owned in her entire life.
“Oh, no worries. There will be something under the tree with your name on it come tomorrow morning.” Yes, he had an actual Christmas tree sitting in his living room! He didn’t even care to sit back and figure out how many years it had been since that last happened. Now sitting in front of the huge front windows was an eight foot Blue Spruce Christmas tree, completely decked out.
He brought a package over to her that was wrapped in shiny silver paper with a big red bow on it. Bree grinned and forced back the tears as she thought about his act of kindness. Other than a few homemade items from friends, it had been a long time since Bree had received anything major for Christmas. She carefully undid one side of the present where the tape was, and then slowly removed the bow, sitting it on the table in front of them.
“Would you just tear it open?” Garrett chuckled at her.
When she did, it was to discover a red, long sleeve velour pants outfit. “I figured if you’re going to play Mrs. Santa tonight, you might as well look the part.” On the bottom was a pair of snow-white gloves, scarf, and hat.
“You mean Ms. Santa,” she corrected him.
He shrugged his shoulders as if the slip up meant nothing. “Maybe.”
The next box he presented her with was small and she knew instinctively that it was jewelry. She started to tell him he shouldn’t have, that he had already bought her far too much jewelry this week, but something made her hold back. When the package was opened and she was staring down at the largest diamond ring she’d ever seen, she was glad she hadn’t said anything.
She looked up through tear filled eyes to find Garrett on one knee in front of her. Placing her free hand between his, he looked deep into her eyes. “Bree, I love you. I love you now, and I’ll love you forever. Please make me the happiest man on earth by giving me the best Christmas present ever by telling me that you’ll marry this lonely, old vampire.”
Bree dropped down on her knees in front of him, tears running freely down her cheek. “Garrett, you have truly made me the happiest woman on earth this week. I’d be honored to marry you.” She threw her arms around his neck, inhaling his scent deeply.
“Thank God. I didn’t think it was possible for a vampire to have a heart attack, but if you had turned me down, I just might have been the first.”
*****
By the time they were ready to start delivering their gifts, the snow had stopped falling. It was a clear, brisk evening, but the love Bree held in her heart for Garrett helped keep her warm. As she looked in the mirror, she hardly recognized herself. She was usually dressed in old jeans and a ratty sweatshirt. Now she was dressed in a beautiful pantsuit, new coat, gloves, scarf, and hat. It was a whole new look for her. And she had her handsome Santa Vamp to thank for that.
They started their deliveries and Bree was surprised at how much faster things went since there were two of them. They would drive to their destination, park a little ways from the house, grab the boxes in the backseat that had the family’s name on it, and Garrett would teleport them inside the house. They would then spread the gifts under the tree, fill the stockings, and teleport back out. What would normally take Bree almost eight hours to do, with the help of Garrett, now only took three. They were back home and sitting in front of the fire by two a.m.
“Thank you, darling,” Garrett started as he reached over and picked up her hand. “Thank you for bringing this old vampire back to life. Thank you for giving me a reason to continue living. Thank you for loving me. And thank you for allowing me to help you, because I’ve got to admit, tonight has been the most fun I have ever had on Christmas Eve!”
The End
A Love of Christmas
By Samantha Potter
Chapter One
The city filled with lights glowing every color imaginable, sparkling so even from a distance it warmed the hearts of those taking notice of the beauty surrounding them. Instruments chiming a soft rhythm brought the dark alleys of Sydney back to life. Christmas was in the air, the time of giving. A time when most people surrounded themselves with warm food, gifts, and most of all, love. Magic was at its highest peak, bringing joy to everyone. Alana took a deep breath, taking in her surroundings. Her senses where heightened as the smells of Christmas filled her home, something she had never expected.
A deep, dark hole within her was filling with emotions. She listened intently to the unfamiliar sounds attempting to break through her chest. It was a heartbeat. Shock overwhelmed her as she walked out her front door and made her way through the alleys. She glanced from side to side wondering if it was really happening or just a wonderful dream. She glanced at her watch to check the time, it was almost nine in the evening. She quickened her pace so she’d make it to work on time. When she was only a block away, she paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and letting out a loud but exhausted sigh. Her dreams shattering with each new breath as her depressing life became her reality. It didn’t matter how often she wished to become a human and experience the joys of Christmas, it was only a dream, one she knew would never come true.
Alana took a deep breath before walking through the massive glass doors, saying ‘hi’ to those who passed as she made her way to the elevator. While she waited to reach her floor, she turned to face a large wall mirror. She couldn’t help but glare at her reflection. Her hair was a perfect shade of blond with light brown underneath. Her hair had just a twinge of curl at the bottom giving the perfect amount of bounce completing her look. Alana was particular about how she presented herself within the office. She flipped her waist length hair over her shoulder allowing it to fall against her back. She leaned forward to adjust her make-up, pulling the tiniest eyelash away from her glowing green eyes. It was then the elevator dinged, letting her know she had reached the twelfth floor. She made a sudden turn and her hair flew with the speed before falling perfectly to one side. As she walked out of the elevator, she noticed the searing eyes of the other employees. It was almost expected. Ever since she began to work for the blood bank many looked at her differently. There were those who were jealous, those who thought she was attractive, and those that didn’t like her for no good reason. Either way she held her head high and walked to her desk.
“Alana? I need you in my office immediately,” her boss, Stan, yelled from his office.
“Yes, sir,” she replied, dropping her bag at her desk before continuing her way to his office.
Stan gestured for Alana to take a seat before closing the door behind her. Alana was nervous as she had never been called to his office before. She was wondering what she could have possibly done wrong.
“Alana, as you know we hold many secrets at this office.” He paused for a moment, his eyes widening slightly. Alana took in his facial expressions understanding almost immediately what he was suggesting.
“Yes, sir, I’m well aware of the company’s secrets,” she replied, hesitant about where he was taking the conversation.
“We have
a new member joining us later this evening and I was hoping I could get you to do the honors of showing him around the office. Please make sure you show him the appropriate rooms to have his lunch breaks,” he highlighted.
“Oh, no worries, sir. I can do that, is there any other information I need to know before showing him the ropes?” she asked, trying to be as subtle as possible.
“He is not a young man, I’m assuming he has everything under control. Take as long as you need and if I can ask another favor, try to get a feel for him. Inform me of any information you gather. As you know, we need to be careful of who we hire here.”
“No worries, I’ll take care of it. You can trust me,” she promised, getting slightly aggravated at all the hidden subtext. She knew it was vital but sometimes it annoyed her. She was proud of who she was and didn’t want to hide it anymore. For the sake of the company and keeping her job, she nodded in agreement. Stan walked toward his office door, opening it for her. As she walked past, Stan grabbed her arse. The sudden gesture sent chills running down her spine. She found it hard not to turn around and slap him in the face. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, then exhaled regaining her self-control.
“That’s it, babe, knew I could count on you,” he said as he removed his hand from her arse.
“Yes you can,” she agreed, trying as hard as she could not to vomit. Just the thought of the old, bald man made her body quiver in disgust. She quickened her pace, trying to escape the confined walls of his office. Once she returned to her desk, she sat down and glared at the blank computer screen in front of her wondering where to start as images of her brief encounter with her boss replayed over and over in her mind.
