Snowflakes and Ice Skates: A Holiday Romance Anthology (Utah Fury Hockey)

by Brittney Mulliner

  Matt walked by, giving me a small wave and mouthing ‘good luck’ as he passed my desk. I appreciated having such a relaxed boss. He, like everyone else in our department, was tired from the holidays and thought this week should be a vacation for everyone, but unfortunately, upper management didn’t agree. This meant he especially appreciated every effort we made, no matter how small.

  “Oh, Taylor?” I glanced up from my screen to see Cora waving a brown bag. “It’s time.”

  I sucked in a deep breath and pushed my chair back from my desk. “Are you sure?” I was suddenly dreading this.

  “Yes, I ordered O'Malley's so we can go down and pretend the deli was too packed and we decided to eat downstairs.”

  “That was a brilliant idea.”

  She grinned. “I know. Now come on.”

  I stood and followed her to the elevators. While we waited, I straightened my sweater, making sure it was as smooth as possible before tucking in the button-down shirt I had on under it. I wanted to look put together. Maybe then no one would notice how nervous I was.

  “You look great.”

  I glanced over to see Cora wink. “Thanks.”

  We stepped into the crowded elevator and rode down to the second floor without incident. A few other people got off with us, walking with purpose in various directions.

  “Where do we go?” I walked slowly next to Cora, trying to casually look around without seeming out of place.

  “Just keep an eye out. We don’t want to have to double back.” Her lips barely move as she talks through her smile.

  Once again, I feel like we’re acting, like we’re back in the trenches of high school looking for where the cool kids sit and wondering if we’re allowed to encroach on their territory. Only this time, the cool kids are the programmers.

  We came to the end of the main hall and were left with a choice. Left or right. A fifty-fifty shot of being wrong. As she said, we didn’t want to double back and risk someone seeing us mindlessly walking around with our lunch. That would be embarrassing.

  Honestly, I doubted anyone would notice, much less care, but we were on a mission. Undercover, in a sense. We couldn't get caught actively looking for the programmers. That would be weird.

  “Left. I feel good about it.” We followed Cora’s intuition and turned, heading deeper into this floor than I’d ever been. We passed vacant rooms on each side before reaching the back of the building, where three of the four walls were glass and half a dozen couches formed sitting areas in addition to a scattering of chairs. There were more people than I had expected, but I was able to scan the faces within seconds.

  “There,” I said quietly, raising my chin in the direction of where Goldie and a few others were sitting. They took up two sofas, leaving enough room for Cora and me if we hurried.

  “Are you ready?” She met my eyes for a brief moment.

  “Yeah, you lead.”

  There wasn’t time for her to argue, so she walked across the room like she’d done it a thousand times before while I followed, trying not to stare at our destination. She paused near them and looked around.

  “Where should we sit today?” She asked, a bit louder than necessary.

  I took inventory of the three options as if this was a completely normal part of our routine. A guy from one of the other groups looked up and tried to get our attention, but I continued turning as if I hadn’t noticed.

  The woman I had seen earlier in the elevator looked up and recognition appeared on her face. “Hey, you’re the nice one from earlier.”

  I looked up as if she’d startled me. “Yeah, sorry, I didn’t ask your names earlier.”

  I took a step toward them, and Cora followed my lead. The woman scooted over on her sofa, making room for us. “I’m Milly. Quality Assurance lead.”

  I sat next to her. “I’m Taylor, content marketing…”

  I turned to introduce Cora, but she was already leaning in. “And I’m Cora, Marketing Manager.”

  Goldie watched our interaction with a small smile. I met his eyes, but he didn't move to introduce himself.

  Another guy waved. “I’m Hayden, an engineer.”

  Hayden was cute with a very thin build and ruffled black hair. He pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, smiling at Cora.

  I tried not to laugh at how obvious he was being and returned my focus to Goldie. “And you?”

  I was going to get my answer even if I had to drag it out of him.

  “Lane, also an engineer.”

  Lane. Lane. I finally had a name! He was Goldie no more! Well, unless people were around. I didn’t want word to spread I was infatuated with a coworker. Our company was pretty big, but rumors spread quickly.

  Four

  “Well, thanks for letting us join you guys. We normally eat while we’re out, but the deli was slammed.” Cora explained.

  Milly grinned. “We eat down here on most days. As long as we can get away from our desks. You’re welcome to join us anytime.”

  She was quickly becoming one of my favorite people. It would be good to have another in with their department.

  “That’s so nice of you. I’d like to get to know more people outside of our department.”

  Cora nodded. “I know everyone on our floor and a few names and faces from the sales team, but other than that and upper management, I don’t know anyone else, and I’ve been here for three years.”

  Hayden laughed, a bit too loudly. “I know what you mean. I’ve been here for over two years and rarely leave our floor.”

  “We should do more activities with other departments, so we can get to know each other,” I said. It wasn’t the first time I’d had such an idea. But I’d only worked here for four months, and I didn’t want to insert myself into a place I didn't belong, so I never brought it up with Matt. But I would now.

  “It was better a few years ago. We only took up two floors and it was easy to know everyone. It’s great that the company’s grown so much, but you definitely lose a part of the camaraderie when that happens,” Lane spoke so confidently that I found myself nodding along with everyone else.

  “How long have you worked here?” I asked.

  He looked up as if he had to think about it. “I was employee number eleven. It’s been almost five years now.”

  “Wow. That’s insane. How did you find out about the company back then?”

  I expected him to say he was family friends with the founders or something. That was the only thing that made sense.

  “Paul and Robert came to my college and did a presentation about their idea. They gave us access to the backend code and challenged us to find flaws, and I was the only one who did. They offered me a position when I graduated.”

  I was impressed. “That’s incredible.”

  Milly nodded. “He’s being modest. He makes it sound like they went to a local college to find help. He was at MIT and in a very tough program.”

  I tried to hide my shock. I didn’t want him to think I was going to fangirl over him or anything. “MIT? Really?”

  He looked down and nodded.

  “I think you might be the smartest person I’ve ever met.” The words left my mouth before I could think about them.

  Cora laughed but recovered quickly. “And to think, up until now it’s been me.”

  The group laughed, and I was relieved that she’d moved the conversation along before it became awkward.

  “That’s not to say that everyone else’s accomplishments aren’t as impressive,” Milly cut in. “Hayden was a kind of child prodigy. Coding in elementary school, he was writing functional programs and developing apps by the time he was in middle school.”

  Hayden’s cheeks flushed bright red. “You make me sound like such a nerd.”

  Milly waved him off. “He’s just humble. He graduated from high school at fourteen and college by eighteen.”

  Cora’s eyebrows shot up. “So how old are you?” She paused. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

 
; I was pretty sure the list of things he minded about her was short.

  “I’m twenty-three.”

  “You’re my age.” I smiled at him, hoping he didn't feel as insecure now. “But I’ve been out of school for two years, not seven.”

  He chuckled. “Well, I got my masters, so it’s only been five.”

  I scoff. “Okay, rub it in.”

  Cora put her elbow on her knee, leaning forward. “How incredible. You must have some pretty great stories.”

  I watched her lips twist up and narrowed my eyes. She was flirting. I knew that look. It was the same one she wore when we went out after work. It was her come-hither, enchanting look. Uh oh. Poor Hayden wouldn’t know what hit him.

  Lane shifted, catching my eye. He smiled. “Where are you from, Taylor?”

  I felt a bit nervous talking about myself now that I knew that he was a brainiac and probably several years older than me. I didn't want him to think of me as too immature.

  “I grew up in a suburb of Virginia Beach and moved out here after school.”

  He nodded. “So you stayed because you love the city, or was it the job?”

  I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. I felt like there was a wrong answer, but wasn’t sure what it was. “Both? I didn’t want to leave when I got here, but it took longer than I thought it would to get a job. I almost had to move back home, since marketing jobs are hard to come by in the city. I was lucky to find a position here.”

  “Ugh. I know. It was horrible trying to find a job when I first moved here.” Milly bumped my shoulder. “What about you, Cora? Where did you grow up?”

  “I was born in Michigan, but moved to Queens after high school.”

  “No way. I’m from Queens.” Hayden lit up as if this made them a perfect match.

  Cora grinned. “Really? Do you still live there?”

  He shook his head. “No, the commute was rough. I needed to be able to come into the office at any time if anything went wrong.”

  That reminded me of what they’d been saying on the elevator about an all-nighter. “Did you guys ever go home last night?”

  The three of them made eye contact before sighing. Lane spoke first. “I went home at five to shower since I live nearby, but I came straight back.”

  I cringed. “So you were really here all night?”

  Milly pointed to her face. “You don’t get bags like these without working twenty hours straight.”

  She did have puffy, purplish bags under her red-rimmed eyes.

  “I’m so sorry. We’ve had to stay late if a plan changed with marketing or we needed to push out a press release, but the latest was maybe ten or eleven.” Cora looked to me for confirmation, and I nodded.

  “It’s not often that we have to do this, but one of the bigwigs decided to change a huge piece of the new release we’re working on and wanted it completed before the new year, so we’re powering through,” Lane said diplomatically.

  “I hope it settles down for you guys soon.” I really did feel guilty about them having to work all day and all night and still sitting here now. I’d be passed out in a corner somewhere if I’d done that.

  “It will,” Hayden said, suddenly optimistic. “Plus we have a day off to look forward to.”

  Cora nodded. “What are everyone’s New Year's Eve plans?”

  Milly shrugged while Hayden looked eager.

  Lane was the only one to speak up. “I was planning on heading up to see the ball drop.”

  Silence.

  The conversations in the other lounge areas continued, but we stopped and stared at him. Several moments passed before he cracked a smile. We all burst out laughing, and at that moment my crush went from an eight to an eleven. Off the charts. He was handsome, smart—more like brilliant, and funny. As long as there was no wife...he was perfect.

  “Oh, wow. I really thought I was about to have a long talk with you.” Cora wiped under her eyes.

  Hayden nodded. “I didn’t know how to talk you out of it without being mean.”

  Lane snorted. “Guys, I’m not insane. You couldn't pay me a million dollars to be anywhere near Times Square for the next few days. I want nothing to do with that circus.”

  I made eye contact with Cora, urging her to come up with a plan. I pleaded with my eyes, and she finally looked away, toward the group.

  “Taylor and I are actually hosting a party at my place. You guys should come.” She held eye contact with Hayden for longer than necessary. I shook my head and watched for Lane’s reaction. He seemed to be considering it. That was a good sign!

  “Would it be okay if I brought my girlfriend?” Milly asked.

  Cora beamed. “Of course. That would be great!”

  Hayden perked up. “I don’t have any plans. I’ll stop by.”

  His casual words didn’t match his earnest expression. I was growing more confident that if Cora asked him to swim to the Statue of Liberty, he’d dive into the bay without a second thought.

  We were all waiting for Lane’s response again. He looked up and met my eyes. “Sure, I should be able to make it.”

  Cora nodded. “Sounds great. I’ll email you all with my address.”

  She glanced my way, and I forced myself not to jump up and down or cheer. New Year’s Eve with Lane? Could things get any better? I wanted to hug Cora for her quick thinking and offering her apartment. We hadn’t coordinated any of this, but she had my back. I’d be buying her coffee for a month.

  With our mission completed, Cora opened the brown bag and offered me my usual Italian combo sandwich. She put her Reuben sandwich on her lap and carefully unwrapped it. I took a bite of mine as the conversation continued around us.

  “Have you been to the bookstore that on thirty-second over by the Korean barbeque place we like?” Milly asked Hayden.

  He shook his head. “I haven’t had time yet.”

  “Do they specialize in anything?” I asked between bites. I had a soft spot for bookstores, and hearing of one I wasn’t familiar with was exciting. I’d scoured the city for the best used and new bookstores. I particularly loved the used bookstore under one of the city libraries in the Upper East Side. I had to limit myself to twenty dollars every time I went in, to keep from buying everything.

  “Not really,” Milly answered. “They carry a bit of everything. And they have a great used section.”

  I perk up. “I’ll have to check it out.”

  She nodded, and Lane set his lunch to the side. “Have you been to the flea market in Dumbo? There are a few vendors there that sell used books. I’ve found some gems there.”

  “I’ve been there a few times, but I never noticed booksellers.”

  Cora leaned forward. “Maybe you could show her some time.”

  I pushed my elbow back, hitting Cora on the side. I couldn’t believe she’d said that! How obvious could she be?

  Lane’s eyes flicked to mine. “Yeah, I’d love to.”

  I kept a smile in place while cheering on the inside. That was promising! Almost a date. I eased my elbow away from Cora and nodded. “That would be great.”

  Hayden stood up suddenly. “I’ve got to get back to work. I don’t want to be here late again tonight.”

  Milly and Lane followed him.

  “Oh right.” I watched as they gathered their things.

  “It was really great to get to know you two. We’ll have to do this more often.” Milly smiled and waved as she turned to cross the room. Hayden left with her, but Lane hoovered.

  “It was nice meeting you both. We’ll have to get in touch soon about the party.” He stared down at me. “And we’ll find a time to go to the market.”

  I nodded. “Sounds good.”

  “Have a good day,” Cora called as he waved and walked away.

  Once they were out of hearing distance, I twisted to face Cora. “Oh my gosh.”

  Her smile matched mine. “That went a thousand times better than I could have imagined!”

  I nodded. “I can�
�t believe it!”

  I was shocked by how easy it had been. We’d accomplished so much in so little time.

  “Cora.” It was all I could get out.

  “Looks like we have a party to plan!”

  I let out a laugh and fell back on the couch. “No big deal, right? We just have to get food, decorations, and more guests in two days.”

  She chuckled. “We got this.”

  I squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”

  She winked. “Don’t thank me yet. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

  Five

  A thick envelope dropped on my desk. I glanced up to find Cora grinning at me with a tired smile.

  “Good morning.” I reached for the envelope, unsure what it was.

  “Morning. I just picked these up. It took a lot of persuading last night, but I finally convinced the man at the copy and printing place up the street to get these done overnight.”

  I pulled out the contents and smiled. Elegant black-and-white invitations for the New Year’s Eve party. “Ring in the New Year,” I read aloud. They had Cora’s address and instructions to arrive at nine. “These are beautiful. When did you have time to design them?”

  She smirked. “I had Cody draw them up.” She nodded toward one of our graphic designers, who sat on the other side of our floor.

  “And you got them printed last night?”

  She nodded. “I exchanged my phone number and an invitation in order for them to get done before I came in.”

  I cringed. “You didn’t have to do that. We could have just emailed people.”

  Her smile grew. “It wasn’t a hardship. The printer, Anthony, was quite cute actually. I wouldn't mind if he was my New Year's kiss.”

  I laughed and put the invitations back. “Well then. Fate seems to have stepped in.”

  She raised a shoulder, noncommittal. “We’ll see.”

  I tried to hand the envelope back to her, but she shook her head. “It’s up to you to give those out to our new friends.”

  Of course, she was going to make me go to their floor. “Right.”

  Her smile grew. “I took some to give out to people in our department. I’m also inviting some friends from yoga too.”