“Whaddya think? Answer it?” Brian asked.
“Sure. Why not? How bad could it be?” Jessie’s eyes widened.
Brian hit the speakerphone button. “WQPK.”
“Is Dr. Richie still there?” the voice on the other end queried.
“I believe she may have left for the night. If I can find her, who should I say is calling?”
“Emily and Elizabeth Wilson. The twins. We want to thank her.”
Jessie and Brian almost doubled over, and Jessie gave him the thumbs-up.
“Hang on, let me see if she’s still in the building.”
Pausing a reasonable amount of time, Jessie picked up the phone. “Hello. This is Dr. Richie.”
“Dr. Richie, it’s the woman who called a few nights ago about my boyfriend who wouldn’t come to the house for the holidays. Well, it turned out the jerk was dating both me and my sister, and if it wasn’t for you, his little game could have gone on for months! She and I made the discovery when we were baking the cookies. We switched to fruitcakes. When we got to his house, we took turns smacking him over the head with it. Right on his front porch, for all the nosy neighbors to see! It was great! I never felt so vindicated. Now I can get on with my life and not waste any more time with that loser! So thank you, and have a very Merry Christmas!”
Jessie could hear the twin sister echoing her words in the background.
“Glad it worked out for you. Merry Christmas!”
Brian gave her a sideways look. “How did you know?”
“Just a hunch. But I have to say that is probably the best use of a fruitcake ever!” Jessie laughed, winked, said good night, grabbed her coat, and headed toward the door.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Brian stopped her. “Like your birthday dinner with Mac, Kelly, Ryan, and me?” He almost looked hurt.
“Oh my goodness! I’ve been so caught up in the plans for the shop and the holiday calls, I wasn’t paying attention to the date. The older I get, the less celebrating a birthday appeals.”
“Stop it, young lady,” he ordered, emphasizing the word “young.” “Obviously, you need a little break, and dinner tonight should do the trick.”
They were going to Barclay Prime, a sleek-looking place with hints of a European library. Brian thought the décor was appropriate: books! But it was the steaks that had everyone drooling in anticipation.
“Ahh, yes . . . Hunk O’Meat.” Jessie’s face went soft, relaxing for the first time in weeks. “Let’s get going! What are we waiting for?”
The two headed for the elevator and proceeded to the parking garage. Brian opened the passenger side of his Ford Explorer and, with a great flourish, proclaimed, “Your chariot awaits.”
Brian was thirty-three, tall and lanky with a great sense of humor, and kept Jessie on an even keel when the phone lines got hot. It was especially entertaining and challenging when listeners would call in and offer their own advice to a previous caller. And boy, sometimes it got very heated. Jessie and Brian would make crazy faces and hand gestures to each other. His “crazy in the head” was one of his favorites, while Jessie’s was pretending her head was exploding. They were good pals.
Jessie often wondered why Brian didn’t have a steady girlfriend. He was cute in a nerdy way, wore black jeans, black shirts, thick-rimmed black glasses, and a black leather blazer with a black tie almost every day. Thing was he had several of each so he always had a clean set of his favorite outfit. Said it helped him blend into the engineering room, where the walls were covered in black, soundproof acoustic panels. He referred to it as his “uniform.” Plus he never had to think about what to wear. Jessie had once asked, “Is that a geek thing or a nerd thing?” Brian preferred “geek.” It was a bit more tech-sounding.
As they pulled away from the building, they discussed what they might have for dinner. Jessie was vacillating among the jumbo shrimp cocktail . . . or maybe the Alaskan king crab, or maybe the oysters . . . but she was most definitely chasing it down with the eighteen-ounce rib eye, medium rare, baked potato, and a side of creamed spinach. Then maybe a soufflé for dessert.
Brian was strictly a meat-and-potatoes guy, so he was going to order the same main dish minus the spinach. When he said, “That’s only for Popeye and birthday girls,” Jessie smacked him on the arm.
The restaurant was elegantly adorned, with gold-trimmed cranberry-colored velvet ribbon and miniature lights. Simple large crystal bowls held golden glass apples and pears, and sprigs of white birch served as centerpieces on each table, as soft classical holiday favorites played in the background.
When they arrived, their friends were waiting at the bar area with suspicious-looking packages. Birthday gifts. Jessie had been adamant about “no presents!” But her words were ignored by her good friends. After the “Happy Birthdays” and hugs went around, they perused the menu. As the waiters carried food to the other tables, everyone kept changing their mind about what to order. The restaurant was named for its beef, so Jessie, while distracted by the poached lobster, returned to her original plan and decided on the crab cocktail and the rib eye.
The conversation was casual, everyone talking about their holiday plans. Jessie sat back and listened. It was nice to be able to unwind among friends and not think about the two daunting tasks that lay ahead—make that three, counting selling the store. Everything seemed under control, including her stupid crush on that contractor dude. For now she had kept her thoughts at bay. They had been communicating strictly by e-mail. Professional. Succinct. Not a personal “How are you?” The only thing he asked was when she was planning on getting back. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed, but she knew it was best to keep it at a professional level. She shifted her thoughts to the two events she was hosting before the big FOR SALE sign went up. Jessie did her utmost to have a positive attitude, but she would often fret about details and getting everything right. That was also part of her charm. She was vivacious and sincere, and very detail-oriented.
Relaxing in the large, comfortable dining chair, she took in the restaurant’s warm holiday vibe. Steering herself away from thinking about her trip to Croton in a stressful way, she eased into thinking that all of it would be a grand adventure. She made up her mind. It was going to be a good Christmas this year.
Chapter Seven
During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Jessie, Rosemary, and Lisa planned out the book giveaway and the speed-dating event. The book party was the easy part, and they decided to make it a “bring a box, take a box” event. People were asked to bring a toy for the Children’s Hospital and some nonperishable items for the food pantry. In return they could take up to ten books: a win-win for a lot of people. It was the speed-dating part that had her traveling into uncharted territory. Jessie kept asking herself, What was I thinking? But she was all in now, and there seemed to be some excitement surrounding it.
She had attended two speed-dating events in the past—neither of which produced any romantic prospects for her, but the events themselves didn’t appear to be very complicated; and it seemed like the people who attended were willing to spend $35.00 on the chance to meet someone. The proceeds would go toward refreshments and a donation to Animal Care Sanctuary, the largest and oldest no-kill shelter in the country. The money would help pay for a special Christmas dinner for the dogs and cats who were still looking for a forever home.
Jessie had posted it on her Dr. Richie Facebook page, and there were some ads on the radio station home page and on the local Patch in Croton.
NEED A DATE FOR THE HOLIDAYS?
SPEED YOUR WAY THROUGH THEM!
JOIN OTHER SINGLES FOR AN EVENING OF SPEED DATING.
FINALLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO “INTERVIEW” DATING
POTENTIALS FACE-TO-FACE IN TEN-MINUTE INTERVALS.
NO SURPRISES, NO BAR SCENE.
A PLACE TO MEET NEW PEOPLE—FOR REAL.
DECEMBER 23—6:00 P.M.
$35.00*
Riverwood Books
Croton-on-Hudson, New York
For more info visit:
www.drRichiemeetup.biz
*INCLUDES REFRESHMENTS AND A DONATION
TO ANIMAL CARE SANCTUARY
The notice listed all the information as far as location, time, etc. and an RSVP. It also had a disclaimer that Dr. Richie was only a sponsor for the event. Jessie would simply be “Jessie” throughout.
Jessie and Brian were shocked that over twenty people had signed up. What made it better was that it was an almost equal number of men and women, and the age ranges were within ten years of each other. This might not be the nightmare she feared it could be. Now she was on a mission: someone was going to have a date for New Year’s Eve, even if it wasn’t her.
She packed two suitcases of clothes because she wasn’t sure about the weather. It had been very inconsistent. Climate change. Whatever.
The doorman would hold her snail mail, and she had her laptop for whatever work-related issues should arise for either job. After reminding the neighbor who watched Mozart and Picasso when she was away, Jessie left a little later than planned, and dusk was already upon her. She knew it would be dark by the time she got to Croton, but she was still familiar with the roads and settled into her seat. When she got to the Tappan Zee Bridge, the hillside was alive with Christmas lights. Some twinkling, some all white, some with bright LED colors. This was the first Christmas in a very long time that she was looking forward to. Yes, there was a lot of work to be done, but also a real change of scenery was beckoning her. Old friends, familiar surroundings. For a moment, the sense of bittersweet wafted over her again, but she smiled, knowing that all those books would be enjoyed by so many, and she was providing what could turn into a love connection for two or more of her guests. “You never know,” she said out loud.
As she rounded the turn for the shop, she became disoriented. Slowly tapping on the brake, she blinked several times. White fairy lights adorned the roofline, garland graciously wrapped the columns, wreaths appeared in each window, and an eight-foot tree decorated in twinkling lights was perched on each side of the porch. An elegant life-size Rudolph proudly welcomed visitors at the bottom of the steps.
The illumination and the ornaments were stunning. She gasped in wonder. “What the??? Who??? Wow! Holy Cow! Holy Rudolph!” Almost forgetting to turn off the engine, she jumped out of the car and found herself standing in front of her own winter wonderland. Tears of pure joy streamed down her face. It was exquisite. But who did this? She was sure it was Lisa. Jessie was so shaken by this surprise, she fumbled for her phone and punched Lisa’s speed-dial number.
“Oh my goodness! This is spectacular!” Jessie was gushing.
“What are you talking about?” Lisa was puzzled.
Jessie was panting at this point. “The lights! The decorations!”
“What lights? What decorations? Where are you?”
“At the shop! It’s beautiful!” Jessie still did not comprehend that Lisa had no idea what she was referring to. “When and how did you do this?”
“Okay, girlfriend. I need to know what the heck you are talking about.”
Jessie repeated, “The lights! The decorations!”
“Where? At the shop?” Lisa was totally confused at her friend’s enthusiasm.
Jessie finally slowed down. “Yes. The shop. Decorated. Beautiful. Why don’t you sound like you know what I’m talking about?”
“Maybe because I don’t. Are you saying someone decorated the shop?”
“Yes. How many more times do I need to tell you?”
“None. But honestly, I don’t know anything about it. Sit tight. I’m on my way over. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Lisa had to see this for herself.
Jessie stared at the phone for a moment. Maybe it was Rosemary? Maybe she wanted to show how glorious the place could look during the holidays? She shrugged, but she couldn’t stop staring at the display. Walking around to the back, she saw that the landscaping there was also illuminated and adorned.
As promised, a few minutes later, Lisa’s car quickly turned into the driveway, kicking up a few pieces of gravel.
“Wow! This is incredible!” Lisa gasped as she took in the atmosphere of the holiday magic.
“So you didn’t do this?” Jessie looked at her suspiciously.
“I swear. No! Maybe it was Rosemary?” Just as Lisa was offering the explanation, Jessie hit the button on her phone for Rosemary’s number.
“This is Rosemary Bidgood. Happy Holidays!” a very cheerful voice answered.
“Hey, Rosemary, it’s Jessie. The place looks spectacular. Is it you I have to thank?” Jessie was sure she would get a “yes” but instead got another questioning retort.
“I’m sorry. What are you talking about?”
“The shop. It’s decorated beautifully. I’m stunned.”
“Jessie, I don’t know anything about it. I’m a little confused.” Rosemary certainly sounded it.
“Now I’m confused,” Jessie responded, thinking maybe she was actually in the wrong place. No. Lisa was there with her. And it looked like the shop. How strange.
“I’ll be over in a few minutes. Don’t go anywhere.” Rosemary quickly ended the call.
Jessie turned to Lisa, and they both gave a huge wide-armed shrug. “Santa?” Jessie said jokingly. “Do we dare go in?” It had occurred to her she had been standing outside for a half hour.
“You bet. I’m game!” Lisa giggled as they climbed the stairs to the porch. With key in hand—a slightly shaky hand—Jessie unlocked the door.
They both stepped back from the doorway, their mouths agape. In the foyer, a twelve-foot spruce decorated with Victorian ornaments stood proudly.
“What the???” Jessie slowly walked around the glorious spruce, shaking her head in disbelief. She was almost afraid to check the other rooms. What’s next? As she peeked around the corner she was almost relieved there were no other surprises. She couldn’t remember the last time she was so overcome with the joy of such a display. It was breathtaking.
“This is amazing. I don’t remember its ever looking this good.” Lisa gave Jessie a poke with her elbow.
“No kidding.” That was all she could muster in a much-exaggerated exhale.
Several minutes later, Rosemary arrived. “This is quite spectacular.” Her eyes were wide with awe.
“So you didn’t send your elves?” Jessie was quite perplexed.
“No. No, I didn’t.”
* * *
When Evan told his son, Connor, about the book giveaway, he was so delighted he suggested to his father that they should do something nice for the lady. That was the validation Evan needed to go through with his crazy idea. He wanted to do something special as a send-off for the shop. He, too, had great childhood memories, so he knew how difficult it must be for Jessie. With the book giveaway party, and that other crazy thing she was hosting, he felt it needed to be rightfully festive. Speed what? He figured he’d find out, but not before he and his crew gave the place its due.
Jessie had had Rosemary make a spare key for him so he could do some measurements and planning. The cleaning crew had come in the week after Thanksgiving to do the apartment and make the shop presentable. Now all it needed was some embellishment. He had to admit he might have gone a little overboard, but once he got started, it just kept growing, with Connor and his friends finding more places to hang lights. But Evan drew the line when it came to the mistletoe. That could be a little risky, especially with that speed-dating thing. No one needed a free pass at making one, especially with all the sensitivity to sexual harassment and the like.
His only real concern was whether it would freak her out. He was, after all, trespassing.
Lost in thought, he almost jumped out of his seat when his cell phone rang, and he saw it was Jessie calling. He hadn’t thought about what he would say to her. He had been caught up in the holiday spirit with the kids. Taking a very deep breath, he answered, “Becker Contracting and Flas
h Mob Holiday Decorating!” Cringing he waited for a response—the seconds were interminable.
After a short pause, the words finally sank in, and she let out a guffaw. “Am I speaking with Santa?”
“That all depends on the subject. If it’s about Riverwood’s decorations, I’m afraid he’s busy with his elves.”
“Oh, what a shame. I was going to thank him. It was such a wonderful surprise!” Jessie could not believe she was flirting with this man. Jessie laughed softly this time. “I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this. It must have taken days!”
Evan’s voice was level. “Actually, my son, Connor, and some of his friends were the real instigators and perpetrators. I hope you won’t press charges for trespassing!”
“You’re joking, I’m sure. But I would like to thank them!”
“You are. It was his idea because of the book giveaway event. He wanted to do something nice for you.”
Jessie thought to herself, And a nice kid to boot!
“I don’t know what to say. That was so very sweet and thoughtful.”
“I’ll let him know you’re pleased.” Evan cleared his throat, fishing for the courage to invite her on a date. But he stopped. He didn’t want to come on too strong considering he had covered her entire building with holiday decorations without her permission. He also didn’t want her to think he was a stalker/weirdo, so he backed off. Besides, if he was going to work for her, it could make things between them awkward and strained.
For a moment, Jessie thought he was going to ask her out, but then he ended the conversation with, “So, I see we’re scheduled for a meeting tomorrow morning at ten thirty?”
“Yes. Ten thirty. See you then.” She pushed the END button on the phone. She couldn’t decide if she was excited or anxious. Why couldn’t she shake this? It was so unlike her to feel her emotions out of control. Lifting her head from the phone, she realized that Lisa and Rosemary were beside themselves with curiosity.
A Snowy Little Christmas Page 5
