Ann narrows her eyes, “You are too kind.” Lina laughs kissing her sweetly, “I’m cute though.”
Ann laughs, “Yes, you are cute, but you can’t use that every time to win an argument.”
Lina shrugs and goes to pay the bill leaving Ann with her mom. Inge watches until Lina is out of earshot, leans in, “She is really nice, I like her, and I can’t believe she wants to work with me.”
Ann hears the excitement in her mother’s voice, smiling she looks at Lina, “She is really sweet mom, so different than before. I don’t get away with anything, that I like at times and at other times I want to win, damn it.”
Inge laughs, “Welcome to a real grown-up relationship, you will both learn the art of compromise and how to work together. This project is big, you will be working together and seeing each other, just remember to give each other space when it is needed and respect each other.”
Ann nods, “I will mom, I’m scared to though, the last time I opened up I got burned so badly. I have locked that part away for the last five years, I don’t know how she got in this far already.”
“She is not your ex and for that, I am glad about. She hurt you beyond words, I saw my daughter be so vibrant and happy to one that buried herself in work and don’t get me wrong, you have done amazing in your career, but now I am happy to see that vibrancy back again and to see you smiling and teasing again. I’ve missed you. This is the full authentic you and I am so proud of you.” She moves around the table and gathers Ann in her arms. Lina comes back seeing the embrace, “Is everything okay?”
Inge smiles at her, “Everything is perfect.”
Lina is still not convinced, looking at Ann for reassurance. “Everything is good, baby. Mom was just giving me a hug and telling me she was proud of me.”
Lina smiles finally reassured, “Okay, but, if something is wrong, you will tell me, right?”
Ann smiles softly, kisses her, “I promise to talk to you if ever there is something bothering me. Now, you two have to get back to work and stop distracting me from my job.”
They walk back to the store, Lina holding Ann’s hand and Inge linked onto Ann’s other arm. Once in the store, Ann is called into Mr Willem’s office. She grumbles, “See you two later, please behave mother.”
Inge grins, “I will try, but I can’t guarantee it.”
Ann looks at Lina and shakes her head, “Nope, no point in telling you to behave either, just don’t wreck the store or tell too many embarrassing stories. I would like this to last more than a couple of days.”
She walks away looking over her shoulder every few steps to look at Lina, smiling every time their eyes meet. She is so busy looking back that she walks into a mannequin, “Oh sorry.”
She hears laughter and realises what she has done, blushes and waves them off, “You two, hush, you have me all stressed.”
She is met with more laughter, she spins around growling and then laughs herself at the absurdity of the situation. She fixes her outfit and her hair and to finish it all off sticks out her tongue at Lina and Inge. Lina points behind her making her frown and turn around, eyes widening, “Mr Willems, I was just coming to see you.”
Mr Willems starts to laugh, “I think I may need to write up an assault case for the poor mannequin.”
Ann blushes and hears more laughter from behind her, “I wasn’t paying attention, my mother was distracting me with her partner in crime, our artist.”
Mr Willems smiles at them both, “Nice to meet you both, I hope to speak to you more in-depth very soon. Shall we go into the office, I promise there is nothing that you can walk into in there.”
Ann shakes her head laughing, “I get it now, it’s picking on Ann day, that’s what this is all about.”
Mr Willems shrugs, “I think you might be right, but it is only for one day.”
Ann’s eyes narrow as she watches him laughing again. “It better be for one day or you will see a not so nice Ann Peeters very soon.”
He laughs heartily and leads her into the office.
Chapter 15
The days that followed went well for Lina with the mural. The length and breadth of the wall is covered with little kid’s ice skating, a snowman and a beautiful snow scenery. She finishes it in nice time to put all her focus on the toys and grotto pieces. Ann’s mother works with Lina in her workshop. They work well together and respect each other’s need for focus. They stop for breaks and look over the other’s work. Ann, however, has turned into the Grinch at work and is barking orders at everyone. After leaving one of the employees in tears, Olivia pulls her aside, “Ann, what the hell is going on?”
Ann puffs out her cheeks, “I don’t know, I hate how the displays are turning out and every time I have a meeting set up with the magazine, they cancel. It’s frustrating and I haven’t seen Lina in days.”
Olivia smiles, “So, you are taking out your frustrations on all of us because you miss your girlfriend and some magazine person has stood you up. You need to take a break, clear your head and when you have, you need to go and apologise to Margot. She didn’t do anything wrong and you know that.”
Ann puts her hands on her hips, “She couldn’t hang up the pants right after being shown at least five times and she is never to be found when it gets busy.”
Olivia stands firm, “Really, Ann? That’s a reason to make the poor girl cry? When you can’t find her, she’s in the back store putting things in order so that it’s easier to find other sizes, I told her to do it because it makes everything more efficient for the girls on the floor.”
Ann bows her head, “Oh, I didn’t know.”
“How could you know, I’m the one that is running the team down here while you are working on the Christmas project. You come back here and see things differently and go straight into terminator mode. If you had have just talked to me, I could have told you of the few changes that have been made.”
Ann knows she is in the wrong, but she is in a funk that she doesn’t want to admit it. “I am going back upstairs again. I need to get in touch with a few people about Christmas trees. I hate Christmas, such a stupid time of year.”
Olivia watches her stomp off and blows out a breath, “This is going to be a long couple of months if she is going to be acting like this the entire time.”
She reaches for her phone and makes a quick call, “Hey, Lina, it’s Olivia. I need a favour, please, call me back when you get this message. Thanks.”
∞ ∞ ∞
Lina is making great progress on Santa’s chair and is loving the Christmas atmosphere in her workshop. She looks across at Inge who is busy making dolls clothes singing along to the music that is playing in the background. Lina smiles and is happy with the way things are going with the project and how the toys are being enriched with Inge's magical touch.
“You’re looking at me again.”
Lina blushes, “Sorry, I really enjoy watching you work and seeing how it all comes together. I’m not used to sharing my workspace with anyone, but it has been a great decision to work with you.”
Inge stops what she is doing, “I never dreamed that I would have a job that could bring me so much happiness. When I worked as a seamstress, it was a good job and I was good at it, but I never saw it as anything other than a job. This is so much fun and to see the dolls and teddy bears come together, I just can’t stop smiling. You know when Ann was small, she loved Christmas, I would make her new pyjamas and she would sit on my lap and read Christmas stories and watch Christmas movies with me. Even though we couldn’t afford much in the way of toys for her, she loved everything she got. She was the epitome of the Christmas spirit. As she got older, that stayed with her and when she moved out for the first time, she decorated her home with so many Christmas decorations, you would think you were in the North Pole. She would give out hot chocolate to the Christmas Carollers and even sing along. Doing this just brings back so many happy memories for me and I thank you for that.”
Lina loves when Inge tell
s her stories of Ann. “Do you think she will get that spirit back?”
Inge sits back in her chair, “I honestly don’t know, she has been crushed at the time of year that she used to look forward to. When she got her heartbroken, she went into this shell and her heart has never truly mended. She doesn’t decorate her home and she doesn’t wear her Christmas jumper or hat. She just blocks the entire season out. I’m surprised that she agreed to manage this project knowing that it was going to be five months of Christmas.”
Lina is saddened by the change in Ann and hopes that she can bring some of the Christmas spirit back to her. “Do you have any advice for me?”
Inge laughs, “Don’t break up with her on Christmas Eve.”
Lina shakes her head, “I wouldn’t do that, she’s an amazing lady and I want this to work.”
“I know you do and all you can do honestly is be there and show her that you are there and keep making her smile.”
Lina grins, “I can do that, you know she has your smile and some of your mannerisms, like sticking out her tongue while she concentrates. She has a curiosity that just makes me smile like an idiot every time she is doing something new.”
Inge folds her arms grinning, “You are falling for my daughter.”
Lina blushes, “I think I am, but I don’t want to scare her off by saying it too early and with what has happened to her in the past.”
Inge gets up and crosses the room in three steps she hugs Lina tight, “You need to get her living and feeling in the present. You can help her with that and finally draw a line in the sand, leaving the hurt behind and build a happier future with you.”
“I want to make her happy because honestly, she has made me happier than I have been in a long time. I never thought I was missing anything, but she has just flipped my life upside down.”
“This makes me very happy to hear and, on this note, I am going to make some coffee to give us a nice boost to do another hour of work before we call it a day.”
Lina picks up her phone as Inge makes the coffee, she frowns when she notices the missed call. She listens to the voicemail and can tell by Olivia’s voice that something is wrong. She quickly calls her back, “Hey Olivia, is everything okay?”
As she listens, she frowns more and starts to pace, “Okay, I can be there in thirty minutes. I will meet you in the coffee shop at the end of the street. See you soon.”
She hangs up the phone, turns around coming face to face with Inge, “What's wrong?”
“I had a missed call from Olivia, Ann is not in a good mood and made one of the girls cry. She wants to talk to me to see if I can help Ann and bring her mood up again.”
“She is getting stressed and being surrounded by Christmas. It is going to be hurting her, making one of the girl’s cry is out of character for her. Go and see what you can do. I will lock up here when I’m done and put the key in the letterbox for you.”
Lina nods and quickly gets cleaned up hugging Inge before she leaves, “I will call you later.”
∞ ∞ ∞
Lina arrives at the coffee shop and looks around for Olivia who waves at her from one of the tables she is sitting at. Lina takes a seat, “What’s going on?”
Olivia slides a coffee across to Lina, “I ordered you a latte, I wasn’t sure what you would like so this was a safe option. Ann has gone insane, she is missing you but there is more to it. She gets like this every year at Christmas time but because she is working on the project with you it’s happening earlier this year. She is becoming so hard to work with and I am her friend. She is stomping around the store barking at anyone who looks at her the wrong way. When she was with Celine, she was on cloud nine all the time. She spoke to me about marriage and kids with her and they were the ultimate couple. Celine used to come around here every couple of days to bring Ann for lunch and she would pick her up at the end of the day. About six months before they broke up Celine stopped coming around and Ann would be so disappointed every time. I got so suspicious of her behaviour, she became so cold to Ann and there were a few times that Ann would be waiting for Celine to collect her and she would be left here. Ann would call me to give her a lift home. I hated seeing her so down and it was clear something was going on with them. Ann always had such an optimistic view and said it was just a rough patch and they would be fine. I got the call on Christmas Eve and she was drunk and crying, I went over straight away, and she had destroyed the tree and decorations and was in the process of tearing up photos. I hugged her tight and took her back to mine. She stayed with me for three months and for two straight weeks she didn’t get out of bed, shower and she barely ate. Mr Willems was so good to her, she was on the verge of getting fired until I spoke to him and told him what was going on. She got no explanation from Celine until she spotted her out with a man. She told Ann that she fell in love with him and wanted to be with him. Ann was in a spin and it took another few months for her to start getting her life together. I think you need to know it all so that you can understand when she goes into the funk and to not run away from it. She really likes you and I think she is scared you will up and leave her too. She is stuck in her head right now, and I know that she needs you, not me this time to help her. I’m sorry for loading this on you but I don’t want her to sabotage your relationship because she is afraid. She will probably kill me for telling you all of this, and I know I should have let her tell you herself, but I hate to see her hurting.”
Lina sits back in her chair, her heart aches for Ann, and she wants to make her see that she isn’t like Celine and that she won’t run. “Damn, she had a horrible time, thank you for telling me, and I will do what I can to help her. She will probably get mad that we talked, but I will weather that storm and we will get through it. Shall we go back to the store?”
Olivia nods, “Let’s go, hopefully, this will be the best Christmas for her in a long time, and she will get back a little of that spirit she had before.”
They walk back into the store just as Margot rushes past them in tears again, “Oh my God, what has happened now?”
They follow the path of broken glass baubles and tinsel until they find Ann sitting on the floor with tears streaming down her face. Lina gasps, “Ann, sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
Ann looks up and allows Lina to take her into her arms. “She only went and dropped the box of glass baubles and tinsel. She wanted to help and couldn’t even do that, it’s all going wrong, I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.”
Lina holds her tight and rocks her soothingly, “Everything is going to be great because you have a great team to work on this. So, what, she broke some baubles, they can be replaced, and if they can’t I will make you some.”
Ann smiles and wipes her eyes, “I’m really happy to see you, how come you are here, I thought you were working?”
“I was, but Olivia called, told me you were having a rough day and I came over to see if I could make it better.”
Ann turns her head staring at Olivia, who is looking sheepish. “What did you tell her, Olivia?”
Olivia looks around for an escape route but can’t see one, “I just told her that you were down, made Margot cry, and possibly…maybe just a little about your ex.”
Ann is fuming, “You did what? You had no right to do that.” She moves out of Lina’s arms, “Olivia, I can’t believe you did that, I was meant to be the one to open up to her and tell her, why did that come up?”
Lina stands up and takes her hand, “Sweetheart, she was just concerned about you, you have been surrounded by Christmas every day, that it might be causing you some stress and bad memories.”
Ann shakes her head, “I was just having a rough day, and Margot was being annoying.”
She puffs out her cheeks and sighs, “Okay, I was a bitch to her, and I need to apologise. You stepped out of line though sharing my business with Lina.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m your friend and when I see you hurting, I will do what is necessary to help. Did I step out of line? Pr
obably, would I do it again? Yes, I would. You have a good thing starting and I don’t want your past to ruin it before it even gets a chance to grow. So, suck it up, it’s what happens when you’re my friend and I won’t apologise for it.”
Olivia stands straighter looking more confident than she feels. Ann wipes her eyes and gives Olivia a hug, “Thank you.”
Olivia hugs her back and is shocked by her gratitude. “You’re welcome, you, pain in the butt.”
Ann laughs and hits her on the arm, turning around she looks at Lina, “Are you sure you want this mess?”
Lina grins pulls her into her body, kissing her hard, “I want you very much, and I really like you.”
Ann blushes and looks at Olivia, “She really likes me.”
Olivia laughs and shakes her head, “Yes, she does, and you are very lucky.”
The mood has been lifted in an instant and the clearing up of the broken glass has begun. Ann has apologised to Margot who gave her a hug and ran back down to the other department as quick as she could. Ann is laughing and joking with Lina when she hears Mr Willems voice, she spins around, the smile leaving her face in an instant, “Celine!”
Chapter 16
Mr Willems looks surprised, “You already know each other?”
Lina steps closer to Ann rests her hand on her lower back giving her support. Ann has gone very pale and needs to shake herself to answer. “Yes, we know each other from a few years back.”
Mr Willems is concerned, “Are you okay, Ann? You look like you have seen a ghost.”
Ann is about to speak, but Celine steps forward and embraces her in a hug, “It’s so nice to see you again after all this time, you look great.”
Ann doesn’t respond to the hug and only then does Mr Willem realise who Celine is. “I’m sorry, Ann, I didn’t put the name together, if you want to you can have Olivia take over with the project.”
Ann shakes her head, “No, that won’t be necessary, Sir, that is the past and I am more than capable of carrying out the project.” She looks at Celine who is still smiling sweetly at her, “It’s nice to see you again, Celine, you are glowing, how far along are you?”
Calling Mrs Claus Page 10
