A Winter Wonderland

by Daniela Reyes

  "They should hire a manager. Most eighteen-year-olds wouldn't have handled it as well as you did."

  Holly realized this was the longest conversation she'd had with Jack.

  "I don't think I handled it too well. Either way, though, that's not happening," Jack said. "I had a whole conversation about it with the festival committee. They said if they hired a manager, then we'd have to hire less staff, which means eventually, the festival would close down."

  “What happens when you don’t work here anymore?”

  Jack shrugged. "They'll downsize it, probably actually close it. It's not like the country club needs the money. They do this mostly to give back to the community.

  "I didn't know that. I get why you want to make sure everything is perfect," Holly said.

  That's why I really want to make every year we have a chance to open, count."

  "I know I can be a bit much sometimes.

  It's why everyone calls me Jack Frost," Jack said.

  Holly tried to put on an expression like she didn’t know what he was talking about but failed. Laurel might’ve been better at that.

  “You know about the nickname?”

  Jack nodded. He kept his gaze on the ground. “I’ve heard it behind my back at least six times today, you and Lola’s conversation being one of those times.”

  “You heard that?”

  Holly wasn't one to get embarrassed, but right now, she could feel her cheeks warming.

  "Don't worry," Jack said. "I don't mind it. And look, I know I come off as a know it all half the time. I don't mean to. It's just that, as you said, I want this year to count. That way, if it is the last year for the festival, everyone can remember it."

  After today, Holly guessed everyone would remember it.

  “People are going to remember us as the festival that got people sick with expired marshmallows,” Jack said.

  Holly wondered if he'd read her mind. "I would say you're wrong, but then I'd be lying. So, yeah, they'll probably remember us as the Christmas festival that tried to poison their guests."

  Jack nodded. He wasn't smiling again. "At least the days before that were okay."

  “We have another two weeks of the festival,” Holly said. “There’s time to make it up to our guests.”

  That was when Lola found them.

  She walked up to the two of them and squatted down to their level.

  “Uh, the lady from the country club committee wants to talk to you,” she said. Holly turned to Jack, expecting him to stand up. Then Lola spoke again. “Not him. She wants to talk to you, Holly.”

  Holly pointed to herself. “Why me?”

  "A rumor," Lola said. "Someone mentioned you were rude to customers, and that you'd been removed from the hot chocolate booth. For some reason, they think you're the one that let the expired marshmallows through. "

  “Who would start that rumor?” Holly asked. She stood, which caught Lola by surprise and made her fall back from her squat. “Because the only person I worked with at the booth was you. And you were responsible for checking the incoming ingredients.”

  Lola cleared her throat. “That task was assigned to you.”

  It wasn't a total lie. The task of double-checking the supplies had been Holly's job, at least part of it. But Lola didn't like talking to customers too much, so she'd volunteered to do it when new supplies came in.

  “Are you serious?” Holly asked. She glared down at Lola. “You’re going to blame this on me?”

  "We're not even sure if the expired marshmallows caused people to get sick," Lola said. "You won't get fired. At most a lecture-"

  "I'm not taking the blame for anything. I'll go talk to the committee lady right now."

  Then without letting either Jack or Lola get in another word, she walked toward the area Lola had come from.

  "Holly wait," Lola said.

  Holly felt a tug on her arm. She whipped her head around. “What?”

  “Please wait.”

  She stopped. “What else should I take the blame for?”

  “Why are you getting mad so quickly?”

  "Because I thought you were my friend," Holly said. "And now you're trying to make me take the blame for this. When it's you who didn't double-check."

  Lola didn't let go of Holly's sleeve. "I can't get fired. I won't have money to get my little brother's Christmas gifts. Please."

  Holly almost laughed. "So, you want me to get fired instead?"

  “She won’t fire you. I don’t think she will.”

  “Lola, I’m going to tell her the truth,” Holly said. “And I’m not sorry.”

  Then without another word, she pulled her sleeve free from Lola's hand and walked toward a lady with a clipboard, one she recognized from her first interview for the job.

  Holly wouldn’t feel guilty.

  She wouldn’t.

  Chapter 4

  Holly sat at the edge of her bed, her wet hair dangling over her shoulders.

  The lady from the committee had fired Lola. She didn't take long to do it either. Holly had explained things, and then the lady had told Lola to turn in her uniform and go. Since they didn't have changing rooms Lola would have to bring her uniform back tomorrow.

  Holly sighed.

  She pressed her hands to the edge of her bed. Why should she feel guilty? Lola was the one who'd wanted her to get fired instead. Meanwhile, Jack had disappeared the whole time, showing up only when the woman from the committee had wanted to speak with him. He'd told Holly she could go home at that point.

  He was right back to Jack Frost status as far as she was concerned, although she wasn't sure if Jack Frost was even an insult.

  Holly opened up her laptop and quickly started a video chat to Gloria.

  It took two rings.

  “Hey,” Gloria said. “What’s wrong?”

  “Who said anything was wrong?”

  "You have your sulking face on, which means you feel guilty about something or someone hurt your feelings. It was the face you made during that year you skipped a grade, and those kids bullied you."

  Holly didn’t want to think about that year. She’d missed Laurel too much, but Laurel had seemed to get on just fine without her.

  “I did the right thing,” Holly said. “I stood up for myself like mom always tells us to do, but-” Holly wouldn’t feel guilty, she wouldn’t.

  “But what?”

  “I got someone fired.”

  “Oh,” Gloria said. “Did you stand up for yourself knowing they’d get fired?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Huh. Did they deserve to get fired?”

  "I don't know, not really. I mean, if it hadn't been Lola, it would've been me."

  "Lola, as in your friend from work?"

  “Yeah.”

  Gloria paused again. She put down a paper she looked like she’d been grading. Gloria worked as a grad assistant. “I mean, I don’t know the whole scenario, and I doubt you’re going to elaborate, but I think standing up for yourself comes first. Although, that doesn’t mean you won’t feel guilty about it. Was there any way around anyone getting fired?”

  Holly thought about it. She hadn't given herself time to consider it. Maybe if she'd stopped, they could've come up with a different plan, a way so the blame didn't go on one particular person. But Lola had tried to blame her first. And then Holly had entirely gone on the defense.

  “I don’t know,” she said.

  Gloria yawned. "Sorry, I had like two hours of sleep last night." She yawned again. "Look, there's no undoing it, okay? Go to bed or watch a movie until the guilt goes away."

  Holly didn't think it would help, but she nodded anyway. "I'll let you get back to grading. By the way, what day does your flight come in?"

  "Uh, not sure yet. I'm thinking about getting a ticket for Monday afternoon, but I have a final I have to submit grades for, and a special one to proctor, for students who had conflicting schedules with the other final, so we'll see."

  "Don'
t wait too long," Holly said. "What if there's a snowstorm?"

  "It hasn't snowed yet over there," Gloria said. "Don't worry; I'll be home for Christmas. And I'll have your presents too."

  Holly forced a smile, something that she always told Laurel to stop doing. Then she hung up and went back to sulking.

  That was when her phone rang.

  She didn’t recognize the number.

  "Hello?" Who even called nowadays?

  “Hey,” Jack said from the other end.

  “Jack. Hi.”

  "So, how are you holding up?"

  “Holding up from what?” Holly guessed he meant Lola getting fired.

  “You know what.”

  Mindreader.

  “I’m fine,” Holly said. “I still have my job.”

  “Okay,” he said.

  “How did you even get my number?”

  “Employee directory.”

  Not creepy at all.

  "What can I help you with?"

  “Nothing,” Jack said. “I thought you might want to talk.”

  "I don't want to talk," Holly said. "Because there's nothing to talk about, and we're not friends."

  “Point made,” Jack said. “Sorry I called.”

  Holly sighed. She almost clicked on the hang-up button.

  “Wait.”

  She could almost feel Jack smiling from the other end. “Yep?”

  "Have you heard anything from Lola?"

  "Not much," he said. "She sent me a text that she'd drop her uniform off tomorrow, but nothing else."

  Holly sighed. Why was she still having this conversation? There was nothing for her to feel guilty about. Nothing.

  “I didn’t call to make you feel bad about Lola,” Jack said. “I just wanted to know if you were busy tomorrow night.”

  Holly didn’t think she’d heard him right.

  “Are you asking me out?”

  "What? No," Jack said. "I mean, I'm asking you to go somewhere with me, but not like on a date."

  He couldn't sound more offended at the suggestion. Well, Holly was glad she hadn't wasted her time liking him. Not that he was even her type. Okay, maybe physically, he was close to her type, but no amount of attractiveness could make up for his personality.

  "Then, what you mean?"

  "There's somewhere I want you to go with me if you're not busy."

  "Could you be any vaguer?"

  "So, no?"

  Holly didn't have time for this. "That would be a no," she said.

  “Okay,” Jack said. “Goodnight then. See you tomorrow.”

  She hung up without saying anything else.

  There had to be some policy about employees getting other employees' numbers from directories. Not that she thought A Winter Wonderland workers had any policies to work with.

  She slipped her phone onto her nightstand and tucked herself into bed.

  Holly refused to feel guilty.

  Yet, she was already thinking about how to avoid Lola at work tomorrow.

  Chapter 5

  Lola was right there.

  Holly watched as her previous work friend handed Jack her uniform. They were too far away for her to hear them, but Jack was definitely saying something comforting. Lola's eyes were puffy as she leaned against the ticket booth. Holly handed someone a pamphlet. For now, all the hot chocolate stands were closed down, until they could get new orders of all the supplies Monday.

  The people who got sick were okay in the end; only one threatened to sue. Then the Glensford Country Club gave them a one-year-long membership, without need for the whole membership approval process, and the person backed down.

  Holly had heard the news from Melody this morning.

  She tried to distract herself with the thought until Lola looked in her direction.

  Holly froze. Yeah, telling herself not to feel guilty was not working.

  Lola looked at Holly, gave her a small wave goodbye, and then turned back toward the parking lot. Jack waved Lola off before walking over.

  Holly hadn’t talked to him since she’d ended their call early yesterday.

  He walked up, smiling to Melody and then at Holly.

  “How’s the information booth running?”

  “Same as always,” Holly said.

  He picked up a pamphlet and then set it back down on the table.

  “Can we talk?” he asked.

  Melody stepped in. "You guys go ahead, I'll run the booth."

  Holly walked with Jack toward the back of the booth, away from the central area of traffic.

  “I shouldn’t have called you last night,” Jack said. “It was inappropriate, especially since I’m a snow angel level above you.” He said the snow angel part without cracking a smile.

  “It was,” Holly said. “I won’t tell HR. Can I get back to work?”

  "One second," Jack said. "Can I tell you where I'm going tonight, at least?"

  “Sure. It won’t make me go, though.”

  "There's a toy drive for the kids at the community center. I'm volunteering."

  “Okay-”

  “And I hope you can come with me.”

  “Why?”

  “In the spirit of Christmas,” Jack said.

  "No thanks," Holly said. Her mom would've had a heart attack at Holly denying to do something in the spirit of Christmas.

  Jack just gave a nod. “Okay, never mind. I’ll let you get back to your booth.”

  Holly gave him a mock thank you and went back to passing out pamphlets.

  She eventually forgot about the whole situation and got home, right as her family ate lunch together. They each had a carton of takeout in front of them.

  Laurel looked confused and slightly blushed.

  “What’s going on?” Holly asked as she walked in. Her head felt hot.

  Her dad had a huge smile on his face.

  "The son of your mom's coworker met Laurel today. They had coffee together, lost track of time, and then he invited her to a bonfire tonight. We're debating whether it's a date or not."

  Holly felt like she’d missed too much. Her dad filled her in more as Laurel looked like she wanted it to be a date.

  “It’s a date,” Holly said. She pulled her beanie off because it felt like her head was about to boil. Then she grabbed an unopened carton of takeout and headed to her room to change.

  __________

  There was a knock on her door.

  “Come in,” Holly said. She sat up on her bed, closing the book she’d been trying to focus on. She’d been staring at the same paragraph for the last half hour.

  Her dad stood in the doorway.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  He closed the door behind him, the way Gloria had when she’d still lived at home.

  “Peachy,” Holly said.

  “Can I sit?” He pointed to her desk chair.

  “Sure.”

  The two sat in silence.

  Her dad fidgeted in the chair.

  “Somethings up. So you can tell me, or you can keep hiding out in your room until your mom notices.”

  Holly loved her mom, but she had a way of not letting go of things, pushing an issue even when it got resolved.

  “Did Gloria say something?”

  Her dad shook his head. “I haven’t heard from my oldest daughter in a week. So, no.”

  “To be honest, I don’t want to talk about it.”

  "Okay," her dad said. "Then, how are you feeling? You don't have to tell me anything else."

  “I feel like I did the right thing, but it ended up hurting the wrong person. And also confused because Jack’s acting strange.”

  “Who’s Jack?”

  “A guy from work, technically my boss, but not really.”

  “Do you like Jack?”

  “No.” Holly’s voice cracked when she spoke. “No. Of course not.”

  Her dad smiled. “Okay.”

  "I don't. He's obnoxious. He acts like everything has to be perfect, or the world's goi
ng to end." To be fair, he had told her it was only because it was his last year. Holly's dad didn't need to know that, though.

  “He sounds more like he’s trying to do his job.”

  Holly didn’t respond because by the look on her dad’s face, she already knew he wouldn’t side with her.

  “Is there anything I can do to help you get out of this rut?”

  “No,” Holly said. “I think it’s something I have to let pass.”

  “Maybe you should go out, get out of the house. Staying in helps Laurel, not you.”

  “I don’t think it helps her,” Holly said. “And I have nowhere to go.”

  Then she thought about Jack's call before their short conversation. He'd wanted to go volunteer at a toy drive.

  "So, you do have somewhere to go?"

  Holly sighed. She stared at her phone on her bed. “Maybe.”

  Chapter 6

  The community center smelled like firewood.

  Holly searched around the room, expecting to see a stack of chopped wood, but she only saw more kids lined up to get their toys. The line wrapped around to the room, and out through two front doors. She didn't know where the doors led since Jack had brought her in through the back, volunteer entrance.

  "You want to spend your Saturday night handing out toys?"

  She stood beside Jack now as kids passed all around them. Why had she agreed to come here?

  “Hey, you’re the one who texted me.”

  “You invited me first.”

  Jack turned toward her. He crossed his arms. "Are you always this bitter about things?" He wasn't smiling like he always did; there was barely any part of his Jack Frost expression on his face. "Yes, I like to spend my Saturday night handing out toys to kids for Christmas. Is this the part where you laugh and tell me how weird I am for that, or maybe for actually liking to work at A Winter Wonderland?"

  Holly knew when she’d outdone herself. She’d made Laurel crack twice in their lives, and Laurel had the patience of a saint.

  "I'm not bitter…" Holly sighed. "I was trying to be funny. Okay? I don't think it's weird you're here on a Saturday. I mean, it's a little strange you looked up my phone number from the employee directory to invite me here. And I did text you first, this time. So, sorry. Okay?"