Love Under the Christmas Tree

by Conner, Jennifer

  The woman at the other end paused. “Well, I can call them, but it will take awhile. Marv went home about two hours ago and the only staff on the night crew is security and janitorial.”

  “How long would it take to get him back?”

  “Oh… I don’t know. Marv lives up in Everett, probably about an hour or two, but I think he said he was going to a hockey game tonight with his kid, and he never has his cell turned on.”

  Don’t panic. Don’t Panic.

  Holli hit the end call button, and then pulled up the internet on her smart phone. There had to be someone. If she could get the electrical fixed before the curtains opened, no one would know. Her hand shook as she spun through the pages looking for a phone number to someone who could help.

  “Hey, Holli.” A deep voice startled her. “I was hoping I’d see you here tonight.”

  She looked up to find Joel. “Oh, hey. Yeah…” she said distracted.

  He stopped in front of her and frowned. “Are you okay?”

  “No, I’m not okay.” She felt her emotions surface and tears filled her eyes.

  “What’s the matter?” He put a hand on her arm.

  “The power blew from plugging in too much stuff for the window display, and now, if I don’t get it turned back on in the next hour, I know I’ll be fired. I’ll be known as the girl who ruined the Christmas season unveiling for Schroder’s Toys.”

  “Do you have someone coming in?”

  “I called the mall people, but that’s not going to happen, and now I am trying to find someone who works after hours on my phone.”

  He cleared his throat. “I think help may be closer than you think.”

  “Huh?” She looked up.

  “Remember me? Utility truck. Mud. I’m an electrician? I said I owe you for the mess I made of you and your clothes a few weeks back.”

  “Electrician?” she repeated.

  He grinned. “Would you like to see my union card?” He reached in his back pocket to pull out his wallet.

  She waved her hand. “That won’t be necessary. Can you look? We have a little less than two hours before my boss comes back for the big moment.”

  “Well, let’s see what I can do.” He turned and motioned to the man behind them. “Come on dad.”

  The two men followed her and Ralph to the back. Joel shone the light in the panel. “Yep, it’s burned through.”

  “Oh… God….” Holli slumped against the wall.

  “I have a bunch of stuff in my truck. It’s a habit of the trade. Let me go and see what I have. I’ll get my tools and I think I might have what I need in my lock box.”

  “Can you fix it in time?”

  “I can try.” He took a step towards her and dropped his voice, “Can I leave my dad with you? He has a bit of a problem with his… memory, and I can’t leave him by himself.”

  “Sure, just let me know whatever I can do.”

  “I’ll call in that rain check for dinner and a date.”

  “If you can fix this, I’ll even cook dinner for you myself.”

  “A home cooked meal? You’re on.” Joel turned to his dad. “This is Holli, she’s the one I told you about that works for Schroder’s Toys.”

  His dad smiled. “She’s even prettier than you described her.” The older man winked at her; just as his son had the night he’d dropped her off in the parking lot. Joel looked a lot like his dad.

  When Joel returned, he had his tools in a large canvas bag. “I think we might be in luck.”

  “Mind if I help?” his father asked. “I used to be an electrician for the city, just like my son.” He turned to Joel. “Do you know my son, Joel? He works for… well, I can’t seem to remember right now.” He scratched his chin.

  Joel’s smile was warm and understanding. “I know your son, he’s a good friend of mine.”

  Holli realized in the short time Joel was gone, his father no longer recognized him. Her heart sank.

  Joel continued, “I know where the power is on the main grid. I need to turn it off. I’ll be right back.”

  .

  When he returned, he handed her the long, silver, utility flashlight. “If you can hold the flashlight for us, we’ll get to work.”

  His father pointed to wires and made suggestions on how he could quicken the repairs. The men worked together holding wires for the other. She glanced down at the time on her phone, but made a mental note not to do it again. Her head would blow off if she thought about how little time they had to make it work.

  After three-quarters of an hour, Joel stepped back. “Okay. I’ll turn the grid back on.” He returned a few minutes later. As he stopped next to Holli, he smiled down at her. “Have faith. I really want that home cooked meal. Go ahead and flip the switch.”

  Her fingers trembled as she touched the smooth, white switch. She pushed it up and the window display jumped back to life. The mini-trains choo-chooed and the show fell from the ceiling.

  “Oh!” Holli cried in joy. “You did it! I could just kiss you.”

  He grinned. “So what’s stopping you?”

  She grabbed Joel around the neck and pulled him down. Her lips met his in a planned ‘quick kiss of gratitude’. However, in a split-second, the kiss turned into much more. Her mind whirled, because Joel new exactly how to kiss a woman. Slow, sweet, and just how she liked it.

  He dropped contact for only a moment before he wrapped his hand behind her waist and pulled her closer. It wasn’t a hard possession, but his kiss was deep and stirring. It sent warmth coursing through her veins. She’d prepared herself for many emotions this day, but the reaction she was having to kissing Joel hadn’t been on the list.

  Now it was number one in the good category.

  He was the one who broke contact and stepped back. He cleared his throat. “Well… my. I’ll take that as a thank you, but I still get dinner, right?” His warm brown eyes twinkled with mischief.

  “Hey,” his father said. “I helped too.”

  Holli kissed the older man on his cheek, and he grinned

  “Better not tell my wife I have a pretty young thing kissing on me.”

  When she saw Joel’s sad smile, she knew his mother, like hers, was gone.

  Holli took his dad’s hand. “I know you guys have been watching Schroder’s Toy’s windows for years, but tonight you’ll get the VIP treatment. There’s a special section cordoned off for friends and family, and I’d like the two of you to be my guests.”

  Mr. Cartwright arrived with his wife and eight grandkids in tow just a little before seven. Excitement filled the air as a large crowd gathered around the front of the store spilling out into the mall.

  Her boss pulled himself up on the platform in front of the crowd. “I would like to thank everyone for being here tonight, and for the 45th anniversary of the Schroder’s Toys Christmas window. I would also like to take a second for a special thanks to our designer, Holli Segal. Her dedicated work brought us all a brighter Christmas.”

  She let out a nervous laugh. “If they only knew,” she muttered under her breath.

  Joel leaned over. “They are all here to see the window. Your window. Now you are part of that tradition.”

  In a grand gesture, Mr. Cartwright pulled out the button and put his thumb on it. “Let’s all count down from ten.”

  The crowd began chanting, “Ten… nine… eight… seven…”

  Holli held her breath and closed her eyes. Joel took her hand in his and squeezed it tight.

  “Two… one.”

  “You can open your eyes,” he whispered.

  The drapes parted and the lights of her Winter Dreamland came to life. There was an audible gasp from the crowd and then a burst of applause. The littlest children in front giggled and pressed their faces to the glass.

  “I like the snow,” Joel’s father commented. He caught a flake on his finger and touched it to the tip of his tongue.

  “I think it’s a big success,” Joel said.

  “Thanks t
o you.”

  “Everyone needs someone now and then,” Joel murmured, running a finger along her cheek.

  Chapter 3

  Joel shifted the flowers and the bottle of wine to his left hand. He pressed the button for the elevator and told himself he was being silly. He’d been on hundreds of dates… well, okay, maybe not hundreds, but enough not to be nervous. Nevertheless, he found himself feeling like an anxious boy counting the hours until it was time for his date with Holli.

  He thought about wearing a dress shirt, but thought it might be too obvious that he was trying to make a good impression. Which he was. Instead, he decided on a new black t-shirt from the back of the drawer and an un-holy pair of jeans. He checked the apartment number he’d written on the side of his hand, took a deep breath, and rapped on the door.

  After a few seconds, the door swung open and Holli greeted him with a warm smile. She had a smear of flour on her nose, wore an old-fashioned gingham print apron, and she looked adorable.

  “These are for you,” he said, and held out the festive bouquet of red flowers and green foliage he’d picked up at the holiday open market by his house.

  She smiled and accepted them. “I told you not to bring anything. This dinner was to be a payback for all you did. You really saved my butt.”

  “It was fun. Dad and I had a great night.”

  He followed Holli into the kitchen, and watched as she put the flowers in a vase, and then opened the wine. She poured two glasses and handed one to Joel.

  She took a sip from her glass. A drop of Pinot Noir clung to her lips and was almost the same color. Deep pink. “How is your dad,” she asked.

  Joel shrugged and tried to pull his gaze away from her perfect lips. “He was okay. It’s different every day. All of this has taught me to take one day at a time and not sweat the small stuff.”

  “When my mom died suddenly of a heart attack, I wished that we could have had more time together. We’d had an argument earlier that same week, and I still think about how dumb it was. I regret that. I doubt you’ll have those same regrets with your dad. I bet he’s very proud of his son.” She looked down at the floor as if she was embarrassed by the fact that she’d made such a personal statement. “Let’s change the subject. I have no idea what you like, so I made meatloaf. I hope that’s okay.”

  “I wouldn’t have pegged you as a meatloaf kind of girl.”

  “I guess it’s fun if I surprise you.” Holli pulled the pan out of the oven. She poured off the drippings and began to make gravy. “You don’t like meatloaf?”

  He grinned when she looked over her shoulder. “It’s my favorite.”

  After dinner, he helped Holli clear the plates and put them in the sink. She followed him into the living room and joined him on the couch.

  “So I couldn’t help but notice that you don’t have any Christmas decorations in your apartment,” Joel said as he looked around.

  “I haven’t wanted to deal with the memories Christmas brings back of my mom, so I haven’t put up anything and I’ve left town the last few years.”

  “I remember you saying you were going to Hawaii. When do you leave?”

  “Well, that’s a sore subject today.”

  “Sorry.”

  “My boss just asked me to design the after-Christmas sales window. Now don’t get me wrong, I am overjoyed that he’s happy with my work, but it meant I had to cancel my reservation.”

  “I know you were looking forward to fun in the sun instead of working and rain. I’ve never gone anywhere but home for the holidays, but I can see the allure of someplace warm.”

  Holli stretched a leg out in his direction. He took her bare foot and rubbed the arch. Her toes were long and she’d painted her toenails in red and green stripes. He grinned and asked, “I thought you didn’t like anything Christmasy?”

  “I don’t think toes count. We had pedicures on a spur-of-the-moment girl’s night out.”

  “And you caved in to the peer pressure?”

  “Something like that.” She offered her other foot and sighed when he began to massage deep with his thumbs.

  “I still have all my mom’s Christmas decorations. Do you have any of your family’s stuff?”

  “I have a box of ornaments in the closet, but I haven’t gotten them out in a few years.”

  “Bad memories?”

  “No… not bad.”

  “Will you show them to me?”

  Holli paused and bit her lip. She pulled herself off the couch and disappeared into the bedroom only to appear a few minutes later with a large green plastic bin. She set it in the middle of the coffee table.

  “Here it is,” she said.

  “Aren’t you going to open it?”

  Holli ran her hand over the smooth, black lid. She sighed and shook her head. “I don’t really want any of it. If you can do a favor for me, would you drop this at the downtown thrift store? I don’t care about any of it.”

  Her words said one thing but her body language of slumped shoulders and sad expression said something completely different.

  “Sure, whatever you want.” He looked at his watch. “I’d best be going. With my job, I have to start when it’s still dark outside.” He tapped a finger on the bin. “You sure about this?”

  “I’m sure. No more memories.”

  “I had a great time tonight. I spend so much of my time when I’m off work with my dad, it was nice to spend the evening with a beautiful woman.”

  “This was one payback that I can live with.”

  “Can I finish this evening off with a kiss goodnight?”

  When she nodded, Joel stepped forward and slid a finger under the shoulder tie of her apron. She lifted her chin, and he took his time dropping his head to touch his lips to hers. He’d had a long, strenuous day at work but every ache and pain disappeared when Holli’s warm mouth eagerly opened under his. He kissed a trail down to her neck and then back up to her mouth. He wanted her.

  “Would you like to stay?” she asked.

  “Every cell is saying yes, but, let’s give this a little more time… even though my body is disagreeing. Can I take you out tomorrow night?”

  “I’d like that.” She smiled, her eyes bright. “But, I have to work late tomorrow. Can we move it to Friday?”

  “Friday it is.”

  Joel replayed the kiss over and over in his head on the drive home. He couldn’t believe that he’d turned down her offer. This wasn’t like him at all. But, Holli wasn’t like the other girls he’d dated. She was someone he could see in his future, and for that, he had all the time in the world.

  Chapter 4

  Holli spent all of the nights that she didn’t have to work late with Joel. He was quickly becoming a habit that she didn’t want to break. That night, they finished eating at a new barbeque restaurant she’d wanted to try and then he asked her if she wanted to take a walk along the water. The air was crisp and cold, but it had stopped raining. She pulled the red scarf tighter around her neck to keep out the chill.

  She took his hand and asked, “Were they happy to get that box of stuff at the thrift store?”

  He paused for a minute and avoided eye contact. “Yeah. I’m not sure what I did with the donation slip but I can look for it.”

  “That’s okay.” She tipped her head back and looked up at the stars. “I know you’re going to think I’m nuts, but I wish I hadn’t given it away. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  “Christmas has a way of making us wish for memories.” Joel ran hands around her waist and pulled her close.

  “If I was in Hawaii, and then there wouldn’t be all this… stuff, resurfacing.”

  “Are you talking about me?”

  “No, I wasn’t talking about you. You’re making everything alright.”

  “Good. Because I am happy you aren’t in Hawaii right now.” He kissed her. It was gentle and long. “How about you come over to my place tomorrow night and I’ll make you dinner?”

  “
Meatloaf?” she asked with a smile.

  “I was thinking of Chicken Marsala with garlic mashed potatoes.”

  She cocked an eyebrow. “How did you know that I love that?”

  “Tomorrow night? I’ll see you then.”

  Holli pulled her car in front of the modest brick house and cut the engine. Multi-colored Christmas lights lit the house with a row of twinkling lights up and down the roof’s peek. Sheets of tiny white lights spilled over onto the bushes. There was even a large inflatable Santa in the yard. His hand waved in the breeze and she expected it to blurt out ‘Ho, ho, ho’ when she wound her way up the path to the front door.

  She pulled back the brass doorknocker and heard Joel call from inside. “Just a minute.”

  When the door swung open, she was shocked to find Joel barefoot, bare-chested, and in a pair of colorful swim trunks. She knew she was staring.

  “Hi,” he said.

  “What’s all this?” she asked as he took her coat.

  “I know how much you wanted to go to Hawaii for Christmas, so I thought I would bring a little of the islands here to you.” Joel handed her a drink with a little paper umbrella. Ukulele music played in the background and a foil palm tree sat in the corner of the living room next to the Christmas tree. “I thought if I eased you into the idea of spending Christmas in Seattle, then next year it might be easier.”

  “Next year? Are you trying to convert me?”

  “Let’s just say I’m trying to make some memories of our own.”

  Holli took a step towards the six-foot tree next to the fireplace. Immediately her gaze fixed on one of the ornaments. “This glass bell… I had an ornament just like this.”

  He came up behind her, ran his hands around her waist and laid his head on her shoulder. “Yeah… that bell is mine. Yours is the one up towards the top.” He reached higher and pulled the other bell free. “I know what you said about giving your mom’s ornaments away, but I wasn’t sure that was really what you wanted to do. When I got home that night, I opened the bin. On top, was this bell. It’s the same one my mom gave me when I was eight.” He paused before continuing. “I don’t know if I believe in kismet, but I knew I couldn’t give your ornaments away. Once they were gone, they were gone forever. After what you said the other night about hoping that they were still here, I hoped you’d changed your mind and that you wouldn’t be mad at me for keeping them.”