He didn’t answer immediately. What would it be like, Nick wondered, to have a wife like Holly to come home to at night? Even better would be working with Holly during the day and then going home together every evening. How amazing it would be to have someone to share his life with? Someone who understood the importance of finding just the right toy, someone who knew how critical it was to keep elf morale high during the long summer months, especially if that special someone was as smart and dedicated to her career as Holly was. Bliss. That’s what it would be.
“Ok, Nick, you’re scaring me,” Holly said. “You’re never this quiet. What’s going on?”
He set the glass down and leaned back in his chair, suddenly feeling terribly pleased with himself that he’d discovered what he wanted. He wanted Holly to love him too. “Nothing’s going on, Holly. Christmas is only a few days away and it always gets hectic here, beyond hectic. But I had a productive, if exhausting, day.” He glanced at his computer. “You’re working late. I didn’t expect to find you here.”
He watched as Holly shifted her gaze to her hands. “I didn’t mean to imply that you aren’t welcome to use my office. You’re welcome anytime. In fact, we can move your desk in here if you’d like.”
She shook her head. “No, Nick. I don’t think you’re going to want to do that.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Why ever not?” He waited for her to answer but she stayed silent. “If you’re concerned because we have such different work styles, you needn’t be. I think we’d make a great team.”
Holly laced her fingers together and brought them up to her chin, almost as if she was in prayer. She shook her head. “It’s not that simple.”
“Of course it is, whatever reservations you have we can work through.” Nick made an apologetic face. “I know I was a little over the top this morning trying to pull a fast one on you. I shouldn’t have told Dad we’d pulled an all-nighter to get that report done. But I can explain.”
“You don’t have to. It’s water under the bridge.”
Nick frowned. Something wasn’t right. Holly looked uncertain, not anything like her usual energetic and ever-so-confident efficiency expert self. He needed to back off. Not scare her. Definitely not let her have an inkling that his feelings toward her had changed. He smiled. “So what are you working on so late?” He nodded his head in the direction of the monitor. “I’d be happy to help.”
“No need,” Holly answered quickly. “That’s all taken care of.”
Nick glanced between Holly and the monitor again. Here, he realized, was a perfect opportunity for Holly to see that he could focus on work. She needed to see that he wasn’t just idly waiting around to become the next Santa. He switched on the overhead lights and moved the mouse. His flying reindeer screensaver disappeared. “Let me see what kept you up so late. I might be able to answer some questions for you.”
Holly jumped to her feet and braced both hands against the edge of the desk. “Nick, wait, before you do that there’s something I should tell you.”
“Just give me a second.” He turned to the computer and quickly scanned the words and numbers on the screen. His eyes widened as shock rolled over him. He reached for the mouse and scrolled quickly down through the file.
“Nick, please, let me just say…” but the rest of her words faded into background noise as he struggled to make sense of what he was seeing.
He looked through everything twice before he sat back in his chair and stared at Holly.
“I can explain,” she said.
“What can you explain, Holly?” Nick said, his voice strained, his chest tight. “That you’ve just cancelled Christmas?”
* * *
Holly stared at him for a long moment. She’d never expected this reaction. She’d imagined Nick would express mild frustration when he found out his pet project was cancelled but anger? No. “Don’t be histrionic, Nick. I didn’t cancel Christmas. That’s ridiculous.”
“What do you call it?” Nick shot back, his voice uncharacteristically terse.
“Cost containment, if you need a label.” Holly leaned forward and pulled one of the file folders from the pile in front of him. She flipped it open. “It’s not an efficient use of time but if you want to go over each item line by line we can. But come on, Nick, do you really need me to point out how wasteful some of your expenditures were?”
Nick reached for his glass and tossed the remainder of the scotch down his throat before burying his head in his hands.
“Your father approved of my decision,” Holly said.
“Bull.” Nick got up to pour himself more scotch, this time a full glass, which he promptly drained before pouring another. Glass in hand, he stood behind his desk chair and glowered down at her. “You don’t know my father, Holly. He would never even consider doing what you’ve done.”
“What I’ve done?” Holly refused to back down in the face of his evident disapproval. “The only thing I’m guilty of is trimming waste, which I might point out, actually improves Christmas.”
Nick pulled a face. “By what warped logic did you arrive at that deluded conclusion?”
Holly held up the file folder. “Fine, let’s talk details.” She ran her finger down a list of figures. “Let’s take today’s massive expenditure for example. You approved a construction loan for a gigantic sum of money and yet I don’t see any documentation that supports your right to spend Christmas Central funds on your own personal residence.” She held up her hand when Nick made a choking sound. “Wait, hear me out. There are an inordinate amount of charges at every conceivable big box store imaginable. Now, I know that you can score some great sales this time of year but how many man toys can you possibly need?”
“Man toys?” Nick raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, you know…giant television screens, far more gaming systems than one grown man would ever need in a single lifetime, there are expenditures for furniture, clothing, and good grief, Nick, the food and catering charges alone are insane.” Holly closed the folder and hugged it to her chest. “I don’t doubt you throw a heck of party when you set your mind to it but I can’t just turn a blind eye when you’re off gallivanting and overspending a few days before Christmas.”
Nick’s silent appraisal of her was not the reply she was expecting but if he felt too guilty to speak, so be it. She had nothing further to say. She’d been hired to do a job, not win a popularity contest. But as Nick’s silence continued it took every ounce of self-control she had to not fidget. She’d wait him out if it killed her.
Her wait was short lived.
“So that’s what you think of me?” Nick nodded appraisingly. “You know what I think? I think you’re projecting your mother’s issues about your father leaving you both onto me. From the moment you arrived here you decided that I was the no-good worthless son of Santa.”
Indignation pushed Holly to her feet. “That’s not fair, Nick. Whatever opinion I formed of you was based solely on your words and actions, as much by what you didn’t do as what you did.” She took a deep breath and silently counted to five but it did little to contain her anger. “And I’ll thank you to leave my childhood issues out of this. That’s personal and very long ago, and it has nothing to do with the here and now.”
“That’s crap, Holly, and you’d know it if you weren’t so wrapped up in your facts and figures.” Nick got up and walked around the desk, stopping in front of her. “You’re absolutely clueless about who I am and what I do.”
“Do? What you do?” Holly shook her head. “Rich, Nick, very rich. All I’ve seen from the time I arrived at the North Pole was you either wowing a group of elves with your considerable charm or, more often, slipping off so you could get away from the North Pole and go play while everyone else worked.”
Holly waited for Nick to protest but he didn’t speak. Instead he held up a finger, indicating she wait while he picked up the phone and dialed an extension number.
“Mr. Elpsie, Nick here. I need three things please.
” He kept his gaze squarely on Holly while he spoke. “Please have a four reindeer sleigh prepared for me, ready to head out in ten minutes.” He glanced down at the empty scotch glass. “Let Tinsel know I’ll need a driver, and please send someone to Miss Jamison’s room to fetch her coat. We’ll meet them at departures.”
Holly waited until Nick thanked the elf and hung up before saying anything. “What’s going on, Nick?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to go anywhere in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, even if Nick had been smart enough to know he shouldn’t drive after a few drinks. “Where are you taking me?”
Nick took ahold of her hand and led her out through his office door and into the corridor. He met her gaze head on. “I need to fix what you’ve done and you’re going to help me.”
Chapter Twelve
Holly’s quilted parka and fleece lined leather gloves were no match for the nighttime Arctic air. As she stomped her feet to keep warm, she eyed the stack of folded wool blankets on the sleigh’s seat and coveted the warmth they promised. But even the idea of avoiding frostbite wasn’t enough to convince her that she belonged in a sleigh. Certainly not one pulled through the dark night by four shaggy reindeer. She shook her head. “I can’t do this.”
“You can and you will,” Nick held out his hand for her to grasp. “You’re wasting precious time. Let’s go.”
Holly looked down at her feet. She liked the feel of her boots on the slippery, icy ground. She’d arrived at the North Pole on a snowmobile and she had every intention of leaving that way. She cast a helpless look at Tinsel.
He smiled from the driver’s seat. “Good evening, Miss Jamison.” He motioned to the seat beside Nick. “We’ve recently installed seat belts if that eases your mind a bit.”
It eased her mind not a single bit. Holly offered the elf a weak smile of thanks but she kept her feet firmly planted on solid ground where they belonged.
“I just can’t do it,” she repeated.
“Okay, I understand,” Nick said. He hopped out of the sleigh and stood behind her.
His sudden change of heart surprised Holly. “You do?”
He nodded and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “If you can’t make yourself get in the sleigh then I’ll just have to put you in it myself.” And before Holly could connect his words with his intention, Nick scooped her up and carried her onboard. He sat down and held her firmly in his lap, his arms too tight around her waist for her to squirm. “Let’s fly, Tinsel.”
He didn’t have to give the order twice. With a quick snap of the reins and a whistled command to the reindeer, Tinsel had them airborne in a matter of seconds.
Holly opened her mouth to scream but a blast of frosty air filled her lungs and she only managed to sputter instead of protest.
“You’re safe, Holly,” Nick spoke softly. “I’m going to put you on the seat beside me and then I’ll help you with your seat belt. But no squirming, okay? I don’t want you frightening the reindeer.”
He was worried about the reindeer? What about her? She nodded her agreement, if only to get the seat belt around her waist sooner rather than later.
“Good girl.” Nick slid her onto the space next to him and buckled her securely in. “How about a blanket?”
Again, she nodded but didn’t say anything. Couldn’t say anything. Her voice didn’t seem to work. She sat as still as possible while Nick tucked a wool blanket around her legs before he settled back and took her gloved hand in his. Holly was torn. She wanted to pull her hand away but she also wanted to cling desperately to Nick. She took a deep breath and forced herself to look over the edge of the sleigh. There was just enough moonlight for her to see the ground pass below them. She jerked back and stared straight ahead.
“Relax, Holly, nothing bad is going to happen to us,” Nick said.
Holly glanced sideways. Nick’s tone of voice had leveled off considerably since they were in his office. Perhaps he was really calming down, or possibly he was concerned she was going to do something stupid and jump out of the sleigh and he wanted to talk her off the ledge. He needn’t worry. She was many things, but a ledge jumper wasn’t one of them. “Where are you taking me?”
“Down below.”
Holly braved another peek over the edge of the sleigh. Down below? Far above was more like it. But at least her stomach had stopped flip flopping, for that she was grateful. “Why?”
“You need to see what you’ve done so you can help me undo the damage.” He held up his free hand to cut off her protest. “Just save your breath, Holly, you don’t know what you’re talking about. You’ve got it all wrong, you’ve misunderstood everything and now we’re going to have to scramble to make everything work out.”
“Oh, please.” Holly could hardly believe Nick’s sense of entitlement. The countdown to Christmas was on and he was this wrapped up in himself and what he wanted? It frustrated her, but even more, it disappointed her. She wanted Nick to be different than most men. She wasn’t certain just why but she did. “Look, Nick, you can take this up with your father at a later time but right now we need to get back to the North Pole. I have some things I need to work on.”
“That’s an understatement.”
Holly narrowed her eyes. “What exactly do you mean by that?”
“Never mind, you won’t admit it anyway.”
Holly blew out a long breath of warm air that mixed with the cold to create a small puffy cloud. Nick was the most infuriating man she’d ever known, bar none. “Admit what?”
Nick looked her straight in the eye. “You’ve got major abandonment issues because your father left you and your mother. I’m guessing I remind you of him in some way because, from the start, you’ve judged me pretty harshly without knowing me.”
His words hit Holly hard. But it wasn’t because there was any truth to them. No. She just didn’t like to be reminded of her father leaving. Even the smallest reminder was enough to set off waves of sad memories. “I’m just calling it like I see it, Nick. You are supposed to be the next Santa and yet you’re not anywhere as hard working as your father and filling his shoes one day is going to be rough for you. Which I think you must know on some level. Am I right?”
By the look on his face Holly saw that she was more than right, she’d hit the bulls eye. Yet, rather than feeling elated about pinpointing his Achilles heel, she felt small, petty and bitter. Her stomach started to ache.
But before Holly could think of the right words to apologize, the sleigh came to a shuddering halt and hovered suspended in mid-air. “What’s wrong?” She half stood so she could see the reindeer but they were in an odd state of suspension that made her heart race. “Are we going to sink?”
Tinsel, reins in one hand, twisted around on his seat to look at them. “Sit down, Miss Jamison. What’s wrong here has nothing to do with either the reindeer or the sleigh. You and Saint Nick are acting like two silly little puppies fighting over a bone that doesn’t belong to either of you. For one wrapped present I’d let you both off here and you could walk back to the North Pole.”
Holly couldn’t think of a single thing to say. Beside her, Nick remained uncharacteristically silent.
“Our mission tonight has nothing to do with either one of you,” Tinsel continued. “It’s about the children, and we have precious little time to set things right. Your petty squabbling is both unproductive and highly annoying.”
“We’re trying to work out-” Nick started to explain but the elf interrupted him.
“Work it out after Christmas then,” Tinsel snapped. “The North Pole has a top notch counseling center and the couch there is big enough for the both of you. But you’re not going to force me to listen to one more minute of this. Not tonight, no sir, no ma’am, no way.” His gaze was reproachful, his tone of voice firm. “For the duration of this flight, I don’t want to hear one more word out of either one of you. Is that clear?”
Holly and Nick nodded in unison.
“Good. You can fill Miss Jamison in on what
needs to be done when we land. Until that time, sit back, relax, and enjoy the Christmas lights below. Am I clear?”
Again, Holly and Nick nodded, which must have pacified Tinsel because he snapped the reins and the reindeer began moving again. As they flew lower Holly could see the tops of roofs and a parade of lights from rows of festively decorated homes. She tried to surrender to the magic of it all but she couldn’t relax.
Just what did Tinsel and Nick have to fill her in on? What did the two of them know that she didn’t? And what did Tinsel mean by the word ‘mission’?
* * *
Nick watched as Tinsel guided the sleigh to a stop on a snowy Chicago rooftop. A slightly bumpy landing was nothing new for him but he felt Holly tense as the sleigh lowered out of the nighttime sky and approached its landing target.
“I’d like to request permission to speak, Tinsel,” Holly said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Nick smiled. Holly was such a stickler for following the rules.
“Permission granted.” Tinsel pulled back on the parking brake and turned to face them. “What is it, Miss Jamison?”
Holly looked around nervously. “What if someone sees us?”
Nick laughed, he couldn’t help it. He kept forgetting what a North Pole newbie she was. But judging by the dirty look she shot him, Holly didn’t appreciate his amusement.
“It’s a fair question,” Tinsel allowed. “No need to fuss and fret, Miss Jamison, nothing untoward is going to happen.”
Holly gestured to the tall buildings around them. “Surely someone will see us and call the police.” She turned to Nick and raised an eyebrow. “And I’d really like to see you talk your way out of this down at the precinct.”
Nick undid his seat belt and hopped out of the sleigh. “Sorry, that’s a pleasure I’ll have to deny you. We don’t have time to wiggle out of being arrested tonight.”
“Oh, just ignore him,” Tinsel said, shaking his head reprovingly. “We’re not in any danger. Miss Jamison, people see what they expect to see. And no one is expecting to see one of Santa’s sleighs tonight. People are funny about Christmas that way. They believe, but they don’t. Which gives us a great deal of freedom to move around down below.”
Mrs. Saint Nick : A Christmas Central Romantic Comedy Novella Page 8
