The Holiday Gamble

by Sam E. Kraemer

  Cris leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his muscular chest in a manner that told Ridge the guy was totally closed off to any explanation Ridge might try to offer… if he actually had a good one. He didn’t.

  Telling Cris the sob story regarding how his father had cut him off and forced him to take a job at the West Philly store, because Ridge had been too immature to realize he needed to grow the fuck up, seemed far too humiliating at that point.

  Telling Cristian that he was in love with him after everything that happened would be the most ridiculous thing Ridge could ever say, but not telling him seemed like a missed opportunity. “I’m…” Ridge began.

  “Yeah, I know who you are, and I’m sure you’re sorry for deceiving me. I was actually going to allow you to explain things to me without forming a judgment in advance, but I just heard your brother explain to your father that it was all about a bet regarding a sports car.

  “I was part of a wager between you and your brother, and the winner got the Porsche? You must think I’m some fucking idiot to have fallen for your bullshit, huh? I bet you got a good laugh about how fucking gullible I am!

  “At the end of the day, you lied to me and everyone at work, but worse, you lied to my sister. She actually trusted you and took your advice about asking that boy to the dance.

  “You made me think you were actually interested in me, but I can live with the knowledge that you were just killing time until you got back into your father’s good graces and won your brother’s car. Shame on me for misjudging your character, but I’ll be fine.

  “What I won’t tolerate is that you made my sister think you actually gave a shit about her and her life. Hannah didn’t deserve for you to play her like a sucker. Making a laughingstock of me is one thing, Mr. Holiday. Making one of Hannah? No, that’s not something I’m willing to let slide. To the victor goes the spoils, and I wish you the best of luck with your fortune and your fancy car.

  “If we have to work together over the next week, because I don’t know where Kirby could find another photographer on such short notice, I’d appreciate it if we keep things professional. Stay away from me outside the context of the job, but more importantly, stay the hell away from Hannah,” Cris stated before he turned and left the curtained area of the hospital.

  The tears came immediately. Ridge was gutted at the hurt he’d seen in Cris’ eyes, and the idea he’d put it there made him feel like the worst piece of garbage on the planet. The worst part of it all was that Ridge had hurt two people about whom he cared deeply, and it was because of his stubborn desire to win a fucking car. Ridge’s brother had it, and Ridge wanted it to spite him.

  Cris and Hannah’s trust and friendship were worth more than any material thing. Ridge just didn’t realize it until it was too late. That was the part that gutted him the most.

  Chapter 11

  Cris wasn’t surprised when he showed up on Sunday morning at Holiday Toys to find they were missing an elf. Kirby was dressed in black slacks and a red sweater, having taken over the responsibility of being Santa’s photographer, once again, using the “crappy” camera, as David… Ridge Holiday… always referred to it.

  While Cris liked and respected Kirby, the store manager didn’t have the charisma Ridge Holiday had when it came to entertaining the kids to take more personal and professional photos. Kirby told him a few of the parents had called and asked for David’s information to see if they could hire him for other events, saying David was the best photographer they’d ever seen. Cris’ heart ached at hearing the news, because he was sure David would have been happy to listen to the praise. He had no idea how Ridge Holiday would feel about it.

  Sunday was a long, hectic day, what with it being a week before Christmas. Santa’s Wonderland stayed open until nine, which seemed late for little kids, but the store was open until midnight. Besides, Cris didn’t have a say in the matter.

  Cris was grateful he didn’t have to stay until the store closed because working two jobs during the holiday season was taking it out of him. The next weekend, the store was open all night, closing at six on Christmas Eve evening. Fortunately, Santa didn’t have to stay past nine over the weekend and was off on Christmas Eve, unlike everyone else.

  Of course, Hannah’s holiday formal was on Saturday, the twenty-first, and Cris was no closer to having the money to buy her a dress than he was to winning the lottery. That was quite a distance considering he didn’t buy lottery tickets. He had no luck at all and no money to waste.

  When it was finally time for Santa’s Wonderland to close that Sunday evening, Chris took the bus home and let himself into the apartment. He placed his boots on the rug near the front door, put his keys on the keyring nearby, and hung his coat on the back of a kitchen chair to dry after walking from the bus stop in heavy flurries.

  Surprisingly, the dishes he’d washed that morning had been put away, which was a relief. The kitchen floor even appeared to have been mopped. Cris heard the television in the living room and felt the dread settle on him because he needed to tell Hannah the truth about what had happened with David… Ridge Holiday.

  “How old is she?” he heard a familiar female voice asking that didn’t belong to his sister.

  “That’s Amber. She’s sixteen, and her baby-daddy is actually fifteen. His parents swear he’s not the father, because his dad is a preacher and taught him better, but when they’re not around, he’s a shady little horny toad. So, when do you want to go?” he heard Hannah ask.

  Cris stepped into the room and crossed his arms over his chest. “Miss Holiday? What are you doing here? Hannah, please go to your room,” Cris demanded.

  Of course, things weren’t going to go that easily. “Cristian, you go to your room. I thought David… Ridge… was going to stay over last night so you’d be in a good mood tonight. I heated up some of your meat sauce to make us something to eat, and Eve was impressed with your cooking skills.”

  “I made a plate for you and put it in the fridge. I cooked the pasta and got it done this time,” Hannah told him with a proud smile, reminding him of the last time he made the sauce, and she volunteered to make the pasta, but she didn’t allow it to boil long enough.

  They ate it, but Hannah was the one who asked why it was crunchy. The two of them laughed when Cris explained it wasn’t entirely done. It was a private joke between the two of them.

  Eve stood up and turned to Hannah, touching her shoulder. “I need to go anyway, Hannah. I’ll pick you up here after school. Shall we say four? After we get things sorted, I’d like to take you to dinner. I think we can be great friends if he and Ridge don’t mess it up,” Eve told Hannah before giving her a big hug.

  When the two young women broke apart, Hannah gave Cris a caustic look, before leaving the room. Eve turned to him and delivered what Cris could only call an unhappy smile.

  “So, Ridge’s nose isn’t broken, but he has a hell of a knot on it, thanks for asking. No, he doesn’t know I’m here, but he’d asked me to see that Hannah had a dress for the dance before all of this shit happened, and I don’t turn my back on a promise. I told her the reason behind Ridge’s real identity and why the deception on his part. She laughed and said she thought it was like a Christmas movie.

  “I suppose Elliot explained what I was doing at the store? He and Ridge have always been so damn competitive, it’s ridiculous. Elliot’s mom’s favorite. Ridge is the middle child and comes with all of the usual childhood baggage that comes with being a middle child, and I’m Daddy’s little princess.

  “I don’t know if that explains anything to you or not, but that’s our family dynamic. I’d like it if you’d consider giving Ridge another chance, because I think he really cares about you, and I think he’s worth it. It might have started because of that stupid hunk of metal, but everything changed when Ridge met you.

  “That’s all I came to say. I’ll be sure Hannah has everything she needs for the dance, and we’ll have Craig, our driver, with us to keep us safe while we
shop. I’ll make sure she’s home before you get home from work,” Eve Holiday assured him.

  Cris wanted to argue with the young woman and tell her to stay the fuck away from his sister, but he really had no beef with Evelyn Holiday. She seemed like a lovely person, and maybe she could be a good role-model for Hannah? However, Ridge paying for Hannah’s dress was out of the question.

  “Stay here for a minute,” Cris told her before he hurried back to his bedroom to find the envelope he’d placed on his dresser from Bobby Jobe, his boss at the garage. Cris opened the envelope to see the check was for five-hundred dollars, which was a surprise. The previous year had been two-fifty.

  Cris quickly grabbed the check and flipped it over, signing his name to the back of it and making it payable to Evelyn Holiday. He walked back down the hallway to see the woman standing in the spot where he’d left her.

  “Here. I assume you can cash this. This is how much I have to spend on Hannah’s dress and whatever goes with it. I want no help from Mr. Holiday. From what your older brother told me, Ridge still has about two weeks to go to win his car. I wish him the best of luck,” Cris snapped.

  Eve Holiday smiled and shook her head before heading toward the front door. “I almost wish that I never fall in love. God help me if I meet a guy like you or my stupid brothers. Goodnight, Cristian,” she told him, then let herself out and pulled the door closed.

  Cris wasn’t sure what to make of her comment, but at the time, he was too tired to care. Food, then bed. He was ready for the New Year, hoping it brought something positive. It had been his same Christmas wish since they’d lost their parents, and Cris assumed responsibility of Hannah. The wish had never been granted before, so he wasn’t holding out any hope for this Christmas, either.

  When Cris returned home from the store on Monday night, Hannah was settled at the table doing her homework. The school holiday started on Friday, December 20, so Hannah was in the middle of a few projects that needed to be turned in by Wednesday.

  Cris was incredibly proud of how diligent his sister was regarding her studies. He never had to remind her about schoolwork. Most of the time, he had to pry the books out of her hands to get her to eat.

  “Did you find a dress today?” Cris asked as he made himself a sandwich in the kitchen.

  “I did. Eve helped me find one on sale. The lady had to take it in at the waist, so I’ll go pick it up on Friday. Eve said she has a pair of shoes that match it perfectly, and I can borrow a purse. There’s an envelope for you on the counter,” Hannah told him, still not thrilled with him, or so Cris guessed.

  Cris nodded as he took his plate to the table and sat down across from Hannah. “Ridge isn’t the bastard you believe him to be,” his little sister barked out, defiantly.

  “That’s none of your business, Hannah Banana. I’m a grown man, and I can make my own decisions regarding my love life,” he told her after he had swallowed.

  He took a sip from the water bottle he’d brought with him from the store’s refrigerator and looked at Hannah, seeing she wasn’t satisfied with his response. He started to consider how best to address the issue, but determined avoidance was the best course of action.

  “You’re almost done with your essay about that Shakespeare thing, right?” Cris offered the change of subject.

  “Turned it in today, ahead of schedule. I’m working on extra credit for Chemistry. The city-wide science fair is in March, and my paper explaining ‘mole concept’ and the importance of Avogadro’s number might get me a place in the stupid thing.”

  “The prize is a trip to Washington D.C. in May to present my paper for the National Science Fair. The grand prize is a bond to be used for college,” she explained.

  Suddenly, Cris felt so totally inadequate when it came to Hannah’s future, he was ashamed of himself. He wished to hell he had the money to pay for college, so she didn’t have to worry about it so much.

  Cris knew how much his sister wanted to go to college, and it broke his heart that she wasn’t confident it was possible. “We’ll figure it out, Hannah, I swear,” he told her as he scooted his plate away.

  Hannah looked up at him and reached for his hand. “I know we will. I’m just trying to do my part, Cris. You work so hard to provide things for me, like that dress. I hope you know how much I love you for it,” she told him as her eyes teared up.

  Cris stood and pulled her up, taking her in his arms to hug her. She was an amazing young woman, and as her big brother, he was so proud and grateful to have her in his life.

  “It’s fine. Will I get to meet this kid, Bauer? I’m not exactly happy I won’t be here when he picks you up,” Cris told her, before he kissed her forehead and sat back down, pulling the sandwich in front of him, because he’d regained his appetite.

  “Actually, his mother is taking him to get his tux tomorrow after school. It’s her day off. I could send them by Holiday Toys so his brothers can meet Santa. How would that be?” Hannah offered, while keeping her eyes steady on the book she was reading, then furiously writing notes in her notebook.

  It was, yet, another sign of failure on Cris’ behalf. He couldn’t afford a computer or Wi-Fi for his little sister to do her homework at their apartment, so she had to go to school early to use the computer lab in the library, or she had to stay late after school, which Cris hated.

  It was nothing new, the guilt he felt when he considered how they had to scrimp on certain things that weren’t really luxuries to other people. It felt especially weighty during the holidays.

  Cris finished his sandwich and put the plate in the sink, seeing a few dishes there. He put the stopper in the bowl and squirted the detergent inside before he walked over to the counter and picked up the envelope with his name on it. When he ripped off the end, he saw five, crisp hundred-dollar bills.

  “Hannah, I thought you said Miss Holiday got your dress on sale,” he pointed out as he turned to see her glance at him before she went back to her writing.

  “She did. Her friend is a fashion designer, and she had samples from her fall collection. She actually gave it to me after she did the fitting. It’s pretty. It’s a frosty-blue color with a white lace bodice. It has a tulle skirt of white and blue. I’ll make sure there are pictures for you to see it, Cristian.”

  “Maybe if we leave earlier, Bauer and I can come by the store and get our pictures taken with Santa?” Hannah suggested as she gathered her books and hugged Cris, offering a kiss on the cheek, then heading down the hallway to put an end to any discussion between the two of them. Possibly, she wanted to avoid the temper tantrum Cris was gearing up to throw, so he couldn’t blame her for leaving.

  Cris shook his head in frustration as he turned off the water and considered whether he should be upset that Eve Holiday hadn’t used his money to buy Hannah’s dress. If the woman had a friend who was a designer, and had party dresses just lying around that she was willing to give away, then how could he be upset? At least it wasn’t Ridge Holiday’s money that was spent to provide his sister with the party dress of her dreams.

  Cristian and Hannah weren’t charity cases for the rich. That was one thing Cris wouldn’t allow, because he had pride, and he wouldn’t succumb to anything he knew his mother would never accept. Their lives had been fine before Ridge Holiday came along and turned Cris’ world upside down. They’d be fine after the crash.

  “Santa, can you come out?” Cris heard, as Cookie, Cocoa, and he were taking their evening break at seven-thirty. It was Kirby standing at the door of the break room, and he had a look of concern on his face, not for the first time since Cris had met the store manager.

  The rumors regarding the demise of the West Philly store had been squashed by a letter on the bulletin board explaining the corporation was having a good year. There was no talk of downsizing at any of the stores, and the employees were grateful for the reassurance.

  The letter went on to explain that the company was going in the opposite direction of downsizing. The Holiday Toy
s’ new warehouse and distribution center, which was to be located twenty miles from downtown Philadelphia in Ambler, was hiring, and an employee referral program was being implemented.

  From what Kirby went on to explain to everyone, the company had evaluated the changes in shopping habits among toy buyers after the previous Christmas numbers were analyzed, and they’d decided to update and expand the warehouse to accommodate the additional inventory the company was planning to acquire when it launched its online toy catalog in the spring of the next year.

  Holiday Toys had even purchased its own fleet of trucks for deliveries in and around Philadelphia. Referral bonuses were being offered to all employees in the tri-state area for leads on additional, qualified workers to staff the warehouse. If Cris didn’t love his job as a mechanic, he’d consider applying for a job there.

  The town where the warehouse would be located was charming, and Cris could probably move Hannah away from West Philly and the private school she seemed to dislike and into a public school in the small town without much disruption to her academic career. Unfortunately, it couldn’t happen, because he had a job at Jobe’s Garage, and he was loyal to a fault.

  Pulling on his wig and beard, Cris Gamble walked over to the mirror to adjust the fake props and ensure his brown hair was covered entirely. He pulled on the fancy hat and chuckled when the silver bells jingled.

  Cris actually loved the new suit, because it was much classier—and smelled better—than the velour thing he’d worn for the last three years. It was hard not to embrace the Christmas spirit when he wore it.

  Cris turned to follow Kirby out of the break room, stopping when he saw Ridge Holiday standing next to a pretty, African American woman, a teenage boy who looked very much like her, and two smiling boys of about five and eight. Ridge was dressed in a pair of charcoal slacks and a cream sweater with gold, embroidered snowflakes that had Cris swooning a little.