Change My Mind

by Ali Parker

  “No.”

  She muttered something under her breath. “Do what I did.”

  I copied her actions, feeling rather satisfied when I managed to do it like she did. “Now what?”

  “You’re a big boy. I imagine you want more than two eggs.”

  “You would be right.”

  I reached for two more, cracking them into the pan. “Now use the spatula to stir up the eggs.”

  I clumsily flopped the spatula around. She growled and put her hand over mine again. She gently moved my hand and showed me how to properly scramble the eggs. Her hip brushed against mine. No matter how much I told myself not to do it, I started to feel that little tingle of arousal. I could hear her breathing, feeling it brush over my arm as she helped me stir. I had the gist of it, but she wasn’t pulling away, and I wasn’t going to ask her to.

  I heard her sharp intake of breath and knew we were heading into dangerous territory. “You’ve got it,” she said and stepped away.

  I had a lot of things just then. I could see my eggs were well and truly done but I wasn’t quite ready to step away from the concealment the stove offered my lower half. I did a quick mental lecture and managed to calm things down. She slid two slices of buttered toast onto the plate she put next to the stove. We carried our meals out to the dining room, sitting at a table together. I was glad I didn’t have to ask her to sit with me.

  “Did you guys come up with any ideas last night?” I asked her.

  She took a bite and nodded. “Lots, actually. Would you like to hear them?”

  I would listen to her read me the phone book. “Yes.”

  “You have that children’s play area. We have a plan to make a giant shimmering peppermint candy wheel. Kids can spin it to win a prize. That whole area will be decorated with candies and such. We are looking into getting mini chocolate bars wrapped with the resort logo on them. I’m not sure if they will be here by the grand opening, but we hope to get them here fast.”

  “That sounds great and fun.”

  “For the main lobby, we want a tree that is regal and splashed with glitz and glamour. We’ll use the ornaments Cori is going to be selling in the shop.”

  I was nodding, already in love with what she was saying. “What about Santa?”

  She cringed. “I’m not sure I can make that happen.”

  “No Santa? Isn’t that kind of a given at this time of year?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  I smiled. “I have time.”

  “There is a Santa strike. I thought it was just Boulder, but apparently, it extends much farther than that.”

  “A strike?”

  “Yes. Bob Banner and many, many other big franchise owners in the state refuse to meet the demands of the Santa Coalition. I’m talking malls, stores, everywhere, you name it. These are the Santas everyone wants. Yes, you can hire scabs, and you can hire Joe Blow off Craigslist, but I think that is only going to create bad blood between your company and those Santas. I saw a list circulating. It’s the companies that are hiring unqualified Santas. Those companies are being shunned by not just the striking Santas but several other unions in a show of solidarity.”

  “Wow, I had no idea.”

  “A lot of people don’t. It’s why I was fired. I refused to hire one of the other guys. Bob fired me. Those guys work hard, and I think they deserve the respect they are asking for.”

  I smiled, nodding again. That was Harper. She was staunch in her beliefs. Her moral code was strong. There wasn’t a lot of gray for her. It was right or wrong and nothing in between. “I get it. You did the right thing.”

  She took a drink of coffee and cocked her head to the side. “Carte blanche,” she said.

  “What?”

  “You said no budget, right?”

  “Yes, but what do you have in mind?”

  “There are a lot of men sitting at home right now with no job. They are faced with the awful decision of sticking to their guns or doing a job they have trained for and love. They need the work. Most of them count on the extra income to provide their families with a good Christmas.”

  I had no idea where she was going with it. “You’re saying we should hire one of them.”

  She smiled and slowly shook her head. “I’m saying we hire all of them.”

  I almost choked. “What? Why? Won’t that confuse the kids? Twenty or thirty Santas in one place is risky.”

  “Hear me out,” she said, her eyes flashing with excitement. It was a look I knew well, whenever she got a wild idea to go ice skating in the middle of the night or skinny dipping on a hot day.

  “I’m listening.”

  “We’ll offer a Santa concierge service. They can deliver food, little gift baskets, and stuff like that. If a family wants their own personal Santa, they have it. We can set up a nice backdrop for pictures. We’ll create a winter-wonderland scene with their own personal Santa. He can hand out gifts to the kids. Parents can have our Santa give them the gifts they have purchased. We can offer a free gift-wrapping service.”

  I was seeing dollar signs. “Like the week of Christmas? The day of? What are we talking here?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I would say the two weeks leading up to Christmas day. That’s doable, right?”

  “I suppose it is.”

  “It’s too expensive,” she mumbled.

  “We could make it a premium service,” I suggested.

  “That would exclude some families that are splurging on the cost to be at the resort. Do you want to leave some kids left out because they have a stingy dad or a mom who just can’t afford the extra cost?”

  I laughed, shaking my head. That was typical Harper, championing the little guy. “You’re right. I suppose we could eat the cost.”

  “It will fill this place up,” she said. “Especially considering the lack of options around here. We can promise a Santa experience that is above and beyond what they are used to. Because they are coming from the union, we can make sure parents know the guys are trained and have passed background checks.”

  “You don’t think it will be overkill?”

  “You don’t think your entire resort is overkill?” she shot back.

  I smirked. “Good point.”

  “If you are going to go over the top, you have to go way over. You can’t just put your little toe over the line. Blow it out of the water. I guarantee you no other place will offer this kind of experience.”

  “That’s for sure.”

  “I know it’s a big expense but maybe you could charge for the gift-wrapping, or we could have a menu of gifts that are available for purchase for the Santa to deliver. Some of those things Cori is having made. An add-on sale is the goal, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “I think it will work.”

  “How are we going to get these guys to work here? What if we hire thirty of them and then the other businesses change their mind and decide to pay them what they want? I could be advertising a service I can’t offer.”

  “We’ll have a contract drawn up. You’ll need to negotiate with them, which could be tricky.”

  “Me? We. This is your idea. You seem to have an inside line with these guys. You have to be a part of the negotiations.”

  She nodded. “I can do that. I know one of the union leaders.”

  “Great. Should I make the call or will you?”

  She looked at me for several seconds. “You’re really on board with this? You do realize this is going to be a large cost?”

  “Oh, I know it is going to punch me right in the bottom line, but I’m trusting you. I wanted to leave my mark and make sure the resort was different than the others in the area. I think this will definitely do it. We need to keep this on the down low. I don’t want anyone scooping the idea.”

  “Your secret will be safe with me.”

  “I have no doubt about that.”

  We finished our breakfasts and, together, cleaned up the kitchen to hide the evidence of our pres
ence. I really didn’t think the chef would appreciate knowing we’d helped ourselves to his kitchen. I was only informed yesterday it was his kitchen.

  The whole time, I thought it was mine. Silly me.

  Chapter 11

  Harper

  I gave Parker my list of ideas I wanted her to put her artistic flair on while I was gone for the day. I was taking my laptop for the drive to Denver. I really didn’t want to be away for the day when there was so much to get done, but this meeting was important. We were meeting with the representatives for the Santa union.

  Chase insisted I bring an overnight bag in case the negotiations took longer than expected. I really hoped it wasn’t a ploy. I wasn’t interested in hooking up, no matter what his little game was. We were in the past.

  I carried my bag to the lobby where I was supposed to be meeting Chase. He was already there talking to his assistant. Jake was bobbing his head up and down as he tapped on a tablet. I imagined Chase was giving him a laundry list of things to follow up on. It was impressive to see Chase being so hands-on. He wasn’t one of those absentee business owners that just breezed in, spouted a list of orders, and then retired to his yacht or something similar.

  I wondered what kind of car he drove. I was guessing something sporty. That didn’t exactly make me feel safe. He saw me standing off to the side and ended his conversation with Jake. “Ready?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be. I hope you’re a better driver now than you were back then.”

  “I might be a little but I’m not driving. I rarely drive these days. I use my time in the car to work or catch up on emails and stuff.”

  I cringed at the thought of riding in a limo all the way to Denver. It would be luxurious, but I would feel like everyone was staring at us. He picked up my bag and started to walk out the front doors. A black SUV was idling underneath the covered area where a bellhop would be once the place was open.

  He opened the back and put our bags in before opening the back door. “After you.”

  I felt a little better with his choice in vehicles. I climbed inside and sat down in the comfortable leather seat. He closed the door and went around to get in on the other side.

  “Hi,” I said to the driver, who was fiddling with the radio.

  He turned back to look at me, offering me a smile. “Good morning.”

  “Have you been doing this long?”

  “I have. I’m an excellent driver. You’re in safe hands.”

  Chase got in and buckled his seatbelt. “Dwayne has been my driver for years,” he assured me. “He’s good.”

  “I’m sorry, Dwayne. I don’t mean to question your ability. I’ve just never been driven before, beyond the occasional taxi ride.”

  “I understand.”

  Chase was looking at me and smiling. “Relax and enjoy the ride.”

  I looked at him and scoffed. “Do you remember the last time you said that to me?”

  He slowly shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

  “Let me refresh your memory. You had just gotten that Jeep. The one you and your buddy put the big fat tires on. You told me you were taking me for a ride in the thing. You didn’t tell me you were taking me out to a mudhole. I felt like a milkshake by the time you were done.”

  He was grinning. “I do remember that. You didn’t talk to me for like three days. You said I ruined your shoes.”

  “Yes, you did—when you got stuck and told me I had to help push!”

  “It was push the thing out or call our parents and tell them where we were.”

  “My point is your relaxing joyrides are not the same as mine.”

  “But it was fun.”

  “It was terrifying.”

  “You laughed about it later.”

  I frowned at him. “How would you know? You said you didn’t remember.”

  He shrugged. “I might remember a little bit.”

  The rest of the ride was relaxed and enjoyable. We reminisced about the good times, carefully avoiding anything that had to do with us and our relationship. I was grateful he knew better than to bring up those times.

  Dwayne parked in front of a small office building where the union’s headquarters were. We walked inside and were quickly shown to a small conference room. We sat down and waited, both of us not knowing what to expect.

  “Good afternoon,” a balding man said as he walked inside. He was followed by two more men that I pegged to be in their fifties. “I’m Cal and this is Dave and Oscar.”

  Chase shook their hands. “I’m Chase and this is Harper. Thank you for agreeing to meet with us on such short notice.”

  They sat down, keeping their poker faces on. I could see they were going to drive a hard bargain. “We’ve reviewed the proposal that was sent over and we have a problem.”

  I sat forward. “What would that be?”

  “You’re willing to pay the wages but most of the men filling the jobs would be leaving their families behind. They are expected to pay to rent a motel, which is really counterproductive to the wage increase we’re fighting for.”

  I looked to Chase, silently asking for permission. He gave me a slight nod, giving me the go-ahead. “I think we could negotiate a fair price at one of the local motels.”

  The man, Oscar, made a scoffing noise. “They aren’t good enough to stay at your luxury place?”

  “I didn’t say that,” Chase said, clearly taking offense.

  I put my hand on his, quieting him before he could say more. “We are expecting to be completely booked during the weeks we are requesting your Santas. It’s why we want them in the first place.”

  “Isn’t this the season of giving?” he shot back.

  “So you’re willing to work for free?” Chase retorted.

  “I am very aware of the strike,” I stepped in. “I know a lot of these guys are out of work. We are willing to pay for their asking wage and offer them free meals in the restaurant on site.”

  Chase made a choking sound. He said no budget and I was going to hold him to it. “And the accommodations?”

  I looked at Chase again. This was a little out of my league. I had no idea if the hotel was booked or not. Chase took a deep breath. “I thought Santa was supposed to be the giving sort?”

  “We’re giving you good tidings and cheer,” Oscar said with a smile.

  “For a price.”

  “Everything has a price, even Santa.”

  Chase was tapping his finger on the table. It was the same nervous habit he had when he was studying for a test. It meant the little wheels in his brain were turning. “I can provide room and board, but the guys are going to have to share rooms. They are not the luxury suites. We’ll have rollaway beds brought in. Four to a room.”

  “Three,” Dave countered.

  “Four with meals provided,” Chase held firm.

  It was only a little strange to be negotiating with a man that really did bear a remarkable resemblance to Old Saint Nick. I watched the three of them exchange looks. I was sure Chase would walk out of the meeting if they tried to ask for more. He was being more than generous in my opinion.

  “Fine, we’ll send over twenty guys,” Cal said. “They’ll need access to laundry services. They will provide their own suits, but they are dry-clean only. You’ll be footing that bill.”

  Chase groaned. “Should I bake fresh cookies every day for them as well?”

  “Don’t forget the milk and I hope you have lactose-free on hand as well,” Oscar said with a grin.

  “Do we have a deal?” I said before Chase could tell them all to go to hell.

  “We have a deal. We’ll need contracts signed.”

  “Me too,” Chase chimed in.

  I squeezed his hand. “We’ll get those sent over right away. Can I make one request?”

  “Sure,” Cal said with a flirty smile. “Anything for a pretty lady.”

  Chase jerked his hand. I gripped it tighter. “We want the best. We’re paying a lot of money and offering a be
nefit package that none of these guys will get anywhere else. We want the best.”

  Cal nodded. “We’ll make sure we float this offer to our best guys.”

  “Thank you.”

  We stood to walk out. Dwayne was waiting near the SUV with a grim look on his face. “Chase, we’ve got a problem?”

  “What is it?”

  “That snowstorm we were hoping to avoid has hit. The freeway is a mess. I have to advise against making that drive back. You know I’ll do it if you insist, but you need to know the danger.”

  My eyes widened. “We’ll stay,” I blurted out.

  Chase smiled and nodded. “You heard the lady. Just take us to the nearest hotel.”

  “Will do, boss.”

  We were driven to a fancy hotel that I would never have been able to afford. Chase insisted he pay for mine and Dwayne’s room, but his driver had family in the area he wanted to stay with. That left the two of us. I stayed back while he got our rooms. When he came toward me, I could tell something was wrong.

  “What is it?”

  “They’ve only got one room, a suite.”

  I groaned. “Great and Dwayne’s already left.”

  “It’s a suite. There’s plenty of room. I’ll take the couch.”

  The very last thing I needed was to be trapped in a hotel room with him. “Fine,” I muttered.

  “I’ll have our bags sent up. In the meantime, I think we are owed a celebratory dinner.”

  “Oh, you think so?”

  “I do. We just negotiated with Santa Claus. That’s a pretty big deal.”

  We walked into the hotel restaurant that was very swanky. The hostess led us to a private table shrouded in dim light. It was great for privacy but not so great for seeing what you were eating. He ordered a bottle of champagne that I knew cost upward of five-hundred dollars.

  “You’re splurging,” I said.

  “This was a huge win. Like you said, no other place is going to offer a Santa concierge service.”

  The waiter poured us each a glass of champagne. Chase toasted to our success. I immediately felt the bubbles going right to my head. We spent the next hour drinking the bottle of champagne and enjoying a delicious meal followed by a rich chocolate dessert.