by Ali Parker
I made my way to the ballroom. I walked in and saw most of the hired help sitting in chairs. Raised, heated voices could be heard all around the room. Parker was trying to keep everyone under control but they weren’t listening. This was what the guests were complaining about. The negative energy was strong. It was definitely not part of the Christmas spirit we were trying to project.
I walked down the middle of the aisle separating the chairs and made my way up front. Parker was staring at me with a shocked expression on her face. “Harper?” she whispered.
“Well, I’m not actually Mrs. Claus,” I answered.
“Oh, this is going to be good. Maybe I will record this.”
“Everyone, can I have your attention please?” I asked in a loud voice. No one listened. I looked around the room and reached for the stack of brochures. With both hands, I slapped the stack against a nearby table. I did it again and again until I got their attention.
“What the hell is that getup?” one of them asked.
I dropped the brochures on the table and stepped forward. “For one, that is going to stop.”
“What?”
“Hell is not one of the words you can use. Period.”
There was a series of laughs.
“Are you our mommy?” someone asked.
“No, I’m Mrs. Claus and I’m going to whip your asses into shape since some of you think this is a big joke. This is not a joke. This is a job. A job all of you are getting paid very well for. You are taking advantage of a man I happen to think is a good person. If you don’t want to do the job you were hired for, get your grumpy asses out of here.”
They fell silent. I felt a little hypocritical cursing but I needed to make a point. I stared at each of them. I did my best to make eye contact with every one of them. I could be fierce. I could whip their asses into shape.
It was the least I could do for Chase.
Chapter 27
Chase
I was going to find a way to get the pricks to do what they were paid to do. I knew the contract was pretty cut and dry. I was going to find a way to make them abide by our agreement. If they didn’t like it, they could get the hell out of my resort. I walked to my office to find the contract. I was going to go over it with a fine-tooth comb and find something.
I flipped on the light and walked to my desk. I opened one drawer, then another looking for the hard copy I knew I had somewhere.
“Dammit,” I muttered, trying to remember where I put the damn thing. Things had been so chaotic the last couple of weeks, it was hard to say where it might have landed.
I turned on my computer, hoping I had the file saved there. That was when I noticed the envelope sitting on my desk with my name written in Harper’s handwriting scrawled across the front. I picked it up and stared at it for a few seconds before ripping it open. I had a feeling it was something bad. There was no reason for her to write me a letter.
“No,” I whispered as my eyes ate up the words. I was shaking my head, trying to deny what I was reading. She couldn’t quit. She couldn’t leave me.
She was taking the full blame for the fiasco yesterday. She was apologizing to me for ruining the opening. She was making it sound like she personally insulted the guests. I was just as much to blame for the situation as she was. We should have been better organized. The buck always stopped with the man at the top.
To know she was leaving me without us getting a chance to explore the feelings I knew we both had was devastating. She had said we needed to keep it professional and all that, but I wasn’t finished with her. I didn’t think I ever would be.
If she left me now, I was certain I would never find her again. I couldn’t accept that. I wasn’t ready for this thing to be over. She could say it was nothing but that was a load of shit. I had felt the way she responded to me. That wasn’t nothing and it was sure as hell a lot more than just sex.
I dropped the letter, ready to rush out and find her. She couldn’t have gotten far, assuming she didn’t leave last night. Truthfully, I didn’t remember when I saw her last. I moved to the door only to have my exit blocked by Jake.
I moved left to go around him, but he didn’t budge. “What’s the rush?” he asked.
“I need to find Harper.”
“Why?”
I glared at him. “Do you know where she is?”
He laughed, nodding. “I do. It’s why I came to talk to you.”
“Oh no,” I groaned. She was gone.
“I thought maybe you put her up to it.”
“I did no such thing! I don’t blame her for what happened.”
“You might not blame her, but she’s blaming them. From what I hear, it’s a hell of a show.”
I was confused. “Wait, what are you talking about?”
“Harper is giving them hell.”
“Who?”
“The Santas. Parker texted me to tell me I had to get my ass to the ballroom. She said it is a thing of beauty. I figured you would want to see it as well.”
I shook my head. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Then I guess we should get our asses over there and see for ourselves.”
He finally moved out of the way. I followed him back to the main building and down the hall that led to the ballroom that was being reserved for scheduled events. We slipped in the side door, standing just behind her.
I was assuming it was her. I didn’t recognize her in the getup she was wearing. I took a few steps to the side to get a better view of her.
“This is not cute,” I heard her say, holding up a tablet and showing the crowd of men who all looked just a little terrified.
“What is it?” Jake asked.
“It looks like a picture,” I whispered.
“You are here to work! You are not here to take selfies by the pool. No one is going to believe you are here on vacation, so stop trying to fool Instagram. And this one! Seriously? You’re Santa. You are paid to take pictures with kids. A picture of the three of you getting sloshed at the bar is not okay!”
I flinched when her voice raised.
“Damn,” Jake hissed.
We watched as she walked down the row of chairs dividing the Santas. She stopped and pointed at a man’s beard. “Unacceptable. Trims daily. No exception.”
She moved down the row, her eyes scanning them. “Sloppy uniforms, disgusting habits, and rudeness will not be tolerated. This is a job. You are here to make the dreams of kids come true. You are not here to drink. You are not here to soak in the hot tub. You are not here to bitch and moan about the job.”
“I’m a little afraid for them,” Jake whispered.
I shushed him. I wanted to hear what she had to say. “Mixed-up room-service orders are unacceptable. It doesn’t take a genius to look at the number on a door and match it to the ticket. If you are confused, double-check. If you are still confused, ask someone that knows! I will not tolerate you guys delivering wrong orders.”
She walked back to the front of the room, not even looking our way. “Let me make myself very, very clear. This is a job. If I fire you—and some of you are in danger of being axed—you don’t get to crawl back to your union and beg for another cushy job. You’re done. Finished. Understand?”
“You can’t do that,” someone mumbled.
Her head whipped around so fast she looked like something out of a horror flick. “I can do that and you bet your ass I will do that. I will make sure you never work as a Santa in this state again. If you don’t believe me, try me. Who wants to volunteer?”
I almost laughed when no hands went up. I never knew she could be so forceful. I was a little afraid of her, and I wasn’t the one she was mad at.
This time.
It would make me think twice before I pissed her off again in the future.
“You are ruining a dream of one very special little boy,” she said, lowering her voice. The tactic worked. The men were all leaning forward in order to hear her.
I
was just as curious. “Is there one of those Make-a-Wish kids here?” I asked Jake.
He shook his head. “Not that I know of.”
“Who is she talking about?”
He scowled at me. “Shh. Listen.”
“Have any of you felt like you lived in a shadow? Like you weren’t doing anything really great, but just kind of getting by?”
There were some nods, including myself.
“Well, the man that planned this resort down to the smallest detail is at risk of having his dream destroyed by all of you. He is the boy that dreamed of doing something awesome. He had worked his butt off to have the crown jewel of his family’s hotel empire. You cannot imagine how much of himself he has given to making this place be a dream destination for families from all around the world. The goal to give them a magical experience that they could cherish in their hearts forever is on the brink of destruction because you guys won’t or can’t get your shit together. I will not let you ruin this Christmas for Chase. Chase has been an extremely generous employer and I suggest you all start appreciating that instead of taking advantage of it. Get it together. Do I make myself clear?”
There were nodding heads. Hell, I was even nodding.
“Holy shit,” Jake breathed. “She is no joke.”
I smiled. “No, she’s not.”
“If she’s that fierce over a guy like you, I can’t imagine what she would be like with someone she actually likes,” he teased.
“Shut up.”
“Now, tell me what I can do to help you understand what it is you are supposed to be doing here. Because right now, I don’t think you get it. I don’t think you guys are taking this seriously. Look at me. I’m very serious.”
I didn’t move a muscle. I watched as the men, which I would describe as borderline menacing pit bulls, transformed into contrite puppies begging for her forgiveness. They were asking questions. She was offering them tips.
They were actually listening, unlike how the orientation had gone. They seemed to actually give two shits. They were being kinder to one another. It was like she’d waved a magic wand and they were all touched by the spirit of Christmas.
“They are eating out of the palm of her hand,” Jake said with real astonishment.
“Yes, they are.”
“What is she wearing?”
I smiled. “She’s Mrs. Claus.”
“Oh. I’ve never seen a Mrs. Claus with heels and lipstick.”
“Now, you have.” I was unable to take my eyes off her. She was sexy as hell. I was already having some pretty wild fantasies about her in that Mrs. Claus costume. I’d prefer something a little less bulky, but it was hot.
We both stayed against the wall, a few of the white aspen trees that were part of the photo set gave us a modicum of concealment as we stayed out of the way. It wasn’t until the meeting was over and the men started to file out of the room that I finally stepped out from behind the trees.
“I’m going to get back to the office,” Jake said and quickly made his escape.
I slowly approached her. She was folding up chairs, completely unaware of my presence.
“That was impressive,” I said.
She shrieked and spun around, nearly nailing me with the chair she was holding. “Chase! What are you doing here? How long have you been there?”
I smiled. “Long enough. The Mrs. Claus thing is really working for you. I think you should channel her more often.”
She looked a little embarrassed. “It was my last attempt to get through to them.”
“It worked.”
“I’m really sorry about everything that happened yesterday. I know that is not what you expected or wanted. Definitely not what you wanted. I should have thought it through. I didn’t and I might have cost you thousands of dollars and some very bad reviews. I don’t know what I was thinking. I am so, so sorry.”
“Harper, it isn’t your fault.”
“I should have had classes leading up to the launch. It was too much in too short a time. I sometimes forget I’m not as good as I think I am. I let it get out of hand and I take full responsibility. It was very unprofessional. I promise you that is not the way I normally do business. I was trying to impress you and I might have just cost you everything. I’m sorry. I don’t know how many times I can say that, but I truly am. This was not intentional. I would never purposely tank a job, especially this one.”
“Harper,” I said, trying to get a word in edgewise.
“You don’t have to say it. I put my resignation on your desk. I was going to leave this morning but I wanted to try one last time to salvage the remainder of the week. Thank you for trusting me and I’m so sorry I let you down.”
I stared at her, waiting to see if she was finished. “Are you done?”
She flinched and recoiled. “I am. I’ll go.”
Chapter 28
Harper
“No,” he said with so much force I stepped back again.
“What?”
“No, you are not quitting.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine, if firing me will make you feel better, go ahead. Let me have it.”
“I’m not firing you, and you are not quitting.”
“Chase, it’s for the best. I don’t deserve this job. I cannot in good conscience stay on. I ruined your big moment. I destroyed the day you’ve been looking forward to for so long.”
“You’ve always been professional. You’ve always busted your ass and fought hard. I don’t understand why you would throw in the towel. Did you really think it would be easy to do this job?”
I opened my mouth and then closed it. “I didn’t think it would be easy but I didn’t think it would be this much of a disaster.”
“Shit happens.”
“Are you telling me you haven’t been trying to think of a way to fire me?”
“No.”
“Why not? If I had an employee screw up as badly as I did, I would fire them.”
He smirked. “That’s because you are a hard ass. I don’t think you screwed up. I think the idea was good but—”
“The execution stunk?” I said, knowing what was about to come out of his mouth.
He shrugged. “It could have been better but I don’t blame you for that. I was just as much a part of it as you were. Besides, who could predict that these Saint Nicks would be so unprofessional?”
I couldn’t help the slight smile. “More like Saint Pricks, am I right?”
He laughed. “Exactly. Those jolly old fuckers are the problem, not you.”
He was being kind. It wasn’t entirely accurate. “Well, I’m sorry. I really am. Parker will do great for you. Please keep her on.”
“You’re not quitting.”
“Chase, you can’t say that.”
“I can say whatever I want. You’re not quitting. I need you now more than ever. Look what you just did with that group. You whipped them into shape and I have a feeling they are going to do a lot better now. I can’t let you leave me alone with them. I need Mrs. Claus to keep them in line.”
“But you could do better.”
“No, I really can’t,” he said, his gaze burning into mine. “If you insist on claiming the blame for this mess, then you have to stick around and clean it up. You have to follow through with that vision you put in my head. I know this can be a successful grand opening, but I can’t do it without you.”
He was softening my resolve to leave. How could I abandon him after his little speech? “Fine.”
“Good, now can we talk about this outfit?”
I looked down at the pants that looked a bit like balloons. “I know it was supposed to be returned.”
“I think we should write this into your contract. You have to wear the suit three days a week.”
I laughed. “Not a chance in hell. I’m going to change. I think we both have a lot of work to do.”
“We do. Thank you for staying.”
“Thank you for giving me a second chance.”
“I promise I will work my ass off to fix this. I will redeem myself.”
“I have no doubt in my mind you will.”
I looked into his eyes and saw the warmth and caring there. I didn’t understand how he could still be so kind to me after yesterday. Maybe he really had changed. “I’m going to slip into something less shapeless. I’ll see you later.”
I hurried away, walking through the lobby that was much busier than it had been earlier. I noticed the looks. I noticed the stares from a few of the men and the scowls from the women. They acted like I was walking naked through the busy lobby. I would never understand men or women. I didn’t think the outfit was the least bit sexy, but the men did, and the women clearly thought it was scandalous.
I made it back to my room after chatting with a few kids who were interested in meeting Mrs. Claus. I humored them before making my retreat. I stripped out of the costume, carefully putting it back on the hanger and into the garment bag before taking a quick shower.
I was a working woman with a job that needed doing. It felt good to still be gainfully employed. I was ready to walk away, but now that I knew he wanted me to stay, I was so relieved.
I dressed in a chic business suit, wanting to convey a look of authority and professionalism. I wanted the Santas to be afraid if they saw me in passing. I wanted the guests to know there was someone keeping the concierges in line.
Before heading back to my office, I checked in with the front desk. “Any complaints for me?” I asked the reception manager.
She smiled, shaking her head. “Not a one. Any that we’ve gotten have been about the temperature of the pool or a lack of organic this or that.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank god.”
“It’s going much better this morning,” she commented.
“Good. I’ll be in my office. If there are any issues, please reach out right away. I want to nip it in the bud before it can be a thing.”
