Chapter 1 #2
“That’s because you’ve always had people who handle most of the chaos that goes with the holidays for you.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning you were born into a wealthy family. You had people come and decorate your house, people who did your shopping and wrapping gifts for you. All you had to do was show up!”
“Thanks,” Lucas murmured. “You make me sound like an entitled jerk.”
“That’s not what I meant. I just meant that you don’t get why people get stressed because you can’t relate.” He paused. “But you get to celebrate all the perks of other people’s hard work.”
“Yikes. Now I sound even worse.” Lucas let out a long breath, lowering his arms. “I enjoy getting presents and sending cards and all that good stuff. I love celebrating with our annual Christmas party for everyone who works here and then seeing all my relatives and spending time with them, but I’m still not happy.
I kind of always end up feeling let down. Like something’s missing.”
Lennon studied him for a moment. “I can relate—the let-down feeling and all that. Hell, that’s how I usually feel by the time the holidays are over.
I never really get what I want.” He laughed softly.
“It’s not nearly as exciting when you’re an adult.
As a kid, we got all the cool toys and games.
Now I get a bunch of stupid sweaters or practical stuff.
” He shuddered dramatically. “I’m grateful, but… ” He shrugged.
“What do you usually want?”
He grinned. “Real estate.”
Lucas rolled his eyes. “Dude, no one is going to buy you real estate for Christmas. And what would you even do with it?”
“I want to flip houses! I want to tear down walls and take something ugly and make it look fantastic!”
“Len, you once hired someone to assemble a coffee table for you,” he said with amusement. “I don’t see you walking around with a sledgehammer knocking down walls.”
“I didn’t say that I was personally going to do it. I just want to get into that. Flipping houses and making money!” Another grin. “But back to you. Are you going to be okay? Really?”
“What choice do I have? The holidays are going to suck this year, everyone’s going to be disappointed about the party, my parents are going to make me crazy, and it is what it is.”
“Or…”
“Or…?”
“Why don’t you do the party?”
The bark of laughter was out before he could stop it. “Um…you’re joking, right?”
Leaning forward, Lennon nodded enthusiastically. “I mean, think about it! Why can’t you? You can hire the people to decorate the house, hire the catering crew, and do it all exactly the way it’s been for years. You’d be the hero!”
“There’s just one problem with that.”
“What?”
“I don’t know anything about any of that. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. And if I call and ask my mother, you know she’s just going to freak out and come home and put a stop to it.”
“So you don’t ask her. You just do it. Get it all planned and put everything in place so it’s too late for her to come in and cancel it.”
“Dude, you know my mom. If she wants it canceled, she’ll do it.”
“She also loves everyone’s approval,” Lennon reasoned.
“And you and I have been friends since middle school, so I can say that with confidence. There is no way she’ll want to come off as the villain.
Trust me. This could be the answer to your mood.
Put yourself in the middle of the entire production.
There’s no way it won’t make you feel more connected to the holidays! ”
“I don’t know…”
“Blast holiday music! Get involved! And before you know it, you’ll be fa-la-la-la-la-ing with the holiday spirit!”
It seemed ridiculous to him and, honestly, he had no idea how he would even pull it off, which is what he said.
“Didn’t she work with someone here in the office? Maybe you can ask around and find out?”
Ugh…why wouldn’t he just let it go?
Lennon got to his feet. “Just…think about it, okay? For all you know, planning this party will not only get you out of your funk, but it can also be the thing to bring your parents together.”
Standing, he shook his head. “I wish I had your enthusiasm. Maybe you should be in charge of planning the whole thing. I’d gladly give you full access to the house and the party and everything that goes with it.”
That made his buddy laugh. “Um, no. This is about you and doing something good for you, the company, and your family. But I can ask around and see if anyone was working with your mom on the party planning.”
Lucas still didn’t see the point, but he figured it couldn’t hurt. “Yeah. Sure. That would be great. Thanks.”
“Okay, then. I’ll let you get back to work and I’ll see what I can find out.”
Once Lennon was gone, Lucas sat back down and tried to focus on the contract he had started on earlier, before he got his mother’s Complaint for Dissolution of Marriage. Putting that little nightmare aside, he went back to his actual work.
He read and re-read it multiple times when a knock on his door had him looking up.
Holly Brown was standing in his doorway.
With her long, wavy hair up in a bouncy ponytail, her wide blue eyes looking expectantly at him as she smiled her usual dazzling smile.
She was the sunny to his gloom, and Lucas had to force himself not to do something crazy like jump up and smile.
That would be very uncharacteristic of him, so he gently cleared his throat and motioned for her to come in.
“You wanted to see me?” she asked nervously.
I did?
He racked his brain for a moment and for the life of him, he had no idea what she was talking about.
“Um…”
“I saw Lennon—Mr. Van Horn—in the break room, and he said you needed to talk to me,” she prompted.
He still wasn’t connecting the dots.
“The Christmas party?” she said slowly, clearly picking up on the fact that he was confused. “He said you needed my help planning it. And I just want you to know that I would be honored and thrilled to help you!”
Oh.
That.
Unsure of what to do or say, he simply asked her to take a seat and hoped she’d take over the conversation from there.