Chapter 6
Six
“I’ve got to hand it to you, Holly. It looks like you’re making it happen.”
Feeling proud of herself, she preened. “I know, right? But really, I think Lucas is kind of happy with the situation. He just didn’t know he wanted it.”
She and Crystal were having lunch together on Friday, and the entire week had felt like a whirlwind. This was the first time she’d taken a lunch break away from her desk all week.
“I still think you’re crazy,” Crystal said, but Holly didn’t take offense at it. “A small office party would have been just fine.”
“And I know that, but…it shouldn’t be. Isn’t it always fun when we’re all someplace else? Somewhere we can all get dressed up and relax and eat good food and laugh with everything beautifully decorated around us? Besides, holidays are about tradition. I’m merely making sure we stick to it.”
All her friend did was take a forkful of her salad and slowly chew it while holding Holly’s gaze.
“And I hated the thought of Mr. and Mrs. Brooks breaking up and ruining Christmas for their family.”
More chewing.
“Mrs. Brooks called Lucas while I was at the house the other night and she’s not even planning on coming home for Christmas! Can you believe that? And she’s doing it just to punish Mr. Brooks! It’s like she doesn’t even care about her kids or grandkids!”
And still more chewing.
“You’re going to have to say something, Crystal. You can’t keep chewing that one little piece of lettuce forever, you know.”
“Fine.” But she still paused another moment longer to take a sip of her sweet tea.
“You’re getting too emotionally involved.
I know you have this crush on Lucas and this is probably very exciting for you to have all this one-on-one time with him, but come January—hell, come the day after the party—it’s all going to go back to business as usual.
Plus, you need to watch out with getting too involved in the private family stuff. ”
“Why?”
“Because Mr. and Mrs. Brooks might not like knowing that one of their employees knows all their private business. I know I wouldn’t like it.”
“It’s not like I’m broadcasting it to everyone,” she countered.
“You told me,” Crystal argued lightly. “And I’m sure you told your mother because you tell her everything.”
“She’s not going to tell anyone.”
“That’s not the point, Holly! You’re getting too involved!
You’re making it your business when it’s not.
And for what? A few hours alone with Lucas Brooks?
Pfft! If he hasn’t noticed the way you twirl your hair and smile and stare at him, then he’s freaking clueless and you can do better. You deserve better!”
“Oh, please! I’m not delusional, CeeCee. It’s not like I’m fantasizing about Lucas falling in love with me just because of the time we spend doing this party.”
Liar! Liar! Liar!
And by the look Crystal was giving her, she wasn’t buying it either.
“Okay, fine. I’m thinking it a little,” she murmured. “Is that so wrong? It’s possible, you know. He’s just never had the opportunity to get to know me and now…he is.”
Reaching across the table, Crystal gave Holly’s hand a little reassuring squeeze. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. That’s all. You have the biggest heart of anyone I know and you wear it on your sleeve. Lucas is a bit…stuffy.”
“Stuffy?”
Nodding, Crystal said, “Yup. Stuffy. He’s a workaholic who is the son of a workaholic and also works with that workaholic, and you know that’s got to put a lot of pressure on him. I’m just saying that maybe…maybe he’s not the right guy for you.”
Just the thought of that depressed her.
“I get what you’re saying and I appreciate your concern, but I’ve seen a different side of Lucas this week—sides that he doesn’t show here at the office.
Every year at the Christmas party, he’s just so much more relaxed and personable, and it’s been that way this week when I went to his house.
I think he has to put on a professional front here at work, but that’s not all that there is to him. ”
After taking another sip of her tea, Crystal shrugged.
“Like I said, I just don’t want you to get hurt.
If you feel you can handle this, then I believe you.
Just remember, he might be a little vulnerable right now and his focus has to be on his family and that whole mess. Don’t let him take advantage of you.”
“Crystal…”
“And you shouldn’t take advantage of him, either.”
“What?!”
“You know, don’t jump his bones or anything because he’s all sad and whatnot.”
“I would never do something like that!”
But now she was thinking about it.
No! Bad Holly! No jumping!
“Okay, okay…that’s the last thing I’m going to say about it.” She smiled brightly. “So, when do you want my neighbor to come and hang all the lights? I told him about the house and he said it would probably take him and another guy a few days.”
“Oh, great! I’ll have to ask Lucas when a good time for them would be to come over. Do you happen to know their availability?”
“Henry’s? He said he’d love to do it over the weekend. I don’t know if that specifically meant this weekend, but…?”
“Hang on. Let me text Lucas right now, so we don’t waste any time.” Pulling her phone out, she quickly typed up a text.
Holly: Hey, it’s Holly! Any chance you’d be okay with the exterior lights being hung this weekend? The guy who can do it might be available this weekend and I’d hate to miss an opportunity!
Putting her phone back down, she looked at Crystal. “I’m not sure if he’ll see this right away, but hopefully this afternoon I’ll be able to…”
Her phone dinging with an incoming text interrupted her, and she felt giddy when she saw a response from Lucas.
Lucas: This weekend will be fine. I have plans for Saturday afternoon, so I’ll be gone for a few hours. Any chance you’d be willing to be at the house in case he has questions?
Don’t appear too anxious….
“You’ve got it bad,” Crystal teased. “You are blushing and smiling and practically have little hearts shooting out of your eyes!”
“Stop! I do not!”
But she was fairly sure she did.
“He just asked if I’d mind being at the house on Saturday because he has plans that afternoon.”
“Do you think he has a date?”
Her smile instantly fell and it felt like she’d been kicked in the gut. “Why would you even say that? I didn’t think it before but I am now! Jeez, Crystal! Way to bum me out!”
“I’m sorry! It just slipped out!”
“Well, stop it! Ugh…”
This time, she angrily typed her text.
Holly: That would be fine. I wouldn’t want to disturb any of your plans. Just tell me when you’re leaving and I will get there before you go.
Pushing her phone away, she looked up at Crystal again. “Can you text Henry and confirm that this weekend works?”
“Holly, come on. Don’t be mad. He probably doesn’t have a date.”
“But he might!”
“You could ask him.”
“Are you insane? How crazy would that be? I’m just an employee who’s volunteering to help plan a party. He doesn’t owe me any explanations about what he does in his personal life.”
“See? Now you’re hurt and you don’t even know if there’s a reason!”
“Can you please just text Henry? It’s almost time to head back to the office.”
But her good mood was officially ruined.
Maybe Crystal was right. Maybe she was getting too involved and it was too much for her. Unfortunately, she was fully committed now and couldn’t back out. So she’d just have to deal with whatever it was that Lucas was doing.
Or who he was doing.
Ugh.
“Dad? Why am I looking at a flyer for some holiday yacht parade?”
Lucas had just gotten back from lunch and opened his email to what he assumed was a joke. The flyer looked almost cartoonish and read, “Experience the true meaning of Christmas! Win money, money, money! Spectacular, super-colossal, Christmas lights and display yacht parade!”
It was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever seen and had no idea why his father had emailed it to him, leaving him no choice but to pick up the phone and ask.
“I need you to read the fine print on the contract for the yacht and make sure it’s all on the up and up!
I want to make sure the terms are just right so I can officially enter the contest. They’re giving away some huge cash prizes for the most festive yacht and I want to enter!
What a great way to kick off the holidays, huh? ”
“Are you kidding me right now? Last we spoke, you were on some golfing tour! Why are you now on a yacht? And when did you get a yacht? We’ve never had a boat before!” Internally, he was screaming because his parents were going to be the death of him.
“I always wanted a boat, but your mother wouldn’t allow it.
She said it was a waste of money because we weren’t boat people.
Pfft. What does she know? Maybe we could’ve been boat people if she had let me go to the coast more often instead of all those trips to Paris and Milan!
Well…I’m going to show her! I’m going to buy this yacht, decorate the hell out of it, win the cash, and sail around the world everywhere except Paris and Milan!
Ha! And I’ve got a group of single friends already looking forward to setting sail with me! ”
Oh, good grief…
Sighing loudly, Lucas took a moment to collect his thoughts.
“Okay, you and mom are having issues,” he began carefully.
“But this sort of thing isn’t helping the situation, Dad.
And shouldn’t you be thinking about spending Christmas with your family instead of on some yacht with…
all your divorced friends? What about Anna and Katherine and the grandkids, huh? ”
“Oh, they’ll be fine spending the holidays with the in-laws this year. It’s not like we’re the only grandparents. Besides, your mother’s off at some all-inclusive spa, getting daily rubdowns from young guys with names like Alessandro, Santiago, and Valentino! Why shouldn’t I have a little fun too?”
“First of all, where are you getting your information? And do real people actually have those names?”