Chapter 21
LUKE
When the elevator doors opened on the fortieth floor, the spectacle blew me away.
I had seen the preparations, of course. I had been there watching Clara set the whole thing up like a general directing her troops.
But seeing it in full swing, with the lights, the music, and most of all, the people, I finally saw Clara’s artistic vision come together.
It was pure magic. And that magic was reflected in the joy in Clara’s eyes.
I leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “Take a bow, Ms. Snow. This is fantastic.”
Clara looked at me with a beaming smile. “It really looks good, doesn’t it?”
“I couldn’t be prouder of you,” I said, feeling another piece of my heart become hers. Clara impressed me at every turn.
She stood up straighter, looking around at everything. “Thank you.”
I held my arm out to her. “Shall we?”
She took it. “Let’s.”
We walked into jolly chaos. Music played over the speakers that had been set up, loud enough to set the mood but not so loud that people couldn’t socialize.
Food stations had been arranged at various spots around the office, filled with snacks and desserts.
Servers dressed as elves also circulated through the people, handing out treats.
“How about a drink?” I suggested.
Clara nodded toward the bar, which was manned by two smartly dressed bartenders in bright red vests with jingle bells on them.
Twin nutcrackers flanked the bar, their mouths agape like they were surprised at the amount of cocktails being served.
At this early stage of the party, children were in attendance, but that didn’t stop the rest of us from indulging in some liquid cheer.
Clara ordered us two drinks with Kahlua and peppermint schnapps with a mini candy cane in it. “This drink was my idea,” she said before taking a sip. “Peppermint White Russian.”
I drank and a groan escaped me. “Hot damn, that’s tasty.”
“Right? I found it online and I had to add it to the menu.”
“You got a lot done in a really short amount of time,” I said. “Is there anything you can’t do?”
“Taxes, maybe? I always struggle with those every year.” Clara shook her head. “Also, for the record, Kerri handled the rest of the drinks and food. Other than this cocktail, most of my contributions were to the decorations and general vibe.”
I smiled at her modesty. “Well, you’ve nailed it.”
On of my regular co-hosts, Johnny, sauntered up with a drink in hand and a cute little lady at his side. “This party is wild.”
“Thank Clara here,” I said.
She smiled at him a little shyly, not used to the spotlight. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Johnny,” I said. “This is my girlfriend, Clara. Clara, this is my co-host and general pain in my ass, Johnny Callahan.”
Johnny chuckled and shook her hand. He didn’t bother introducing us to the woman on his arm. I assumed she was a short-term fling. If not for Clara, I probably would have brought a similar woman tonight.
It seemed so odd to me now, chasing after fleeting pleasures like that.
Clara and I had only been together for a week or so, and it wasn’t even real, but in that short amount of time, I had come to see the value of making a deeper connection with a woman.
The idea of walking around tonight with a virtual stranger as my date? It just felt wrong now.
Clara was changing me and we weren’t actually together.
I couldn’t imagine the effect she would have on me if we took a real shot at being a couple.
Just the fact that I was considering it meant I wasn’t the man I had been a month ago.
It was a little frightening, but moving outside of our comfort zones always was.
“What is going on with that sweater?” Johnny asked.
“Everyone was supposed to wear one tonight,” Clara told him. “I guess you didn’t feel like participating.”
Johnny wasn’t wearing a god-awful sweater with elves and unicorns and blinking lights. He was in a slick suit, camera-ready like I usually was. “None of that ridiculous shit for me.”
Clara’s smile dimmed a little, and a surge of protectiveness gripped me.
“Don’t be such a Grinch,” I said to him. “You should try to have a little fun like us.” I wrapped an arm around Clara and pulled her into my side, loving the way she fit perfectly there. “You might be surprised how nice it is to loosen up every once in a while.”
Johnny shrugged. “I think we just have different ideas about what loosening up means. Great party, though, Clara. A million times better than last year’s.”
I groaned and chuckled. “They brought in these dancers like flapper girls from the nineteen twenties. It was kind of weird and didn’t feel like a holiday party at all.”
Johnny nodded. “It was somehow both fancy and low class at the same time. So thank you for making this year better.” He looked at me. “Make sure to keep this lady happy. We need her around for next year, too.”
“I’ll do my best,” I said.
Johnny and his date drifted off to mingle.
Clara turned to face me and waggled her eyebrows at me. “See? You need to keep me around.”
“If you end up moving out here, you’ll be around plenty,” I said. “If you want to be, that is. By this time next year, you’ll be too busy and famous to make time for little old me.”
She laughed and patted my chest. Starlings took flight where she touched me. “Busy, maybe, but famous, no. I’m a behind-the-scenes gal. Honestly, can you name one Broadway set designer right now?”
I searched my mind for an answer I knew wasn’t there. “Um… Melanie Smith?
Clara smiled and shook her head. “That’s not a real person.”
“It might be. We can’t know for sure.” I grabbed her hand in mine and squeezed it. “Ask me again next year. I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to name at least one Broadway set designer. Clara Snow.”
Her cheeks flushed red and my pants got tight. If we had been alone I would have kissed her. Instead, I nodded toward the dance floor. “I’m not usually much of a dancer, but it would be a shame if you didn’t get a chance to dance at your own party.”
The flush deepened and she looked at me with wide eyes. “Are you serious, Luke?”
I grinned. “Tonight, I’m not Serious Luke. I’m Christmas Luke, and Christmas Luke wants to dance with Christmas Clara.”
I was still holding her hand and I guided her over to the dance floor. She glided after me without a word. I had never suffered from stage fright or shyness, but dancing had always been the exception. For some reason, it made me self-conscious. I didn’t feel that way tonight.
Maybe it was because I was already wearing a sweater from hell, and nothing could embarrass me after that. Maybe I was growing up and maturing. Or maybe her happiness was more important to me than feeling comfortable.
That was a scary thought, putting someone else’s needs before my own.
Lights had been set up around the dance floor, and multi-colored beams kept painting Clara’s face as we danced. It gave her an otherworldly quality, like this was all a peppermint-infused dream I never wanted to wake up from.
When a slow song came on, I pulled her closer and she leaned her head against my chest. We swayed together, lost in each other, forgetting all about the celebration humming around us. We were having our own private thing right in the middle of it all.
Kerri came rushing up to us, looking frazzled. For a put-together woman like her, frazzled meant a few hairs out of place, but I could tell something was wrong. It wasn’t me she was looking for, though.
“Clara, I’m so glad I found you,” Kerri said. “We have a major problem. Santa didn’t show up.”
I smiled at Kerri. “Relax. There’s still time before Christmas.”
“No, silly,” Clara said. “She means Santa was supposed to be here tonight.”
“How did you get his invitation to the North Pole?” I asked, grinning.
“Luke, this is serious,” Kerri said. “All the kids here are expecting to talk to Santa, take pictures, and ask him for presents. It was going to cap off the family portion of the evening. Now it’s ruined.”
“No, we can save this,” Clara said. “I know someone who can fill in. Someone who already has experience playing Santa.”
“Wait,” I said, the wheels in my head turning. I had a feeling this was going somewhere I didn’t want it to.
“Luke can do it!” Clara said.
“Now hold on—”
Kerri grabbed my hand, sighing with relief. “Oh, my God, Luke, you are a lifesaver. First you connect me with your amazing girlfriend and now you’re saving the party.”
Clara saw my hesitation and she smiled. “Think of it this way. You’ll be able to get out of that terrible sweater.”
“Okay, that’s a pretty good way to convince me,” I said, my stomach sinking.
“Please?” Clara asked, looking up at me with puppy dog eyes.
I absolutely did not want to dress up as Santa. The last time I’d done it, my brothers had made fun of me for it for the last decade. Then again, they weren’t here and Clara was. The way she looked at me with so much hope and trust made it impossible to tell her no.
“Fine,” I said with a sigh. “But I hope this suit fits better than the last one.”
Clara laughed at that. “Just in case, I have something for you.”
She reached into her purse and pulled out a candy cane. I took it with numb fingers, feeling like I’d stepped back in time. She remembered, it seemed. I wasn’t the only one who had carried that memory with me for the last ten years.
“I can’t believe you,” I said, shaking my head. “I thought you had forgotten.”
Clara’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Never. Now go get festive, Santa.”
She slapped me on the ass for good measure and sent me on my way with Kerri to an office where I could change. The whole time, I was reeling. I couldn’t believe Clara had just handed me a candy cane. Where had she even gotten it from?
It felt like we’d just had a whole conversation without words. She wanted to remind me of the Christmas Spectacular, of her on my lap and what happened after. And here I was again, thrust into the role of unwilling Santa, while thoughts of Clara tortured me.
Lucky for me, this time around, the Santa suit was adult-sized and it had the padding sewn into the suit, so there was no worry about showing the world anything I didn’t want them to see.
With the suit on, I popped on the fake beard and pointy Santa hat, then made my way back out to the party.
The response was immediate. Kids howled with excitement and they swarmed me like adorable piranha. Boys and girls shouted out what they wanted, the words turning into a jumble of nonsense. I didn’t know what to do.
I could yell at them, but that would sort of defeat the whole purpose of me coming out here dressed like an idiot.
I was trying to brighten their holidays, not give them nightmares.
Maybe if I just started walking, they would part like the Red Sea.
Then two of them latched onto my leg, throwing me off balance.
I panicked, thinking I was going to be dragged under.
Then Clara waded into the madness with gentle words and a guiding hand. In moments, the kids were forming an orderly line and the path to my Santa chair was clear.
I had survived my entrance. Now I just had to get through the rest of it.