Chapter 9
NINE
SAVANNAH
This Christmas
Manhattan, New York
Day of the Pre-Ceremony
Ringggg! Ringggg! Ringggg!
I roll over and hit snooze on my alarm clock for the umpteenth time this morning. I start to pull the covers over my head, but I catch sight of the time.
How the hell is it five forty-five already?
Stunned, I stumble out of bed and take a quick shower. I pull my hair into a curly bun and put on one of my favorite beige pantsuits. I make sure I have my briefcase and my purse, but then I suddenly feel like I’m forgetting something.
My Secret Santa gift for Garrett.
Ha! The last thing he needs right now is a gift.
He’s worked us ten times harder than ever after that “anonymous gift,” and our kiss in the office is long forgotten. So much so that I’ve left work early every day this week.
He’s made every intern break down in tears, brought every senior executive into his office for a brutal evaluation, and told me, “This year may be the first year that I don’t give you a rose at the final ceremony, Miss Grey.”
Fuck that rose.
Rummaging through my closet, I search for a three-wick candle I can spare, but I don’t want to give him one of those. Even though he’s been nice to me lately, he still has a track record that doesn’t make him worthy of one of my favorite things.
I spot my box of ‘Last Minute Giftcards’ and flip through them. The fifty and twenty dollar ones are far too much, so I settle on a ten dollar one.
Even that’s too high, though.
I log into and spend half of it on some new hair conditioner. Then I pick up the gift Georgia brought me and toss it in my bag.
He’ll probably give it back once he opens it, anyway.
I ignore the fact that my neighbors are standing on their stoop in black and red leather Santa costumes and rush to the town car.
Thankfully, the driver already has a bagel and coffee ready for me, and he manages to get me to headquarters with five minutes to spare.
The moment I step inside, one of the other top executives from the message board—Lily, loops her arm in mine.
“You know, I’m kind of excited about this year’s reveal. I heard it’s going to be someplace super luxurious.”
“It’s always someplace super luxurious.”
“Bridget in Accounting said she overheard the travel agent on the phone yesterday morning.” She lowers her voice. “She asked the resort to make sure that all the hot tubs had private access. Oh, and she mentioned some type of carriage ride.”
I tune out her words, smiling and nodding as we step onto the elevator.
When we arrive on the top floor, we find ourselves walking right into a real-life Christmas card. As usual, the professional decorators have gone out of their way to make us forget that we work in the seventh circle of Hell.
Every window is dressed in a massive custom wreath with red ribbon. Sixty foot Christmas trees stand guard against the walls, showing off complementing red and gold ornaments with flashing white lights.
There’s a snow machine pumping flakes across the air and waiters are donning elves’ ears as they carry around trays of beverages.
“I heard that this place is going to have a spa that rivals any of the other ones we’ve been to.” Lily is still babbling. “That means better than Aspen, Miami, Vegas. What do you think about that?”
“I think that I need to hand off my gift,” I say, unable to deal with any more holiday cheer. “I’ll talk to you later.”
I make my way through the crowd in search of Garrett.
Thankfully, he’s standing by the window alone, tapping his phone’s screen.
He looks up at me as I approach. “I was just about to text you, Miss Grey. I thought you were attempting to avoid the party again.”
“I overslept.”
“That’s a first.”
“And a last. Here,” I say, handing him the gift box. “I pulled your name this year.”
“Will I die if I open this?” He raises his eyebrow. “The tech team says someone on my staff has a recent obsession with True Crime: The Boss Gets Murdered stories.”
“I’m sure that person would only kill you if she thought she would get away with it.” I smile. “I got you something that conveys exactly how I feel about you, so I don’t want you to doubt what’s inside.”
Before he can respond to that, Nate from Accounting steps between us.
He holds out a shiny blue box and smiles at me.
“This is for you, Savannah,” he says. “I feel like right now is the best time for me to shoot my shot.”
“In front of the boss?” Garrett asks.
Nate ignores him, clearing his throat. “I feel like you’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met in my life, the total package.”
Garrett clenches his jaw and gives Nate an “Are you being serious?” look, but Nate remains oblivious.
“I wouldn’t open that until the first night of the trip if I were you,” he says. “Wherever we’re headed, I’ll be sure to stay up and wait for your answer.”
He winks at me a few times, and then he licks his lips before walking away.
Garrett stares at the box, looking as if he expects me to open it in front of him.
“There’s a no-fraternization policy at this company, Miss Grey,” he says. “I hope you know that.”
“I do know that. Then again, maybe there shouldn’t be, since you make us all spend so much time together. I’m bound to hook up with one of my colleagues at some point.”
He narrows his eyes at me and I narrow mine right back.
“Mr. West, may I have your assistance, please?” The travel agent calls from the front of the room. “It’s almost time to announce this year’s destination.”
He stares at me for a few more seconds before walking away.
Letting out a breath, I grab a cup of eggnog from a waiter’s tray. I shake Nate’s box and decide to open it later since he’s still winking at me from across the room.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?” The travel agent calls over the microphone and the room falls silent. “It’s my honor to be of service to you for another year and it’s time for me to reveal where you’re going!”
A fake drumroll sounds from somewhere, and she counts backward from ten—looking a little too excited about this.
“Three, two, one!” She yells, and the words “Colorado Springs, Colorado: The Grace Estate & Resort” pop onto the screen.
I choke on my eggnog.
What the hell?
“This is the one and only six-star resort in the United States!” She yells.
The room erupts into a chorus of “ooohhs” and “ahhhs,” but I keep choking.
I’m struggling to breathe while beating my chest and no one seems to notice.
“You alright, Miss Grey?” An intern finally rushes over to help. “Did you get a little too excited about going to a six-star resort?”
I shake my head. There’s nothing exciting about going back home after being away for too long, and I know the resort all too well.
It’s my grandmother’s.
“The festive carriage rides are going to blow you away!” The agent is now clapping along to holiday music as images from the resort appear onscreen.
“I can also guarantee that this is the best luxury resort you’ll ever stay in, and for the first time since you’ve used my services, you’ll have the estate grounds to yourselves! ”
More fake cheers.
I step away from the crowd, letting my back hit the wall. I wasn’t planning to go home for another five years at best, and I definitely wasn’t planning to make the trip with all of my coworkers in tow.
Hell, every year I buy plane tickets to go back, but I can never bring myself to go through with it.
Now, I don’t have a choice.
Grabbing a stiffer drink from one of the passing waiter’s trays, I look across the room and notice Garrett unwrapping my gift. I consider taking my phone out and snapping a picture of the look on his face, but I know I won’t need a picture to remember this moment.
He flips the lid box and blinks a few times.
Yes, that’s all you deserve, asshole. No effort whatsoever.
His lips slowly part, and then he returns the lid to the box before looking up.
His eyes meet mine and I raise my drink to him. Then I mouth, “Merry Christmas.”
He mouths the words in return, keeping his eyes on mine as someone asks him to sign off on something. Then he walks over to me.
I’m not sure if it’s the alcohol or the sudden shock I’m feeling about going home, but the intense way that Garrett is looking at me right now is making my nipples harden.
He does look sexier when he’s pissed…
“We need to talk,” he says, his voice low. “When are you available?”
“You have my schedule connected to your phone.”
“This is going to be a different type of conversation.” He steps closer. “Unless you didn’t really intend to give that gift to me.”
“It’s five hundred percent intentional. If I could’ve given it to you sooner, I would’ve.”
“In that case, you could’ve just told me what you really think of me, instead of resorting to re-gift.”
“I figured it was far less subtle this way.”
“It was.” His gaze lingers on my lips. “Would you mind meeting me in my condo this evening?”
You own more than one. “Which one?”
“Fifth Avenue,” he says. “Can you meet me there?”
“Sure.” I remember that I need his help with a press release, and that I’ll probably need his couch for power naps. “I may need to stay the night.”
“I would hope so,” he says. “I was planning to have you over for hours.”
Of course, you were. “You’re not planning to fire me over this gift, are you?”
“Quite the contrary. Does six o’clock work for you?”
“Nine thirty is better,” I admit. “I need to pack for the trip first.”
“Fair enough.” He smiles at me in a way that makes my panties wet. “I’ll see you in my condo at nine thirty.”