CHAPTER TWO #2
“That must sound ridiculous coming from a grown woman,” Avery hedged.
“Not at all,” Louis assured her. “I specialize in Christmas, remember?”
She brightened a little.
“How you’re able to stay so whimsical, so full of Christmas spirit with everything life has thrown at you, it’s...” Louis searched the table for a word before his eyes met Avery’s. “Well, it’s rather miraculous,” he decided.
The woman behind the counter struck a service bell. “Order up!” she declared.
Louis sat up straight.
“There is one job I think you might be very well suited for,” he said, getting to the business they’d been ignoring for the last few hours. “But it’s...well, not to sound dodgy, but it's for a very exclusive client, and it’s top secret. You’d have to sign an NDA just to interview.”
Avery leaned in, putting her forearms on the table, intrigued.
"It’s a massive operation, loads of responsibility,” he continued.
“It’s a 365-day-a-year situation. But. You’ll never find a job more focused on Christmas.
And really, it’s less of a job and more of a lifestyle.
Though a comfortable one indeed. It’s not here in the Big City.
But let’s just say you’d never have to worry about paying your bills again. Or missing Christmas.”
This sounded too good to be true to Avery. “What’s the catch?”
“Well, apart from the NDA, you’d have to prove your qualifications,” he explained.
“And that process is done on site. But I happen to know an excellent tutor who can assist you in your preparations. And with your credentials and experience,” Louis smiled and looked down at his empty plate, before continuing. “I’ve got a good feeling about this.”
Avery felt herself warm from the inside out. “Me too,” she said, her voice soft.
Louis looked up, and they stared at each other in silence for just a moment too long, long enough for Avery to realize that they were the only two people left in the restaurant.
“Should we...” she reluctantly suggested.
Louis jumped from his seat. “Yes, I suppose we should.” He reached into his pocket and put down a thick wad of cash on the table. “Thank you so much, Happy Christmas!” he said, waving at the restaurant staff.
Avery smiled and thanked them, admired the massive tip Louis had left for the server, and followed him out of the restaurant. He held the door open for her, and they walked slowly down the sidewalk, side by side.
“Thank you for dinner,” Avery said.
“My gift to you,” Louis responded.
A quiet moment passed, in which Avery formulated the beginning of a line of questioning.
“So, you just have shopping mall Santas out there in the world recruiting for you?” Avery asked.
“Shopping mall?” Louis asked. “Oh! Yes, well, you know. We find that the Santas tend to have a good read on people who are truly devoted to Christmas.”
“Right. Of course,” she said, as if that all made perfect sense. “So, tell me...”
Avery turned to Louis and stopped walking. He halted.
“Is it the Incredible Christmas Place in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee?” she asked, hope floating on every word.
Louis smirked and shook his head. “Oh, that would be lovely, wouldn’t it? But I’m afraid I can’t say.” He resumed walking.
Avery jogged a step forward to walk beside him, undeterred in her inquisition.
“The Bavarian Village in Leavenworth, Washington?” she pressed on.
Louis was impervious. “You're naming all my favorite places, but—”
“North Pole, Alaska!” Avery exclaimed. “Do they need a new corporation counsel? A new mayor?”
“Ms. Hoarfrost,” Louis said with a laugh. “I cannot tell you. If you want to know, you’ll just have to have a little faith and apply.”
As they rounded the corner and continued their impromptu stroll past the park, Avery paused and leaned against the iron fence lining the grass.
Her gaze traveled across the street to a bookstore’s large picture window.
The shop was closed and mostly dark, but there were artists there, painting a winter scene on the inside of the glass. Louis stood beside her.
“I know I said it seems like only Santa gets me,” she said quietly. She turned her face toward Louis. “But I kind of feel like you get me, too.”
He met her gaze, and Avery was struck with the overwhelming urge to kiss him. She reminded herself this was a business meeting, not a date, and hastily looked away. “Though I guess that’s your job as a recruiter, right?” she asked, retreating.
“My job is to identify talent,” Louis said, turning to her. “I'd be the world’s worst recruiter if I didn’t recognize yours.” He smiled and shook his head. “Avery Hoarfrost. I can’t bloody believe it.”
A blush crept across Louis’ cheeks as he returned his gaze to the window across the street.
“I will send you a link to the application for the role we’ve been discussing,” he said. “Please think about applying. I’d love to see you again. I mean, speak with you again. About the job.” Louis stepped away from the fence and extended his hand.
Avery shook his hand and held on. The sensation of his skin against hers made her lightheaded. “I’d love to see you again, too, Louis. You’ve got my number. Will you call me?”
“I will touch you. Be in touch with you. As part of our—" he dropped her hand, “—professional relationship.”
“Yes, of course,” Avery agreed, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. She let her hand fall and smoothed her dress with her sweaty, tingling palms.
“That is to say!” he said, a bit too loudly, “I wouldn’t want to influence your decision making. Not that I think I—I just mean, where we work, of course, is a big decision. Applying for this job is not a choice to be made lightly. And this has been absolutely lovely, Ms. Hoarfrost.”
She found herself smiling again. “Please, call me Avery.”
“Alright, Avery,” he said in a soft, quiet voice that made her feel like a snowman on a hot day. “Goodnight.” He walked a few feet and turned to enter the park.
Avery looked down into her purse.
“Wait!” she called after him urgently. “These are for you!” Avery pulled a small container tied with a ribbon out of her bag. It was filled with fresh-baked cookies. She jogged to meet him.
Louis stopped under the low branch of a maple tree, its orange-gold leaves still fully committed to autumn. But the rapidly chilling air was testing that commitment, and a delicate frost now crept onto the edge of each leaf.