Chapter 5 #2
“Yeah, but if you hadn’t documented every infraction they might have got away with it,” Fliss said.
“I do it for everyone. Even you. Of course, mostly it’s praise for you, but there have been times when you took an extended lunch—”
Fliss threw her head back, laughing. “I’m well aware.”
“It’s only fair to make sure everyone’s following the same rules,” Cora said, settling back into her chair.
“Fair matters to you, doesn’t it?”
“Absolutely. It should matter to everyone, but it doesn’t.
” Cora didn’t bother to pretend that this wasn’t a huge issue for her.
She might drop the odd white lie to the board, but she thought of them as pre-promising because she always made sure she could deliver.
She told herself it was because she was managing all the pieces that were in the air so she knew where they’d fall.
The scandal with Next Gen had thrown her but that was her fault.
She’d become complacent. She knew better than to believe that life was going to run smoothly.
A few good weeks or months could lull you into a false sense of security because something unexpected was usually right around the corner.
She’d known that fact but still had thought …
well never mind. She wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
“Enough about that. Are you going home for Thanksgiving?” she asked Fliss.
Her friend tended to take the major holidays off and Cora assumed she went home but had never asked.
This evening when she’d wanted to celebrate with Fliss, it had struck her how little she knew of her personal assistant’s life away from the office.
“Actually, I am,” Fliss said. “Christmas is always a really busy time for my family, and we don’t really see each other until New Year’s.”
“Do they do something festive? Anything we could steal for the festival?” she asked, feeling a bit bad that she hadn’t asked before.
“Um, yes, but not in the traditional way you’re probably thinking.”
“Traditions have their place,” Cora said carefully, swirling her cocktail, “but you know I’m all for embracing the new. We need to evolve. Not everyone has heirlooms and happy memories to dust off. Some people want to build fresh, new ones and that means buying fresh, new things.”
Fliss tilted her head. “Some people will feel excluded by that.”
“The best Christmases are the ones you build from scratch—and building takes resources, materials, and unfortunately money.”
Fliss leaned back, expression thoughtful rather than critical. “Just … make sure you’re staying true to yourself. Sometimes if you push the season too hard, it pushes back.”
“Will do,” Cora said with a little laugh.
But even as she said it, something unsettling flickered in her chest. The season had already started to push back; first Next Gen and now Nick Bari’s annoying conditions attached to his participation.
And just like that, she heard an all too familiar deep belly laugh and realized Nick Bari was here. With Hannah Waters.
Hannah was nice enough. Most of her stories involved her kids or her late husband.
Nick had encouraged her to talk about him, but it quickly became clear how much Hannah had been burying since her husband’s death.
The more she talked, the lighter she seemed.
The underlying sadness was still there but Nick could tell how much she missed him.
She didn’t seem ready to embark on a new relationship.
Focusing on Hannah gave Nick a good excuse to keep his attention at the table and away from the bar where he could sometimes glimpse Cora out of the corner of his eye.
She began to talk about how much she was looking forward to setting up her booth at Winter Wonderland to display her soft toys for under-threes.
“I’m not sure I can handle the manufacturing all by myself. This is my first time at the festival.”
“I can help out with that,” Nick offered, knowing his elves could handle the output easily.
“Really? That’s amazing, thank you. I really needed a night out with someone who didn’t know me or Sam.”
Sam had been her husband.
“It sounds like he was a wonderful person,” Nick said.
“He was. I mean, he had his faults too. Lord knows that man didn’t know what a laundry basket was and thought giving the kids candy before bedtime was a good idea, but he was good.”
“I can tell. I’m wondering why you’re dating again? Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t seem like you’re ready for it.”
“I’m not. The moms in my mom group all thought it might help me,” she said. “They mean well but it’s hard for them now that I’m not in a couple. We used to do this date-night thing as a group and get a sitter for all the kids. Lately I’ve just had all of our kids at my house while they go out…”
Nick put his hand over Hannah’s. It reminded him of when he’d do the same to his sister. If he needed further confirmation that this date wasn’t going to lead to anything but friendship, this was it. He sensed that Hannah felt the same.
“If you need a date, just as a friend, I’ll happily go with you next time,” he said.
“I appreciate that, Nick. You seem like a really good guy. But … you are looking for someone, right?”
Taking his hand back he finished off his drink. “I am. I want to get married. I’ve been too busy with work lately, but I need someone in my life.”
“A partner would bring you balance. Did you have other matches on the app?”
“A few. I think maybe my parameters were too wide. I’m getting matched with a lot of interesting women but so far no spark.”
“A spark is very important. Maybe you should put some more specifics in your profile that really showcase who you are and what you’re looking for. Hockey was the only thing on your list of interests and now I know there’s much more to you than that.”
Nick leaned back in his chair as he contemplated Hannah’s suggestion. If he tweaked his profile what would he add?
Cora Quill dancing around his store singing “All I Want For Christmas” sprang to mind. “I’m looking for someone who knows who she is.”
“Okay, well, that’s off-putting. Most women know who they are.”
“Yes, of course, I just mean that I’m looking for someone who embraces all of who they are, even the flaws. Like, owning being a bit pushy or bossy, unapologetically. You know?” He looked up and met Hannah’s gaze.
“That’s not an easy ask, and it won’t make you very popular.”
“Does popular matter?” Nick asked.
“Does it matter to you?”
He hadn’t meant to start this conversation but now they seemed to have agreed to be friends, it felt right. “Not really. I think I like that in a woman. Someone who’s making the right decisions for themselves.” It was just coincidence that he’d described Cora to a tee.
“Well, that sounds like progress, Nick. Try putting that on your profile.”
Hannah was right. He was never going to find Mrs. Claus by Christmas Eve with his current approach—being vague and blanket-dating every available woman on the app. He needed to home in on what he wanted and find a woman who could match him toe-to-toe.
“Thank you for that.”
“No problem. Figured one of us at least should find what we’re looking for.”
“You’ll find someone when you’re ready,” he said reassuringly.
“I believe I will,” she said. Her eyes flitted over his shoulder. “Hello, Cora.”
“Hannah. And Nick. I’m surprised to see you both together. Did you figure out your factory problems?” Cora asked Hannah.
Cora stood next to their table, her long legs right in his line of sight. He tore his eyes away as Hannah told Cora about the arrangements she and Nick had made. “We’ve agreed to a trial run over Christmas.”
“That’s good.”
“It is now I’m finally going to have my own booth at Winter Wonderland.”
A server came by and asked if Cora was joining them. Nick was going to politely say no, but when he glanced at Hannah to gauge her reaction, she nodded as if she wouldn’t mind. The server left to bring over an extra chair and place setting.
“Please, join us,” he said begrudgingly. “We were about to order dessert and I know how much you love sweet things.”
“How do you know that?”
“All those syrupy marshmallow mochas,” he said, grimacing.
Hannah laughed and Cora joined in.
“Don’t pretend you don’t like a little sweet treat every now and then,” Cora said suggestively.
Hannah raised her eyebrows and Nick coughed to cover his physical response to her presence.
Under the table, Cora’s foot brushed his calf as she crossed her legs, and he couldn’t tell whether or not it was accidental.
Of course it was accidental. This was Cora Quill, the micromanaging “Queen of Christmas” whose name he’d written on the Naughty List only yesterday, the woman who’d unceremoniously fired him five years ago, and the least suitable person conceivable for him to take to bed when he was supposed to be looking for a wife.
And yet, he imagined running his fingertips across her skin, all the way from her delicate foot and ankle to her own shapely calf, over her knee and up to her soft inner thigh, all the way up—
He knew he was blushing and he hated what she’d managed to achieve with nothing but an innocent touch.
She hadn’t meant anything by it—she couldn’t have—and if he caught her eye, he would see a silent apology there.
But when he raised his gaze, he caught the tail end of a knowing twinkle in Cora’s eye as she allowed her tongue to trace the corner of her parted lips.
At least now he knew she’d done it on purpose. But why?
And, more importantly, what was he supposed to do about it?