As Haley sat on her bed with her computer on her lap, she FaceTimed with Kathy on the phone.
“Finally, you call back,” Kathy said. “I’ve left you like four messages and was starting to wonder if you got abducted by Santa Claus.”
“Close, I was playing Christmas charades against a Santa Claus, but that’s a whole different story. What’s going on?” Haley looked closer at Kathy. “And where are you?”
“I’m at the Christmas party, our company party. Remember?”
Haley fell back onto the bed and looked up at the ceiling. “That was tonight?”
“Yup, do you like my outfit?” Kathy held the phone back so Haley could see that she was wearing a pretty red satin dress.
“Is that new?” Haley asked.
“Yup.” Kathy grinned back at her. “I splurged. It’s Christmas. I deserve it.” She brought the phone closer to her and was now looking at Haley. “But wait, the bigger question is, what are you wearing? Is that . . . no!”
“Oh yeah, it’s a Christmas sweater, an ugly one.” Haley held her phone back so Kathy could see better.
Kathy started laughing. “That’s from the ugly-Christmas-sweater campaign we shot last year.”
“Yup, Larry gave it to me before I left because, of course, you can’t come to Christmas Camp without an ugly Christmas sweater.”
“Of course,” Kathy agreed, still laughing.
Max barked. He was sitting on the floor next to Haley’s bed, looking up at her.
“What was that?” Kathy asked. “A dog?”
Haley sat back up and held out her phone so Kathy could see Max. “That’s Max. The Christmas Camp mascot.”
“Oh my God, is he wearing a Christmas sweater, too? And are those . . . cats?!”
“Yup, they’re cats. Everyone had to wear a sweater, even poor Max.”
“But wait, you don’t even like dogs . . .”
“It’s not that I don’t like them . . . I just don’t like hanging around them.”
Kathy laughed louder.
“You know what I mean,” Haley said. “I’m just not used to them, that’s all.”
“So why is this one in your room, then?”
“He followed me and wouldn’t leave.”
Kathy’s eyes grew huge, and she covered her mouth with her hand. Clearly, she was laughing again. “Wow, this place is really getting to you. A Christmas sweater, a dog, what next?”
Haley rolled her eyes. “I don’t even want to think about it. Update me on what’s happening at work.”
“Well,” Kathy started, but then stopped when someone walked up to her. Haley could see it was Tom. He looked into the phone.
“Hey, Haley, Merry Christmas. We’re missing you here at the Christmas party.”
“I bet,” Haley grumbled.
“What was that?” Tom leaned closer to the phone. “I couldn’t hear you.”
“I said . . . I bet it’s a great party.”
Tom nodded. “Oh, it’s a great party. I even found some Christmas carolers to perform. Larry loves them.”
Haley forced a smile. “Well, don’t let me keep you from having fun. Enjoy the party.”
“Good night.” Tom waved before he took off.
Kathy brought the phone closer to her face and whispered, “Sorry about that, he just walked over, but that’s why I’ve been trying to call you. Tom’s going all out with Christmas twenty-four/seven! He volunteered to help with the Christmas party, and I have to say, it really is the best party we’ve ever had.”
“Uh, not helping,” Haley said. She gave Kathy an annoyed look.
“Sorry. Okay, I didn’t just call because Tom’s killing it at this party. I called because he’s also killing it with his Tyler Toys pitch.”
Haley jumped up and started pacing around her room. “What do you mean? I’ve only been gone a day, how much could he have done?”
“Well, you know how Tyler Toys wants a traditional campaign but also something unique and special?”
“Yes, I know. Why do you think I’m here at this Christmas Camp, where Christmas tradition was born?”
“Well, Tom got ahold of a bunch of Tyler Toys’ old Christmas campaigns over the years, and he’s using them to create this whole vintage Christmas theme. It’s pretty brilliant, I have to say. It checks off all the boxes. It’s nostalgic and heartwarming and honors Tyler Toys’ past and—”
“Enough, I get it.” All of Haley’s confidence and bravado was starting to slip away. Her shoulders drooped, and her head hung low. “This isn’t good.”
“I know, that’s why I wanted to give you a heads-up, but I know you can come up with something even better! You’re Haley Hanson; you got this!”
But Haley didn’t feel like she had anything. Earlier, downstairs, she’d thought maybe for her Tyler Toys pitch she could do something with Christmas games, like Christmas charades, but now she knew she really needed to up her game if she was going to outdo Tom’s vintage theme. When it came to tradition, she thought, how could she beat vintage? Deflated, she sat back down on the bed. “Kathy, I gotta go. Have fun at the party.”
Kathy peered into the phone. “You okay? You don’t look so great.”
Haley didn’t feel so great, but she summoned a halfhearted smile. “I’ll be fine. I just need to get to work and come up with something better than Tom’s genius vintage idea.”
“I know you can do it!” Kathy gave her a thumbs-up. “I mean, you’re at Christmas Camp. If you can’t find some Christmas inspiration there, you can’t find it anywhere, right?”
Haley nodded. “Sure, if only it were that easy. Go have fun. Keep an eye on Tom for me, and I’ll check in tomorrow.” She watched as someone came up and wrapped a sparkling silver garland around Kathy’s neck.
Kathy laughed. “Okay! Will do! Have fun at Christmas Camp!”
When Haley hung up, having fun was the furthest thing from her mind. What she felt was scared as she worried about losing the Tyler Toys pitch and her promotion. When Max came over, put his head on her lap, and looked up at her with his big brown eyes, she would have sworn he looked sympathetic. It made her feel better, less alone, and as she stared off into space, lost in thought, she didn’t even realize she had started petting him.
A few minutes later Max ran over to her door and barked.
Haley sighed. “So now you want to go, Max? You really should make up your mind.” When she got up and opened the door, he ran out. As soon as she closed the door she yanked off her crazy Christmas sweater, went to the closet, and grabbed her favorite baby-blue cashmere hoodie. She snuggled up inside it and immediately felt better. Some people had comfort food, she had comfort clothes. She went back over to her bed, sat down with her computer, and brought up a file titled Tyler Toys Campaign Ideas. The page was blank. She stared at the screen for several seconds. She had nothing. Feeling a crushing sense of defeat, she dropped her head into her hands. “What am I going to do?”
Max answered her. He barked twice outside her door.
“Are you kidding me? That’s it. I’m telling Ben to come and get you. Enough is enough.” Haley marched over to her door, yanked it open, and found Max sitting there holding his leash in his mouth. It was a red leash with green fringe—Christmas themed, of course.
Max dropped the leash at her feet.
As much as she wanted to be angry, it was pretty hard when she looked at Max and saw him wagging his tail. She looked over at her laptop on the bed and thought maybe some fresh air would help clear her mind. At this point, it certainly couldn’t hurt, and she was willing to try anything. “Okay, a short walk, but that’s it. I have to get back to work.” When Max barked his approval, Haley grabbed her coat.
IT WAS ONE of those cold and clear winter nights when the sky was filled with more stars than you could ever count. But Haley had her eyes focused on the ground not the sky. She was watching where she was walking in her high-heeled boots, trying to make sure she didn’t fall as she carefully followed Max around to the back of the inn.
“It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?”
Haley’s eyes shot up as she rounded a corner and saw Jeff. She shivered, but not just from the cold. It was seeing Jeff that was messing with her senses again. She was almost annoyed as she watched him walk toward her, because somehow he managed to look handsome even all bundled up in his winter coat, hat, and scarf.
“Is it?” Haley laughed a little as she ran her hand back and forth along the sleeve of her lightweight leather coat trying to warm up. “All I noticed was the cold.”
Jeff gave Max a surprised look. “I didn’t think you were a dog person.”
“I’m not,” Haley said, also looking down at Max. “I’m not really sure how this happened. He just showed up at my door with his leash . . .”
“That’s his favorite trick.” Jeff laughed.
“Oh, really?” When Haley gave Max an accusing look, he just wagged his tail.
“You might not like dogs, but old Max here seems to like you,” Jeff said.
Haley looked from Max to Jeff. “It’s not that I don’t like them. I’ve just never really been around them. I always wondered what it would be like to have a dog, but I travel too much. It wouldn’t be fair to them. I don’t even have any plants, unless you count a cactus. I haven’t watered it for a year, but I think it’s still alive.” When Max tugged on his leash, Haley continued walking, and Jeff joined her.
“So, no pets, or plants, or anything else?” Jeff asked.
She shook her head. “Nope, it’s just me. There’s no husband or kids . . . much to my parents’ distress. They want grandchildren.”
“And you want?” Jeff asked.
When Haley answered quickly, there was no doubt in her voice. “A career I can count on, so I can have a safe and solid future.”
“Can you ever really guarantee that you’re safe? I mean, things happen, life changes . . .”
“And that’s why it’s so important to have a plan and make the right choices to protect yourself as much as possible.”
They walked a few more steps in silence.
“What about you?” Haley asked, looking up at him. “Wife, kids, dog, picket fence, the whole nine?”
He smiled back at her. “My dad would love that . . .”
“But?”
“But, unfortunately, no to all of the above. I guess in a way I’m like you. My job keeps me busy, and any spare time I have I spend with my dad. He asks me every week if I’ve met anyone special. He’s a hopeless romantic. But right now he’s my number one priority, making sure he’s okay.”
Haley looked up at him, seeing the pain in his eyes. “I’m really sorry about your mom.”
“Thank you.” Jeff took a deep breath. “I know my dad misses her so much. He tries to act strong for me, but I know.”
“And I’m sure he knows how much you miss her, too.”
When Jeff looked up to the sky, she could see his sadness. It made her heart hurt for him.
She wished she could say something helpful, but she’d never experienced that kind of loss and couldn’t even imagine that kind of pain. When she shivered again, Jeff wrapped his scarf around her neck. “Here, we can’t have you freezing on your very first night.”
Surprised and touched, Haley looked into his eyes. She was so close to him she could feel his breath on her cheek. She touched his hand as he finished adjusting the scarf. “Thank you.”
He smiled back at her. “You’re welcome.”
When Max barked up at them, they both quickly looked away.
“It looks like someone is impatient for his walk,” Jeff said. He smiled down at Max.
Haley handed Jeff Max’s leash. “Do you mind taking him? I’m afraid these boots aren’t going to take me very far, and I should really head in and get some work done.”
“No problem.”
Haley gave him a grateful look. “Thank you. Good night.”
Max barked as she walked away.
She laughed and looked over her shoulder. “Good night, Max.”