Seven weeks later...
BAH, HUMBUG...
Finn Lockwood didn’t care if the saying was cliché. It was how he felt. Even though this was the first week after Thanksgiving, the holiday festivities were in full swing. He wanted no part of having a holly jolly Christmas. Even though he’d turned off the speakers in his office, the music still crept down the hallway, taunting him with its joyous melody.
He did his utmost to block out the mocking words. Instead, he focused on the stack of papers awaiting his signature. He was so close to being out of here—out of the office—out of New York City.
“I just love this.” His longtime assistant, Clara, strode into his office with a hefty stack of papers.
“Love what? The endless phone calls and this mess of paperwork?”
“Um, no.” Color filled her cheeks as she placed the papers on his desk. “I meant this song, ‘Home for the Holidays.’ It puts me in a warm fuzzy mood.”
His pen hovered over the document as he paused to listen. The sentimental words about home and family stabbed at his scarred heart. “To each his own.”
She swept her dark bobbed hair behind her ear. “Although it never feels like the holiday season until that first snowflake falls. Don’t you think so?”
He frowned at her. “How long have you known me?”
“Almost eight years.”
“And by now I’d have thought you’d realize I don’t do holidays.”
“I...I just keep hoping—”
“Don’t. It’s not going to happen.” An awkward silence ensued as he glanced over a disbursement and then signed it.
“Oh. I almost forgot. These came for you.” She handed over two tickets for the Mistletoe Ball.
He accepted the tickets. Without bothering to look at them, he slipped them in a side desk drawer with other tickets from years gone by. When he glanced back at his assistant, unspoken questions reflected in her eyes. “What?”
Clara hesitated, fidgeting with the pen in her hand. “Why do you order tickets every year but then never use them?”
“Don’t you think it’s a worthy cause?” When Clara nodded, he continued. “I want to do my part.” His voice grew husky with emotion. “If everyone does their part, maybe they’ll find a cure for leukemia. The damn disease steals lives far too soon.” His hand tightened around the pen. “It leaves nothing but devastation in its wake.”
Clara’s eyes widened. “I...I agree. I, um, just can’t afford the tickets.”
Finn realized he’d said too much. No one knew he was the sole sponsor of the ball and that was the way he intended for it to remain. But he just couldn’t attend—couldn’t face the guilt. If it wasn’t for him and his actions, his mother and father would still be alive. They’d be attending the ball each year just like they’d always done in years past.
Finn pulled open the desk drawer and removed the tickets. “Here. Take them. It’d be better if they were used rather than sitting around gathering dust.”
Her gaze moved from the tickets to him. “But I couldn’t. You should give them to someone else.”
When she rattled off the names of people who headed up his various divisions and departments, he said, “I want you to have them.”
“Thank you.” She accepted the tickets with a hesitant smile.
“Now back to business. I hope this is the last of what I need to sign because we have a trip to prepare for.”
“A trip? When?”
“Tomorrow morning.” This wasn’t the first time he’d sprung a spur-of-the-moment trip on her. “And I’ll need you there—”
“But...” Clara worried her bottom lip.
“But what? Surely you can reschedule anything on my calendar for some time after the first of the year.”
“It’s not that.”
Color stained her cheeks as she glanced down at the tickets. She remained quiet, which was so unlike her. Something was definitely amiss and he didn’t like it, not one little bit. They were set to leave in the morning for his private island in the Caribbean for a secret business meeting. When it concluded, Clara would return to New York while he remained in the sun and sand until after the New Year—when life returned to normal and people were no longer gushing with the holiday spirit.
Clara’s continued silence worried him. He leaned back in his chair, taking in the worry lines bracketing her eyes. “What’s the problem?”
“I got engaged last night.” She held up her hand. A sparkly diamond now resided on her ring finger.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m sure you’ll have lots of planning to do after our trip—”
“Well, um...that’s the thing.” Her gaze dipped again. “We’re eloping this weekend.”
“What?” She couldn’t be serious. He had everything worked out. His business associates were meeting them on his private island in two days. “You can’t back out on me now.”
“I’m really sorry. But Steve, my fiancé, he, um...surprised me with tickets to fly to Vegas.”
Finn resisted rolling his eyes. Could things get any worse? His plans had already hit a major snag, prompting this emergency meeting, and now his trusted employee was running off to Vegas to get hitched by some Elvis impersonator. This is just great!
“You can’t bail on me.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I need your assistance for this meeting. It’s important.”
“Oh. Um...” She wrung her hands together.
He caught the shimmer of unshed tears in Clara’s eyes. This was not good—not good at all. He was so used to having Clara at his beck and call that he hadn’t anticipated this scenario. He hated being put in this position—choosing between his work and his associate’s happiness. There had to be a compromise.
After a bit of thought, he conceded. “If you can find a suitable replacement, you can have the time off. But it’ll have to be done pronto. My meeting can’t be delayed.”
Clara’s eyes widened. “I’ll get right on it. I’ll have someone by this afternoon.”
She turned and rushed out the door, leaving him alone to scowl about his plans being upended. Normally he’d have insisted on being involved in the selection of a temporary PA, but these weren’t normal circumstances. His private jet was already being fueled up for tomorrow’s flight.
He tapped his pen repeatedly on the desk. Why did Clara have to pick now to elope? Not that he wasn’t happy for her. He was. He just wasn’t happy about the surprise. Okay, so he didn’t like surprises and certainly not when they caused his plans to go awry.
Just like his evening with Holly. Talk about everything going sideways—in a mind-blowing way. It’d been weeks since they’d been together and he still couldn’t get her out of his system. Though they’d agreed there would be no repeat of the amazing evening, he regretted letting her go more than he thought possible.
* * *
What had she been thinking?
Holly Abrams stood alone in the elevator at Lockwood International. She pressed the button for the top floor—Finn’s floor. The last time she’d visited the executive suite things had spiraled totally out of control. One moment they were talking work and the next she’d been in Finn’s luxury penthouse. The memory made her stomach dip.
There’d been candles, delicious food, sparkling wine and honeyed compliments. It’d been quite a heady combination. And when at last he’d pressed his lips to hers, she’d have sworn she’d fallen head over heels in love with him. It was though this thing had been building between them since they first met. Love at first sight?
She didn’t believe in it. This thing, it had to be infatuation—a great big case of it. And even though they’d mutually agreed to go their separate ways, her oasis at the office had turned stressful with reminders of Finn at every turn.
The elevator dinged and the door slid open. She stepped out. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she started down the hallway toward Clara’s desk—toward Finn’s office. However, Clara wasn’t at her desk. Holly’s gaze moved to Finn’s closed door. She had a moment of déjà vu and her heart raced.
The door swung open. Who was it? Finn?
And then Clara stepped into the hallway. Holly sighed. She dismissed the disappointment that assailed her as Clara headed toward her.
The young woman’s eyes reflected an inner turmoil. “There you are. Thank goodness you came.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Everything.”
“Whoa. It can’t be that bad.”
“You’re right.” The frown on Clara’s face said otherwise. “I...I need to ask you for a huge favor. And I’ll totally understand if you can’t do it. I just don’t know anyone else who can help. And this just has to work out—”
“Slow down. Tell me what it is.” Holly thought of Clara as a friend ever since they met on the charity committee. The woman was always generous in word and deed.
“My boyfriend proposed last night.” A smile lifted her lips as she held up her left hand.
“Wow! Congratulations! I’m so happy for you.” She gave Clara a brief hug.
Clara pulled back. “Thank you. It really was a surprise. We’ve been together for over five years now. I’d pretty much given up on him ever proposing. Anyway the plan is we catch a plane tomorrow and elope in Vegas followed by a honeymoon in Napa Valley. I can’t postpone it. I don’t want him changing his mind.”
“Don’t worry. Everything will work out.” She was happy that Clara was finally getting her happily-ever-after. Holly didn’t see such a rosy future for herself, but it didn’t mean she didn’t believe it could happen for others. “What can I do to help?”
“I know this is a lot to ask, but I need you to fill in for me while I’m off on my honeymoon.”
“What?” Clara wanted her to be Finn’s assistant? No. Impossible. Finn would never agree. She must have misunderstood. “You want me to be Mr. Lockwood’s assistant?”
Clara nodded. “It won’t be for long.”
Her friend had absolutely no idea what she was asking of her. None whatsoever. She’d given Finn her word that she’d stay clear of him just as he’d agreed to do the same for her.
Now it appeared she had to make a very difficult choice—keep her word to Finn or keep her friendship with Clara. Holly’s stomach plummeted into her Louis Vuittons. She desperately wanted to do both.
But that wasn’t possible.