Wrapped Up for Christmas

Chapter 2

The pounding of Nick Bower’s feet against the ground and the tinkling of dog tags next to him created a monotonous sound in his head. It was the perfect rhythm to help him free his mind and think more clearly. The temperatures had dipped over the last week, and it was almost cold enough outside to decide against taking his morning run. But he couldn’t disappoint the most important girl in his life, Charlie. At least that was what he told himself. Running cleared his head and helped untangle any family or work issues and working with his father led to a lot of those. It also helped ease his guilt during his busiest season when he couldn’t be there for Charlie as much as he wanted.

After his second lap around the park, he headed home. Charlie trotted next to him, her tongue lolling to the side.

Nick had found the golden retriever at a dog rescue event three years ago during one of his solo runs. She’d howled for him, louder than the others in her litter, until he’d walked over. The moment he’d looked into those brown eyes, it was love at first sight.

The duo came to an abrupt stop at the front door to Nick’s apartment building, where the doorman, Frederick, stood between the outer and inner doors rubbing his gloved hands together.

‘Good morning,’ Nick said, pausing to stretch his hamstrings.

‘Getting a little cold out,’ Frederick said, blowing air into his fists.

‘Not for this girl,’ Nick said, scratching Charlie’s head. She pushed her nose into his hand, demanding more love. ‘She’s the only one who matters.’

‘Until you find a lucky woman.’ Frederick winked.

Nick smiled, tighter this time, and walked inside. Frederick wasn’t the only person in his life pushing for him to meet someone else. Heat clung to the sweat on his forehead. The uncomfortable change in his temperature wasn’t all from the exercise.

As he trudged over to the elevator, thoughts of his ex, Molly, filled his mind.

The doors opened, and he stepped inside, trying to shake her out of his head. The ‘lucky woman’ Frederick described was a myth. At least based on his most recent history. Charlie was non-negotiable in his life. Even with the sweetest dog on the planet, Molly somehow couldn’t stand the hair on her clothes and Charlie’s kisses were as horrifying to her as dunking her face in a toilet. For a while, he chose to ignore her many ultimatums. But with his work schedule taking over his life, he didn’t quite understand Molly’s real disgust until he came home to a half-empty closet and a confirmation of their breakup via text.

It wasn’t much after nearly a year of dating. But when Molly wanted something, she went after it. Molly didn’t shy away from letting everyone know how much ‘better’ she had done lately. She had filled her newsfeeds with vacations and events with her new boyfriend.

Eventually, Nick deleted his social media accounts to keep his head in the game and from falling through the black hole beckoning him to search through more of Molly’s pictures.

No one had been more excited about the breakup than his dad. He didn’t appreciate distractions from work, and according to him, Nick’s girlfriends were the biggest. He’d been out on dates a few times since their breakup, but he wasn’t interested in any of the women long-term. Thirty-two was young enough to make these mistakes, and he was going to be more careful this time.

When Nick opened the door to his apartment, Charlie pulled away from him and took off toward her water bowl. She stood by the bay windows which overlooked the city he’d lived his entire life.

Charlie padded over to Nick with dripping jowls as he headed for the coffee maker, nudging his knee with her snout. He scratched her head and reached for the container on the counter.

Nick scooped kibble into her bowl. He knelt, offering the perfect opportunity for a quick lick on the cheek. ‘You must be hungry, girl.’

The scent of percolating coffee moved through the apartment and snapped Nick back to reality. Molly was five months ago. He had moved on, and he tried to forget the memories as quickly as they had appeared.

Nick sat on the couch glancing out at the city waking up around him and sipped from the steaming mug of coffee. His phone buzzed from the table next to him – six-thirty on the dot. His dad was already at the office. Work didn’t start until eight, but his father liked to make a point of showing up before everyone. It was a mix between wanting to show off and proving that he was worthy of being the boss. Not that anyone ever challenged him.

When Charlie finished her food, she hopped onto the couch and curled her body around herself, bumping Nick’s arm. He absently rubbed her head while admiring several of the apartment buildings across the way that had already decorated their windows and trees with twinkling colored lights.

It was the second day of December and people were ready for Christmas. Last year, Molly had hired a company to decorate the apartment for the holiday. The fake fir tree and poinsettias didn’t bring him the Christmas spirit at all. He preferred the scents and warmth of the season surrounding him. The only time he experienced a sliver of that was at his parents’ house, or his brother David’s, around Christmas.

Nick leaned over to grab his phone. Charlie lifted her head and plopped it down on his lap, looking for more scratches. He couldn’t help but laugh; she knew he was leaving soon and wanted to get as much time with him as possible before Mrs Wilson arrived to take Charlie to her apartment for the day.

He scrolled through his phone until David’s name came up in his messages. The last discussion they’d had was about the timing for Thanksgiving dinner. His parents always hosted the holidays, so David scheduled his dinner later to make sure Nick wouldn’t have to choose between his parents and brother.

The rift between his father and David had gone on too long, but their dad would never concede. When David chose to leave the company to pursue his passion, it severed the ties between their family. Well, mostly because their dad couldn’t let go of the fact that David no longer wanted to work for the family business. Nick was never going to abandon his older brother, his wife, and two nephews, but their father made every holiday more complicated than it needed to be.

Their mother met with David and the kids often, but no one talked about it. To his father, it was as if David never existed. When Nick had tried to bring it up with his dad, he’d attempted to convince him many a time to build bridges, but the results were always the same – stern glares and long strings of uncomfortable silences. David had contested it wasn’t worth making Nick’s work-life a living hell, so the silent barrier carried on.

An alarm blared from Nick’s phone, catapulting him back to the present.

Charlie looked up at him with wide dark eyes.

‘Don’t look at me like that.’ Nick got up and walked toward the bathroom while Charlie plodded over to her bed to wait for him to get ready.

***

On the way to work, Nick’s shoulders lifted slightly. He tried to hold onto the loose feeling in his body from the run, but it proved to be a challenging task. His fingers tensed around the steering wheel of his Lexus as lyrics of a magical snowman floated from his speakers. The town had started its transformation into the holiday season. Workers stood on cherry pickers, placing lit snowflakes against tall poles. Wreaths hung from most of the business doors while artificial snow collected at the corners of the windows.

A text came through on the console in his car, and Nick glanced at the name.

‘I’m on my way,’ he said into the speaker before the phone sent the text off to his dad. He’d never been late for work but always had to be on his toes.

The mall loomed next to him as he drove past the entrance toward corporate parking. Knowing he had a meeting with his father in about a half hour, Nick needed more coffee to lubricate the conversation. A pastry would help too.

The valet lot was in the back of the mall. Nick stepped out of his car and straightened his tie. A young guy dressed in a puffy vest and hat branded with the Westford Mall logo walked over to him.

‘Good morning, Mr Bower,’ he said, as a white cloud billowed from his mouth. It seemed to be colder than earlier that morning during his run.

‘Morning,’ Nick said, handing over his keys before rounding the lot toward the street.

The sign for Kevin’s Café beckoned Nick to pick up his pace.

Years ago, Nick had negotiated the contract for the café. At the time, his father took a lot of convincing that the café wouldn’t take money away from the food court, and that it would be a draw for the mall instead. Patrons loved the coffee, so they tended to stick around to shop while sipping from their lattes.

Entering the café, the strong scent of freshly ground coffee filled his nose. The light from the hazy December sun cascaded down through the front windows. Nick unzipped his coat and stepped into the line already six people deep.

While waiting, he scrolled through several emails to get a head start on work.

‘Two everything bagels with extra cream cheese,’ the woman in front of him ordered.

While Nick only really wanted to order for his dad, the thought of a bagel made his stomach growl.

Vickie, the twenty-something barista, caught his eye as she started on the food. She winked her false eyelashes at him. ‘The usual?’

‘Yes,’ Nick said. ‘Also, a scone and a wheat bagel with lite vegetable cream cheese.’

‘Toasted?’ she asked.

‘No,’ Nick said, checking the time on his platinum watch.

The woman in front of him glanced over. She did a double take and her eyebrows arched before she turned back to Vickie.

Nick had no idea what that look was for, but he couldn’t help moving closer to explain himself. ‘Your order sounded good.’

‘I can’t stand wheat bagels. I mean, what’s the point if you’re not going all in?’ she said.

Nick smiled at her. ‘Should I change my order?’

The woman smiled, and her light green eyes crinkled at the corners before she turned back to her phone. ‘Do whatever you want.’ She was several inches shorter than him, wearing workout gear and a puffy red jacket. Under a knitted gray hat, her shiny dark brown hair almost reached the middle of her back. The same style of gloves peeked out from her pockets.

‘Are you starting your Christmas shopping early this year?’ Nick couldn’t help himself. He wanted to think it was more because of his line of work than wanting to talk to her.

‘Already done,’ she said. ‘I’m an online shopper.’

Nick winced. Not what he expected, but at least she was honest. She also had no idea what he did for a living. ‘Are you from around here?’

The woman cut a look his way. ‘I grew up in Brookside.’

‘A local?’

‘Does that surprise you?’ she asked, finally putting down her phone.

He cleared his throat, lifting his hands in surrender. ‘You have enough outerwear for a trip to Alaska.’

Vickie came back with her order and rang her up. The woman handed over her card to pay.

The woman pulled the hat from her head, smoothing her hair back. ‘I’ve lived in California for years. I’m so not used to the cold anymore.’ She unzipped her jacket, revealing another layer.

Nick wanted to ask her where in California, but Vickie spoke first. ‘It’s not working.’ She held the card between them.

The woman wrinkled the paper bag of bagels she held close to her chest as if she wasn’t willing to let it go without a fight. ‘Please try again.’

The door opened, letting another gust of cold air into the café, and three more people joined the already growing line.

Vickie shrugged, holding the card between two fingers. ‘I’ve tried it twice, and it’s not going through.’

The woman lowered her voice. ‘Please try it one more time.’

Vickie sighed and tried again.

The same double beep sounded from the machine.

Vickie raised her thick eyebrows at the woman. ‘Do you have cash?’

The woman blew out a breath. ‘I can’t believe this.’

‘Do you have another card?’ Vickie made a point to examine the line behind them. It was almost to the door now.

‘What’s the hold-up?’ someone behind them asked.

Nick glared at the guy.

The woman at the counter looked as if she wanted to crawl into the bag she gripped in her hands.

‘Here,’ Nick said, handing his card to Vickie.

The woman scowled at him. This time her eyes held an edge of skepticism. ‘You don’t have to do that.’

‘It’s fine,’ he said.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked him up and down. ‘No, really.’

‘You need to pay for your stuff,’ Vickie said.

‘Just take the card,’ Nick said, handing it over. ‘It’s no big deal.’

Vickie swiped the card and handed it to him.

‘I’m paying it forward—’ Nick’s words dried on his tongue as the woman was already halfway to the door.

Vicki turned to the next customer as she slid Nick’s bag across the counter. ‘See you tomorrow.’

The woman was already at the door before Nick caught up with her. Couldn’t she even thank him? He misjudged the distance between himself and the door as two teens rushed inside. The door swung so quickly that the collision was inevitable. He braced himself as he gripped his coffee. The door nailed the lid, and the flimsy cup buckled under the weight. The searing hot liquid splashed his shirt, coursing down his chest.

The two teens linked hands and joined the line as if they had no idea what they had done. Apparently, it was a day for rude people.

The woman whipped around, and her jaw dropped at the sight of him. She gave an apologetic smile and wave before taking off across the street. The countdown of the walk signal at the traffic lights wasn’t enough for him to safely catch up to her.

Nick wasn’t about to get into another accident on her account. He curled his lip and sidestepped the door, grabbing several napkins from the nearby dispenser. He could go home and change, but his dad would never forgive his tardiness. There was no separation between family-dad and professional-dad. He was all in, all the time, and held Nick to a higher standard.

It was a good thing Nick liked to be prepared and had backup clothes at the office. All he had to do was make it there without his dad spotting him.

***

Nick trudged through the office, holding his coat against his sopping wet shirt.

‘What happened to you?’ Maya asked, sipping from her snowman-shaped mug.

Nick turned toward the head of Human Resources. Her cubicle was across the hall from his office. He didn’t have a lot of time to delay before the morning meeting with his father. ‘Someone rushed the door as I was leaving the café.’

‘People are insane around the holidays. Do you have an extra shirt?’ she asked.

‘In my office.’ He didn’t want to talk about the mishap anymore – though he had a few words for the woman who left him dripping wet. ‘How are the Christmas hires going?’

Maya smoothed a chunk of black hair from her face. ‘Only a few more spots to fill.’ Maya had come in as an assistant right out of high school and made her way up the ladder quickly.

Nick’s dad, Quinn Bower, popped his head out of his corner office and spotted him.

Nick’s entire body tensed as Quinn’s eyes met his. ‘I should go. Have Carrie send me the numbers at the end of the day.’

‘I know how to handle my assistant, thank you,’ Maya said to his back.

Nick smirked. Maya never let him get away with anything. After David left his position, Nick was there to swoop in. As the son his dad had never intended on working with, Nick’s first year was harder than all the rest. With David as a manager, Nick had passively sat by while his father and brother ran the corporation. Nick had proved himself over the years, but Maya never gave him any slack and kept him grounded when he needed it.

Nick opened the thin closet at the back of his office and changed his shirt. As he walked toward his dad’s office, he plastered on a confident smile while his fingers gathered the top of the paper bag in his hands.

‘Nice of you to join us,’ Quinn said, gesturing at Nick to close the door behind him.

Nick lifted the pastry from the bag in his hands. ‘It’s five of eight, and I picked this up for you.’

Quinn’s eyes sparkled for a moment before darkening again. ‘I need to speak with you about something important.’

‘Okay,’ Nick said, handing over the bag.

Quinn placed it on his desk before shoving his hands into his pockets. ‘You’re coming up in the business, which is great. But I want to discuss a move forward.’

‘What did you have in mind?’

‘You remember Jared Kent.’ Not a question.

‘Sure,’ Nick said, racking his brain to place the name. ‘He was into real estate. You went to business school together.’

Quinn nodded. ‘We’ve stayed connected over the years and are going to dinner this week. We’re discussing a new project, and I would like for you to attend.’

‘Really?’ Other than holidays or business lunches, his dad rarely wanted to share a meal.

‘I’ll have Rachel put the details in your calendar.’ Also, not a question. His dad already knew Nick’s schedule, especially during this time of the year. Maybe the Christmas spirit had affected him as well? Whatever the reason, after the morning Nick had had, his mood improved slightly. The moment with the rude woman faded into the background as he considered what his father had in mind for him.

Chapter 3

Angie bolted across the street, holding the paper bag against her chest. She didn’t dare look behind her until she walked through the entrance of the mall. She couldn’t believe she had embarrassed herself like that. The first cute guy in a suit she saw brought her back to the foolish woman she had been with Brett. Then, her card was denied.

The reminder that things like food and clothing cost money reeled in her head. She didn’t think she had spent that much in her move back home, but last-minute plane tickets after Thanksgiving were expensive, along with moving her furniture into storage until she had found a permanent place to live. The severance check should have been enough to cover all her budgeted expenses.

Heat seared her cheeks as she glanced over her shoulder. From the furious expression on that guy’s face, she fully expected him to come after her. Thankfully, he was nowhere in sight. It wasn’t her fault those kids had knocked the door into him. She supposed he was upset she hadn’t thanked him for paying, but she was too embarrassed to stick around. Reese’s voice screamed in the back of her mind to run away. This was her chance to get a break from men like Brett, and she had failed her first test.

While the guy was attractive, their short conversation reminded her so much of Brett – the suit, the slick-backed hair, and throwing money around like it wasn’t a big deal. While it was nice of him, the fact that she had no money to pay for bagels loomed over her like a thick cloud.

Brett had said she would get a severance check. She hadn’t bothered to review her bank account; she had simply assumed the money would be there. He couldn’t have lied about that too. It was a silent deal they had made. She didn’t want to make a big deal of their breakup, and she got what she needed to get out of there.

With two bagels in her hands and Reese waiting for her, Angie would have to wait to find out what was going on with her finances. She located Reese outside of Bloomfield’s department store. Somehow, her friend appeared even more tired than when she had seen her last. As she neared, the bags around Reese’s eyes darkened.

‘Finally,’ Reese said. ‘I’m starving.’

‘Sorry. Did you eat breakfast?’ Angie asked, sitting next to her on the bench.

Reese cut a look at her. ‘If I say yes, don’t judge me.’