Wrapped Up for Christmas

‘You can’t afford me,’ Angie said, unsure that she wouldn’t take any job offered to her. ‘Besides, this is temporary. You’ll have a baby soon.’

‘I’ll need more help than ever.’ Reese walked into the living room and Angie followed with her plate. ‘Everyone keeps telling me how tired I’ll be in the first few months. You know me. I love to sleep.’

‘Is Jer taking any time off?’

‘A little.’ Reese sat on the couch with a little groan. ‘But it’s not going to be enough.’

‘What about his parents?’

‘I’m sure they’ll help.’

Angie sat next to her friend, placing the plate on the table. She propped pillows around Reese. With her hands busy she thought again of what Jeremy said. Reese missed her and she couldn’t help feeling guilty that she didn’t have roots here so that she could be around for her friends. They were happy, but Reese seemed overwhelmed.

‘It will be fine. I don’t think I’m going to the West Coast again, so I’ll be home more often.’

‘That would be nice. Aunty Angie can’t stay away too long.’

Angie didn’t want to get into her next move with Reese quite yet. Especially because she had no plan in mind. ‘Did you look at my resume?’

‘I did. Looks good. No notes from me.’

Angie sensed there was something else Reese wanted to say. But if her resume was flawless and she still didn’t receive any phone calls, maybe the problem was her.

‘I think your luck will turn around soon,’ Reese said.

‘When did you become so wise?’

‘Don’t you know all pregnant women are clairvoyant?’

Angie’s phone rang with an unknown number on the screen. She flipped the phone to show Reese.

‘Who is it?’ Reese asked, leaning over.

‘A job?’ Angie’s heart leaped in her chest. Merry Christmas to me.

‘Answer it,’ Reese said with a huge grin on her face.

Angie picked up the call. ‘This is Angie.’

‘Hi, Angela Martinelli?’ a woman said on the other line.

‘Yes.’ Her heart fluttered in her chest. She wondered which hotel was calling her back. Though it didn’t matter. She was ready to restart her life.

‘This is Carrie from Westford Malls, we received your resume and wanted to have you come in for an interview.’

Reese’s eyes widened before she stood from the couch, faster than Angie had seen her move lately.

Angie shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t—’ Realization flooded through her. Reese pushing Angie to get a job. Asking to see her resume.

‘You didn’t,’ Angie hissed at her best friend.

‘Excuse me?’ Carrie asked from the other line.

Reese shook her head, but even she couldn’t hide the mischievous grin from her face.

‘I, um …’ Angie’s mind went blank.

‘We have a ten-thirty interview slot tomorrow morning. Can you make it into our corporate offices for then?’ Carrie asked.

Angie fisted the fabric of the throw pillow next to her.

Reese’s gaze wandered around the room.

‘Ms Martinelli?’ Carrie’s voice rang in Angie’s ear. ‘Do we have a bad connection?’

Angie shook her head, though it wasn’t as if Carrie could see her. It was the first job offer she’d received, even though it was unsolicited.

‘Yes, I can be there for ten-thirty.’ She hadn’t interviewed in a while, and this could be a practice round before the interviews for the hotel jobs.

‘See you then,’ Carrie said before hanging up.

Angie sunk into the silence on the other line before putting her phone down.

‘At least you have an interview,’ Reese said.

‘I can’t believe you did that behind my back.’

‘You need money. This is your chance at a job. You already have experience there.’

‘I told you I don’t want to work at the mall, especially around Christmas.’

‘What’s your alternative? Sitting around, waiting for your phone to ring? That’s not the Angie I know. Besides, your severance money will only last so long.’

With an apologetic email back from Melissa, the money had landed in Angie’s account later than expected. At least someone from her previous job was on her side. It would last her a little while, but she didn’t have a backup plan if no one from the other hotels returned her phone calls. Anxiety filled Angie’s chest.

‘What if I run into someone I know and have to explain why I’m back home and working there?’

‘Who cares what people think?’

Angie cared, but she wasn’t going to say that to Reese. Her best friend was right on all accounts. Angie needed money, and no one was calling her with a job offer.

‘I didn’t apply for any particular position, just at the mall in general,’ Reese said. ‘I’m sure you will be able to have your pick.’

‘Well, thanks for that,’ Angie deadpanned.

‘What are best friends for?’ said Reese, ignoring the sarcasm. ‘Now, I’m thinking we can put a good dent in my Christmas romance movie list before you are busy with work!’

Angie sat back against the couch, propping her feet on the coffee table. Work. At the mall? A place she never thought she would return to. She had no idea what to expect tomorrow, but she wasn’t going to allow her situation to put her in a mood. This hiccup was temporary. It had to be. Once one of the jobs called back, she would move on. It was the only thought she could have to ease the ache in her chest at her current situation.

Angie would enjoy the movie marathon with Reese and worry about tomorrow when it arrived.

***

On the day of her interview, Angie tried on a few of her more business casual outfits. Most of her suits were a little over the top for the position she was going for, but she wasn’t going to dress like a slob.

To delay the inevitable, she checked herself out in the mirror for longer than necessary. Brett would have laughed at her if he saw how she had lost everything.

At the thought of him, she narrowed her eyes, wishing she could show him how much better off she was without him. Or would be when she finally landed another amazing job. He had tended to put others down. Her rose-colored glasses had prevented her from understanding that part of him.

Angie lifted her chin. She wasn’t going to let him ruin another part of her life.

***

The closer she got to the mall, the more her stomach churned. She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous.

Once she’d parked, she had fifteen minutes until her interview. The corporate offices were at the rear of the mall through a separate entrance. She recalled interviewing there in high school, and all of it looked the same.

Angie took several deep breaths as she rode the elevator. She knew this wasn’t her dream job, but the quiver in her stomach was still there, making her legs wobbly as she stepped out onto the floor for the corporate offices.

She headed over to the desk toward a young woman with a headset. There were already several people in the waiting area possibly competing for the same job as her. They ranged from teenagers to a man in his sixties.

‘I’m Angie Martinelli. I have an appointment.’

‘Have a seat,’ the woman said with a broad smile. She seemed closer to Angie’s age. Maybe there was an opening in the office? She could see herself temporarily working there.

After sitting in one of the plush chairs, she glanced around the space. If she worked there, at least she wouldn’t run into anyone she knew.

A few minutes later, a familiar person darkened the doorway. ‘Angie?’

Angie stood and did a double take. She locked eyes with Maya Taylor and froze. Angie and Maya weren’t enemies in school, but not exactly friends either. They were in direct competition on the cross-country track team, and Maya never allowed Angie to forget any of her record-breaking times.

‘Maya?’

Maya looked at the paper in her hands, then back to Angie. She plastered on a smirk. ‘This way.’

Maya led Angie into a small conference room, overlooking the tall buildings surrounding them. On the way, she couldn’t help thinking that Maya held her immediate future in her hands. Surely they were both mature enough to not bring their old rivalry into their working worlds.

‘When I saw your cover letter and resume come through, I had to see if it was you,’ Maya said.

‘It’s me.’ Angie couldn’t even look at her. Once again, Maya had the upper hand. So much for not holding on to their high school pasts.

‘You were let go from your previous job in California?’ Maya asked, placing Angie’s resume on the table between them.

It was a standard question, but Maya could make anything sound like an insult. ‘It was time for a change. This is only a temporary job.’

‘Considering the Christmas season, that’s all we have for now,’ Maya said as if it were a challenge. ‘You are coming into the season later than usual. Most holiday jobs become available at the beginning of November. Black Friday and all that.’ She lifted a second sheet of paper from behind Angie’s resume.

Angie craned her neck to see the paper.

‘Are you good with kids?’ Maya asked.

‘Sure, why?’

‘We have one spot open for a photographer at the Santa booth in the food court.’

Angie cleared her throat, unable to fathom wearing whatever costume they required for working with Santa. ‘Is there anywhere else?’

Maya sighed as if Angie was wasting her time – but Angie was determined their relationship in high school wasn’t going to affect how she spent the next month of her life.

‘We have three retail positions,’ she said. ‘Four in food service. Also, an opening for an information specialist.’

‘That was the last job I had when I worked here,’ Angie said, jumping at the opportunity. Working at the information booth at the center of the mall would give her a lot of downtime to continue her real job search.

‘You’re a bit overqualified.’

‘I’m interested. I figured there would be a pay cut, but I don’t mind.’ When she came to the mall, she wasn’t thrilled about taking a job, but Angie couldn’t stand the pitying looks Maya kept throwing her. She wanted to prove Maya wrong, that she could overcome her situation.

‘All right. I have other interviews today. I’ll get back to you soon.’

‘Thank you,’ Angie said, but Maya was out of her seat already.

Angie showed herself out, glancing over her shoulder. Maya was gone, but she hoped their past wouldn’t affect her present.

***

As she walked over the bridge linking the offices and the mall, Angie admired the holiday decor. Garlands of red, green, and silver and gold swooped down from the ceiling. The hum of activity from the mall moved over her as she entered the throngs of people shopping for their loved ones. Even close to lunchtime on a Thursday, the place was packed.

It would only get worse as the holiday neared.

Taking a detour, she found the information booth where she remembered. There was a line of people in front of the empty stand. They were clearly short-staffed, and Angie wondered if she should call Maya to confirm her interest.

Choosing to ignore the bustling counter, Angie quickly passed by, leaving Maya to decide her fate.

In the food court, holiday music played from the speakers, barely audible over the conversations around her. The lines at most of the stands were outrageous, but she had nowhere to be. She chose a sandwich wrap place she’d never tried before. While waiting, she scanned the area, fully expecting to run into more people she knew.

What would she say when they asked about her life and her job? She could lie, but Brett was a prime example of lies blowing up in people’s faces. She wasn’t that person, despite her embarrassment about her desperate need to get work after living in California.

After she paid for her turkey wrap, she waited off to the side for her order.

A guy in a charcoal-grey suit approached the counter. She blinked, immediately recognizing him. If she weren’t so concerned with the growling in her stomach, she would have fled the scene. Heat bloomed within her, and she regretted her choice of thick jacket. There was no way she could avoid him.

When the guy from the café turned around and met her eyes, his polite smile fell as recognition flooded his expression. His eyes narrowed slightly as he approached her to wait for his food.

‘It’s you,’ he said.

Angie gave him a shaky smile. There wasn’t much else she could do after he called her out like that. She got a better look at him without his jacket on. His tailored suit shaped his fit body. He looked like a runner.

‘Oh, hi.’

‘Hi.’ He smirked, and a chill ran down her spine. It was the same confident grin Brett always had for his employees. It was the same one which helped her fall for him.

Silence stretched between them, making the crowded food court close in around her. ‘Thanks again for the other day. I can pay you back for the bagels.’

He waved his hand in front of him as if to say it wasn’t a problem. ‘You figured it out, then?’

‘Yes, thanks.’ She wrung her hands in front of her, unsure of what to do with them.

‘I hope you enjoyed your breakfast,’ he said.

It seemed as if both of them were terrible at small talk. For some reason, it made Angie smile.

‘What did I say?’ he asked with a hint of a grin.

Angie tucked her hair away from her face, trying to cool off. ‘Nothing. So, are you Christmas shopping today?’

‘No, I’m on my lunch break.’

It made sense that he worked nearby since she had met him at the café the other morning.

‘I’m Nick, by the way,’ he said.

‘Angie.’

He cleared his throat.

‘Angie!’ a young man from the food stall called.

‘Excuse me.’ She sprinted to the counter to get her tray.

‘Nick!’ the guy called next.

Angie glanced around at the nearby tables and chairs. There were only a few open tables. She could take her food to go.

‘Do you want to sit together?’ Nick asked.

‘Sure.’ If he wasn’t going to take her money, it was the least she could do to repay him for his kindness.

When they sat, Angie was aware of his movements. His knee brushed against her leg, and he muttered an apology. She sipped from her soda and unwrapped her sandwich, desperate to look anywhere but at him.

‘What are you up to today?’ he asked. ‘I thought you said you said you were an online shopper.’

‘Good memory.’ Angie hesitated about the real reason for her being there, but she needed to get over herself. ‘I applied for a job today.’

‘Here?’

She inwardly cringed, unsure about how much she wanted to reveal about her life to this guy. ‘Yeah, I’m unemployed right now. I worked at a hotel as an event planner in California. Right now, I need a temporary place to work until I get back on my feet.’

‘Well, you came to the right place at the right time. The holiday season is perfect for a temporary job.’

‘When I was sixteen, I worked here. I blew all of my paychecks on new clothes.’

‘Which store?’

‘Oh, everywhere. I started at the Smoothie Shack, then the movie theater as an usher. I worked for a little while at Bloomfield’s department store. I was the best bow-tie-er in town.’ Angie laughed, and he joined her. ‘That was during the break of my freshman year of college. I never came back after that.’

‘You got around,’ Nick said. His eyebrows rose as if he was impressed. Angie’s barometer of men was off lately, and she wasn’t sure what to make of him.

‘Well, I only did one sport, and I loved to shop.’

‘I’m sure you have a good shot at getting the job.’ He took a bite of his sandwich as the words hung between them.

Angie had the urge to engage him more. The image of the door closing behind her in his face brought another wave of flames over her body. ‘For some reason, I was nervous about the interview. To make it even worse, I know the girl who interviewed me. We didn’t get along well in high school. I know I’m more than qualified for the position, but I hope she doesn’t use that against me.’

‘It couldn’t have been that bad,’ Nick said.

‘It wasn’t great. It makes me slightly anxious to think that Maya holds my future in her hands.’

‘I’m sure it will all turn out as it’s supposed to.’

Angie was supposed to be in California with her boyfriend and the life she’d spent so many years building. Working at her high school job wasn’t exactly her plan.

‘Do you come here a lot?’ Angie asked him. ‘Since you work nearby?’

Nick wiped his mouth with a napkin and smirked. ‘I like the food here. I’m not much of a cook. You?’

‘I know my way around a kitchen.’ Thanks to her mother. ‘But the takeout in California was much tastier than what I could cook up with the amount of time I spent at work.’

‘Did you go out a lot with friends?’

Angie tried to hide her burning cheeks. ‘Sometimes.’ She wasn’t ready to admit that she had the tendency to get swept up into the life of whoever she dated that she ended up seeing less of her friends than she liked. It was a habit she would make a point not to continue in the future.

‘I bet the nightlife is better there than here.’

‘I’m sure it’s not so bad.’

‘I bet you could make a night out here fun for anyone.’

Angie’s gaze dipped to the table, as a tingling sensation skittered up her arms.

Nick cleared his throat. ‘But I also bet you’re leaving town right after the holiday?’

‘It depends on if I get a more permanent job nearby.’ Would she go out with him regardless? There was no harm in having a little fun for herself. Though that was what got her in trouble with Brett to start.

‘I’m sure you’ll hear back from someone soon. If it were up to me, I’d hire you.’

‘Thanks.’

Nick wasn’t as bad as she originally thought. But the last time she fell for a handsome guy in a suit, he uprooted her life and forced her home. He was cute, but she wasn’t going to go down that rabbit hole again.

‘Well, I should get back,’ Nick said, crunching up the wrapper in front of him.

Angie sat up straighter. Seeing Nick twice in one week seemed like a strange twist of fate. ‘Maybe we’ll run into each other again?’

‘I hope so.’ He flashed a heart-melting grin. ‘See you, Angie.’

‘Bye.’ She watched him walk away and couldn’t help the slump in her shoulders. There was no way she would consider starting a new relationship with someone, never mind a crush. It was better this way.

Chapter 6

On the way back to the office, Nick couldn’t believe he had run into Angie again. When he first saw her, he had noticed how she avoided his eyes. After not thanking him for paying for her food, he wanted her to be uncomfortable about the other day. But it seemed that it all was a misunderstanding. The banter they had from their brief encounter had returned, and he found himself wanting to be around her. It was a strange feeling toward someone he barely knew, but a sense of urgency had forced him to invite himself to eat with her.

Nick wasn’t happy that Angie lost her job. But with her applying to the mall an opportunity to help her appeared in front of him.

Maya oversaw the interviews, so she would have all the resumes. When he returned to the office, he couldn’t help gravitating toward her desk.

‘Did you have a good lunch?’ he asked, propping his arm on the divider of her cubicle.

‘It was fine,’ she said, sorting resumes.

Nick peered down, looking for Angie’s name at the top of one of them.

No such luck.

Nick couldn’t imagine Angie doing anything to have a strained relationship with Maya, but one thing he knew of the HR head was that she didn’t care for people who were on her bad side.

‘What’s going on with you?’ she asked.

‘What do you mean?’

Maya sat up in her chair. ‘This isn’t the time of year for you to be so happy. Or lie.’

Nick dragged a finger over the top of the cubicle. ‘I’m in a good mood. I had lunch with someone. It was interesting.’

She raised an eyebrow. ‘Interesting, how?’

Nick shook his head. ‘It’s not important. But I have a few minutes. Did you need me to approve anything?’

Maya trapped her bottom lip under her teeth. ‘Actually, yes. I wanted your opinion on a potential applicant for the information specialist position. I went to high school with her, and she’s a bit overqualified. I’m not sure if I should keep looking or not.’

Nick cleared his throat, leaning closer. ‘Who is it?’

Maya handed over a piece of paper.

Nick held the paper in front of him as if it was from any other applicant.

Angela Martinelli.

He pocketed her last name for later. Scanning through, he found out she had worked at a prestigious hotel as an event planner since she’d graduated from college.

Nick was more than impressed.

‘I have a few teens looking for work,’ Maya said, sifting through the other resumes. ‘They’re seniors, but all of them brought phones to their interview. They seem more into looking as if they are working than actually doing the work.’

Nick tapped his finger against the EMPLOYMENT HISTORY section of the resume. ‘Under relevant work, Angie – Angela, I mean, has worked at the booth. She has training.’

‘There isn’t much training involved, though. Is it weird if I pick her? She seemed a little desperate and sad. I don’t want this to be a conflict of interest. Since I know her.’

‘That was years ago. To me, it doesn’t seem like a conflict of interest.’

Maya raised a questioning eyebrow. ‘At least, I’m assuming, from what you said,’ he said quickly. ‘You have to trust your judgment.’

Maya swiveled in her chair. ‘I’ll think about it a little more.’

Nick placed the resume on her desk. ‘I know you’ll make the right choice, Maya.’ He walked into his office, not wanting to interfere with the hiring process. It wasn’t his place, but he hoped Maya would give Angie the job, he wanted to get to know her a little better. As he sat down, he woke up his computer. His eyes strained to stay on the screen instead of checking in on Maya.

The front of his office was all glass, giving him a view of Maya’s desk. He left his door open to hear her making phone calls to the applicants. After some time, his ears perked up when Maya said Angie’s name. She was on the phone, the top of her head barely visible over the cubicle wall.

Nick hadn’t expected to hear anything from that distance, but he crossed his fingers that Angie would accept. His water bottle stood empty at the edge of the desk, offering the perfect opportunity to fill it at the water cooler out front.

Nick slipped by Maya’s desk, but she wasn’t on the phone anymore.

With each desk he passed, his smile widened. A few of the other employees blinked away their surprise. Nick wasn’t the grinning type at work, especially with his father around.

With a full bottle, he made his way back to Maya’s desk. ‘How goes it?’

‘Fine.’ She lifted a piece of paper in front of her. It wasn’t Angie’s resume.

‘Good. Did everyone accept?’

‘I’m still making phone calls, Nick.’ She wheeled her chair around. ‘What gives? Are you checking up on me?’

‘No, not at all.’

‘Why don’t I believe you?’

‘You should because it’s the truth.’

‘All right,’ she said, eyeing him.

When he returned to his desk, Nick let out a sigh. He couldn’t let Maya know why he wanted Angie to get the job. But it was the least he could do to help a new acquaintance for the holidays.

***

That night, Nick returned to his apartment much later than usual. When he walked through the door, Charlie popped her head up from the other side of the couch. Her eyes were bleary with sleep.

‘Hey, girl.’

She rolled over, exposing her chest for a rub. Charlie’s slobbery kiss met his hand. He settled into the couch, running over the day in his head.