“Okay,” I agree, and Jewels’s whole face lights up with excitement.
A knot tightens in my stomach at the same time, and I don’t think that’s a good sign. Is it possible to hit it off with someone that you feel nothing for? I guess there’s only one way to find out.
My phone rings, and I hit the button on my Bluetooth to answer.
“Good afternoon. this is—”
“What this is is fucking ridiculous.”
I look down to see who’s calling and the name Dasher Sleigh flashes across the screen. Oh crap. I was set to stop by Mr. Sleigh’s place on my way home and check on things. His Christmas party is going to be extravagant, so much so that it’s going to take some time to get everything set up. The first stage was the lighting outside, and clearly that hasn’t gone well. The man lives in a castle-like home, so whatever this is must be a major problem. I was excited when Jewels passed the project over to me late last night, saying Deborah was overwhelmed, but perhaps I’ve bitten off too much too.
“I’m sorry, sir. Can you tell me what the problem is?” He doesn't answer, and I glance down, thinking maybe the call dropped, but it says the call is still going. “Sir?”
I hear him clear his throat. “What is your name?”
I want to tell him if he hadn't interrupted me he would know it, but I don’t think poking an angry bear is the answer here.
“Eve Tinsel.”
“Well, guess what, Eve, you’re going to come out here and fix the mess that blond woman made today. And I don’t ever want to see her out here again. My niece and sister will have the best Christmas of their lives this year, and you’re going to make sure that happens.”
So this Dasher guy is a dick, but maybe there’s a reason he’s so hell bent on Christmas for his niece and sister to be the best. It makes me think something happened, and that I can absolutely relate to.
“Say you’ll be here today, Eve.”
“I’ll be there.” The words roll off my tongue before I can give it another thought.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Why do those three words sound like a threat of some kind? The call ends before I can say anything else, and I look up to see Jewels watching me.
“Is he firing us?”
She’s chewing on her thumbnail, which is what she does when she’s in panic mode. “He could blacklist us. Dasher Sleigh is a very powerful man. I was excited when his assistant called about using us, but now I’m not so sure.”
“I’ll handle it.” I grab her elbow, pulling her thumb out of her mouth.
“Right.” She nods but still doesn't look too sure.
“I’ll get him in the spirit in no time.” I flick on my Christmas sweater, and when it lights up, a small smile pulls at her lips. Next I put on my reindeer headband, and finally she grins and I see some of the tension leave her body.
“I bet you will, Eve. Just flash those dimples because they’ve gotten us out of a few tight spots.”
When she walks back to her office, I touch my cheeks, wondering when my dimples ever do anything, but the thought vanishes when my phone starts to ring.
“Good afternoon, this—”
“When I said today, Eve, I meant now.”
“On my way.” This time I’m the one to hang up on him. I really shouldn't have, but I can claim it was an accident. It’s probably not a good idea to provoke him, but I have to say it felt pretty good.
I jump up from my seat and grab my bag and notepad to take with me. I’ll save Christmas, not just for Dasher Sleigh, but for us too.
Two
DASHER
“Sir, we can have these taken down in one hour,” my assistant Tori says as he clicks on his iPad.
“It took them all day to do this. Do you really think I’m going to just let them rip the lights down and re-do it?” I try to keep the anger in my voice in check, but it’s been a long day, and this is the proverbial straw on my camel’s back.
“The party isn’t until this weekend.” He keeps clicking, and I want to rip the device out of his hand and launch it into the fountain.
This estate has been in my family for generations, and although it looks ostentatious, it’s home. I rode my bike without training wheels for the first time in this driveway. I broke my arm when I was seven swinging on the tree by the garden. I snuck out of my bedroom on the second floor and stole my dad’s car when I was sixteen. This place has my favorite memories, but it’s been a long time since I made a new one that wasn’t painful.