Santa's Secret

“You can and will.” Dominic stands. “Fix this Fisher, because I really hate knowing my sister is hurting.” Dominic leaves, slamming my door on his way out. It only takes me seconds to find Calvin’s name and press the call button. The phone rings six times before going to voicemail. I call back, and back again until he finally picks up.

“You better be dying in a ditch somewhere because it’s five in the morning and I’m on vacation.”

“Oh.”

“Oh is all you have to say? What do you want, Aiden?”

“I’m sorry to wake you. I didn’t think about the time difference.”

“Uh huh.”

“Anyway, I really messed up with Delaney and I need to fix things.”

Calvin groans. “I think it might be a little too late.”

“I know, but I have to try. I’ve spoken to Dominic and he helped me see things through Delaney’s eyes. I need to do something to make things right.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“That’s just it, I don’t know,” I tell him. “I’ve never really been super romantic and I have a feeling Delaney needs romance right now.”

“Yeah she does, so listen and listen good.”

Calvin spends the next hour giving me suggestions until I finally decide on what I’m going to do. The next hour is spent going over the plan and how he’s going to help. The only thing I have to do is sober up so I can pick Holly up from my parents’ and set the plan into motion.

When Calvin and I hang up, I spend however long it takes moving the presents from Delaney into my room. If Holly is going to open them, I want Delaney to be here when she does. Delaney deserves to experience the Christmas joy that comes from having a little girl wake up and be surprised by what Santa brought her.

Thirty-One

Delaney

“Merry Christmas Eve,” the hostess says as I walk past her to the table where my friend, Lana sits. She’s wearing a wide brim hat, the kind you find on the beach, only we’re in the middle of a restaurant.

“Who are you hiding from?” I ask as I sit down. She’s the only call I’ve taken since I arrived back home, aside from my mother’s. When Lana invited me out for lunch, I was tempted to tell her no because I don’t feel like it, but staying home and wallowing isn’t doing me any good either.

“The paps are everywhere,” she mutters before picking up her drink. “I can’t escape them.”

I giggle, and keep my comments to myself. I met Lana when she had a three-scene part in one of my movies. We hit it off, sort of, and stayed in touch. Lana is everything but what she wants to be, an A-list celebrity.

“I think you’re fine,” I tell her even though I’m not sure, but I’m not worried and neither should she be. Besides, cameras aren’t allowed in this restaurant.

“You never know.” Lana removes her hat slowly and pulls a compact out of her oversized purse so she can fix her hair. “This one time I was at NoVu and they were everywhere. Their flashes kept blinding me. I couldn’t see for days and when I could, I saw white lights. It was horrible.” It takes everything in me to keep from rolling my eyes. To each their own, I guess. “Where’s your delish bodyguard?” she asks.

I shake my head slightly. “On vacation, hopefully somewhere tropical.”

“I may be in need of his services. My agent keeps telling me I’m getting the lead across from Denz, and well, you know how aggressive the paps are when he’s around.”

Denzel Washington? I want to scoff and call her out, but it’s no use. Instead, I drink from my glass of water and study the menu while telling her Calvin isn’t for hire.

“But surely, he freelances?”

“He doesn’t. I mean he could, if he wanted to, but he works for me.”

“And you’re not interested in sharing?”

I shrug. “It’ll depend on my shooting schedule. If I’m not doing anything, sure.” It’ll never happen in a million years. If Calvin knew I was out right now, he’d throw a fit.

The waiter comes by and takes our order. Once he’s gone, Lana continues talking about her upcoming job where she’ll play a private investigator hunting Denz. Why she doesn’t call the man by his full name boggles my mind, but I let it go without saying anything.