Christmas in Bayberry

Knock knock.

Kate poked her head inside the office. “Just checking to see if you have everything you need.”

He slid a file folder over the report he’d been referencing, and clicked to a blank screen on his computer. It was standard practice he had developed from years of working on sensitive information. “I think I have it. Thank you.” She was about to walk away when he said, “What can you recommend for lunch? You know, besides the diner.”

“Well, there are a couple of other places.” She signaled for him to come with her. “Come on. I’ll show you.”

He glanced at the clock. Lunch wasn’t for another eighteen minutes. “It’s not lunchtime yet.”

Kate blatantly rolled her eyes. “You’re such a rule follower, aren’t you?”

He frowned. “And what’s wrong with that? It keeps everything neat and orderly.”

“But what about spontaneity and breaking up routines? That’s important too.”

“Not when it comes to work. Strict rules need to be followed. Otherwise you end up in a mess like…” His voice trailed off.

Kate’s eyes widened. “So you think if we’d followed a more disciplined lunch schedule we wouldn’t be in trouble?”

His lips pressed into a firm line. Why did she make it sound so ridiculous when she said it? “That’s not exactly what I meant.”

“Oh, good.” Her eyes glittered with triumph. “I was really worried we were going to have to install a bell to let everyone know it was lunchtime, and ring it again when it was time to go back to work.”

Even he wasn’t that extreme. “I just think if you leave at the proper time that lines don’t get blurred.”

“And I would work the proper number of hours?”

“Something like that.” And then he realized she was taking his words and turning them around. “Never mind. That isn’t what I meant.” The heat of embarrassment licked at his face. “Forget it.”

“Oh good. So that means we can go to lunch now.”

Oh boy. Back to this again. “You go ahead. I have some work to finish before I go.”

“But this can’t wait. And your work can.” She headed for his desk and closed his laptop. “Come on, Mr. Scrooge.”

“I am not a Scrooge.”

“Uh-huh.” She reached for his coat and held it out to him. “Come on.”

He got to his feet. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re bossy?”

She tilted her head to the side and stared off into space. Then she turned her gaze back to him. “No. I don’t think they have.”

He shrugged on his overcoat. Under his breath he mumbled, “That’s hard to believe.”

She was already headed out the door. “What did you say?”

“Oh, um, I was having a hard time with my sleeve.”

They made their way out of the building, with just about every other employee. Everyone chatted with everyone else. They weren’t exactly a quiet bunch. Most of the conversations were about the beautiful sunny day after a week of snow.

It was so different from the conversations at his New York office. Most of the time, the rides in the congested elevator were quiet, except for the occasional buzz of someone’s cell phone. And if the winter weather was mentioned, it was noted with abhorrence. Snow, for the most part, was not welcome in the city. It made a mess of everything, and in a city where traffic was a nightmare on a perfectly good day, a snowy day just meant it would be that much longer until people reached their destinations.

But in Bayberry, no one was in that much of a hurry. They didn’t push or grumble. They took their time going out the door and walked at a reasonable pace into town and towa

rd the diner. His stomach rumbled as he recalled that delicious stew.

As though Kate were privy to his thoughts, she said, “We have to hurry. We’re going to be late.”