Nice Until Proven Naughty

“Oh, the horror.” I feign shock. “Damn her for getting pregnant and going into labor when she already made a commitment to you.”

Jamie laughs.

Maryanne rolls her eyes. “It might seem funny, but it’s not. I’m up to my eyeballs at work, and I don’t have time to finish planning everything. I’ll fail for the first time in my life, and then I’ll probably get kicked off of the Christmas committee.”

“I highly doubt that,” I mutter.

“It’s going to be a disaster.” She drops her head to the bar top and thunks it a few times.

“Don’t do that,” I say, grabbing her hair and pulling her head up. “I’m sure you can get everything done in time.”

“I can’t.” She shakes her head. “My new boss is a real scrooge, and I’m supposed to leave for a business trip in two days, and I won’t be back until the night before Christmas Eve.”

“Jamie can help you.”

Jamie turns her head in my direction and stares at me. “No, Jamie can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Why don’t you do it? You’re the one who’s off for the next week.”

I open my mouth to protest and then snap it shut. She’s right. I do have the next week off, and I’m a party planning fool. I’ve planned office parties, and a few years ago I planned my parents fortieth wedding anniversary party. A Christmas celebration can’t be much worse than that. How hard can it be to throw together a town get-together? And what better way to get more involved?

“You’re right. I’ll do it.”

“You want to take it over?” Maryanne asks.

“Sure, why not.”

“Now is not the time to joke with me, Naughty Kringle. My emotions can’t handle it,” Maryanne says with flare of heat.

“I’m not joking. I’d be happy to do it.”

“You will?” Maryanne jumps up from her chair and waits for a nod of confirmation. As soon as I give it to her, she throws herself at me. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I owe you big time.”

Wow, who would’ve thought doing something nice for someone would feel so…nice?

“You don’t owe me a thing. I’m happy to do it.”

“It’s a lot of work.”

“If there’s one thing I know how to do well, it’s work.”

“I don’t know how to repay you.”

“You can start by loosening your grip around my neck.”

“Sorry, I just got a little excited.” Maryanne pulls back and looks at me sheepishly. “Meet me at the community center tomorrow evening at four? I’ll show you what Keri got done before going into labor and what else you’ll have to do.”

“I’ll be there.”

3

Naughty

“Okay, let me try this one more time.” I take a breath and look at the group of people in front of me, pointing to each one as I try to recall their names. “Sarah. Colin. Brian. Curtis. Avery. Greg. Barry. Gary.”

“Garrett,” the last guy corrects.