“Thank you, sir.” He turned towards my secretary and pulled my door closed.

I didn’t mind if we rescheduled the meeting. That was better for me anyway. The meeting was going to require me to cut my lunch break short, and if it was moved to t

he afternoon, I would have time to swing by the mall after I got something to eat. My nephew wanted a video game for Christmas, and there was some sort of exclusive content only available if it was purchased from GameStop.

I could have bought it online and avoided the crowd—but I was in the mood for some traditional holiday shopping as well. Buying things online always felt so impersonal to me—almost like getting someone a gift card instead of an actual present. Plus, there were a few other people on my shopping list that I needed to buy stuff for, and it was easier to look at stuff in person. That way, there would be no surprises—like the time I bought my niece a pair of earrings that looked like something from a vending machine when I got them in the mail.

I’ll convince myself those are the reasons I’m going to the mall—even though I have an ulterior motive, I refuse to admit…

“My calendar is free until the Benson Enterprises teleconference, right?” I walked out of my office and started putting on my coat.

“Yes sir.” My secretary, Samantha, looked up at me and nodded.

“Do you want anything from Famous Sid’s?” I reached for my hat once my coat was buttoned.

“You know I’m supposed to be the one that gets you lunch, right?” She raised an eyebrow. “I’ve been working here for a year, and you haven’t even let me get you a cup of coffee.”

“I pay you to work—not fetch stuff I can get myself.” I shook my head back and forth. “So, your usual from Famous Sid’s?”

“Sure.” She smiled. “That would be great.”

“I gotta run by the mall, so I might be a few minutes late.” I waved and walked towards the door.

One of my employees once told me that I was the best boss in the world because I didn’t know how to be one. At the time, I wasn’t sure if that was actually a compliment. It was supposed to be, but when Alexander Software was struggling to turn a profit, I wondered if things would have better if I had a little bit of ruthless aggression instead of a giant soft spot. Things worked out in the end, so I accepted the compliment for what it was.

My leadership style and compassion for the people that worked at the company made my team extremely loyal. I didn’t have to make anyone work late—they chose to do it when an important project required extra effort. The company grew well beyond my expectations, and while I had too many people working for me to know everything about them, I still knew the name of every employee—something that could be startling to our newer employees when I passed them in the hallway.

The drive to the mall was uneventful. I originally planned to get lunch before I braved the sea of holiday shoppers, but I didn’t want Samantha’s food to sit in the car. If I picked our order up after, then I would have more time at the mall, and I didn’t mind eating in my office. I found a parking spot that was so far away from the entrance of the mall that I got a bit of a workout on my way in—and wished I had a thicker coat.

I weaved through the crowd once I was inside and avoided looking at the things that caught my eye until I purchased the video game for my nephew. That was top priority. I circled back to the entrance after I had his present, bought a few more gifts for members of my family, and slowly inched my way towards the one spot in the mall I knew I would end up—even though I had no reason to go—and every reason to avoid it.

“We’ve got some really good gifts if you haven’t finished your shopping.” A teenage girl that looked barely old enough to drive motioned to me as I walked by her kiosk. “Everything you see twenty-five percent off!”

“Hmm.” I walked over to the kiosk. “I’m not sure I know anyone that needs a stuffed Pikachu or a giant emoji sticker…”

But if I stand here and browse, I might not have to walk all the way to the engraving shop I was planning to casually wander by…

“What about Baby Yoda?” She leaned over and pointed to another stuffed animal. “We’ve only got two left—and probably won’t get any more until after Christmas.”

“My niece did share a few pictures of Baby Yoda on Facebook. Is it popular this year?” I tilted my head inquisitively.

“Honestly? I’m surprised we haven’t sold out.” The kiosk worker smiled. “She’ll love it!”

She’s probably too old for a stuffed animal, but I think she’ll get a kick out of it.

“Okay, you convinced me.” I nodded. “But if I get that for her, I need another gift for my nephew—otherwise, he’ll complain that she got two gifts, and he got one.”

“What does he like? We’ve got some sunglasses on the other side, uh—phone cases, t-shirts—oh, we’ve got some Rick and Morty stuff.” She ushered me to the other side of her kiosk.

“He’s mentioned that show a few times…” I nodded. “I don’t think his mother lets him watch it.”

“How old is he?” She raised her eyebrows inquisitively.

“Thirteen.” I looked at the options in front of me.

“Yeah, he might be a little too young for that—but he probably watches it anyway.” She grinned and shrugged.

“You’re probably right.” I sighed and noticed a pair of socks that matched the game I had just purchased for my nephew. “Hey, let me get those… I just bought him that game.”

Tags: Kelli Callahan Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net