Making Merry: A Christmas Romance Read online

  “Oh, Nathan… I hope I’m worth all of this.”

  “You are. Don’t ever question it,” he stated firmly.

  “Yes, you work for me, but we’re both adults and we’re in this because we both want to be,” he continued. “But we’ve got nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to hide... If that means I look elsewhere for investors, then so be it.”

  “Don’t be rash, Nathan. Please. Think about this. I don’t want you to regret it.”

  He crossed the small distance between them, cupping her face in his hands. “The only regret I have is not finding you sooner.”

  “Do you have to go now?”

  “Yes,” he sighed. “I do. But I’ll see you tonight...and tomorrow morning, I’ll drive you to work.”

  She raised her eyebrows at that. “We’re going to cause a stir.”

  “Good. We’ve been quiet for long enough.”

  After a long kiss, Nathan went upstairs, dressed and left. Climbing into the borrowed car, he drove back to his penthouse. Showering, feeling better about things than he had in a long while, Nathan dressed in pair of gray trousers and a black sweater. Bruxton Aumiller was part of the old guard of Chicago, but with his recent foray into politics, he couldn’t afford to be involved openly in a scandal. Given the long legal battle and the media interest in his feud with Elizabeth, it wasn’t any wonder that Bruxton wanted to keep his involvement quiet. And now he was getting ready to tell the man that he was going to propose to the woman who ran the coffee shop in his department store. The same woman whose brilliant idea might be the salvation of that store.

  In his own car, he headed up Lakeshore Drive and to the Aumiller estate. It was grand by any stretch of the imagination. The door was opened by a housekeeper wearing a traditional uniform. Bruxton was big on tradition. Shaking his head, Nathan went inside to meet with the great man in his inner sanctum.

  The library was paneled with dark wood, and a partner desk big enough to comfortably seat eight had pride of place before the wide windows.

  “Good morning, Nathan! Why the urgency? Elizabeth’s tricks I imagine.”

  Nathan took the seat that Bruxton had gestured toward. Though he was in his seventies, the man was still fit, still brawny. Wearing a tweed jacket over a crisply pressed shirt, he looked every inch the gentleman. Bruxton had been a friend of his father’s, someone that Nathan had grown up seeing regularly at social events. But it had been a long time. From the point his father had married Elizabeth, she’d slowly managed to isolate him from everyone and anyone who had ever been close to him. Seeing Bruxton was a reminder of better times. “Yes. I’m afraid so...though to be fair, I’m not entirely blameless in this.”

  Bruxton reached into the drawer and pulled out a bottle. He added a hefty shot to each of the coffee cups on his desk. “I find bad news is easier to take with a shot of Irish.”

  Nathan took the cup, sipping it gingerly. Ten in the morning was a bit early, but given what he was about to confess, it seemed apropos. “I’m seeing a woman who works for me.”

  “One of your executives?”

  Nathan shook his head. “No. She works in the small coffee shop on the ground floor...the woman who was locked in the store with me on Christmas Eve. We’ve been keeping things quiet, but Elizabeth has found out and is trying to exploit it to her advantage.”

  “Tabloids?”

  Nathan nodded. “That was the threat.”

  Bruxton was quiet for a moment. “That does present a problem. One scandal always leads to another, Nathan. How serious are things with this girl, anyway? It’s only been a few days, after all.”

  “They’re very serious,” Nathan said. “I’ve had feelings for Holly for some time, but I wouldn’t act on them because of the situation… but I’ve decided that the only way to halt Elizabeth’s schemes is to go public. So I’m going to propose to Holly and if she accepts, we’ll announce our engagement at the New Year’s Eve Party at the club tomorrow.”

  Bruxton blinked at him. “You’re going to propose… after a week?”

  “Yes.” Nathan didn’t care if it sounded crazy.

  “Before I tell you no, because I don’t do business with crazy men,” Bruxton stated, “Tell me about this plan of yours for Bishop’s so I can at least tell my nephew I heard you out.”

  “Bishop’s has an entire fourth floor, rich with gorgeous architectural detail, that is currently only being used for storage. It also has an industrial kitchen up there… it would need updating, but it exists,” Nathan said. From the small leather portfolio he’d brought in with him, he withdrew screen prints. “Those are the calendars for every event center in this city that can host a wedding and a reception for more than one hundred and fifty guests. And every single one of them is booked up for the next year and a half. They’re partially booked for the next three years.”

  Bruxton tapped his fingers on the desk. “Go on… I’m listening.”

  “At this point in time, a huge contingent of shoppers at Bishop’s are brides registering for china, utilizing our bridal department and tuxedo rentals for their events. We revamp the fourth floor into an event space. The small specialty shops that have been shuttered on the first floor will be overhauled and wedding appropriate vendors will be leased that space for a nominal fee… The goal is to give every bride in this city an opportunity to have all that she needs for her big day in one space. Dress. Alterations. Venue. Catering. Flowers. Hair and makeup. All of it will be right there at her fingertips.”

  “It’s bold… and having married off three daughters already I can tell you I’d certainly have encouraged them to go that route. There’s no insanity like that of a wedding. Like herding cats.”

  “And Bishop’s would also have a team of wedding planners to help coordinate everything,” Nathan added.

  “You came up with this idea?” Bruxton asked.

  “No, sir,” Nathan said. “This idea was Holly Merriweather’s. She might run the coffee shop, but she’s clearly capable of so much more. This was her vision.”

  Bruxton was silent for a moment longer. “I still think you might be crazy, but damned if it’s not a brilliant idea. Get me numbers, Nathan. I want cost, I want a pricing plan and profit margin. I want that on my desk in two weeks. Can you do it?”

  “I can,” Nathan said.

  “And bring this Holly girl to the party… even if you have to drag her kicking and screaming. I want to meet the woman who came up with this plan.”

  “Yes, sir… Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go see a man about a ring,” Nathan said as he rose.

  Bruxton nodded. “If you do marry this girl, it will still be scandalous, but much more widely accepted.”

  Nathan shook his head. “That’s not why I’m doing this.”

  “Of course, it isn’t. But everyone loves a Cinderella story, Nathan. It would steal Elizabeth’s thunder… and I can’t be part of a project if she’s going to attempt to sabotage it every turn. This would be the easiest way to neutralize the threat she poses.”

  Nathan stared at Bruxton for a moment. “I’m aware of that. And I’ve already considered the implications of it. But again, that’s simply an added benefit and is not why I’m asking her.”

  “You make sure this girl knows that, Nathan,” Bruxton chuckled. “I knew my wife for seventy-two hours before I proposed to her. We were married for forty-six glorious years. Marriage, Nathan, is all about the romance to start… make sure that you don’t make it sound like a business proposition. Women don’t like that. Sweep her off her feet. I know you’re capable of it.”

  “Romance. Right.”

  Bruxton smiled again. “‘Tis the season, son”.

  Nathan left the Aumiller estate and headed down Lakeshore Drive once more. He was going to his own store to buy the ring, gossip be damned.

  * * *

  Kurt Bedwell lurked near the makeup displays, watching and observing, just as he always did. Everyone in the store was whispering about their CEO and t
he rather telling purchase he was making. When he’d approached the jewelry counter and began talking to the salesperson about diamond engagement rings, well, the entire store had lit up with gossip.

  Kurt’s ears perked up as Barbara Mills approached her employer. She stood at his side for a moment eyeing the selection of rings laid out before him. They said a few words, all of them uttered too low for Kurt to make them out. Still, he texted the update to Elizabeth. Barbara helping him pick out a ring.

  What kind of ring? Elizabeth texted back.

  Kurt sent a series of emojis. A bride and groom, a bouquet and a big fat diamond ring.

  I don’t speak in hieroglyphics. Just tell me!

  He didn’t need to hear Elizabeth to know she was screaming at him. It appears he means to propose to Holly.

  I’ll see them both in hell first.

  If anyone could do it, it would certainly be her. Kurt considered his options for a moment before tapping out his next text message. What now?

  I need to know what happened in that store on Christmas Eve, Kurt. No matter what it takes!

  Kurt looked up to see Barbara walking away, but she wasn’t headed in the direction of the executive offices. She was making her way towards the small offices on the main floor where payroll, security and the cash office were. Easing from his spot of concealment, he followed but not too closely.

  Barbara halted at the door of the security office and knocked. Hank Frye, the senior security officer, stepped out to meet her.

  “Hank, we need to speak privately… there are some special arrangements that need to be made for our two lovebirds,” Barbara said in a whisper.

  The older man grinned. “I knew it would work. Barbara, you have a knack for these things! Why, you’re the one who set me up with my own wife… and we’ve been married for thirty years now!”

  She preened like a peacock. “If there is one thing I know how to do, Hank, it’s playing matchmaker. Come upstairs. I don’t want anyone to overhear us down here.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, and dutifully followed Barbara to the stock elevators.

  When they had vanished from sight, Kurt stepped out of the alcove where he’d been lurking and approached the door to the security office. He knocked loudly. The other security guard on duty answered.

  “Let me in,” Kurt demanded.

  “We’re not supposed to let anyone in here. Mr. Frye’s orders,” the guard said.

  “Mr. Frye is about to be fired. And if you want his position,” Kurt said with a cold smile, “You’re going to let me in and you’re going to copy the footage from the third floor on Christmas Eve.”

  The security guard was less than convinced. “How do I know you’ll keep your word?”

  “You don’t. But just remember, I have the authority to fire you right here and right now,” Kurt said. “If you don’t do what I ask, I’ll send you packing.”

  The guard let out a sigh. “Fine. I’ll do it. But you’re not staying in here while I do. If Mr. Frye comes back, I’m not going to be caught disobeying his orders.”

  Kurt looked around at the cramped, dingy office. “It’s not exactly a hardship to leave. Bring it to me in HR when you’re done.”

  12

  Holly eyed her reflection critically. The dress had been hanging in her closet for years, but like most of her things, the style was classic enough for it not to matter. Deep red, it had a square neckline and a full skirt, giving it a very fifties vibe. She paired it with simple black pumps and had her hair swept up in a loose chignon. She wore her grandmother’s pearls.

  It was New Year’s Eve and Nathan had insisted that she be ready early because he had a surprise for her. She hoped it had something to do with his secret meeting with the investor. She hadn’t seen him since and there’d been no time to talk about it.

  A knock at the door prompted one final glance in the mirror. Satisfied, she slipped her heavy black coat on and headed toward the door. It wasn’t Nathan on the other side, but a uniformed limo driver.

  “Ms. Merriweather, Mr. Bishop instructed me to escort you to your destination.”

  “What is my destination, exactly?”

  The young man smiled. “I’m not permitted to say.”

  Holly allowed him to assist her into the back of the limo. A single red rose rested on the seat next to an envelope. Opening the letter, Holly read it twice.

  Holly,

  You deserve romance, and in that area, I’ve fallen behind. Tonight isn’t about making up for that, but about setting the tone for how things will be from now on.

  Nathan

  Excitement bubbled inside her. He was good, she thought. Really good. Settling back into the seat, she lifted the rose and inhaled the sweet fragrance. She’d never been in a limo before. Watching the city speed by outside the windows, wrapped in warmth and luxury, it was a surreal experience.

  When the limo stopped in front of Bishop’s, Holly was puzzled. The limo door was opened and the driver escorted her to the ornate revolving door of Bishop’s Main Entrance. Hank, the security guard greeted her with a wink, opening the doors and letting her in. The store had technically closed an hour earlier. The time locked gates were no longer in use. He’d left them, the elaborate iron too beautiful to simply scrap, but they were no longer functional.

  In the center of the lower floor was the fountain. Beautifully restored and now fully functional, the bubbling water sparkled beneath the chandeliers. Nathan stood at the top of the escalator waiting for her. Touching the intricately carved fountain, she knew he’d done it for her.

  Taking the escalator up to him, she smiled. “You’ve been busy.”

  “I have, but the thing with the fountain wasn’t too difficult… It just took a squad of linebackers and a lot of curse words to get it back into position. And a plumber. And an electrician.”

  Looking down at the ornate lobby, Holly’s smile widened. “It’s starting to take shape. To look like it’s supposed to.”

  “We’ll get there. But tonight isn’t about the store. Tonight is about us.”

  Holly allowed him to take her arm and lead her through the store. Taking the other set of escalators, they slowly made their way up to the fourth floor. It was a rabbit warren of storage, stacks of mannequins and display cases here and there. But when they made their way through all of that, a large space had been cleared that would have been the center of the restaurant at one point. Black and white tiled floors gleamed in that spot, and a sparkling chandelier hung over head.

  “If tonight isn’t about the store, why are we up here?”

  Nathan smiled at her question. “Bruxton loved your ideas, Holly. He thinks you’re a genius just like I do. Tentatively, he’s in… I just need to get him some numbers to show that we can make this work financially.”

  Holly felt tears spring to her eyes. “Oh, Nathan! That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.”

  “For us,” he said. “Happy for us. This was all your idea...of turning this into an event space. A venue for weddings. It’s only right that you should be the first one to get married here.”

  Holly’s breath caught. Her heart stuttered in her chest and she literally couldn’t draw breath. “I don’t understand.” Watching Nathan kneel before her, still holding on to her hand, Holly felt like she was in a dream. Then he reached into his pocket, producing a small velvet box. “Nathan?”

  He smiled up at her, looking as nervous as she felt. “Holly, I know we haven’t been together for long, barely a week, but I can’t imagine my life without you in it.” He opened the box, revealing a large diamond in a vintage looking setting. “Will you marry me?”

  It was what she’d always dreamed of. Everything he was saying and doing was right. Tears welled in her eyes.

  “Yes.” The word tumbled from her lips, but even as she said it, doubts were whirling in her mind. Why now? Where is this coming from?

  She felt him slip the ring on her finger, the weight of it feeling foreign. Then he rose
, kissing her deeply, claiming her lips with a desperation that pushed all the doubts aside. She wanted this, she wanted him enough to ignore the unsettled feeling that something just wasn’t right.

  Nathan pulled back, looking into her eyes. “It’s still going to be weird for a while...the local papers, tabloids, it’s going to get strange. Are you ready for it?”

  Holly smiled up at him. “I’m ready for anything if I’m with you.”

  “We have to get to the club… I wish we didn’t. But Bruxton will be there and he wants to meet you.”

  “Do we have to leave right now?” she asked.

  His eyes twinkled. “We might have a little time. What did you have in mind, Miss Merriweather? And let me remind you, there are cameras all over this store.”

  Holly smiled. “There aren’t any cameras in your office.”

  “No,” Nathan agreed. “There aren’t.”

  Holly stared at him quizzically for a moment. “Christmas Eve, when we were stuck here together… you could have suggested that we come back to your office and you didn’t. Why?”

  “Because I didn’t want you to regret anything,” he answered honestly. “And I didn’t want to think that our being together only happened because of the situation. I needed us both to know that it was what you wanted.”

  * * *

  Nearly two hours later, they walked into the New Year’s Eve Party at the Bridgemont Club. It was packed with people. There was a band and lots of people dancing. Champagne flowed freely. Collier was dancing with a blonde and in the corner, Bruxton Aumiller was holding court at a table of other influential players in their small business world. There were many familiar faces there, people Holly had seen coming in and out of Bishop’s over the years, or whom she recognized from the society pages. But they wouldn’t know her. In fact, most of them, when they came to Bishop’s, looked right through her.

  “Are you ready to make the big announcement?” Nathan asked.