Page 30 of Dark Holiday

Gathering my courage, I walk over to Gladys, the older woman in the office that I’ve grown fond of. Somehow, she could always tell when I was upset, even when I did my best to hide it. No one else ever reached out to me, but she did. Glancing down, I spy the candies sitting there in the dish like aways. She never seems to run out of them. Granted, I’m the only one who ever eats them anyway.

The small, round caramels are just like the ones Mom used to carry in her purse. They never had a brand name on them, and neither do these. Is it possible she puts these out just for me because she knows I like them? I wonder where she even found them; I’ve been searching for years.

Out of everyone here, she’s who I’ll miss the most. Though she isn’t my mom, she’s the closest thing since her death that I’ve had. It’s not just because she’s older. It’s because she looks at me with that kind, matronly smile that tells me everything is going to be okay, much like she’s doing now.

“I need to get some petty cash if you don’t mind.” She pauses what she’s doing and looks over her glasses at me. Guilt slams into my chest as she stares me down like she knows I’m about to fuck shit up.

“How much do you need and what for?” She leans over to her bottom drawer to slide it open, gathering the money bag and notebook. I’ve had to get money from her before, so it’s not uncommon for me to ask this of her, but usually, it was at Daniel’s behest and not my own.

“I just got through talking with Mr. Grinwich, and he’s decided to let me decorate for Christmas.”

Just as her hand moves to unzip the pouch, she pauses and looks up at me. “Pardon? I don’t think I heard you right. Grinwich. Daniel Grinwich. Mr. Bah Humbug himself wants to decorate for Christmas?”

Bending low, I look around to ensure no one else can overhear us. “Truth be told, I had to twist his arm a bit. I told him it would be good for morale. Besides, this is the last day before the break. Wouldn’t it be nice for some cheer?”

“You better be on the up and up with this. The one thing Mr. Grinwich doesn’t play with is money.”

“Oh, I understand. And I think about one hundred should do it?”

Shaking her head, she pulls out the cash and lays it on the desk. “Sign here.”

As I sign the document stating how much I took and why, my stomach cramps for a moment. I’m going to be in so much trouble, but honestly, what else can Daniel do to me? I’m already doomed to have to find another job. What’s another bout of yelling if I can get just one more jab in?

Thanking Gladys, I race out of the office, not bothering to let Jack know. One, he’ll probably tell Daniel, ruining the surprise. Two, Jack is probably taking him to his meeting and won’t be available for me anyway. Raising my hand, I motion for a cab, holding my breath when it gets to me. One of the rules was no cabs to go home. Does it still count since it’s daylight and I’m not going home? Besides, how will he ever know?

* * *

Arms laden with decorations, I shove myself past the door and make a beeline for Daniel’s office. Traffic was horrible, making everything take that much longer. Without skipping a beat, I lay my bags down in his office and make quick work at hanging everything. Gone is the “Nice guys finish last” mug, and in its place is an adorable snowman mug with the phrase “there’s no place like Gnome for the holidays.”

The minutes fly by as his office transforms from cold and sterile to festooned with decorations. Say what he will, but there’s no way he can stay mad with this much festive cheer around. As I drape the last piece of garland, I stand back and admire my work. Even the winter formal didn’t look this good.

Nodding, I close all his blinds and head out the door, shutting it behind me. Some of the other office workers, noticing my antics, stand by, waiting for me to exit. I ignore their questioning glances and head to my desk. Hours have gone by, and I haven’t even checked the email or messages.

John slides over, his eyes dancing with glee. “So, you finally wore him down?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Don’t play coy with me,” he teases, sitting on the edge of my desk. Daniel will be back any minute, and I don’t want him to already be angry before seeing his office. I’m not sure how to get John to back down, but I need to do it quickly.

“I’m not playing coy. I just asked him, and he said yes.”

“Him? We are talking about Daniel here, right? Daniel Grinwich?”

“One and the same.”

“You must be joking. When it comes to Christmas, he’s such a Grin-.”

“Grinwich,” I interject, my pulse skyrocketing as I note Daniel coming up behind him. “And such a paragon of his name he is.”

“No. Not Grinwich. He’s a Grin-.”

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be besides pestering my assistant?”

John leaps off my desk, the surprise on his face comical. At least it would be if my pulse wasn’t pounding in my ears. Once he’s gone, Daniel bends low, his brows drawn forward. “My office. Now. We have some unfinished business to attend to.”

Fuck.

CHAPTER 17