Chapter 1 - Harper
“Coming through!” I call out, balancing a tray of cookies in one hand and a jug of eggnog in the other. I can smell the boozy scent of rum coming off the eggnog and I know it’ll be a big hit this year. My coworkers move out of the way as I crouch down towards the table and slide the tray off my hand onto the table in a smooth motion. The tablecloth is covered the cartoonish drawings of snowmen and snow flakes, with tinsel strewn under the trays of food. The whole office looks like the inside of a Christmas store. I place the jug of eggnog beside the cookies and stand up, putting my hands on my hips and turning around.
“That should be it,” I breathe, pulling the hem of my sweater down. It’s the ugliest and most amazing sweater I’ve ever seen, a wooly red monstrosity with flashing LED lights all over the front in the shape of a Christmas tree. Perfect for the office Christmas party.
“Well done, Harper! The place looks amazing,” Rosie says as she walks up beside me. She’s wearing her regular work clothes. In fact, no one except me is dressed up, but I don’t mind. Rosie smiles and raises the plastic wine glass towards me. I grab a glass of my own from the dozens lined up on the table and lift it up it towards Rosie.
“I can finally start enjoying myself now,” I grin back. We clink our glasses and I take my first sip of wine of the evening. “It’s always so much work putting this party together.”
“But it’s always worth it,” Rosie replies. “Think of all the gossip that comes out of it every year!”
She grins mischievously and takes another sip of wine, scanning the room over the rim of her glass. I laugh and nod. She’s right, it’s usually fodder for at least a couple months of water cooler chat. I’ve been in charge of the office Christmas party for the last three years, and they’ve gotten wilder as time has gone on. I’m sure this year will be the same.
“Nice sweatshirt!”
I try not to cringe as the screechy voice reaches my ears. The back of my neck prickles with that same uncomfortable feeling I get every time I hear his voice. I already know it’s Greg from accounting. I turn around slowly and there he is, grinning at me with his toothy, slimy smile. I nod, trying not to stare at the stains on his tie or the greasy hair plastered to his forehead.
“Thanks,” I respond curtly.
“You like Christmas, hey?”
“No, not really, I just do this so I can drink at the office.”
He throws his head back and laughs before shuffling closer, his baggy pants and too-tight shirt sliding in beside me. I inch away as he gets closer. He smells like wet socks.
“Haven’t seen you around the accounts department lately,” he says to me. I try to avoid his stare and glance at Rosie. She’s got her nose buried in her glass of wine.
“I got promoted a year ago, Greg. I don’t work in accounts anymore.”
“Yeah, yeah, of course, but you know, I thought you’d still come around and say hello to me - to the team. I thought we meant something to you!”
He smiles at me and I resist the urge to shudder. I would rather come across as a cold-hearted snobby executive bitch than to willingly spend time with you, after all the torture you put me through! Greg glances at Rosie and his smile disappears immediately. He almost snarls at her and I grab her arm and point over to the other side of the room.
“Oh, look, it looks like those decorations need to be adjusted. Excuse me.”
“I’ll help!” Rosie says. The two of us speed away towards the huge tree I rented for the party.
“Is he still following you around? I thought you’d made a complaint.”
I sigh. “I did, he got a warning from HR and avoided me for a while but it looks like he’s plucked up the courage to talk to me again. Might be the booze.”
“Isn’t there anything you can do? He FOLLOWED you to your HOUSE! Multiple times!!!”
“Don’t remind me,” I say, glancing at her sideways. I push the thought away, not wanting to go back to those months last year when I was constantly looking over my shoulder. I didn’t even know it was Greg until weeks after the whole thing started. I spent weeks and weeks with that same prickly feeling at the back of my neck, feeling like I was being followed and thinking I was going insane.
The promotion to Commercial Director came with a healthy pay raise and the condition that my complaint about Greg would be satisfied when he got a warning. I never understood why the Human Resources department didn’t take me more seriously, but at the end of the day not many women make it to the Director-level at a top advertising firm at my age. I weighed my options and for the most part, it was worth it. I hardly have to see him anyways.
Rosie and I get to the Christmas tree and look at all 16 feet of it. The top of it grazes the ceiling.
“So what do you want us to adjust? I think Greg is still looking over here,” Rosie asks, looking at the massive tree. It was almost too big to fit in the door. I had to beg and plead to get approval for it, saying that it wasn’t a Christmas party without a tree. It’s impeccably decorated and I already know that nothing needs to be adjusted.
“Uh, let’s just lift this string of lights a bit. We can just move them around till he looks away.”
I point to the other side of the tree and Rosie nods. I turn to the lights and am about to grab them when she makes a noise between a gasp and a yelp and I look at her. Her eyes are staring behind me before she flicks them to my face. She lifts her eyebrows up and gives me a knowing nod.
It must be him. Immediately my heart starts beating faster and I hear the roar of every heartbeat pounding in my ears.
It’s our elusive, mysterious, unbelievably sexy CEO. Zachary Lockwood. I feel my cheeks burning as Rosie glances back at him. I turn my head slowly and see him near the entrance of the office, shaking hands with one of the employees. His suit is navy with little white pinstripes. His chocolate brown hair is slicked back perfectly, with a crisp part down the side. He’s tall and athletic, with a chiseled jaw and unbelievably deep brown eyes. Not that I’ve noticed, or anything.
I glance away quickly, trying to ignore the thumping of my heart. I’ve been admiring him from a distance ever since he took over and brought our firm back from the brink of bankruptcy. Rosie knows it, and constantly teases me whenever he makes an appearance at the office. Thankfully that doesn’t happen very often.
“He doesn’t have a hot blonde model with him this time, maybe this is your chance!” Rosie whispers loudly with a grin.
“Shut up,” I respond. “I’m sure he’s got a gaggle of girls waiting in the wings.”
Rosie nods and my heart sinks a little. I know it’s probably true. He’s one of the richest and sexiest men in New York, and definitely way, way out of my league. Plus, he’s my boss! Even if I had a chance with him, it would definitely be inappropriate to pursue it.
Suddenly I wish I wasn’t wearing a ridiculous light-up Christmas tree on my chest. I could be wearing anything else and it would be more flattering. Literally anything. A paper bag would look better than this thing.
It doesn’t matter, I tell myself. He’s my boss. Even if he is attractive, we work together and fantasising about him is inappropriate. I shake my head and try to ignore the nervous excitement at the pit of my stomach. I take another sip of wine and nod to Rosie and the string of lights. She grins but says nothing, and instead turns to the tree and follows my lead.