Chapter 10
November
“So Christmas is saved?” Ivy hollered from the phone on the table. “Everyone ended up keeping their reservations?”
Holly turned to her mother, who beamed. Uncle Clarence hugged them both from his spot in the middle.
“Yes,” Holly said. “I called the bank and they agreed to let us make the payment in two lump sums. It turns out the man in charge of our account has a daughter who’s a big fan of Amanda. He’s got reservations for the next time she’s here to perform.”
“He got lucky,” Ivy said. “Considering we’re booked solid through January.”
Holly glanced at Uncle Clarence. “Actually, he didn’t get lucky. Uncle Clarence is going to bunk in with mom. The banker and his family will get the guest house for that weekend.”
“That guest house is an unused commodity,” Uncle Clarence said. “I’m thinking about finishing half the attic and moving up there. Then we can rent out the guest house.”
“Are you getting money hungry in your old age?” Ivy teased.
“We’re flush now, but it never hurts to have a reserve,” he said. “Now that the doctor’s paid and we’re almost settled with the bank, I’m going to start a serious savings plan for you girls.”
“Awww,” they both said in unison. “Hopefully this will be the last round,” Holly added, squeezing her mom’s hand.
“God willing,” Betty said, resting her head against the back of the couch.
Holly could tell how tired she was and knew the treatments drained her. But it was exactly as it was when she’d been keeping her illness a secret. She got up and worked every day, cheerful as ever. Holly might have wished things could have been different, that her mother didn’t have to work so hard, but she knew Betty wouldn’t have it any other way. They worked as hard as elves, all of them.
“Well, I hope I still have a room when I come back next month,” Ivy said.
Holly rolled her eyes. Ivy’s room on the third floor was practically a shrine. Her mother got mad at her if she wanted to store so much as a few old pairs of shoes in there. Her suggestion that they put in a treadmill and stationary bike had been shot down as if she’d suggested not singing carols on Christmas eve.
They ended the family meeting on a high note for once and Holly stayed behind in her mother’s room. She’d taken to spending her evenings there, not wanting to be alone to wallow in regret. How could she possibly have known they’d get a miracle and she wouldn’t have to travel clear across the country to save her family?
For the first week after Amanda’s video, Holly barely had time to think. She operated on autopilot, making sure all the guests had everything they needed and wanted. It might have been that miracle video that got many of the people there as curious fans of Amanda, but it was the charming ambience and top notch service that kept them coming back and telling all their friends.
She wanted to make sure to ride this high point for as long as she could and concentrated on making every guest a lifelong guest. When the initial madness settled down and they were only busy instead of crazy busy, she was too embarrassed to call Mason and see if her second chance was still up for offer. Thinking about the indifferent way she’d treated him made her break out in a cold sweat of shame. Calling him, even casually, was something she didn’t think she deserved.
It was on the third week that she saw the email in her inbox. She couldn’t find the courage to open it for a week. When she finally did, she was disappointed that all it said was Saw a cloud that looked like an elf shoe and thought of you. Actually, think of you a lot. Hope you’re well.
What had she expected? A bullet pointed list of the reasons she should be with him? She had her chance and she missed it.
“Still thinking about that guest?” her mother asked, surprising her.
“Which guest? The one this morning who wanted seven towels?”
Betty smiled knowingly. “No, that one we had before the explosion of them. That nice man who you had dinner with a few times.”
Holly couldn’t sputter and say she had dinner with a lot of the guests because she hadn’t joined any of them since Mason. Before him, she could count two, but they were old teachers of hers. No one like Mason.
She looked at her mom’s expectant face and blurted the whole story, finishing with, “I really liked him. I think it could have been real. Now it’s too late.”
“Goodness, were you really going to take another job?”
“That’s what you’re gobsmacked about?” Holly asked. “I just told you I probably messed up the great love story of my life. It’s not like we get that many chances.”
“I wish I had a better example of my own,” Betty said sadly. “But here’s what I believe, no matter how my story turned out. If it really was the great love story of your life, it’s certainly not over yet. One week is far too short for a great love story. And if it wasn’t, you’ll meet the person who really is meant to star in it eventually. Just keep being your wonderful self, dear.”
“I hope that’s true. But why didn’t you ever date again?” Holly asked.
Betty laughed and waved her hand in the air. “I’m too busy with this place. Where would I ever find the time? Or meet anyone if I did have the time?” Her face blanched. “Oh. I suppose it’s the same for you. I’m going to speak to Clarence about getting you some time off. A singles cruise? That sounds fun. And there’s no reason your sister can’t come up and pull her weight for a week or two. You wouldn’t have to worry about the place falling to pieces without you.”
“Mom, you just suggested Ivy take over for a week or two. Of course I’d be worried. And a singles cruise? How could you?”
“I’d do it,” she said with a suggestive eyebrow waggle.
“Okay, noted,” Holly said, trying not to be scandalized. Her mom deserved love as well. “Now I know what to get you for your birthday.” Her phone buzzed. It was a message from the front desk. “I better get downstairs,” she said, standing and stretching. A few minutes with her mom had revitalized her good spirits. “That nice family from Vermont wants to say goodbye to me. Also, they run a maple syrup company and were talking about sending some samples.”
“Go on then, dear. You’re doing a marvelous job, as always.”
She was never too old to get a compliment from her mom and she glowed the whole way downstairs. It was probably a good half an hour before she thought about Mason again. She was on such a high note that she took out her phone and tapped a hurried reply to his email. Not overthinking, not hovering her thumb over the send button for ten solid minutes. Think of you a lot. All great here partly thanks to you! Hope you’re well too.
A shiver washed over her after she sent it and she waited for the stomach drop of regret. It never came.
***
December
Mason snapped his laptop shut and swiveled his chair around to stare out the window. He really wished he had a better view than his neighbor’s fire escape. Well, there was fresh graffiti, that was new. He tilted his head, trying to make out what the jagged, spray painted word said, then gave up. Instead he closed his eyes and conjured up the view from his room at the White Christmas Inn. Fall foliage, rolling hills, blue sky and puffy white clouds. He wondered what the view was like now that all the leaves were gone from the trees.
His stomach growled and he thought about the delicious food at the inn. Even the sandwich he’d had in Maple Valley had been infused with something he couldn’t get here. Now he knew he was being ridiculous, but he missed the wide open spaces up there. He missed a lot of things up there. If he had an office up there, he wouldn’t be trying to figure out what the acid green graffiti on the neighboring wall said. He’d be sitting on the same bench he and Holly sat on, munching on a sandwich from the diner and enjoying the sky.
You’d be freezing your butt off, he corrected himself, still thinking of the sandwich.
His assistant Shelly stuck her head in the door and reminded him of some contracts he had to look over before the end of the day.
“Okay,” he said. “But first I’m going to get some lunch. I’ve been obsessing about sandwiches for the last ten minutes.”
“Hey, I forgot to ask how last night went?” Shelly asked eagerly. He tried not to make a face as he thought about the blind date Shelly had set up for him. The girl had been nice. There really wasn’t anything wrong with her at all. “Don’t bother,” Shelly said with an eye roll. “I can tell by your face you didn’t like her.”
“I tried not to make a face,” he said. “And it wasn’t that I didn’t like her. She was great, in fact. But she wasn’t Holly. No more blind dates, okay? I appreciate you trying but I’m not ready.”
Shelly closed her eyes as if praying for strength. “I know you’re my boss, but we’ve also known each other since the first year of college, so you’re going to have to forgive the unsolicited advice. I think you need to move on from Holly. It’s been more than two months and you’ve gotten one email from her. And it’s not like it was a year long relationship. I think you should try one more blind date.”
“You’ve got someone in mind, don’t you?”
“She’s an account manager over at Higgins-Burlock. She—”
“Pass. No more, Shel. I’m going to get a sandwich and eat it in the park. I need to see some trees.”
“Okay,” Shelly said defeatedly.
He stopped in the doorway. “Do you think you could live in the country?” he asked.
“Uh, duh. Of course I could. If you paid attention at all you’d know that’s in my ten year plan.”
He laughed, remembering the huge binder Shelly hauled around with her. Her meticulous ten year plan. “Your friend last night, she couldn’t see herself living in the country. She acted downright horrified about it.”
“Well then, I’ll put that on the list of things for future set-ups,” Shelly said, as efficient as ever. “For when you’re ready,” she hurried to add.
“Thank you,” he told her. “Do you think you could get some Christmas decorations in here while I’m out? I think that would help my mood swings.”
She snorted. “Sure thing.”
“You’re supposed to tell me I haven’t been that bad,” he called as he walked out of the office. He heard her snort again and shook his head.
The air was brisk but not so bad he couldn’t let his wool coat swing open. He took a deep breath and then spluttered it out. Okay, don’t take a deep breath when a big truck is driving past. He grumbled to himself about the city air. But a truck with bad exhaust could happen anywhere. He’d try another deep breath when he was in Central Park.
With his sandwich and hot cocoa, he settled himself on a bench in the park and took in the sights. No one could say Central Park wasn’t gorgeous. He tried another deep breath and coughed once again. He must have chosen a bench that was a favorite of dogs because all he got was a big whiff of pee. It could have been human. He gathered his lunch and moved to the next bench, tentatively sniffing before he sat down. It wasn’t great but it was manageable.
These things had never bothered him before. He’d never noticed how crowded the subway was or how difficult it was to get a cab sometimes. And expensive! He’d only been in his office twice that week, why was he paying so much rent? Most of his job was on the phone or over the internet. He met almost all his potential clients at restaurants. Really, he could work anywhere. Which made him think about working other places besides Manhattan. Calm, pretty, country places.
He finished his lunch and wandered around the park, hoping to catch some of that giddiness he’d had upstate. He tossed his sandwich crumbs at the ducks and tried to let the ripples on the water soothe him. But some kid was having a tantrum and an elderly man was muttering swear words while pacing back and forth. A group of joggers flipped him off for not jumping out of the path quickly enough. If anything, he was in a worse mood than when he’d left the office. May as well go back and finish up those contracts.
His spirits lifted as he got closer, thinking about the Christmas decorations he’d asked Shelly to put up. He needed a little Christmas cheer. The actual day was still two weeks away but he’d had decorations in his apartment since the week before Thanksgiving. All Holly’s influence, he was sure.
He knew he should probably give up on her. Her one email to him had given him hope that if he gave her a little space and time, she’d come around. At first he’d been angry and his pride had taken a blow. As time spooled out he learned from Amanda, who had been a guest singer there at least four times now, that Holly’s mom had been sick. From what else Amanda had been able to weasel out of the staff, there had been rumors that the hotel had been in real trouble, to the point of foreclosure. Once he’d heard all that, he’d wanted to race upstate and … what? She’d done perfectly well without him. He could forgive her for blowing him off due to a state of stress over such dire circumstances, but she was obviously fine now. Fine without him. And as Shelly continued to remind him, Holly might have politely answered his email, but she never sent another one, did she? No, she did not.
Why couldn’t he forget about her? Or the inn? Or Maple Valley? He’d never pined over a woman so long. He’d never pined over a woman before, period. And in his mind, that had to mean something, despite Shelly telling him it only meant he was being stupid.
He made sure he wasn’t scowling when he entered the office and smiled sincerely when Shelly shouted, “Tada! Holiday cheer, my dear, as requested.”
When he looked around at the decorations, it was hard to keep the smile in place. One string of lights over the entrance door. A red felt stocking with sparse white puffs at the top was stuck to Shelly’s desk with an obvious wad of tape. His door had a plastic wreath adorned with a sagging red bow. The saddest thing was the tree in the corner. It had already shed most of its dry, brown needles onto the floor and its branches drooped under the shiny plastic ornaments she’d hung. There was nothing at the top, no star, no angel, just a lone, bare branch sticking up. It was worse than no decorations at all.
“It’s great,” he said, hurrying into his office. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings.
He looked over and signed the contracts that needed signing and stared out his window some more. The only way he was going to lose the low grade funk he’d been walking around with since he met Holly was to give up on her, once and for all. Depressed, he decided to check his email one last time and then call it a day. If anything else came up, he could take care of it at home. The thought of going home didn’t exactly thrill him, either. He wondered if he needed a vacation.
Everything faded into the background when he saw the email from Holly. It didn’t have a subject and he imagined her being so busy she’d forgotten. But not too busy to send him a message. He groaned, wondering if it was something from the inn, some sort of marketing email. Just open it and find out! He paused, then resolutely clicked.
This elf is still thinking of you every day. I know it’s weeks away but hope you have a wonderful Christmas.
He stared at the screen until it blurred, then realized just reading the words she’d sent had chased away his sour mood. He felt the same way he had when he’d been at the inn. He called for Shelly.
“How averse are you to change. Big change?” he asked when she stuck her head in the door.
She furrowed her brow and gave it a moment’s thought. “I have low aversion to change as long as it doesn’t interfere with my overall goals and life vision.”
He laughed. “Perfect. Because I don’t think I could go on without you.”
Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. “Darn it, Mason. Are you all right?”
Once again he laughed, happiness and hope bubbling out of him. “I’m better than all right. Now go, I have a lot of calls to make.”
He started searching the internet and armed with the information he needed, he started making those calls.