Chapter Two

Maci

Every time the radio station played Jingle Bells I feared I’d suffer permanent brain damage. Sure, it was a great song. I’d even enjoyed it the first two or three times I’d heard it, but that had been way back in October, when retail stores started prepping for the Christmas rush by blasting Christmas music on repeat in every single store.

I mean seriously, why couldn’t they have the decency to at least wait until after Thanksgiving? Why aren’t there Thanksgiving songs that could provide something of a buffer? Alas, no, there are just eight straight weeks of the same song, in maybe twenty different versions, performed over and over and over again.

With two weeks to go until Christmas, I felt the last shreds of my sanity slipping away. Of course it didn’t help that even when I wasn’t working my crappy, seasonal mall job, where the cheery music played on a nonstop loop, I was listening to the radio at home where there was—you guessed it—more Christmas music, in hopes of winning the year’s hottest, gotta-have-it toy, a Livia Kid’s Tablet. The only thing my daughter, Alyssa, had talked about since way before the holiday tunes started. Every radio station held contests and drawings for the damn thing and if they called your number you had to be tuned in to win. Of course, I was also entered into a dozen different online contests and stalked Facebook, eBay, and Craig’s List for any signs of one of the coveted gadgets.

Lyss and I had been through the ringer the past few Christmases and I was determined to get this one right. It was the driving force that enabled me to leave my forty-hour a week office job only to drive across town to the Cascadia Mall three times a week to my second job at Jasper & Benson, an upscale kid’s clothing store where a pair of miniature cargo pants cost more than my weekly grocery budget. I also spent most weekends working the customer service booth at the store, trying to cram as many hours in before Christmas as I could.

Unfortunately, my piece-of-junk car had other plans for me. So, instead of listening to Deck the Halls inside the too-warm clothing store, I was sitting in the driver’s seat of my clunker one evening, rubbing my hands together to attempt to stave of frostbite while I waited for the tow truck to show up.

My phone rang and I nearly jumped out of my skin. “Hello?” I said, teeth chattering.

“Maci? Where are you?”

It was Honey, one of my co-workers at Jasper & Benson.

“My shitty car broke down. I’m waiting for a tow and then I’ll hop on a bus to the mall. I already called in to tell them I’d be late.”

Honey sighed. “You need to get that damn thing fixed.”

I rolled my eyes. Gee, there’s a novel idea. Why didn’t I think of that?

“Preaching to the choir, sister,” I grumbled.

A pair of headlights flashed behind me. I checked the rear view and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hey, I gotta go. My knight in grease monkey coveralls is finally here.”

Honey laughed and hung up the phone.

Three hours—and two-hundred and fifty dollars later—I arrived at the mall. A huge line of people blocked the main entrance and I sighed. “Right, Santa’s here,” I said under my breath as I skirted around the large crowd waiting in line to meet Santa and pet the pen full of live reindeer. The Cascadia Mall couldn’t compete with the neighboring Mall of America, but it held its own share of the market. Namely, the rich and snobby crowd. The stores were upscale, boutique style and while there wasn’t a dress code per se, the security did a convincing job at harassing anyone who looked a little too trashy to be there. Their annual Christmas events were in a league of their own. Hence the live reindeer.

Once upon a time I would have been one of the well-dressed moms, standing in the intimidating line, waiting to fork out a hundred bucks for Alyssa to have a photo op with Santa. The proceeds even went to charity. Now a days, everything was different. I couldn’t imagine shelling out that kind of cash for pictures. I’d sold off most of my designer clothes on eBay in order to pay for pesky things like dentist appointments and fees for Alyssa’s after school daycare.

I’d had several framed photos taken of Alyssa as a baby and toddler, sitting in the chair with Santa, me and her dad flanking them on either side, all of us flashing wide, deliriously happy smiles. I’d left those photos in the bottom of the Christmas decoration boxes this year. It was too painful. I was over Mark but the memory of an easier life, where I didn’t have to worry about every penny was a harder pill to swallow. He’d gone MIA a long time ago, and the child support vanished with him. Most days I felt like a shadow of my former self. Instead of being happy and living in the moment with Alyssa, I fretted whether a check would bounce or if I’d have enough cash to put gas in the car. My credit cards were maxed out and I felt maxed out right along with them.

When I managed to get past the Santa swarm, I hustled to work and made a beeline for my locker inside the break room. Honey was already there, taking her ten. She glanced up from her phone—probably playing whatever version of Candy Crush was popular at the moment. “There you are! Oh my God, you missed all the fun.”

“What fun?” I asked, shoving my purse into my locker. I slammed the door and spun the dial on the combination lock.

“You know how normally there’s some old fatty doing the whole Santa gig?”

I turned to the mirror and started corralling my wavy, half-curls into a ponytail. “Sure.”

“Well, we got ourselves a major upgrade this year!” Honey giggled.

Before I could reply, a bobby pin between my front teeth, a trio of associates walked in, all laughing amongst themselves. “Honey, did you see that fine piece of ass in Santa’s throne?”

Honey laughed. “I was just telling Maci.”

Angie, one of the lead cashiers gripped my arm. “Girl, I am telling you! He looks like he knows how to stuff a stocking!”

Honey cackled. “He can slide up my chimney anytime he wants.”

A surprised laugh burst from me. “Wow!”

Honey blushed but gave an innocent shrug. “Just saying . . . if Mrs. Clause isn’t keeping it fresh, I’m more than willing to fill the void.”

Angie laughed. “Right there with you! I mean, wow. Those cheekbones! If I was a few years younger—”

“And single?” I pointed out.

Angie flapped a hand. “Derrick would give me a hall pass. I already have one in case I ever meet Tom Hardy.”

“Right.” I rolled my eyes. “All right, ladies, as much as I hate to go, I have a horde of angry customers to tend to.”

“Okay but on your break, you have to go walk by Santa’s workshop,” Honey insisted, turning her attention back to her phone.

I pushed open the door. “I’ll try my best.”

I was still laughing to myself as I wove through the store and took my place at the customer service booth. After the divorce, I’d fully sworn off men. Rebounding from the divorce had taken the better part of two years and while my faith in marriage and monogamy wasn’t completely shattered, I definitely wasn’t in a hurry to put myself back in the line of fire. Perfect cheekbones or not.

Of course, Santa’s shack was empty when I walked by on my way to the food court four hours later. The mall was an hour away from closing and apparently Santa had already absconded back to the North Pole for the night. In general I tried to avoid the food court but my stomach was begging for something more than a vending machine granola bar and the meal I’d carefully packed the night before was still in the back seat of my DOA car sitting in a shop on the other side of town.

So, off to the Pizza Express I went.

The food court was packed. It took ten minutes just to get a slice of veggie pizza and another five to realize that literally every table was occupied or piled with trash and food from the previous occupant. I glanced around, looking for a mall employee that might be clearing tables, but couldn’t find anyone or even a bus tub left behind from the last attendant. As a mom, I was an expert at eating standing up, but I really didn’t want to. My feet ached from running around my office all day and then the last four hours in kitten heels behind the customer service desk. I wanted to sit. I wanted to eat. In that order.

In my desperate search, my gaze snagged on a handsome man wearing a sweater and pair of dark wash jeans. He glanced up at the same time and smiled politely at me. I darted my glance away and looked back around the crazy scene before circling back only to find him still watching me. Still smiling, he gestured at the seat across from him. My heart thumped as I gave a final panicked look around but it was either accept the handsome stranger’s invitation or go sit on the stairs that ran alongside the escalator to the first floor.

What the hell? A dinner with a hot man certainly wouldn’t be the low point of my day.

“Thanks,” I said as I set my tray on the edge of the man’s table. He was even more heart-stopping up close. Dark blue eyes set off with thick, black lashes—the kind most women would give up a kidney for—a strong nose and chiseled jaw. A dimple appeared in his right cheek when he flashed a lop-sided smile.

Well shit.

“You’re very welcome,” he replied in a voice that was the definition of swoon-worthy. “I’m Alex.”

I shook his outstretched hand and then sank down onto the metal chair. “Maci.”

“Pretty,” he said, not specifying that he meant my name. That was what he meant, wasn’t it?

Ah, hello over-analysis Maci. It’s been a while. Welcome back.

Sheesh. And people wonder why I didn’t want to try dating. I couldn’t even talk to an attractive man for five minutes without over-thinking every moment.

“I wasn’t expecting it to be so crazy,” Alex said, looking around the food court dining area. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to this mall.”

I laughed softly and gathered up my oversize slice of pizza. The clock was winding down. As much as I didn’t want to stuff my face in front of the gorgeous man, I also needed to eat. Fast.

“You just getting started on your holiday shopping?” he asked.

I raised an eyebrow.

He smiled, showing off that yummy little dimple again. “You don’t have any bags.”

“Oh, right.” I took a bite and hurried to swallow. “I work here, just seasonally. Christmas cash grab.”

“Aha.”

I looked at the bags on the seat beside Alex. “What about you? Score any good deals?”

He followed my gaze, almost surprised to see the pile of glossy shopping bags. “Oh, yeah, just a few things.”

My phone rang, buzzing loudly against the table. I’d placed it beside my tray to keep an eye on the clock. I was already in the shit with my boss for missing half of my shift. I didn’t need to be late getting back from my break. As much as I hated the job, and would be rejoicing when January rolled around and they’d lay me off, I needed the money. I snatched up the phone. “Shit. I gotta—”

Alex held up a hand. “Go ahead.”

I abandoned the pizza and took a few steps away from the table. “Hey, Kyle. What’s the damage?”

Kyle, my mechanic, sighed heavily. “Maci, I hate to do this to you, but she needs a new transmission.”

My eyes slid closed. Everything moved in slow motion for a moment before thrusting into a mental panic parade. “Damn it!”

“I’ve been on it since you dropped it off but that’s where we’re at. Listen, I can order one in and get it taken care of but it’s gonna take some time. Everything takes for-fucking-ever this time of year. Can you get a rental?”

My nose burned. No, no, no. Not right now, Maci.

“We’ll set up a payment plan for you, for the repairs,” Kyle rushed to offer. He’d been my mechanic for years, back before the world had caved in on my head. He’d been good to me over the years. I suspected he hoped one day I’d want his hands on more than just my car engine but never pressed the issue.

“Thanks, Kyle. I’ll try to work something out until then.” I sighed and nodded, giving myself an internal pep talk. “I’ll swing by tomorrow to get Alyssa’s car seat and some of the other stuff I have crammed in there. Hey, there’s a container of lasagna in the ice chest in the back seat. All yours if you want it.”

Kyle chuckled. “Thanks, Maci. I’ll see you tomorrow and we’ll sit down and talk numbers.”

“Have a good night.”

We hung up and I took a moment to gather myself before turning back to the table. Alex gave me a concerned look. “Everything okay?”

No.

“Yep!”

He raised an eyebrow.

Shit, when did my fake-happy voice stop working? Add that to the list of things that had gone to hell.

I grabbed the tray with my half-eaten piece of pizza. “Thanks for letting me sit with you. Good luck with the rest of your shopping.”

“Maci, are you—”

I hustled away before he could finish his question. I didn’t want to be anywhere in his line of sight when the ugly tears started falling.