Page 10 of Sleigh Rides With St. Nick

"That sounds amenable.We should have regular meetings to make sure everything is going to plan.Would those be with you?"

"I'd be doing those," Pieter said."I focus on the day-to-day running of the business, while Nick works on the production side of things."

"Right.So catch-up meetings with you, but if I need to know about the products, then I should talk to Nick."

"I can tell you whatever you want about that side of things," Nick promised.

"Great, I'm sure I'll have questions."I met his gaze, seeing the same interest in his eyes that there had been the other night.

"All right, then I think we're done here," Nick said."I'll just get the coffee machine going, what would you like?"

"How fancy are we talking?"I asked.

"So long as it's a black coffee or a latte, I can cope with it," he responded."There are some fun syrups too."

"Perhaps you could show me where this coffee machine is for when I'm working on my own?"I suggested.

"That sounds like a great idea," Nick said.

I smiled at him, looking forward to some time alone.I might be here for work, but I wasn't about to complain about spending time with someone I found charming and handsome.

The main question was going to be if I still thought that by the time I'd been here a few weeks.

Chapter5

IVY

The corridors of the building were neat and tidy, but weren't anything particularly special.I'd have expected posters of past successful toys, or something like that.Anythingthat gave me an idea about what made the company tick.

My attention strayed to Nick.Maybe it wasn't just the company I wanted to know about.I'd been thinking about our upcoming date all weekend and decided that I was excited about it, even if I had been a little bold in asking for it.And somehow, he was now the person I was supposed to work with.

"Was your friend all right the other night?"he asked as he directed me into a stairwell."After everything with Zeus?"

I nodded."She was fine.And she hasn't stopped talking about it since.I think she's proud of the fact she got to be one of the people who threw something over Zeus."

He chuckled."I can see that she might enjoy being part of the elite club of people who managed to reject Zeus.Though in recent years, I think they've been admitting more members."

"Ah, the problem with the internet.People know what he looks like and have heard of his reputation," I said.

"Exactly."He held out a door for me.

I slipped past, only aware of how close it brought the two of us.There was no ignoring the pleasant scent that came from him.It was part whatever aftershave he was wearing, but there was also the scent of freshly shaved wood.It only made me want to move closer to him, but I resisted.

We turned a corner and he led me into a small canteen-like staffroom where a state-of-the-art coffee machine sat waiting.

"Fancy," I said.

"It was what my staff asked for," he responded."I think most of them thought I'd only put it where the management team could access it, but I insisted on it being here."

"This is where the factory workers come on their lunch breaks?"I checked.

He nodded."Or whenever they need a few minutes of peace.The factory floor can be intense."

"I'm surprised you manufacture here and not somewhere cheaper."

"Toys have been made on this plot of land since my grandfather's grandfather started his toyshop, I have no intention of ever changing that.Our toys are premium, and that means that I can pay my staff a wage that reflects that."

"Ah, so a family history to go with the toys," I said."That's good.And themade in the UKangle could also be good."

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