Page 63 of Falling for Mr. Wright

Chapter Eighteen

Ryan maneuvered through the crowded cafeteria, marveling how it had been transformed into its annual winter wonderland with poinsettias, garland, and a beautifully decorated Christmas tree.

He knew it wasn’t easy to give the modern deco room a cozy Christmas vibe, and he suspected Sarah had worked on it all morning.

He’d wanted to drop in and offer his help, but had thought better of it, especially if she was still mad from their encounter in the elevator. It was better that they didn’t see each other until he made it all up to her.

A quick scan of the room showed Sarah wasn’t in it. That didn’t surprise him. When she planned company events, it often entailed her being behind the scenes in the kitchen, working with the caterers or doing some last-minute preparations in her office, such as helping Logan with his remarks. She’d be here.

His gaze dropped to the small white box he had in his hands. Its bright-red bow had been tied perfectly thanks to his sister’s help. In no time, the box would be opened and would execute his plan to reveal to his Secret Santa everything he felt.

Today, he’d give her his heart.

He could no longer deny how he felt, and he couldn’t let the fear that she’d leave one day destroy what they could potentially have.

That was if she wanted his heart. Hell, she could still want Logan.

It was a risk he was finally ready to take.

As he walked over to the table at the front of the room to set down his gift alongside the others, Mary Beth stepped in his path wearing a tight silver sequined top, bright-red lipstick, and a huge smile. Someone was feeling festive.

“Is that for me?” she asked, pointing to the box.

“Um…” He wasn’t supposed to reveal his Secret Santa until the ceremony, but judging by the way she cocked her head at him while raising a suggestive eyebrow, he might be better off setting the record straight. “Not this time.”

She snapped her fingers. “Darn. Maybe I’ll get lucky next year—or sooner.” She ran her fingers through her long brown hair. “I could fill you in on the things I really want for Christmas.”

Ryan smirked and continued to move toward the front, knowing what that flirting was all about. Mary Beth probably still believed that Logan and Sarah had been fooling around in the storage room. His gut churned at the thought.

Yep. He was still pissed at his buddy for whatever it was that he’d interrupted.

Crossing the room, he made his way to the Secret Santa table, smiling and exchanging cheery hellos with his coworkers. Once there, he stepped onto the short stage where the table had been set up and took a deep, long breath.

This is it.

There was no turning back once he’ set the box down.

He ran his finger over the deep-red name tag where he’d written Sarah’s name using one of Bridget’s glittery silver pens. He was ready for the woman he loved to finally know it.

Placing the box down along with the other brightly wrapped gifts, he walked over to the bar, asked for a beer, and then made his way to an empty chair against the wall to wait.

In less than an hour, the Secret Santa gift exchange would start. In less than an hour, Sarah would know how he felt.

How would she react?

That was the million-dollar question, but seeing how close Sarah had been to kissing Logan in that storage room, he needed to make a move. And after meeting Hank and Sylvie, he knew that move meant laying it all out there.

He was 100 percent certain he was in love with Sarah, and he knew exactly when it had happened.

It was the first day they’d met. It had been love at first sight.

After saying good-bye to the old couple, he’d raced uptown to Dylan’s Candy Bar with one purchase in mind. The store manager had greeted him with a huge smile and scooped up a bag of malt balls.

He’d played out in his mind what he hoped would happen. Sarah would open the box and laugh at the malt balls, knowing immediately who the gift was from. He’d walk up to her and ask if they could go to his office for a moment alone where he’d put his heart on the line.

If she didn’t feel they could be more than friends, he’d understand. He wouldn’t like it, but he’d have to accept it.

He caught sight of Logan walking toward him. Accepting only being friends with Sarah would be one thing, but seeing her with Logan if she did get together with his best friend would be an entirely different matter.

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