Page 66 of Santa Maybe
“Yes,” she whispered. “I love you, Drew. Maybe it’s too soon, but—”
“It’s not too soon. I love you, too, mon coeur. That means ‘my heart’ in French. I took it all through high school.”
She laughed. “I did, too, but my Spanish is a lot better than my French.” She relaxed against him, sighing as he smoothed his hand over her hair. “This feels so nice. Do you have anywhere you need to be this morning?”
“I’m supposed to meet Kate for brunch at noon, if she’s still up for it. Do you want to join us?”
“I’d like that. I’m so glad I don’t have to work today.” She raised her head to look at him as a sudden thought took hold. “But…I just realized I didn’t get you anything for Christmas. And you bought me that wonderful tree.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Are you kidding? You took me back last night, even after I messed up. I can’t think of a better present.”
She still wanted to find the perfect gift for him, but it could wait. Right now, it felt so good to snuggle beside him, content in the knowledge that they weretrulytogether. Now that they’d confessed their feelings for each other, she trusted him to treat her with love and respect, and she’d do the same for him.
Blissfully happy in his arms, she’d almost drifted back to sleep when her phone rang. Though she was tempted to let it go, she sat up and grabbed it, thinking her mom might be checking in on her. She’d have to tell her family that she and Drew were back together. For real, this time. Maybe they could go over to her parents’ house tonight and snack on leftover tamales.
Once again, Preston’s name showed up. She let it ring three times, sorely tempted to send it to voicemail, but her professionalism was too deeply ingrained.
Keeping her voice perky, she answered the call. “Merry Christmas, Mr. Hargreaves. I hope you’re having a lovely morning.”
“I’m doing well, thank you. I saw the text you sent. I’m pleased you were there to accommodate those last-minute guests. Did the Duke send them over?”
“Nope. They sought out the Duchess on their own, thanks to our videos. Then Charlie made them feel right at home. They’d had a miserable travel day, so I’m glad we could help them out. Not to mention, we filled the hotel to capacity.” Maybe if she was lucky, he’d be so impressed he’d tell her that her job was secure. What a nice Christmas bonusthatwould be.
“That’s excellent,” he said. “The owners will be pleased. But I was actually calling to make sure you’re still going in today. It would be nice if we had a manager on duty, but I can’t do it since I’m spending the day with my grandparents.”
What?“Um…yesterday, when you asked me to come in, you said I could have today off. In return for missing my family’s big night.”
“You also mentioned you didn’t have plans for today. So it shouldn’t be an issue.”
Beside her, Drew was sitting up in bed, his brow pinched. Like he was hesitant to say anything, even though he was clearly irritated that her boss was giving her the shaft.
Drew wasn’t the only one who felt that way. So did her mom, along with the rest of her family. And they were right. Though she didn’t want to lose her job, she needed to stand up for herself.
Be brave. You can do this.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I made plans.” Her stomach lurched, but she forced herself to keep going. “If anything major comes up today, the staff have my number. But unless they can’t handle it, I’m not going in. These past two months, I’ve been well aware my job is on the line, so I’ve given up a lot of evenings and weekends. While the extra hours haven’t been a huge burden, they’re not sustainable in the long term. They also make me feel like you’ve been taking advantage of the situation.”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The silence was so agonizing she expected her boss to fire her immediately, but she wasn’t sorry she’d spoken up. The only way she’d get a better work-life balance was if she set a few boundaries.
When he finally spoke, his voice was terse. “Very well. I expect to see you bright and early tomorrow morning for our Boxing Day kickoff.”
Was he angry? Disappointed? At least he hadn’t fired her outright. Nor had he demanded she come in to work today. “Thank you, sir. I’ll be there at six.”
When she hung up, Drew pulled her to his side and gave her a squeeze. “You okay? It didn’t sound like he fired you.”
“He didn’t, but…he wasn’t happy about it, either.” She leaned against Drew, taking solace in his presence. “I’m still glad I stood up for myself. It wasn’t easy.”
He kissed the top of her head. “For what it’s worth, I’m proud of you.”
She was proud of herself, too. Even if she didn’t know what the fallout would be, she felt like an enormous weight was off her shoulders. “I couldn’t have done it without your support. Well, yours and my family’s.”
“That’s because we care about you. We don’t want you to lose your job, but we don’t want you to be miserable, either.”
“I’m not. I’m really happy.”
She hadn’t just gotten the day off, but she’d also taken control of her life. Instead of feeling put-upon and pathetic, she felt strangely empowered. Over the past two months, she’d accomplished a lot. She and the Damsels had done an amazing job making the Duchess shine this holiday season. She’d finally decided to set boundaries at work. She’d been honest with her family and learned how much they truly cared for her. And she’d turned a fake relationship into a real one, all because she’d been brave enough to admit her feelings.
“Do you think you’ll get to stay on at the Duchess after New Year’s?” Drew asked.
