Page 50 of Make You Mine This Christmas
“Fuck,” I say. I tried to get in touch with Ted a couple of times since I got Monica’s email last week, but he never returned any of my calls or emails. I had hoped his silence meant he got himself together.
“Fuck, indeed. He got arrested.”
“On a?—”
“He wasn’t on a job. He was off today since he’s scheduled for the Hudson party tomorrow.”
“What happened?” I say, rubbing my hand over my face. Ted going off the rails like this doesn’t make sense. He’s been one of our most reliable employees since we hired him two years ago. It’s why I cut him so much slack all season, despite Monica’s concern.
“His wife called me after she heard from the station. She shared with me he’s facing some scary health news, and it’s caused him to relapse after eight years sober. He got picked up for drunk and disorderly.”
“Oh god, how awful,” I say. “Did you get a contact number for her to call her back? I’d love to call her personally next week, offer help in whatever way we can.”
“It’s already in your inbox with a list of highly recommended rehab facilities in the area. I had to do something while you weren’t answering your phone because you’re so committed to your job.”
“Next research project is to figure out where you want to go on vacation in February, on me.”
“Let’s make it through this week, and then we can talk about how you’ll make it up to me,” she says. “There’s no one available to cover the job tomorrow. Even the temps we hired to fill in are all assigned. Your reliability and success are going to be your downfall.”
I chew on my lip. “We have to have someone there, and it can’t be just anyone either. Hudson Associates’ donation is the largest from a single group we receive every year.”
“I think we’re going to have to pull out of the last contract we signed. Especially because it comes with the escape clause with you as the owner fulfilling it. I’m making myself a note to ask legal if we can actually change the language to that, because when I’m not so stressed, it’s going to be hilarious.”
As soon as Monica told me Ted got arrested, I knew in the back of my mind this was the solution. It’s my company, the charity arm is my passion project. This has to fall at my feet.
“You’re right... I’ll figure something out here. I guess I need to look at a train schedule. Or would a plane be better? I’d have to figure out how to get to the airport in Boston, but...”
“Brody.” Monica snaps me out of it, her tone indicating what she thinks of me acting like she doesn’t have this sorted. “The trains are sold out tomorrow, and there’s a storm predicted to hit in the morning with winds starting tonight. The last train leaves from Springfield in two hours. You need to be on it.”
“Understood,” I say, my stomach sinking into my shoes. I may not be disappearing in the middle of the night this time, but I am leaving unexpectedly and need to ask the man I’m saying goodbye to to take me to the train station. All of a sudden, our shared reluctance to talk about the future, about what this means and how we can make it work, seems ridiculous. “Can you send me a—” My phone vibrates in my hand, and I know exactly what I’ll find when I look. “Ticket?” I finish unnecessarily.
“I’ve booked you into Penn Station and will call the dry cleaners down the street from your grandma’s telling them to expect your suit first thing in the morning. Do you want me to call her to let her know you’re coming?”
“No, I’ll call her from the train and let her know. Thank you for everything, Monica, honestly. I’ll see you in the morning?”
“You’re buying coffee, for sure.” And with that, she’s gone.
“Train? Morning?” Austin’s voice comes from behind me, and I close my eyes, wishing I could be anywhere else right now. But I know I have to face this. I have to tell him what’s happening.
I turn around and see Austin there, elf hat in hand, looking crestfallen. Whatever he reads on my face causes his expression to harden.
“Something’s cropped up at work—an emergency with one of my Santas, and I need to go back to the city to cover for him. The company that’s hosting its Christmas party tomorrow night is the largest single donor we have. I can’t lose out on their donation, for the people who work for me, and the people the money goes to help.”
Austin’s face softens, his eyes turning understanding. “When do you leave?”
I look at my phone and swear. “The train leaves in less than two hours, and it’s over an hour from here, longer from Winterberry Glen.”
“Well, we better get a move on then. Tiffany, can you cover cleanup for us?” Austin asks a passing elf, who nods, winking at us as we exit and walk quickly back to the gym to change. If only we were sneaking out early for something sexy, and not to embark on what might be the longest, yet still entirely too short, car ride of my life.
We get into Austin’s SUV, and he plugs the train station into the GPS. “There’s a little bit of traffic, but it looks like we will get there about twenty minutes before the train leaves. I don’t think we have enough time to go back to my place to get anything.”
I try to hide my wince at him calling it his place again. “I think you’re right, especially if traffic backs up any further. My assistant said the trains tomorrow are sold out, and there’s a good chance flights will get canceled tomorrow with an incoming storm. I can’t miss it.”
“You’ll be okay without your meds?” he asks, even while turning out of the high school away from Winterberry Glen and toward the highway.
I nod. “I can get an emergency prescription for my migraine meds.” And I don’t want to need PrEP ever again, I think to myself, but don’t say it out loud. I need to say something about what’s next for us, but I have no idea where to start.
“You should call Blaire,” Austin says. “I’m sure we can find someone, somewhere, who can fill in as Santa for a day and a half. They may not be a professional, but it’s the end of the festival, and we don’t want to let all the kids down.” And if there was any part of me that wasn’t in love with him before, it just tumbled over the line into heads over heels.
