Page 2 of A Holly Brown Christmas
“I’m your boss,” Holly murmured. “And I’d forgive you if the report was late if we could talk strategies right now.”
Sighing loudly, Crystal hung her head for a moment. When she looked up, her patient smile was back. “Let’s regroup on the party and strategies tomorrow, okay? I really want to get this report done and I’m leaving early today to take my mom to her cardiologist appointment.”
“Oh, right. Sorry. I forgot about that. Yeah, we can talk tomorrow.” She turned and walked toward the door, feeling wildly disappointed. “But be thinking of a plan! A good one!”
“I will!”
Holly wasn’t sure she believed her, but she let it go for now.
With her own sigh, she slowly made her way down the hall to her office. But instead of going in, she continued to walk around to see if anyone was talking about the email.
In the break room? Nothing.
Around the water cooler? Nothing.
As she wandered around, not one person brought it up to her. Was it possible she was honestly the only person distressed by the news?
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Lucas. His dark hair was askew and he was reading something—like a report or contract, she assumed—as he walked down the hall. He never looked up, never acknowledged her. But she saw the deep scowl on his face.
Well…he does work in legal, she thought. She knew she’d be scowling too if she had to spend every day reading boring contracts. She shuddered just thinking about it.
Slowly, she strolled back to her office and plopped down in her chair, completely disheartened. Christmas was almost six weeks away. Normally, Mrs. Brooks came in and decorated the offices and made everything fun and sparkly. The entire place usually looked like something out of an interior design magazine. What was it going to look like this year? Would they even have decorations? Or would they end up with a sad little Charlie Brown tree?
“Not on my watch,” she whispered.
It didn’t matter if no one was outwardly talking about the email. The holidays were the one time of year when everyone seemed to be in a good mood. The atmosphere around the office was lighter, people would bring in treats and goodies to share, and it was impossible to be in a bad mood when you were surrounded by giant red bows and twinkly lights!
At least…that’s how she felt.
But there was still time. If she acted fast, she could come up with a plan so nothing had to change.
“Because I am not a fan of change,” she murmured.
She just had to figure out a way to save the Christmas party and her boss’s marriage. Possibly at the same time!
How hard could it be?
His parents were getting divorced and somehow he was being put in the middle with each of them trying to claim him as their attorney.
Groaning, Lucas Brooks looked at the Complaint for Dissolution of Marriage that his mother had filed, and it gave him a massive headache. The entire situation was unbelievable, and he wished he could just get the two of them to sit down and have a calm and rational conversation.
Although, that was hard to do when his mother was in Palm Springs at some deluxe spa and his father was up in Southampton on a golfing tour of the U.S. They were both doing their best to stay apart and avoid being responsible adults and Lucas refused to chase them down.
And the worst part of it all?
They ruined the holidays for him.
All year long, he worked like a beast for their risk management firm. He was the head of their legal department; he worked long hours and rarely took time for himself. But once a year—from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day? That was his time. He could relax because most of their clients worked less because of the holidays, and Lucas had unofficially made that his personal mental health break.
But what did he have to look forward to now?
Nothing.
He had zero holiday spirit this year and wasn’t sure he was going to get it back. He’d never been an overly festive person, but at least during the holidays he could be around people who were happy and excited to celebrate. And now, thanks to the email his father had sent out, any joy that the staff got from the Brooks Management firm was gone.
Thanks, Dad.
“Hey, Lucas. You got a minute?”
