Page 47 of Grumpy Glitter Christmas
“I’m fine. Everything’s under control.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Felicity took a bite of the sandwich to avoid answering. Turkey and Swiss on Jade’s sourdough. It was perfect, and she realized she hadn’t eaten since a granola bar at six a.m.
“He keeps trying to talk to me,” she said finally. “Grant. He keeps trying to apologize or explain or something, and I keep shutting him down because if I let him talk, if I let myself listen...” She trailed off.
“You might forgive him?”
“I might fall apart.” Felicity set down the sandwich. “I can’t fall apart, Jade. Not until this is over. I have to stay focused. I have to be professional.”
“You’re allowed to have feelings.”
“Not right now, I’m not.” She stood, brushing crumbs from her jeans. “Right now, I have to be the person who can pull off a miracle in forty-eight hours.”
Jade looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. “Okay. But after? After this is over, you let yourself feel everything. Deal?”
“Deal.”
After Jade left, Felicity stood alone in the ballroom, looking at the space they’d transformed together. The tree glowed softlyin the dimming light. The sealed floor gleamed. The chandeliers sparkled overhead. It was almost perfect.
Just like her plan to prove everyone wrong was almost working.
She just had to hold it together for two more days.
Friday morning brought the final pre-gala walkthrough, and with it, a new level of barely concealed tension.
Meena had insisted on a complete run-through—every element, every transition, every potential problem identified and solved. She’d gathered the key players: Felicity, Grant, Leo (who’d returned from his trip), the caterer, and the event coordinator from the rental company.
They moved through the bank like a small army, Meena taking notes while Felicity explained each element.
“Guest entry through the main doors,” Felicity said, leading them through the lobby. “Welcome table here, with programs and table assignments. Coat check stationed near the vault hallway?—”
“The vault hallway?” The rental coordinator looked alarmed. “We’re using bank spaces for coat storage?”
“It’s secure, climate-controlled, and has excellent capacity,” Grant said. “I’ve cleared it with corporate.”
They moved through the space, Felicity pointing out details, Grant adding logistical notes. To an outside observer, they probably looked like a well-coordinated team. Only Felicity could feel the careful distance they maintained, the way they never quite looked at each other, the tension humming in the air between them.
In the ballroom, Meena stopped in the center of the space, turning slowly. “This is stunning. Really, truly stunning. Corporate is going to be thrilled.”
“As long as nothing goes catastrophically wrong,” Felicity said.
“Nothing will go wrong,” Meena said confidently. “You’ve accounted for everything. You’ve built-in redundancies. You’ve planned for chaos.” She grinned. “Which is good, because with this town, chaos is guaranteed.”
After the walkthrough, after everyone else had left, Felicity found herself alone in the ballroom one more time. Tomorrow was the gala. Tomorrow, everything she’d worked for would either succeed spectacularly or fail publicly.
She pulled out her phone and took a photo of the space—the tree, the chandeliers, the elegant emptiness waiting to be filled with people and celebration. Proof that she’d made it this far.
Her phone buzzed with a text from Jade: Remember to breathe. You’ve got this.
Another from Meena: Get some sleep tonight. Tomorrow is your victory lap.
And then, after a pause, one from a number that made her heart stutter: The cocoa fountain is fixed. I’ll be here early tomorrow if you need anything. -Grant
Felicity stared at the message for a long moment. Then she typed back: Thank you.
She didn’t add anything else. Didn’t ask about his day or make small talk or acknowledge the careful olive branch he’d extended.
