Page 418 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
“And who better to teach me the true meaning of Christmas than our own little Tinsel Miller?”
Hugh pushed his glasses higher up on the bridge of his nose. “She hates when you call her that.”
“It’s the perfect name for an elf,” I muttered.
“Still,” Hugh said.
My father leaned back in his chair. “If you insist on Tinsely, you can have her. However, we must consider the ramifications. Tinsely is our lead event planner. Without her presence in the office as much, we will have to trust her event team to finish the work in her place. Tinsely has never been very good at letting others do her work for her, so she’s going to feel pretty thinly spread.”
“We’ll pay her extra,” I said.
“Absolutely we will,” my father said as if he’d already decided this. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you, son. Tinsely is a fierce young woman who cares very deeply about her career. She has my respect and understanding. She will not be pleased about this, and I implore you not to make it any harder on her than it needs to be. In other words, don’t abuse her assistance this month.”
I gave him an innocent little shrug. “Why on earth would I give Tinsel a hard time?”
My father sighed. “You can go, Hugh. On your way out, can you call Ms. Miller in?”
Hugh nodded, slipped out the door, and left my father and me alone while he went to fetch Tinsely. Instead of speaking, my father got up and went to the espresso machine behind his desk. He offered me one, but I shook my head.
When Tinsely came into the office he had a latte ready for her. Apparently, he knew what she liked because she accepted the drink with a smile. When my father’s back was turned, her smile turned upside down and she glared at me before taking the open seat beside me.
“Santa,” she mumbled.
“Tinsel,” I mumbled back.
My father took his seat once more and sipped his espresso with an extended pinky and an air of sophistication. “The pair of you, play nice. Ms. Miller, I have some news.”
She wrapped both of her dainty hands around her mug and sighed heavily. “I know. You need me to be his elf, right?”
My father gave her an empathetic smile that looked like an apology. “You always have been skilled at reading between the lines. Yes, we need you to be Chadwick’s elf. You are the wisest choice and the most capable.”
“How capable does one have to be to put on an elf costume and smile?” she asked dryly.
“That is not the challenge of the job,” my father said. “Being around my son for such an extended period of time and ensuring he meets all of his obligations on the other hand? That is a task that I fear only you are up for. You will be well compensated, of course. I don’t expect you to take this on without a raise. And I must speak with your event assistant, Aleena. Do you think she’s equipped to stand in for you whenever you might be out of the office tending to your… elfly duties?”
I snickered. “Elfly duties.”
Tinsely acted like I wasn’t even there. “I’m sure she’ll be thrilled for a chance to prove herself. She has a good work ethic and a skilled eye. She also has all my designs, schematics, and floor plans. I trust her.”
My father smiled. “Excellent. That is exactly what I hoped to hear. I appreciate your willingness to step up like this, Ms. Miller. As always, your tenacity inspires me.”
“I’m happy to help,” she said to my father while shooting a dark glare masterfully out of the corner of her eye in my direction.
Deeply satisfied that I wasn’t the only one about to be tortured over the holidays, I sat up a little straighter. “Maybe I will take that espresso, Dad. This day just got a little more interesting.”
CHAPTER 5
TINSELY
Aleena and three other members of my event team sat gathered around my desk when I left Alastair’s office. Lunch break had started, and while they ate their meals, they muttered with their heads bowed together, no doubt theorizing about what I had been called into the boss’s office for.
Well, did I have a surprise for them.
Instead of grabbing my lunch out of the communal fridge in the break room, I went straight to my desk and sat down with my latte. Aleena and the three staff members, Darcy, Benji, and Danielle, all looked expectantly at me.
“So?” Aleena pressed.
“What did they want?” Benji asked.
