Page 63 of Bad Boy Bachelor Christmas
I kept my cool as we shook hands and signed paperwork in the form of e-documents he sent to my email. This was my first official, real, hired, paid, negotiated gig, and I had a fleeting thought that I might frame the contract and hang it in my room, when I had a room of my own to hang it in that wasn’t a dorm or a temporary cabin.
I promisedmyclient that I would be in touch with him next summer to start the ball rolling early, and our first interaction would be a video call to establish needs, go over my pitch to keep it fresh in his memory, and set up a milestone-based plan for the project. He agreed, and I walked out smiling like an idiot to greet North in the waiting room.
He stood from his seat in the corner when he saw me coming. “Act cool.”
I tried to smother my smile but it was damn near impossible. As soon as we were on the elevator and the doors closed behind me, I let out a squeal and shimmied on the spot, dancing my feet in quick back and forth motions.
North threw his head back and laughed. “Congratulations. You killed it in there!”
I wound back one hand and he high-fived me.
“Thank you! I couldn’t have done it without you,” I gushed. A straight fact. “I was so nervous, and now I have my own client and my first job!Eek!” I grabbed his wrist. “Next year, you and me? We’re officially in business together. I’m not going to be your measly little intern come next December.” I hip bumped him as his laughter dropped to a low chuckle.
“I’m proud of you,” he said.
His words made my chest swell, and I stretched to the tips of my toes for a kiss, the real reward.
He indulged me, cupping my cheek and kissing me deeply.
If only I could keep him in my pocket and get a kiss like this every time I had a victory.
CHAPTER29
NORTH
Cami planted her fists on her hips and glared down at her feet, where jingle bells dangled from the curled toes of her elf shoes.
“I hardly think the shoes are necessary,” she muttered, wiggling her toes to make the bells jingle.
“It’s all in the details,” I said.
She shot me a menacing look—well, as menacing a look as a five foot three, curly-haired pixie girl dressed like a Christmas elf could manage. “You’re having far too much fun with this.”
“You were top of my mind when I looked at different costumes. I kept thinking, which one would Cami like most? You’re lucky. I could’ve picked the one that came with the pointy ears, too.”
“How sweet of you.”
Chuckling, I handed her the hat that matched the shoes. “And this.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Our guests are going to be here any minute. You have to look the part. Put it on.”
Cami sighed dramatically and placed the hat on her head. One of the other elf volunteers came over with bobby pins and helped secure it to her curly hair. She stomped off toward the wooden structure and the warmth, where she would be helping kids make wrapping paper and collecting donations.
A bit to the right, the sled and horses waited to take guests on their first ride through the snowy fields. That would begin fifteen minutes after the lighting ceremony this evening. So far, everything was running on schedule. The gates at the front of the property would open soon. Ground staff manning the gates had already radioed over to me that we had upward of a hundred people in line. That had been twenty minutes ago, and I’d instructed the gate keeper to let the cars through so everyone could park on the property. We’d set up a plowed area on the side of the driveway big enough to fit ten parked cars across. The house had originally been built for my grandfather to park his boats and motorhome there. It would work perfectly as a spot for the cars to park nearby where we could drag the trees to and strap them to the roofs.
Justin stood with Marge sipping hot cider, and a few of my other employees were gathered around, making small talk. I wandered over to say hello.
“This looks incredible,” Marge told me, holding her paper cup in two hands to warm herself up. “I see a lot of success coming from this. Where’s your intern? She did a wonderful job.”
I looked around. “She’s here somewhere.”
Winter had been flitting around like an elf herself all afternoon, working diligently to make sure everything was just right. I suspected she was still riding the high of securing her first independent design contract for New York City’s mall yesterday. I couldn’t blame her. It was a big deal, and she’d earned it fairly.
“Justin tells me you’re going to host a party at the house before she goes back to Portland?”
Justin hushed Marge. “Keep your voice down. It’s supposed to be a surprise.” He looked around for Winter, but she was nowhere to be seen. “The girl deserves a celebration. Her birthday is on the twenty-first, too. We were going to have the party then, but that’s the day of the lighting ceremony in town and North is providing the tree. So the twentieth it is. We’re all grateful to her. Cami is involved, too.”
