Page 3 of Unwrapping His Gift

No, this is going to take too long. The elevator’s in the lobby, and I feel like my heart is about to explode. I can hear Marissa calling after me, so I just sprint for the stairwell. I’m not waiting.

I shoulder the door open and take the steps two at a time on my way down to the ground floor, trying to come up with an explanation as to how in the world Craig could have ended up here in the first place. How could something like this even be possible?

“Daisy, where are you going?” I hear Marissa’s voice echo from above me as she shouts down the stairs.

“I – I gotta go, Riss. I’ll see you later!”

Thankfully, I’m bursting through the door to the lobby floor as she’s calling back her reply, so I manage to save myself from the rest of that uncomfortable conversation. It’s already enough to have Craig on my mind as I’m rushing toward the front doors. I mean, what is he doing here? I haven’t seen him in five years, and now he’s suddenly at my office Christmas party playing Santa? Of all the places to run into him! This is absolutely absurd.

So many questions are running through my mind as I race out into the night: why did he leave me that evening when we were supposed to go to prom together? Why did he invite me at all if he was just going to ghost me? Why haven’t I heard from him in five years? Where has he been all this time, and why is he back atmyChristmas party, of all places?

So many questions. But I know one thing – I’m damn sure not going to stick around and askhimto answer them for me. I’m getting the hell out of here.

2

CRAIG

It can’t be.Can it?

It’s taking every ounce of self-discipline I have to maintain a look on my face that won’t send every woman in the office running for the hills right now. On the outside, I’ve got to look cool as a cucumber, but on the inside, I’m a hurricane of emotions. I’m also starting to sweat like crazy under this Santa costume, despite the office being not much warmer than it is outside.

Another smiling woman hops on my lap, spilling red wine on my leg. “Hey, Santa baby,” she giggles, clearly tipsy – if not drunk. “I’ve got to confess…I’ve been a naughty girl. Does that mean I don’t get any presents this year?”

Two minutes ago, I would have played right into her ridiculous flirting. I probably would have found it cute – maybe even somewhat sexy. But not anymore.

Not since I locked eyes withher.

With Daisy.

I was never supposed to see Daisy again. The last time was supposed to be five years ago. And it’s not like we’re back in Great Barrington High School either. This is Boston. There’s more than half a million people here. What are the chances that I’d run intoherwhile I’m playing Santa at some random office Christmas party one night?

I’ve worked so hard to put her out of my mind, and I succeeded. But when our eyes met, all that work went right out the window. All the emotions I hadn’t felt since high school came flooding back. It was like I’d been placed into a time machine and sent back to when I was eighteen.

“Did you hear me, Santa baby?” the woman on my lap whispers into my ear. I can smell alcohol on her breath breaking through the overpowering layer of perfume. “I said, I’ve been anaughty girl–”

“Yes, I heard you,” I say as I stand up and brush her aside, probably a bit more gruffly than I should. One of her friends grabs hold of her shoulders and glares at me, a hint of anger in her eyes as I push my way through the crowd, following in the direction where Daisy was just headed. “I’m sorry, everyone, but I just got a text. A bit of a family emergency I have to check on!”

There’s a collective “Aww” behind me as I race for the elevator. I pull out my phone and pretend to look at it like I just got an important text or something, but the doors just so happen to open right at that moment, and I step inside and press the button for the lobby. Daisy must have not wanted to wait and took the stairs.

I look up as the doors are closing and see some girl with a sexy elf outfit on, complete with elf ears, glancing suspiciously at me. I ignore her. I don’t care – or have time for her right now. All I want to do is catch up with Daisy.

It was cold up in the office, but when the elevator reaches the ground floor and the doors open to the lobby, I realize I’ve left my jacket upstairs. Oh, well. I race across the tiled floor, my heart pounding in my chest, shove the doors open, and crash out into the night like some kind of wild bull dressed in Santa’s clothing.

I look left. I look right, and then I see her running down the street in the direction of the enormous Christmas tree that’s been erected in the courtyard between this cluster of office buildings.

“Daisy!” I call out, racing after her. She doesn’t hear me, so I pick up the pace, but it’s icy out tonight, and I can only run so fast without slipping and falling and breaking my neck. So, I call out again, louder this time. “Daisy!”

And she hears me.

She stops and turns, and again that feeling from upstairs in the office hits me straight in the gut like a punch from a heavyweight boxer. Backlit by all the sparkling lights hanging off the Christmas tree, with white snowflakes softly falling down all around her, she couldn’t look any more beautiful.

Her eyes shine like two brilliant, shining globes as she looks back at me. I think I see a smile cross her face for the briefest of moments, but then she’s turning away from me again. Her hair flutters as she spins and rushes away through the night.

My heart sinks, but can I really blame her? This is all my fault to begin with.

I focus on the ground in front of me, watching for patches of ice as I race after her. There’s no way I’m letting her get away from me. My heart pounds in my chest, and the cold tears down my throat and into my lungs as I run as fast as I can, fighting to catch up with her.

I finally do, just past the enormous Christmas tree, which must be at least three times as tall as I am.

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