A Break in Communications

Chapter 5

Anna

I screwed up.

Distracted with Lucy showing up and sitting down on my desk, picking through my files, eavesdropping on what was going on with Sean, that I’d forgotten something deeply, devastatingly important, and that was getting the notice along to Daniel about Kelcey’s mishap to have it sorted, which meant I found myself at the end of the workday standing in the event space with my soul leaving my body at finding six hundred boxes’ worth of lights strung up over every surface.

Kelcey scratched her head next to me, where she’d come in just after me and also stopped to take it all in, and she said, “Yeesh. Good thing we pared the order down. I can’t imagine what even more would have been like.”

“Uh… huh. Probably a lot… a lot of lights.”

The event space was—well, nice, I guess, even if the lights were a little overboard. It was a big classical-style building close to the office, with a couple of big Christmas trees through the room and tables dressed in sleek white tablecloths, strings of garland hung up along the edges of the room, packed full of lights. Columns wrapped in lights, lights around the edges of the tables, lights in the trees, lights hung from the chandeliers, lights wrapped up in bundles of tinsel and ornaments in the center of each table, and so many cables hastily run under carpets… place was probably a fire hazard. If it caught fire, I hoped it killed me first. Soft symphonic Christmas music streamed in from the speakers overhead, falling over the bustling sound of conversation—the whole company was packed in for this, not just our department, and I always forgot how many people worked for the company, even if I was emailing a million different people all the time.

And all of them had way, way too many lights because I got distracted by sitting on Lucy’s lap.

Kelcey grinned at me. “So, can I ask you a question?”

“No,” I said, and I started walking, and she picked up her pace to walk with me.

“How long have you and Lucy been dating?”

“Zero years, zero days, zero hours and zero minutes.”

She cut in front of me, turning to face me, her grin even bigger. “You two only just got together?”

I threw my hands up. “No, we didn’t—”

“Oh my god.” She put a hand over her face. “Don’t tell me I interrupted you two… getting together—”

“ Kelcey. Work-appropriate conversations, please.”

She looked like a kid meeting Santa. “Oh my god, that’s a yes. Congratulations, you both—”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I’m going to go find Gould now. Please do not embarrass me—”

“You two are such a cute couple. Honestly, I’d been wondering when you two would finally get together.”

The hell did that mean? I wasn’t reading into it. “Don’t hold your breath, Kelce. Bye , now. I’ll talk to you later.”

She beamed. “Going to go find your girlfriend? Oh my god, I love love. I’ll see you later, girl.”

“Do not call me girl, ” I called after her, but she skipped away, blissfully ignorant. Of all the people to see me and Lucy in a compromising position, her? Her? What were the damn odds?

Given it was about coming back for the laptop she forgot—probably pretty high.

It took a second of working my way through the event—still just warming up and getting situated, the tables empty and people standing and mingling—before I found the worst confluence of things I could have imagined, a nightmare summoned from sick alchemy of things that were never supposed to be together: Matthew Gould, a wiry man in his late fifties with neat dark hair and a fine red suit, together with Lucy, and my goddamn mother. At the company event. I was going to scream. To make matters worse, they all seemed to be having a fantastic time, smiling and laughing together, my mother showing Matthew Gould pictures on her phone.

And then it got worse, because another voice from behind made me jolt, at where—of all people—Veronica Preston came up next to me with a glass of champagne.

“Honestly, place doesn’t seem half-bad,” she said, and I shot her a wild-eyed look.

“Veronica? Are you out of your—what the hell are you doing here?”

She looked down at her glass, and back up at me, presenting it to me. “Drinking.”

“How—what? They haven’t even served drinks yet.”

“I went into the back and asked. You’d be surprised what you can get with a little confidence and swagger.”

I wanted to confidence and swagger my way off a fucking cliff. Shouldn’t have told Veronica anything about a damn party—obviously she’d take the opportunity to dress up, show up, drink, look for cute boys whose hearts she could break. She’d outdressed me too, in a long form-fitting silver dress and showstopper crystal heels, hair up in an elegant messy bun and chandelier earrings, so I got the pleasure of looking like an off-brand Veronica Preston at best.

“Let me guess,” I said. “When you say confidence and swagger, you mean preying on some sad lonely man who thinks you’re flirting.”

“I just asked. It’s on him if he takes it as flirting.” She sipped the wine, following my gaze to Lucy and the others. “So, that’s your girlfriend, huh?”

“No—oh my god, Veronica, not you too. You know Mom’s just desperate for me to date someone. Lucy and I aren’t a couple.”

She arched an eyebrow at me. “Mom said she’s your girlfriend, your coworker said she’s your girlfriend, your boss said she’s your girlfriend—”

“How did you even talk to that many people already?”

She shrugged. “Practice?”

That didn’t even make any sense. I pinched the bridge of my nose, and she tipped back her wine, downing the glass. Full glass of champagne before the event even started. Veronica remained… Veronica.

“She’s cute, anyway. Can’t blame you.”

“Blame whoever the hell you like, Lucy and I are not dating. ”

“You sure talk about her a lot for someone you’re not dating.”

“Oh, so now you do remember me having talked about her before?”

I raised my voice a little too much, because Mom turned and looked at us, and she lit up seeing me, waving me towards her. I felt myself pale, but she gestured the others towards me before I could get away, and I guess I had to face the music. Maybe I could stage a fall and strangle myself to death in all the light strings.

“I’m going to go,” Veronica said, stepping away. “You have any single coworkers?”

I sighed, a deep, spiritual sigh from the very core of my being. “Yeah… Kelcey’s single, actually. I’m sure you’d get along great. Youngest one in my department, your height, ash blonde.”

“Oh, cool. I’ll go hit him up. See you.”

Didn’t think she’d actually fall for it that easily. Maybe she and Kelcey could keep each other busy.

Mom greeted me with the biggest smile when I got there, giving me a hug, and I tried not to look like I wanted to rip my own face off. “Hey, sweetheart,” she said, positively glowing. “This party’s lovely, actually. I’m still so glad I came and got to see you and your girlfriend—”

“Mom, I’m not—”

“Matthew, this is my daughter Anna,” she said, turning and presenting me. Matthew smiled warmly, offering a handshake.

“Anna, it’s so nice to finally meet you in person. Put a face to the name.”

He had a warm, friendly voice, more so than I’d expected—he had a serious, intense tone in his emails, and I’d expected him to be just as cold and exacting in person, but he practically bubbled and had this infectious smile. Still not enough to make me not want to dig a grave and climb in, but it was nice. “Likewise, Mister Gould. Thank you so much for coming. I know the invitation was last-minute, and you have a busy schedule this time of year.”

“Just call me Matthew, please. It only feels fair after listening to how much your mother and your partner have been talking about you.”

Jesus Christ. I wondered how he’d react if I just smiled right now and said I’m not in a million years dating Lucy, and Lucy isn’t in a million years dating me. Still, as much as I hated to admit it, Lucy was right about depriving it of oxygen—just never acknowledging it would let them all think what they wanted, and once this was over, we could all move on past it. So I just smiled, and I said, “Matthew, then. I hope they haven’t been bothering you—my mother talks a lot and doesn’t know when to let someone go, but don’t tell her I said that.”

Mom rolled her eyes through a smile. “Oh, this child. She’s not fond of the fine art of conversation for conversation’s sake, as it were.”

Matthew shook his head, giving us a conspiratorial look. “Truth be told? I sprang at the opportunity to attend this and use it as an excuse not to attend a bigger event I’d been invited to, where I would have been talking to everyone in the city. Right now, standing in the corner and talking to a few lovely people is the best Christmas present I could get.”

Well, it wasn’t like I didn’t get that. I almost smiled genuinely before Lucy sidled up next to me, and she put a hand on my shoulder a little too familiarly. “For the record, Anna, Matthew backs me and your mother up on the Christmas tree farm visit.”

Probably would have ruined the party if I grabbed her hand and broke her fingers. Figured I’d just show her two could play at that game, and I slipped my hand to the small of her back, fingers cradling around the edge of her waist, and when she twitched just the tiniest little bit, I felt like I’d scored a game-winning goal.

So she could dish it out but she couldn’t take it. That was interesting. That was very interesting.

“You’d better not tell me you invited Matthew along, darling.”

She beamed at me. “And why not? He clearly knows a thing or two about Christmas cheer.”

I turned and met her eyes, and I batted my eyelashes at her and said, “I got excited when you offered such a cozy little date… I don’t want to have to share you with everyone, beautiful.”

I saw Lucy process about thirty different emotions in a second, and she gave me a curious, studying look with a cautious smile, something electric in her eyes. And—beautifully—speechless. I’d never realized it could be this easy scoring a win against Lucy. And in something she’d started?

I had a golden ticket. I could start singing and dancing. I’d probably trip on light strings, though.

“Well,” she laughed, a second later than she should have, sounding a little flustered, “I have some date ideas for just the two of us, too, you know. But I’ll tell you those once it’s just you and me, sweetheart.”

I prickled under her attention, but I wasn’t backing down. I smiled, and I decided to scope out what would happen—I flicked my eyes down to her lips and back to meet her gaze, and I said, “Don’t keep me waiting too long, Lucy.”

She blanked, silent for a crucial second, and I decided to take the win and look back at Mom and Matthew, my chin up just a little more than usual. Mom looked like she’d burst on the spot, smiling so wide her face might have just split like an egg. “We definitely don’t want to intrude on all your couple time, sweetheart,” she said, just about bouncing on the balls of her feet, “but we definitely need some time to meet your girlfriend as a family.”

I took strength knowing it was probably crushing Lucy’s soul—after all the time looking down on me as some pale and weak competitor to her throne, having to pretend like she was my girlfriend now, I hoped it made her retch. I gave Mom a serene smile. “Well, I’m sure everyone is going to love her.”

“She is so lovely and just…” She stifled a dreamy laugh. Any more and I’d start to think she wanted Lucy for herself. “Well, of course I invited her to the family function on Saturday—”

“Oh—did you?” I laughed, trying to make it sound like I was delighted and not about to rip my ears off at the thought. Lucy slipped her hand down to the small of my back too, matching mine, and her fingers creeping over my back sent a chill along my spine.

“Of course, I’m honored to be invited,” Lucy said.

Neither of us wanted her there. I wouldn’t even be able to blame her if she was having a hard time finding her way out of my mom’s invitations. I could at least do her the favor of making up an excuse. “It’s this Saturday, though,” I said. “Your training event runs at the same time, doesn’t it?”

Lucy laughed, and this woman reached her hand up to my face, flicked a loose lock of hair out of my eyes. My heart jumped at the sudden approach, wary of whether she’d attack me, pluck my eyes out. “I’m rescheduling it, obviously. Don’t worry, angel. I’m not missing Christmas celebrations with you for the world.”

What the hell— Lucy Masters was coming to my family’s Christmas reunion? What was she after now? If it was part of some kind of ploy to sabotage my chances of a promotion, I wasn’t letting her throw me off. Not a chance.

I pushed out a breathless laugh, looking her in the eyes and trying not to gag. “ Lucy. That training is such a big deal for you… I know how important your work is.”

“You always come first. And that’s final. Besides—Matthew and your mother are such close friends now, he’ll find out and be upset with me if I neglect you there.”

Ah… maybe that made sense. Despite how absurd it was, my mother was a good in on Gould—he’d probably be looking for insights on us as people. Just have him hear nothing but good things about us both, from every angle.

Seemed right for the kind of harebrained scheme Lucy would cook up.

I could work this to my advantage, though. It was my family, for better or worse. I could leverage the home field advantage over Lucy.

So I smiled warmly at Matthew, and I said, “Well, it’s certainly lovely to know you on a more personal level, Matthew. You’ve always been a pleasure to work with, and I’m glad to see you get along so well with everyone. You all seemed to be off to a great start when I found you huddled over here…”

He chuckled, putting a hand in his pocket and relaxing his posture. “We have a lot in common. Your mother was just telling me all about your time in the Netherlands.”

Dammit, the Hague again. At this point, I’d have more fondness for the Hague if I were a war criminal. “Oh… do you spend any time in the neighborhood yourself?”

“Not to that area, but we travel to Europe regularly. One of our good clients and friends, the Lawsons, they have an office in Switzerland, and so we go ski there sometimes in the winter…”

Of course he had friends who went skiing in the Swiss Alps with him. “I can’t say I’ve ever been skiing,” I managed.

“They’re big winter sports fans. Their daughter is a competitive figure skater. She brings her girlfriend to go mountain lake skating there.”

Oh—I saw what this was. I’m an ally, by the way, did I mention my daughters are gay, my friend has a gay daughter too. A little tacky, but honestly, kind of sweet. “Well, if you ever find yourself bored of skiing while you’re over there and you want to look at some pretty Dutch buildings instead, we know plenty of people in the area. And maybe the next time I’m there I’ll go mountain skating and break my ankle.”

Lucy squeezed her hand on my side, and I got a shudder down my spine. “I’ll watch after you and make sure you don’t hurt yourself, darling.”

I shot her a look, remembering at the last second to mask it with a smile. “You know how to skate, then?”

She smiled wider. “Of course. I go to the rink in the city center every year when it open.”

Yeah, of course she did… wasn’t she just so perfect? Top performer at the office, charming and beautiful, going ice skating in the winter and going home at the end of it all to look after her grandmother. Cliché protagonist from some sappy feelgood movie. Made me sick.

So I figured the least I could do was make her sick, too, so I broke out into the biggest smile I could, and I turned to face her, and I reached up to flick a loose strand of hair from her face, too. “ Lucy. I didn’t know that. Could you be any dreamier?”

She missed just the littlest half a beat, blinking once before she smiled, and it was a little shaky. “If you swoon right off your feet, I’ll catch you.”

“We’ll pick this back up again later, once we’re alone, okay?” I winked, and she did a double take. Masked it well, though, winking back and pretending that was all it was.

When a clatter and bustling sound came from the front of the party, we all turned together, looking back, and Matthew hummed quietly to himself as he took his hand from his pocket, standing up taller.

“Looks like we’d best be moving along for the events. I’ll stick to your table, all of you. Hopefully that will mean nobody else talking to me, I’m very low energy tonight.”

Honestly—I kind of liked the guy’s directness. He wasn’t half-bad. Shame to have to lie to him about a relationship with Lucy. Mostly because it was with Lucy.

But whatever. I smiled warmly at him. “I was hoping you would,” I said. “I’d love to hear more about your family and their Christmas traditions, seeing as how, well… you’ve apparently met mine. And I hope you enjoy the event tonight, too.”

“Mm. It is lovely. Very… well, it’s very bright,” he said, looking around at the clusters of lights everywhere, and I withered just a little bit, putting on a smile.

“Merry and bright. Well, let’s be off then,” I said, speaking too quickly, turning and leading them all towards where everyone was gathering.