Christmas Eve Love Story

Twenty-Eight

Patrice appeared beside Annie at her locker. “Where have you been all morning?” Patrice held up her phone. “Saw you clocked in at 9:08 a.m.”

“I was tweaking my window display.”

Patrice pushed back her glasses. “Tweaking?”

Annie nodded. “Wanted to enhance it a little. Make it, you know”—she shrugged—“groundbreaking, fresh!”

Patrice aligned her jacket. “Funny. I was just going to suggest—”

“That we have a little chat?”

Patrice blanched. “How did you know that?”

“Don’t worry, Patrice.” Annie shut her locker. “I’ve got this covered.”

“What’s this?”

She met her boss’s eyes. “This day, my job, my window.”

Patrice stared at her long and hard. “Annie, we need to talk.”

“I know,” Annie said. Her spirits rose. “About my promotion.” Her window had turned out spectacularly. It was now whimsical and fun! No longer about waiting on Santa, and more about providing evidence that he’d come.

Patrice grimaced. “Ahh, about that—”

Annie persisted cheerfully. “Can’t wait!” She frowned at Patrice. “But I’m afraid I’ll have to. Today’s a really busy day.”

“Annie!” Patrice called as she hurried away. “I heard from Ms. Lawson!”

Annie spun on her heel. “Don’t worry, Patrice. Keep the faith.”

Patrice stared at her, dumbfounded. “Two o’clock!” she shouted. “Conference room!”

Annie scooted down the escalator to the first-floor salesfloor. She passed Kira on the way. Kira was riding up and Annie was riding down.

“Morning!” Kira grinned. “Big day.”

“Yep.” Annie shot her a thumbs-up. “Hope it’s a great one for everybody.”

There were several merchandise displays she had to check, and she’d have to pinch-hit on some registers, but she needed to complete an important purchase first. Annie reached the toy section and hoisted the box for Amazing Agatha into her hands. She set it down on a checkout counter and the sales associate, Barry, grinned at the package. “Doing some last-minute Christmas shopping?” The older man had spent his entire career at Lawson’s Finest. He normally worked in the Men’s Clothing Department, but they had extra staff on the registers down here today.

Annie smiled at Barry. “Better late than never.”

He nodded and rang up her purchase. “Guess that’s true.”

She paid with her personal credit card, and Barry passed her the receipt. He stuffed the box into a large Lawson’s Finest bag with handles and gave her the package. “You can get it gift-wrapped for free in Homewares.”

“That’s a great idea, Barry. Thanks!”

“Neat display.” He motioned toward her newly tweaked front window. “You’ve got them lining up outside.”

“What?” Annie stared toward the street. A small group of shoppers gathered on the sidewalk facing her window. They pointed out items in her display, chatting merrily amongst themselves as snowflakes rained down from the heavens, coating them all in white. Annie dropped her package off at the gift-wrapping station and walked up to Braden as he unlocked the front door. He nodded toward the street. “Get a load of that crowd.”

Happiness welled up inside her. “I know. I can’t believe it.” Ten o’clock a.m. and Lawson’s was open for business. Christmas Eve business. She had work to do, but that could wait for the few minutes it would take for her present to get gift-wrapped. Annie moved aside as the first customers entered.

“Fun window!” a lady said to Braden as he stood at his post.

Braden nodded with Annie beside him. “Our visual artist team does great work.”

“Boy do they ever,” another guy said, walking in. He shook his head, clearing the snowflakes off with his glove. Wait. That’s Quinn .

He stared at Annie. “Hello, you! You’re the gal who’s going to get promoted, yeah?”

Annie’s nerves skittered because she wanted this so badly. “If all goes well.”

Quinn strolled toward the jewelry counter, and a young mom entered with two kids. Hang on. Dylan and Marcus? No way. Braden cut Annie a look. “You’re getting an early start,” he told the family.

The mom smiled and hunted around the salesfloor, locating Santa’s workshop. “My boys couldn’t wait to come see Santa.” Annie just hoped those boys wouldn’t break loose like wild banshees again and bulldoze her front window. Oddly though, they seemed exceptionally well behaved, sticking close by their mom. “Remember what I told you,” the mom said. “Mind your manners.”

They slurped up every word with big, dark eyes.

“We’ll be good,” Dylan promised.

Marcus nodded. “And say thank you.”

The mom ruffled Dylan’s hair and gently squeezed Marcus’s shoulder. “I know you will,” she said in caring tones. “Look!” She glanced toward Santa’s workshop and smiled. “We’ll be first in line.” Santa motioned them forward with his gloves, and Annie’s mouth fell open.

“What’s going on?” she whispered to Braden.

“Something’s working.” He peeked at Santa’s workshop, and Santa waved. “Very, very well.”

More folks clamored around Annie’s window and flooded into the store.

“ What happened here? ” Annie blinked at Veronica Lawson. She’d missed the signature green velvet hat and animal-print coat amid the large group of people streaming in the door. Veronica clasped her gloved hands together, gawking at the Christmas Day display.

Annie held her breath, her heart pounding.

Please think it’s awesome.

Please, please, please, please, please.

“This window,” Veronica declared on a gasp. “It’s excellent!”

The air whooshed from Annie’s lungs. At last.

Veronica waded through the crowd and toward Braden. “Do you know the visual artist responsible for this?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said proudly. Braden beamed at Annie. “She’s standing right here.”

Veronica Lawson held out her hand, and Annie shook it as they exchanged introductions. “You should hear the buzz on the street,” Veronica said. Annie noted more people huddled around her window. Many of them consulted with one another, opting to venture inside.

Veronica scanned the display again, addressing Annie, “Your Christmas Morning scene has so many special touches. Love the little sleeping mouse with that tiny stuffed stocking and the small, gift-wrapped packages stacked at the end of his bed. And, oh! The other filled stockings hanging from the mantel, not to mention all the pretty presents under the tree, and the note from Santa. Ha-ha! He even took a bite out of a cookie!” She covered her mouth and giggled. “Naughty elf.”

Veronica stepped closer to the window’s border and stood by the retractable belt. “Aww, sweet ,” she said, pointing with her thin leather glove. “The toy train circling around the tree has its boxcars filled with peppermint candies! And gracious!” She covered her mouth with her hand and laughed. “How much tinsel can you seriously get on a tree? It’s so, so”—her eyes grew huge—“silvery!” She glanced at Annie and whispered, “Though honestly, I love it.”

She examined the scene further. “Ooh! Are those snowy footprints left from Saint Nick?” she asked, noting the blotches of fake snow that Annie and Braden had strategically arranged across the rug to look like they’d emerged from the fake hearth. “And wait!” She covered her mouth. “Were those carrots on the mantel meant for Santa’s reindeer? Looks like he took a few.”

Annie nodded, and Veronica beamed happily. “Why, it’s groundbreaking! Fresh! It not only looks like Christmas Day is here, I can practically feel it too.” She peered out the window at the gathering crowd and announced delightedly, “ So can they. ”

Yes, yes, and yes! Braden’s blue eyes sparkled, and Annie’s heart did cartwheels. Outwardly though, she remained composed. She squared her shoulders and smiled professionally at Veronica. “All in a day’s work.”

Veronica took out her phone, double-checking Annie’s name tag against an app she’d opened. “One day? I don’t think so. My goodness! How is that even possible?” Her mouth fell open. “Have you been working around the clock? For the past ten—No. Eleven. Twelve?” She squinted at her phone. “This app must be buggy,” she said, looking up. “I’ll have the tech team investigate. In any case, congratulations.” She tipped her enormous hat at Annie. “I have to say, I’m impressed.”

“Ronnie? Fancy meeting you here.” Quinn strolled up to Veronica with a gift bag stashed behind him.

Her mouth pulled into a grin. “Quinn! What a fun surprise. What are you doing in the store?” She tried to peer behind his back, but he stepped sideways as shoppers bustled past him.

“I was actually looking for you.”

“Sweet.” She cocked her head. “But why?”

“I wanted to ask you to lunch.”

“Lunch?” She scanned his eyes. “I thought we had a dinner date?”

Quinn smiled. “That too.”

“I can’t do lunch, I’m afraid.” Veronica glanced at the elevators. “I’ve got something to take care of here.”

Quinn frowned playfully. “Can’t it wait?”

Veronica peeked at Annie before answering, “I’m afraid it can’t, really.”

Quinn lowered his voice. “Why’s that?”

Veronica leaned toward him and murmured, “I think I’ve made a mistake.” She gave Quinn a swift peck on the lips and patted his cheek. “See you later?”

He shared a lovesick grin. “Pick you up at seven?”

Veronica smiled. “See you then.”

She walked away, and Quinn exited the store. He held up his gift bag as he passed Braden and Annie. “Happy Christmas!”

Annie held up crossed fingers. “Good wishes for them.”

“Good wishes for all of us today,” Braden replied.

She was so, so tempted to kiss him. But not now, and definitely not here.

She spied Dylan and Marcus talking with Santa. Both boys nodded seriously, sitting at rapt attention on Santa’s knees. They evidently were good kids at heart. Santa patted their backs, and they hopped off his lap, cheerfully approaching the exit. They grinned broadly and waved their mittens at Annie when their mom ushered them out the door. Annie smiled and waved goodbye, seeing them in such a better light.

“Not doing any shopping today?” Braden asked their mom.

“They’re off to their sitter’s now.” The mom spoke from behind the back of her hand, with her kids walking in front of her. “I’ll be back on my own later to pick up a few things.”

Annie whispered to Braden when the family left. “I think we can guess what those are.”

“A Robo-bot and a rocket drone?” His knowing expression was so adorable, Annie ached to hug him. But that would have to wait too.

The gift-wrap associate held up Annie’s finished present, indicating it was ready. Now, all Annie had to do was set up the package delivery and make sure it got there today. She grinned at Braden. “Thanks for your help with, well—everything.”

“See you at lunch?”

Her heart thumped happily. “I’ll be there.”

Annie rode the escalator to the second floor around noontime. Kira was in the process of dressing a headless mannequin in a sequined red top and jeans in Juniors. “Patrice wants to see me at two fifteen,” Kira confided in low tones. She squealed softly. “This is it! I think I’m getting promoted.” She grinned. “Which means you are too.”

“That would be so great,” Annie whispered back. “I hope you’re right.”

“This day has been like a dream,” Kira confessed, pulling the sparkly top onto the mannequin’s torso. “Every stinking thing has gone perfectly. Avery and I found the best apartment listed online, I got a text that my kid brother’s getting married, not a single customer’s messed up my tables—and now this.” Kira tugged at the glittery red fabric, covering the mannequin’s chest. The top was a sexy midriff, exposing the mannequin’s white plastic belly above the waistband of her tucked-under jeans. The mannequin’s legs ended mid-thigh.

Kira confided in hushed tones, “Almost makes me worry about when the other shoe’s going to drop.”

Annie’s breath hitched. Maybe this day had been too perfect. Apart from her early-morning train delay, everything else had played out seamlessly. It was almost too good to be true. “I know what you mean.” If she did move forward tomorrow, how would things change? She trusted her relationships would be better with her neighbors, and had always thought that was a given with Braden, but she couldn’t know that for sure. She didn’t even know one hundred percent that she and Braden were meant to be together.

Who have I been kidding with this?

Oh yeah, me.

When she and Braden broke out of this time loop, would their paths diverge? The only thing she felt certain about was what a good guy he was. Kind, generous, and trusting. Plus, he’d genuinely trusted her. It had been a huge stretch for him to buy into her time loop story, and yet he’d done it. That was one thing that made him so appealing. He saw the good in Annie and didn’t judge her the way Roy had.

Roy had never trusted Annie’s judgment about anything, much less about how to run her personal life. He’d tried to tell her when she should and shouldn’t text Tina or call her. In retrospect, he might have been trying to drive a wedge between them. Congrats to Roy! He’d succeeded. Shame washed through Annie. She’d played a major part in that too, but she was going to make things right.

***

The morning whizzed by in a pleasant blur for Braden. The retail pace was brisk at Lawson’s, with the store having announced an early closing. Since Marcus and Dylan were no longer an issue, Braden and Annie would save tons of time at the end of their workday. More time for the two of them to get coffee, and for him to learn more about her. She’d filled him in on her past and her parents, and he’d shared many personal details too. Though he looked forward to taking her to the Blue Dot, spotted Formica tabletops were no longer enough.

He wanted red-checkered tablecloths and candlelight. A good bottle of Chianti, a romantic spot by the window, and the best Italian food the city had to offer. Braden was primed to ask Annie on a real date, and he would do so this evening. As hard as she’d worked, and as special as she was, he wanted to take her out and treat her right. Maybe they’d be celebrating her promotion? That would be amazing for Annie, and so well earned.

Braden studied the window display in front of him. Annie had turned a great window display into a wonderful one, making it seemingly magical. He’d helped her, sure. But the creative ideas had all been hers. It made his heart light to see her getting recognized for her talents. He sure appreciated them and had all along. What was new here was how greatly he was appreciating her .