Holiday Cheer from Andrew Grey and Amy Lane

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

THE MACHINE made large, slow circles, liquid sheening on top of the glass that was being shaped, slowly, atom by atom. At least that was how it seemed. The process was exacting and would take a very long time. Every curve had to be perfect. I knew it was loud in the room below where I watched through panes of glass. It had to be, with all the machinery that moved and gleamed in the bright lights. People in white cleansuits moved around the huge mirror. No contamination could be allowed in the room; nothing could be allowed to spoil the glass. It had taken weeks of work to get it this far and there would still be many more.

“Did you volunteer for this?” an unfamiliar voice asked from behind me. I turned and nodded automatically. “What were you thinking?” he asked in a pleasing German accent.

“I had nothing else to do, and by agreeing to come here, it allowed the other members of the team to spend Christmas with their families.” I smiled, and he did the same. A nice smile, more sincere than the polite ones I was getting used to seeing. His smile went to his eyes and was genuinely warm. I’d seen him around the plant the past few weeks, but he’d never approached me, and I’d done as instructed and remained in the area set aside for me to do my work. “I’m Duncan Haversmith,” I said, extending my hand.

“Georg von Mittelbach,” he said. I’d seen his name plate on an office, and in my mind I’d pronounced it “George,” but he said it like “Gay-org” and it fit him really well. He was tall with dark hair, precisely cut, and deep brown eyes. I assumed he was one of the managers, since he had an office. “I have been asked to act as your liaison to make sure you have everything you require.”

I was confused. “What about Hans?” I’d been working with him for the past two weeks.

“He went on paternity leave. His wife had a baby.”

“Oh,” I said, resisting the urge to turn back to watch the grinding process. I probably should have, because it would have given me a chance to cover my surprise. Hans and I had been working together for two weeks and he’d never mentioned anything about it.

“Sometimes—” he began and then paused. “I traveled to the US on business a few years ago for a few months, and you are much more open about your personal lives in the office. We tend to be a little more… private.”

I nodded. I had noticed that. “I guess I’m sad I never had a chance to offer my congratulations.” I’d been working as the liaison for the consortium that had contracted the mirror while it was being ground for a new-generation space telescope. The project was led by NASA, but a number of universities were also taking part. As an astronautical engineer, I led the team back at MIT that had designed the mirror and its housing.

“Please.” Georg smiled again. Dang, he was beautiful when he did that. No, beautiful was the wrong word—he was stunning, and his deep eyes shone in a way that reminded me of the shine of the water that both lubricated the mirror below as well as carried away the microscopic material ground away. “It’s his fourth baby. He should have it down to a science by now.” His smile brightened, showing off perfectly white teeth. My stomach did a little flip. It was brief, but a slight jittery feeling remained, one that told me Georg might be gay. Of course the way his gaze lingered a little longer than was necessary was also a clue. “How long will you be here?”

“I’m scheduled for another six weeks at this point, but I’m supposed to remain until the mirror is finished and packed for shipment.” I motioned to one of the chairs around the small table that filled the tiny room I’d been given as a work area. Since it was only me, it was fine. I rarely had visitors—only Hans, and now Georg. Most everyone else went about their business with little concern for me.

“There isn’t going to be a lot to see in the next few weeks.” Georg began setting a file on the table. “We are on schedule, and barring some hidden flaw in the glass itself, which isn’t likely, given our quality standards and the testing that was done before the process began, we should finish grinding and polishing on December 30. Then we can complete the packing process and we’ll fly it to the US and make delivery. I will admit, it seems excessive to have you here the entire time. There will be very little to see.”

“I understand,” I said. I really did. “This seemed like overkill to me, but they wanted someone here to communicate back and relay any issues. You are aware that this is the second mirror. The first one got halfway through the process and had a flaw. That was a different company, of course.”

“Of course,” Georg said with another smile, this one with a hint of pride. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Not that I can think of,” I said. “Except maybe recommend a few places to visit this weekend. I’ve been here a few weeks and have explored a little of the tourist section of Munich, but I’d like to do something different.” It was harder than I expected to be able to get around and see things since I didn’t speak much German. As long as I stuck to the areas frequented by tourists I seemed to be fine, but I had been hoping to see other areas.

“Of course,” Georg said, growing quiet. “If you like, I can show you around a little.”

The offer took me slightly by surprise, given how standoffish most people had been. “That would be very nice.”

“What would you like to see?”

“Whatever you’d like to show me,” I answered. It seemed like the right thing to say. “I haven’t been here before, so everything is new.”

“Is your wife along with you?”

“I’m not married and I’m here alone.” I sighed, and I knew I should have done a better job of suppressing it. Georg shifted his gaze slightly. “The plan was for my boyfriend to join me for a few weeks—at least that was the original plan. He decided his interests lay elsewhere a few months ago.” That was putting it mildly, but going into the gory details wasn’t appropriate. Hell, I wasn’t sure if what I’d already said was appropriate and wished that I’d kept my mouth shut. What if Georg was a huge ’phobe and I’d just talked myself out of someone to spend a little time with?

I had found that the weekends could be surprisingly long. There was a lot to do right nearby, but not having anyone to do things with made the hours crawl by and made most things a lot less fun. I was already beginning to tire of my own company.

“So you are gay,” Georg said matter-of-factly. “I am the same.” Maybe that explained why Georg was being so friendly. Not that I thought Georg was hitting on me or anything. But everyone else had been rather standoffish and Georg was so relatively forward.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” I asked, hoping it was okay to ask.

“Not at the moment,” Georg answered, his smile brightening. “I have a meeting shortly, but I wanted to make sure you were up-to-date. I’ll come in each morning and brief you on the current status and any issues we encounter.” He checked his watch. “Tomorrow I’ll have more time and we can firm up plans for Saturday.” He gathered up his papers and left the room after a nod and a small smile.

Once I was alone again, I turned back to my view of the mirror. For the first time in a while, I smiled and really felt it. Maybe I’d made a friend and would have someone to do things with occasionally. I was going to be here for another six weeks or so, and I needed to make the best of it.

A few minutes later, I turned back to my computer and decided to get back to work. I had other projects I could work on and figured I should make progress on those. After all, I hadn’t been sent here on an extended vacation.

After working the rest of the morning and afternoon refining my design for the cradle that would hold the mirror in place on the telescope, I went to my hotel. I had the choice of watching television—mostly shows I couldn’t understand—reading, or surfing the internet. Thankfully, the rate negotiated for my stay had included Wi-Fi access. Unfortunately the service wasn’t robust enough for me to stream video, so I ended up reading some before turning out the light.

“HOW IS it going?” I asked when Georg entered my work area the following morning. I had been looking forward to seeing him and firming up plans for the weekend. I needed to get out and spend some time with other people—the solitary life was starting to get to me.

“Very well. The mirror is still on schedule with no issues. Right now we are using coarse material to shape the glass and that is going just perfectly. There was a power issue during the night, just before the men came in this morning.”

I sat up a little straighter. Any sort of interruption to the process could be catastrophic. The glass had to be so precise that if the machinery stopped and rested for too long in one spot it could create issues in the surface of the glass.

“It was not an issue. We have backup systems and the process was largely uninterrupted. It moved more slowly for a few minutes, but there was nothing that would impact the lens.”

“Very good,” I said with a smile. Exakt Optik apparently had contingency plans for most every situation. I had recommended that we use Allianz up front, but the powers that be had chosen another vendor. That choice had costs months of delays when they encountered issues, and I had been able to convince management that the second attempt should be undertaken by Exakt. It looked like I might just be proven right. “I knew Exakt was right for this job.”

“Why were we not chosen the first time?” Georg asked as he took a seat.

“Politics,” I answered. The real answer was that a US firm had professed to have the capability to complete the job and there had been pressure to choose them. Unfortunately, their claims weren’t up to their abilities. Georg nodded. “But it will work out in the end.”

“Yes,” Georg said. “What did you do last night?”

I colored slightly. “I got something fast to eat and spent the evening in my hotel.” I was not going to admit that I was so tired by the end of the day that I ate American fast food. It sounded terrible even to my ears, and I vowed not to do it again. I knew there were many much better things to eat nearby. The problem was I didn’t necessarily know where they were. This was an adventure and I needed to treat it as such rather than being so timid all the time.

“Where are you staying?”

“At the Hotel Jungen.” It was just a few minutes away and made my commute very easy.

Georg smiled. “Good. I will meet you there tomorrow morning at nine o’clock, if that is okay?”

“Of course,” I answered excitedly. I gave him my phone number, just in case. “That would be great.”

“Some of my colleagues and I are also going for lunch today. If you would like to join us, you would be welcome. It’s just to a small restaurant in town here, but it will allow you to see the place, and you can eat there if you like after work sometimes. It will be better than ‘something fast.’” I got the idea Georg knew what I’d meant. “Food should be savored and enjoyed. This is a nice place serving good German food. It will keep you warm when it gets colder.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll come here and get you at twelve o’clock.”

I expected him to stand and leave, but he sat back in his chair, watching me for a few minutes. Then he reached back and closed the workroom door. “May I ask a question? If you do not want to answer, it is okay.”

“Sure.” What was I going to do? If he wanted to talk, I could spare a few minutes. Otherwise it would be back to designs or watching the progress on the mirror, which was quickly losing its fascination.

“What is it like to be gay where you come from? I have heard stories of people being hurt. Can you get married where you live? It’s very confusing to us here.”

“Well, I live outside Boston now, and I can get married there. Massachusetts was the first state to fully legalize gay marriage. And I suppose there are places where it isn’t safe to be openly gay. Where I live is perfectly nice. People are supportive and understanding there. ‘Live and let live’ and all that. What’s it like here? Do you have any issues?”

“Most younger people do not care. They accept it,” he said with a shrug. “Older people, like my grandfather, have a more difficult time. They cling to the older ways and beliefs.”

“Does your family know about you?”

“Yes. It took a while for my grandfather to… agree to disagree about it?” I nodded because he’d used the term correctly. Georg’s English was very good, and I wished my German was a quarter as proficient. I could understand more than I could speak. I knew I was relying mostly on gestures and body language as well as picking up other clues. But I tried as best I could, and most people were helpful.

“Is he still alive?”

Georg shook his head. “He died last year.” It was obviously a painful subject, and I wished I hadn’t asked. “I like to think he began to understand. He was very… or it was very important to him to have someone carry on the family name.” Georg shifted in his chair, which seemed a little strange. He impressed me as a confident man in control of things whenever possible. He was also incredible to look at: dark hair, strong jaw, full lips. If you changed his clothes and put him in another setting, he could be a model, or put him in jeans and a heavy shirt, on a horse, with a day’s beard growth, and he’d fit in as a cowboy. Georg had obviously been active much of his life.

“I’m sorry. It’s hard to lose people we love.” I knew that feeling all too freaking well. “You still have your parents, right?”

“My mother.” This discussion seemed to be making Georg uncomfortable, and though it had seemed like a natural progression, I wasn’t sure how we had gotten onto this topic. “My father died when I was very young.”

“Are you an engineer?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

“I’m a senior project manager. Usually I would be involved in the initial bid and then manage everything down through delivery. Hans did part of that with your team. This project is a little unusual for us. We like the same people to see things through to the end. But in this case it couldn’t be helped. I take it from the file that you helped design what we’re making.”

“Yes. I got my doctorate a few years ago, so while I’m a full-fledged member of the team, as opposed to one of the graduate assistants, I’m not one of the most senior members.”

“You said you volunteered to come here,” Georg said.

“I did. They wanted another member of the team, but his wife is expecting her first baby in a few weeks, just in time for Christmas. I volunteered so he could stay with her.” There was no way I would have let Hildebrandt sit over here, worrying for weeks about his wife. The guy was nervous enough as it was and that would probably have sent him over the edge.

“That was kind of you.”

“Thanks.” I wasn’t so sure how kind it was. He had someone important to enjoy the holidays with, and if he’d have come, it was likely the project would have ended up flying him back and forth multiple times. I could simply stay here for the duration and save expenses. My neighbor would watch my place for me, and other than that there wasn’t much to keep me in Boston now other than my work.

“I need to get back to my desk, but I’ll come get you for lunch.” Georg stood and opened the door. He said a brief goodbye and then left, once again leaving me alone. I should have been getting used to it by now, but after having Georg stay and talk for a while, the feeling of being alone had intensified. I wasn’t normally a very outgoing person, so I didn’t know why I was so forward with Georg, but it had seemed to pay off, so maybe I would try to be forward more often rather than trying to blend in with the woodwork.

My phone beeped, and I picked it up, glancing at the message from Dr. Harper, the project director. The man rarely seemed to sleep. I texted him a brief update that everything was going well so far, and I got a smiley face in return.

GEORG RETURNED precisely at noon, and I followed him out of the plant and to his blue BMW coupe. I got in the passenger side and buckled up as Georg went around to the other side. “The restaurant isn’t far,” he explained and started the car, then pulled out and headed off through town.

“I love the way this area looks. People have lived here for thousands of years, and it feels like it.” Everything felt solid and unchanging, a lot like Boston. “I was raised outside Dallas, and everything there seems like it just sprang from the ground yesterday.”

“Are you an adventurous eater?” Georg asked.

“Yes. I like good food and I’ll try just about anything.” That had been one of the appeals to coming here. I’d sort of forgotten that and ended up eating at fast food way too often, for convenience. I smiled excitedly and saw Georg look across at me and smile back. “How old is the town? Was it destroyed during the war?”

“Bobingen is more than a thousand years old, and unfortunately it was damaged. Some of the important buildings were spared, while others were bombed. They’ve done quite a bit of restoration work over the years, and it is hard to tell what’s been rebuilt. I doubt there are many tourists out this far, and I understand there was a lot of talk about just rebuilding in the modern style.”

I watched as we drove down the straight old center of town. It looked like a fairy-tale place, with brightly painted half-timbered buildings, windows with overflowing flower boxes in holiday colors, and a city hall with a clock tower at one end of town and a stone church at the other. I wanted to lower the window and stick my head out so I could get a better view.

“You haven’t been here before?”

“No.” I sure as heck would have if I’d have known what awaited me.

Georg chuckled softly. “If you like this, then I can’t wait until I show you around tomorrow.”

“Sorry.”

“What for?” Georg slipped his car into a parking space and turned off the engine.

“I have this tendency to bounce a little when I get excited.” I had to remember not to do that. It had been okay when I was a kid, but now it came across as childish. I knew that. But there were times I still forgot and my natural energy took over.

“Bounce away,” Georg said, still chuckling slightly. “It’s nice that you’re excited.” We got out, and Georg watched me over the roof of the car, and I got this fluttery feeling in my stomach. For a few seconds Georg’s gaze darkened. It might have been attraction, or I could just have been seeing what I wanted to see. Georg was attractive, to say the least. Of course his attraction to me was probably my imagination. It wouldn’t be the first time I had misunderstood someone’s attention. I turned and looked up and down the street, taking it all in even as still I felt Georg’s gaze on me.

I turned back and saw Georg turn away. Suppressing a smile, I closed the car door and followed him toward a small restaurant. I suppose that during nicer weather tables would have been set up out in front, but now the space was empty. We entered and were shown to a table. “I thought others were coming.”

“They had other plans,” Georg said, coloring slightly. I wondered if that was true. If he had told a fib, it was flattering. “We usually have lunch on Friday afternoons, but things seemed to fall apart.” Georg took a seat, and I sat across from him. He ordered a beer when the server approached the table, and I figured when in Rome… so I got one as well. Things were different here, I was learning.

“We would never have beer with lunch back home. Drinking on the job is frowned upon.”

“I remember. Americans are very hung up on alcohol as I remember.”

“To say the least,” I agreed. When the beer came, the server left menus, and I sipped from the glass. “Man, that’s good.” I took another drink, the smooth, slight bitterness captivating my taste buds.

“Every town has their own brewery, and each kind of beer is served in a glass designed to enhance its flavor. Although there are some nationally produced beers, like in the US, beer is still very much a local and regional art.”

I took another sip. “So in the next town….”

“You’ll probably get a completely different beer made by a different brewmaster.”

“That’s cool,” I said. I figured I could only have one beer, so I didn’t want to drink it too quickly, no matter how good it tasted. Georg handed me a menu, and I looked it over. Of course I could read none of it. I knew a few of the dishes, but not well enough to be comfortable. Georg helped me a little, and I settled on the Schweinsbraten with potatoes and salad. He explained that pork was the main meat served in Bavaria, and their roast pork was simply the best.

Georg placed the orders, and I sat looking around the restaurant. It seemed to have been there for hundreds of years. The woodwork had darkened from thousands of hands touching it over many decades. “What’s Christmas like around here?”

“Here in Bobingen, the town will put up their Christmas tree, and on market day it is transformed into their version of the Christkindlmarkt, the Christmas market where traditional Christmas crafts and foods are sold. They’re very special. There are some more common items, like the wooden or wax ornaments, but the craftsmen in each town have their own traditions and they make unique things. You’ll have to come in a few weeks. They’ll set up down at the end of town around the church.”

“I’ve heard of markets like those, and a few places in the US have them, but I suspect here it will be different.” After all, this country was the birthplace of the Christmas tree, and I knew a lot of our Christmas traditions originated here.

“It will be,” Georg assured me.

As quiet settled between us, I wondered what else we could talk about. We weren’t out together on a date; this was a business lunch. But from the way Georg kept watching me, it was starting to feel like something else. I actually turned around to make sure he wasn’t looking at someone else. His gaze was soft, kind, and yet it didn’t waver from me for a second. What it meant, I wasn’t quite sure, but I wasn’t ashamed to admit that I liked the attention.

“Can I ask you how long you’ve been single?” Georg asked.

“Officially, three months, but emotionally longer than that. Jay was an interesting guy, but after dating him for a while I found out we didn’t agree on some things. Like monogamy, for example. He didn’t believe it was necessary.” I sighed. “The last straw was when I came home from the university and found him in our bed with some stranger. I guess I knew he might be up to something, but seeing it…. I kicked his sorry butt to the curb.” I didn’t tell Georg that Jay had said his cheating was my fault for being so boring in bed. Jay had actually said that he had to force himself to stay awake when he was with me. I was dull and uninteresting, at least according to Jay, and it still stung. I knew I shouldn’t let it get to me, but it had, especially the way Jay had said it in front of the guy I had just walking in on him screwing, both of them screaming and yelling at the top of their lungs.

No matter how many times I had tried to forget the whole incident, I couldn’t get it out of my head.

“Your boyfriend wasn’t worth your time.” Georg didn’t smile, but met my gaze steadily, his voice low and private. “Wipe him from your mind. He isn’t worth thinking about or remembering.”

“I agree.” Our plates arrived, and my stomach rumbled as the scent of butter, fried potatoes, and roast pork reached my nose. Damn, it smelled like heaven. “I can’t believe we’re talking about this. I’ve known you two days and I’ve already spilled the beans about my useless ex.” I couldn’t remember feeling so open and easy with someone so quickly. Georg touched something in me, and I felt comfortable with him.

“It’s all right. I like talking with you.” Georg sipped from his glass and left his knife and fork where they were. “You’re refreshingly open and honest. It’s nice.” Georg’s smile was so warm it touched my heart.

“I’m just me,” I told him.

“Well, then, this Jay couldn’t see what he had,” Georg said as he picked up his knife and fork and slowly began to eat. I watched him and mimicked his movements. Georg moved with practiced grace, so I felt like a country bumpkin at the table with him. We ate our lunch, and I tried to figure out how Georg could know anything about me. He was probably just being nice. I smiled and continued eating.

We grew quiet as we ate our lunch.

“Is it good?” Georg asked.

“Delicious,” I answered between bites. “How is yours?”

“Very good,” Georg said.

I cleaned the plate and finished my beer, then sat back, almost completely content. Georg continued glancing up at me as he ate, and I began to wonder what I could have done to capture his interest. I tried to think of the last time someone had been so attentive. I cringed when I remembered that Jay had acted much the same way, at least when we’d first met. A shiver ran though me as I wondered if events were repeating themselves.

Georg motioned, and the server brought the check. I pulled out my wallet, but Georg waved it off and handed the server some cash. He left and returned a few minutes later. Georg took his change, and we got up to leave the restaurant, putting on our coats before walking out to the car.

“Thank you,” I said as we got in the car. “It wasn’t necessary for you to buy me lunch.”

“It was my pleasure,” Georg said and then started the engine. We retraced our route and ended up back at the office parking lot. He shut off the engine and the heat inside the car dissipated as the cold from outside worked its way in. Georg didn’t move. I wasn’t sure what was going on and slowly opened my door.

“Thank you again for lunch.” I got out and waited for Georg, and we walked inside together. I felt his gaze on me as we walked up the stairs and to my small work area. “It was very nice of you to keep me company.” I wasn’t sure what else to say.

Georg stood in the doorway. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.” He said the words as though they had some deep meaning rather than simple pleasantries. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” I said and sat down to try to get some work done. Georg didn’t leave right away, and after a few seconds I looked up as he turned and left the doorway.

I couldn’t help wondering what this sudden attention was all about. Georg seemed like a nice guy, but what could I have possibly done to warrant this kind of interest? It was nice to think that he might be interested in me. Actually, it was really flattering. But I would be leaving in a few weeks, and after the mess and heartbreak with Jay, I didn’t want to go running down any road that could lead to heartache. And getting involved with anyone over here was a recipe for disaster, even if he pushed every button I had in the attraction department. I suppose I was drawn to what I didn’t have, and I’d always liked bigger, stronger, and darker men. Georg fit that bill perfectly.

I shook my head and pushed those thoughts out of my head. I was getting way ahead of myself. Georg was being nice, and I was jumping in, like I always did. I checked the clock and decided to get back to work. Maybe some rational thinking would help clear things up.