“Seriously, isn’t there enough holiday
cheer around here? You all don’t have to invade
my office.” I glared at my coworkers, decked out
in their fancy Christmas finery, complete with Santa
hats and jingly socks.
I should have been expecting this—it was a week
before Christmas.
“Now Erica Jones, it’s the season!”
Judy replied, grinning as she carried a huge poinsetta
to the end table near the door. Judy was probably fifty
if she was a day, but certainly more of a girlfriend
type than a motherly type.
Well, at least if I let her be.
I rolled my eyes. “It’s a waste of décor
for me.”
“What are you, a scrooge or something?”
Judy’s partner in crime, Cindy Stone, asked as
she hung a little green bell on my doorknob.
“No.” I pushed away from my desk and crossed
my arms over my chest. “I just hate Christmas.”
Both women dropped their stuff.
“But why? It’s the most joyous time of
the year!” Cindy stared at me like I had turned
into the Grinch or something.
“I just don’t like it.”
With his usual perfect timing, Andrew Hawkins came
through the door. He glanced at Cindy and Judy, then
back at me. I knew that look, too. He was about to pull
out the charm. “Come on, ladies, not in here.
Erica’s not a big fan of Christmas.”
Both Cindy and Judy went all moony at Andrew, even
though Judy was a little old and Cindy was allegedly
happily married.
Really, though, who could blame them? He was tall,
dark haired, broad shouldered, and endowed with a killer
smile. He could charm himself into Queen Elizabeth’s
pants if he so desired.
He hadn’t changed since he was six. |
