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It did matter. It was a silly power move, but I couldn’t take my words back now.
“We need a theme.”
“A theme?” I scoffed. We had very little time to pull this together. We didn’t have days to decide on a theme.
She laid her palms flat on the table and side-eyed the small potted plants to her right under the window. I had a feeling she wanted to throw them at me. “Yes. A theme ties it all together and makes the event cohesive. We can’t just toss a bunch of ideas together. This school has parents that attend the most extravagant parties around. They won’t be pleased with something that looks choppy… and, well, average.”
“Average?” Why the hell did it irritate me so much that she thought any idea I’d have would be average?
“Come on, Beckett. You have money. I bet you’ve been to classy parties. You know what they look like. The vibe they put off.”
I nodded. “And you know something about these parties?”
“I do.” Her mouth snapped shut, making me wonder what she wasn’t telling me.
Many of the parties I’d been to since I’d become a billionaire did have a cohesive look to them. She might be onto something. “Okay. What’s your idea for a theme?”
She tapped her fingers rhythmically against the table. “We can’t do a basic Winter Wonderland. It’s been done before.”
“How about we focus on a Christmas movie likeThe GrinchorDie Hard.
She snorted. “This is just as much for the parents as the kids. I don’t think those movies would cut it with this crowd.”
“How do I know you’ll even take my suggestions seriously?” At least I was trying.
“You’ll know when you come up with a good one,” she taunted me.
I bit down a sarcastic retort. We were already struggling to work together and I needed this win. Badly.
“Fine. If you don’t like those ideas, how about a classic likeMiracle on 34th Street? OrIt’s a Wonderful Life?”
She hummed, a smile lighting her face. “A classic. I like that idea.” Her fingers tapped against the table. Her vision turned inward, and I imagined her tossing and turning ideas in her mind before she selected just the right one. “How about Santa’s Village? We can create all the fun holiday activities and build Santa’s house.”
“That might work. Most people have fond memories of Christmas.” Right now, I’d take any idea and run with it. Although, this one had promise.
“Exactly. We can lean into the nostalgia of the season.” She grinned.
“How about seeing if we can get live reindeer?”
Wren’s eyes lit up. “Yes! It’s so over-the-top, it’s perfect. And we can mix everyday activities and contests like snow angels, building an ice fort.” She gasped. “Could we find someone to build a small ice castle? Nothing elaborate, just a tiny building big enough for a few people inside.”
“I’ll add it to the list.” We both typed ideas into our phones. I stood and paced as I added additional thoughts to the ones I already had.
“We could take a page out of the Santa’s Village theme park in New Hampshire with smaller rides. When we find a company who can work with us, we can see if they can decorate rides with a Christmas theme,” Wren said. She jumped up to pace the floor, her ebony hair swinging with each step, her cheeks rosy with excitement, and her hands waved in front of her as she talked.
Every bit of internal talk about staying away from her fled my mind. I couldn’t even remember why it was a bad idea. She drew closer, and my gaze settled on her ruby-red lips.
Just as she was about to pass by me, she stopped and let out an excited sound. “I think we might be able to pull this off and get what we both want.” She threw her arms around me and squeezed tight. She immediately stiffened but didn’t let go.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t think…” she mumbled against my chest.
The heat of her body seeped into mine, calling to me, giving me permission to wrap my arms around her. When I did, a sigh of satisfaction escaped me, and my chin fit perfectly, resting on the top of her head.
This was madness, but I was helpless to stop myself.
“I think she might be in this room,” a woman’s voice rose outside the door.
We jumped apart just in time as Zoey and a light-auburn-haired woman entered the room.