Page 41

CHAPTER 41

EMILY

H MC headquarters is alive with Christmas music and laughter and the sound of glasses clinking together as something mouthwatering lingers in the air. Today is the last working day of the year, and the whole office finished up early to celebrate. But as I stand in the corner, nursing a glass of champagne, I’m consumed with panic, watching while everyone else seems to be having the time of their lives.

“Hey, you good?” Fran sidles up next to me wearing a pink, sparkly Santa hat.

I nod. “Yeah, I’m just trying to work up the courage to ask Andy if I can leave early.”

Fran’s eyes widen. “Oh, yeah… are you telling him why ?”

She knows precisely why I need to leave early. Because I have a flight to catch. Dallas flew home this morning. He’s already there, and he’s been constantly checking on me. It’s as if he’s afraid I’m going to purposely miss my flight. And, I’m not going to lie, the thought did cross my mind. I’m quietly terrified. But I love that man, and my love for him trumps my fear of flying half way across the country to meet his family for the holidays.

“I was going to… but I don’t think I can.” I bite my lip, glancing at Andy across the office floor. He, too, is currently we aring a Santa hat. Standard red, not pink or sparkly. He has a beer in one hand and a microphone in the other, singing along to “Jingle Bell Rock” with Tyson, one of the agents.

Fran follows my gaze. “He looks pretty happy… maybe now would be the best time to tell him. At least then he has two weeks to get over it before we return in January.”

“Or, he could fire me on the spot, and then I’ll have to spend the holidays looking for a new job…” I counter.

“Okay, glass half empty ,” Fran mutters, rolling her eyes at me.

I heave a sigh, nerves roiling low in my belly. “I just feel like maybe it would be best if Dallas and I told Andy together .”

“Just… be careful,” Fran says carefully. “The longer you hold off, the more Andy might see it as a betrayal.” She glances back at Andy before looking at me again and offering a gentle smile. “Andy and Dallas are really close.” She gives my arm a squeeze before running up to the makeshift stage when Tyson calls her name off the karaoke list to sing “Santa Baby.”

While everyone gets into Fran’s sultry performance, I spot Andy by the bar, getting himself another drink, and after a few more moments of gut-wrenching deliberation, I take a deep breath and approach him.

“Hey, Andy.”

He spins around, his grin a little slanted from the beers he’s already consumed. “Oh, hey!”

“Can I… speak with you?”

“Yeah, always.” He nods. “What’s up?”

My eyes flit to the side where there are a couple of HMC employees waiting in line for the bar, and I offer him a hopeful smile. “Maybe in private?”

Andy’s brows knit together, his smile fading a touch, but he’s quick to nod and point to the corridor that leads to our offices.

I lead the way, Andy following a few steps behind, and the closer we get to my office, the higher my heart creeps up into the back of the throat. By the time we walk inside, I feel like I’m either about to be sick or faint, neither of which would be ideal given the situation.

I turn around, my hands clasped together in front of me, and Andy hesitates, looking me up and down, a weary expression coming over him as he waits.

Oh, God, I wish I’d thought this through.

“So… what’s up?” he asks, his tone cautious and tentative.

I swallow hard, finally meeting his eyes. “I um…” I glance at my desk, at my handbag, and my memory is suddenly jogged. “I got you something.”

“You got me something?” Andy smirks.

I bend down, grabbing the small FAO Schwarz gift bag and cross the room to give it to him.

With a curious smile, he takes it and peers inside, his brows lifting and his face morphing into something that could only be described as awe as he pulls out the gift.

“It’s probably silly.” I shrug. “I saw it in the window as I was walking by and… it made me think of you.”

Andy stares down at the stuffed giraffe in his hand. He doesn’t say anything. Just studies it for a long silent moment, sniffing a soft laugh.

“I know it’s not your Captain Herschel, but?—”

He looks up at me, and the unexpected emotion in his eyes is enough to silence me. “Emily, this is…” He trails off, shaking his head as he glances down at the giraffe again. With a watery smile, he looks at me. “Thank you,” he says, his voice cracking.

I press my lips together in a smile, my heart tugging in my chest.

Andy clears his throat, carefully tucking the giraffe back into the gift bag. When his gaze meets mine again, there’s a tenderness there I’ve never seen before. “Was that all you needed to speak to me about?”

Oh, crap. My shoulders fall when I suddenly realize the real reason I pulled him away from the party. But I know I can’t risk ruining our moment now. Not after I just gifted him a replacement for the giraffe he lost when he was a child.

“Oh, yeah,” I start. “I was just wondering if I can take off a little early?”

He laughs. “Yeah, of course. No one’s obligated to stay for the holiday party. Most people usually do just because of the free booze.”

I exhale a sigh of relief.

“Where are you off to?”

I stiffen at his question, staring at him a moment.

He offers the hint of a wry smile. “You’re leaving early, so I just assumed you were travelling somewhere…”

“Oh…” Shit. I force a smile. “I’m just… heading over to Staten Island.”

“Oh yeah, you’re spending Christmas with your folks, right?”

I nod, swallowing hard, my smile hurting my cheeks.

“Let me just grab… hang on,” Andy murmurs, as if he’s just remembered, walking through to his own office. Moments later, he returns, carrying an envelope in his hand. “I was going to give this to you later, but since you’re leaving now.”

He hands me the plain white envelope with a smile. Taking it, my brow furrows with confusion as I slide open the tab, and I’m unable to contain my own gasp at the sight of the money inside.

“What is this?” I gape incredulously at him.

“It’s just a thank you for being an amazing assistant,” he says with another shrug. “I know you didn’t qualify for the company Christmas bonus because you haven’t been here for the required three months, but this is just a little something from me.”

I look down at the contents of the envelope once again. There’s got to be at least a few thousand dollars in here. I shake my head, at a loss. “Andy, this is so…” I don’t even know what to say. I wasn’t expecting anything at all. “Wow. ”

“I mean it,” he says with a light laugh. “You’re an amazing assistant, and I’m just so thankful for you.”

I can’t help but wonder how amazing he’ll think I am when he finds out the truth. God, he’s going to hate me. And suddenly I feel sick. Again.

“You head on out,” Andy says, clearly oblivious to my inner turmoil. “Have a Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Andy.” I smile, and I know it’s tight and probably doesn’t match the look in my eyes, but it’s all I’ve got right now.

I watch him walk out of the office, leaving me to it, and I release the breath I’ve been holding.

My phone shudders in the pocket of my jeans, and I pull it out to see Dallas’s name on the screen, but as much as I love seeing his name, I can’t help but feel like a piece of shit right now.

D: You on your way to the airport, baby?

Me: Yeah, just leaving work now.

D: I can’t wait for you to get here.

Along with his text, Dallas sends me a photo of himself in his cowboy hat. There’s a wide-open field behind him and that, combined with his dimpled, carefree grin, helps to ease the trepidation swirling low in my belly. This is the right thing. Yes, how we’re going about it is the wrong way, and I hate lying to Andy. But it’s a means to an end, because I know now that when it comes to Dallas and me, we’re endgame.