The Billionaire's First Christmas - Contemporary Romance (11 page)

ROBYN

I tried not to, but since Saturday
night I hadn’t been able to think about anything except Aaron and
that kiss. I kept hoping that he would call me, or send me a text
or an email or something, but to no avail. I had taken Christmas
cookies that I made on Sunday in to my co-workers and I’d even
thought about taking some up to him. I was worried about getting
the rumor mill started, I didn’t want to make being friends with me
difficult, he seemed to be having a hard enough time with that
already. I hoped that’s what we were becoming… friends. It had
definitely felt like more than that when he kissed me, but then
he’d taken off and I didn’t know if that was because he felt
regret, or panic. It hurt either way.

I thought about him saying that he had
a big meeting later today with some men that were coming in from
China. I probably shouldn’t expect to hear from him after that. I’m
no executive, but I can imagine a thing like that would be pretty
stressful. I know from the cues Max has been giving me about the
marketing for it on our end that it was a huge proposition Aaron
was setting forth to them.

“Robyn?” I looked up to see Gary at my
desk. He had that look of reverence in his eyes that was always
there when he looked at me.

“Hi Gary, what can I do for
you?”

“Nothing,” he said. “I just wanted to
thank you for the cookies. My Monday was kind of crappy and then I
saw them in the break room with your little Christmas note.
Actually, I smelled them first. You could use them as potpourri.
I’m sure they don’t last long enough for that though. They were
delicious. That was really nice of you. Thank you.”

I smiled. Poor Gary was really a nice
guy. It was too bad that I wasn’t attracted to him at all. “You’re
welcome. That was what I was hoping to do, brighten everyone’s
Monday. I love to bake. It’s cathartic for me.” I wasn’t going to
tell Gary, but baking all day Sunday was how I’d lifted my own
spirits after what happened on Saturday.

“It worked. You’re amazing,” he said.
He gave me that look again, the one that said he was infatuated,
and the one that made me uncomfortable. I don’t know why I couldn’t
just fall for a guy like Gary who was so easy going. It must be
because I liked a challenge so much.

“I appreciate you stopping in, Gary.
Was there anything else you needed?” I asked, trying to hurry him
along. The way he looked at me made me feel guilty some times for
not reciprocating.

“No, that was it,” he said. Then he
thanked me again and went back to his own office. His visit made me
feel good, in spite of the slightly uncomfortable part there at the
end. I was glad to know that I’d lifted someone’s spirits. It gave
me an idea. I could sneak up to the tenth floor while Aaron was in
his meeting and leave a plate of them for him with a note. He’d
said the meeting was late afternoon, so when I get off he should
still be in the meeting. Maybe it would ease his stress after the
meeting. At the very least, it would let him know that I’m thinking
about him. I hoped that would be a good thing.

I went to go and grab some cookies out
of the break room; I had brought several dozen, but I knew from
experience they would all be gone soon. Just as I got to the open
office door, the phone rang. I went back and answered it, it was my
friend Melissa.

“Hey Robyn! I’m sorry to call you at
work, but I wanted to catch you this afternoon. I’m making
reservations for our annual dinner on Thursday. I’m getting a head
count. Are you bringing a date?”

“N---Actually, yes…I think I am,” I
said, suddenly getting another idea.

“Great! I’ll make yours for two. I’m
looking forward to seeing you, girl! It’s been what… since
Halloween?”

“Yes, I know. I’m sorry. I took this
manager position and I work more instead of less. How is that
possible?”

Melissa laughed, “I know what you
mean. I worked sixty hours last week. We need to stop this or we’ll
turn into some stuffed shirt CEO’s someday.” That made me think of
Aaron again. I wondered what my friend would think of my… whatever
this was I was feeling for him.

“Never!” I told her,
jokingly.

“I’ll see you on Thursday and then
we’ll make a standing date for once a month after that, work or no.
You’ll have to dish to me about your date too.”

“Sounds great, thanks Melissa,” I told
her. I hung up with a smile and a warm glow inside. I’d known
Melissa since I was in high school. She’d come to my town to live
with her aunt and uncle while her parents were in Europe and she’d
loved the school and the people so much that she talked her parents
into letting her finish school there. She was originally from New
York and I’d come to New York with her for school after graduation.
We roomed together for the first two years and then I’d gotten my
own place. We talked on the phone often, but she was right, it had
come down to seeing each other only on holidays. I was ready to
rectify that. I needed my friends in my life. Maybe by the time we
had our “standing date” I’d have something to “dish”
about.

I went to the break room after that
and was happy to find that there were enough cookies left for me to
take several for Aaron and not wipe them completely out. There were
a couple of notes next to mine from my co-workers thanking me too.
That made me smile. I filled a little festive plastic plate with
the cookies and took them back to my office. Then, I wrote a
note:

Aaron,

Here’s hoping that a
little sugar and a lot of Christmas cheer can chase your stress
away. Happy Monday!

Robyn

P.S. I have a dinner party
to attend on Thursday night with a group of my friends. We do it
every year at the Lighthouse Inn and I would love it if you could
join me. We’ll be there at eight. I’ll just expect you…whether you
respond or not. I won’t take no for an answer.

I put the note in an envelope and
wrote his name on the outside of it in a red, felt marker before I
got back to work. That evening when it was time for me to leave, I
took the plate and envelope up to the tenth floor. I stepped off
the elevator and looked around. I’d never been this high up in the
building. It was nice to see that our offices were decorated as
nicely and as comfortably as they were up here. It was further
proof that although Aaron was loaded, he didn’t hold himself up
higher than anyone else. I really liked that about him.

I followed the sign to Suite #1 where
I knew his office was from our company directory. His assistant
Janice’s desk sat outside his door, but she wasn’t there. It was
after five, so she was probably already gone for the day. I noticed
that she had her little corner decorated for the holidays. She even
had a string of colored lights around her desk. I had to wonder
what Aaron thought about that. I knocked on his door, but there was
no answer. Tentatively, I tried the knob. The door pushed open and
I suddenly realized that not exactly everything was the same up
here. Aaron’s office was huge; the size of four, or maybe five of
the regular offices. There was his desk of course, but also a large
oak conference table, a black leather couch and two chairs, a
fireplace, a wet bar, a closet and a very large bathroom, fully
equipped with a shower. He could live here if he wanted to. I saw a
shirt draped over one of the chairs and got a glimpse into the half
opened closet where several suits hung. I wondered if sometimes he
did. That made me a little sad. Everyone should have a warm home
that they were dying to get to after work. I personally loved going
home to my own. I noticed in the office that seemed to have
everything, that there was one thing conspicuously missing…
Christmas. This time of year when everything else was decorated so
festively, it made the beautiful office seem a little
sad.

I went over to his desk and sat down
the cookies and the note. While I was there, I glanced out the
window. He had four huge windows that took up most of the wall
behind his desk. The view was breathtaking. The sun was just
beginning to go down and the lights of Manhattan were beginning to
burn across the city. It was beautiful. I wondered if it made him
happy. I glanced at what was on his desk… office supplies, and what
was on the walls… artwork. There was nothing personal, no
photographs, no diplomas or awards. I couldn’t help but wonder what
his life was like outside of here, and why he kept it so closed off
from everyone else. Feeling sad for him, I closed the door behind
me as I left and headed for home, hoping that I’d at least
brightened his day a little bit.

CHAPTER TEN

~

AARON

The big meeting that I’d been
preparing for and anticipating for weeks went well. China was an
important market that Winters Inc. hadn’t yet broken into. The
gentlemen I met with were more than willing to hear what I had to
say about how our products would benefit their communities. They
were even happier about it when I told them about our company’s all
green plans. It was something their own company prided themselves
on. The only difficult part of the meeting was communication. I
knew a little bit of Mandarin, I’d taken it in college. My skills
unfortunately weren’t honed enough for such an important meeting,
so most of it was accomplished via an interpreter. That in itself
was exhausting, and a bit worrisome. I trusted my interpreter but I
still worried occasionally that things might get lost in
translation.

When the meeting ended, I said
good-bye to my new business partners and headed back to my office
to get my things. I felt so weary, but I knew that I wasn’t just
tired tonight. Something just felt… off. I had this big, empty
feeling in my chest lately for some reason. Usually after a meeting
like the one I’d just had, I’d be so excited that I was bouncing
off the walls. I’d often go out for a celebratory drink and
occasionally meet a nice woman for some temporary company. Not
today though, not even the success of the meeting had made me
happy. I had no desire to be with a woman either. At least not one
I could find in a bar. I couldn’t put my finger on what had changed
and it annoyed me.

I opened my office door and was
surprised by a pleasant spiced aroma. I figured that Janice had
bought one of those scented candles or plug in devices for the
office. She didn’t force Christmas on me, she knew better. But she
had her little subtle ways of giving me hints. Her fragrances were
often part of that every year, as was her gaudily decorated desk
outside my office door. I walked over to my own desk to retrieve my
briefcase and was surprised to see a plate of cookies and an
envelope with my name on it. I picked up the envelope and slipped
out the note.

It was from Robyn. I should have
known. Who else would have the nerve to sneak in my office when I
was out and leave Christmas cookies? Or Christmas anything for that
matter. Geez! What was it going to take for her to get it? I didn’t
like Christmas, why was that a crime? I didn’t really read the
note; I just tossed it back down on the desk and picked up the
plate of cookies. I was about to dump them in the wastebasket when
the scent assaulted my senses again. I set the plate back down and
sat myself down behind my desk. I suppose she wasn’t going to know
the difference if I ate them or not, so tasting one wouldn’t be
encouraging her behavior. Besides, although it was slightly
annoying, it was a nice thought. I knew that she had something to
do with the change in the way I’d been feeling about my life
lately, I just wasn’t sure what.

I picked up one of the cookies and
took a bite. I hated to admit it, but it was delicious. I ate the
whole thing. Then, I poured myself a cup of coffee and went back
for the other two. By the time I finished my coffee and all three
cookies, I was feeling so much better. It was amazing what a little
sugar and caffeine could do. I was still unwilling to admit that my
feelings for Robyn had anything to do with my sudden change of
attitude.

Curiosity overcame me and I reached
for the note again. This time I actually read it:

Aaron,

Here’s hoping that a
little sugar and a lot of Christmas cheer can chase your stress
away. Happy Monday!

Robyn

P.S. I have a dinner party
to attend on Thursday night with a group of my friends. We do it
every year at the Lighthouse Inn and I would love it if you could
join me. We’ll be there at eight. I’ll just expect you…whether you
respond or not. I won’t take no for an answer.

Okay, she was right about the sugar.
It didn’t matter to me that they were Christmas cookies though. It
was the ingredients that had worked, not the decoration. I wasn’t
going to believe she’d baked Christmas spirit into them.