Page 51 of Scrooge

“I bet you have never had a Thanksgiving quite as eventful as this one?” I ask, looking up at him as he grabs my hand, and we walk up the garden path to the front door together. I feel so much gratitude for him for today. The outcome would have been so different if he wasn’t there. Whether it was because of his money, his profile, or connections, or just him making things happen, Deloris is now so well looked after, I think her fear of hospitals will be alleviated.

“No, this would be a first for me.” He smiles. Snow glitters his hair, the flakes brushing over his shoulders and chest. Our boots slip a bit, although the ground coverage isn’t deep, and not enough to make snowballs.

“I’m sorry if it wasn’t the day you were expecting,” I tell him as we come to a stop at my front door, under the porch light. He turns to face me, taking my other hand in his.

“This was the best Thanksgiving I’ve ever had,” he says sincerely, and I hold my breath.

“Mine too.” Feeling the ring on my finger, I know it is all for show, but I’m starting to feel the connection between this man and my heart start to strengthen. “You didn’t have to help. I mean, you could have just dropped me off at the shelter and kept driving. I appreciate it so much.” I need him to know, to understand that he gave me such a gift today.

“Didn’t have to? I wanted to.” His eyes sear into mine, searching.

“Why?” I ask, wondering why this city billionaire, who is nicknamed Scrooge, wanted to help today.

“Why? Because Deloris needed help, and she is important to you. And if she is important to you, then she is important to me. I know she is your friend. You were not going to turn your back on her, and I’m not going to turn my back on you.”

I swallow as my heart start to race.

“But I—” I start to say how thankful I am again, but he cuts me off as he drops my hand and moves quickly, cupping my jaw. He leans forward, pulling me toward him, and his lips lower to mine. He is warm, and I lean into his hold as his other hand sweeps around my back and pulls me closer. I close my eyes as our lips move effortlessly together, my body now melting into his as I open my mouth and feel the first sweep of his tongue. The instant shock has worn off me, and my body temperature increases as I run my hands up his arms and loop them around his neck, pulling him to me as our kiss turns more passionate. The street is quiet, the streetlamps on, no one else around as the snow softly falls and our bodies mesh. Our breathing becomes one, and my knees almost buckle from how good it feels to have his lips on mine. He pulls back slightly, our noses nearly touching, our breaths mixing and creating puffs against the cool night air.

“There is no one here. No media. No one can see us,” I say breathlessly, my heart literally jumping from my chest. That kiss felt all too real. Everything has today. His hold on me, the little hair kisses. The way he was so proud to call me his fiancée.

“I know,” he says, his eyes never leaving mine.

“We kissed…” I say, like he doesn’t know as I bring my left hand to my mouth and feel my lips that are still tingling. The diamond on my finger dazzles in the light, and I see him look at it quickly before looking back at me and stepping back.

“You should get inside. It’s cold.” He slowly lets me go, my body feeling bereft without him.

“Do you want to come in?” I ask. It’s silly, but I’m already hopeful for another kiss like that.

He shakes his head. “I have an early morning at the office. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Sunflower.” Stepping forward, he kisses my forehead before he starts back toward his car.

“Get inside. You’ll freeze.” He almost growls that command, and I huff a laugh. Smiling in return, he doesn’t stop watching me until I open the door and step inside, and I wait at the door until I see him get into his car and turn it on, only closing the door once he leaves the street. With a grin taking over my face, I lean my head against the back of the door and take a breath. Today was the best Thanksgiving I have ever had too.

23

ALEXANDER

“Well… that was one hell of a Thanksgiving,” Laurent says as he sits in the chair in front of my desk. I have been here since seven this morning, but I’ve done nothing. My eyes are watering, my nose is running, my body aches. And my mind is elsewhere.

“Which part?” I ask. The past day or two are a blur.

Anytime I try to focus on work, I think back to the kiss Haylee and I shared on her doorstep. Where I took her in my arms and put my lips to hers when no one else was around. It was just me and her, and I couldn’t hold back. I don’t regret it, but we haven’t talked since, and I don’t know whether to send her flowers, ask her for another date, sweep her up and bring her to my apartment, or let her make the first move.

“Well, first, there was the proposal?” he says, watching me carefully. “You didn’t have to get engaged; the tide was already turning.”

“That was the initial plan, so we are sticking to it,” I say firmly, feeling surprisingly good about my decision.

The media are frothing over the news. I’m getting followed. There are media at the front of my building and out in front of Tucker Toys, but Haylee and her family are taking it all in stride. They are all remarkable people, resilient, and have accepted me into their lives, no question.

“Well, you didn’t have to give her a rock. She will have to give that back,” Laurent says, and I shuffle in my seat.

“She needed a rock. Anything less would cause suspicion,” I tell him as I run my hand through my hair, thinking about how good my ring looks on her hand. I wanted something significant. I want the fucking world to know she is mine.

“And then there is Deloris…” Laurent’s less than pleased that he wasn’t briefed on that saga. Media got wind early of us finding Deloris. A tip-off from someone at the first shelter told them all about me driving around homeless shelters in my car worth more than a few hundred thousand dollars. Not a good look. By the time we got to the ER, I hadn’t realized, but we had a small following and photos from a long-range lens captured the moment I helped Deloris out of the car and walked both her and Haylee into the care of medical professionals.

“Deloris is a homeless person who needed care,” I state calmly. I shouldn’t feel so connected to her cause, but I do. It is unlike me, and I’m tense about it.

“She also has a record. Prostitution, robbery…" He gives me a pointed look, concerned with how this could affect my reputation, and I frown. This is information he emailed to me last night. I didn’t think about the ramifications of helping Deloris. Now, there are two headlines making waves in the media. There are more positive stories about me helping a homeless person on Thanksgiving than there are negative stories of me being with a prostitute on Thanksgiving, but both are running hot.

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