Page 7 of Her Christmas Monsters

“Your plans are incredible, Clara,” Ethan huffs out on a breath of frustration. “Ainsworth is an idiot for not seeing that. He’s probably under pressure from his shareholders and is unfairly putting that on your shoulders at the last minute.”

“I guess so.” I give him an appreciative smile before continuing. “It just sucks that this is finally my shot after five years to move up in this company, and this is the year we have the CEO demanding something out of the ordinary.”

“We’re not giving up,” he declares. “We’ll come up with an idea, and I know you’ll come up with the most breathtaking display any of us has ever seen. But I think we need a break for tonight.”

“You’re probably right,” I say, and finish off the last of my drink.

“I’ll take care of the bill, you just wait here,” he says, already sliding out of the booth.

“Ethan,” I hiss, and scramble in my bag for my wallet.

“I insist. Think of it as an early celebratory dinner for your new promotion,” he says, holding up his arms and crouching like he’s planning to fend me off if I even try to get out of the booth with him.

“Fine, but I’m paying next time,” I insist, my brows lifting in challenge. My stomach flips at the thought of doing this again with him with less work, hopefully.

“Deal,” he says, unable to keep that contagious grin off his face.

I smile to myself as I watch him walk over to the waitress, grateful to have Ethan in my life regardless of the confusing sexual tension that always seems to surround us.

Chapter Four

Ihadn’tbeensureI was dreaming, not until a flash of dark shadows unlocked a part of my conscious mind. A light layer of snow coats the pathway in front of me and decorates the pine trees with a light dusting. It’s a path I’ve walked many times back in my hometown before I moved out to the city, but I haven’t been back in years.

“Three, two, one,” the crowd cheers as a man connects the power to a twenty-foot tree standing before me. The bright lights twinkle in the night, dancing along in time to the band. The cheery notes of Jingle Bells echo through the small park and the crowd dance and sing along.

Some of my happiest memories were here with my family, celebrating along with the rest of the small town. But now that I’m aware this is just a dream, I can’t bring myself to join in, to see what memories my mind would’ve replayed. Not when the black mist flickers again, the bright lights shining from the tree illuminating its form.

I take a hesitant step, and then another, my curiosity driving me forward. This might be a stupid decision, but I can’t help but be drawn to it, like some part of my soul knows it and is pushing closer. The dark shadows swirl, drifting closer as though it too is unsure. They seem to expand slightly, taking shape, and I pause, entranced by the dancing black mist. Squinting, I try to make out what it begins to transform into, but it’s no use. I have to get closer.

The fresh dusting of snow crunches under my shaky step. A face begins to form in the shadows, and I suck in a sharp breath. The shadows are a person?

A shrill electronic screech echoes through the small park, and the scene fades before me. I try to move, to blink against the darkness sweeping in, but it’s no use and I fall back into consciousness.

My alarm beeps on my bedside table and I groan as I slap around for it, hoping I’ll hit the right button while my eyes are glued shut. Despite my efforts it doesn’t seem to do much, and I reluctantly open my bleary eyes to search for my phone. I spent most of last night tossing and turning after I got home from drinks, the meeting with Fynn yesterday still on my mind.

My fingers curl around my phone, and I tap the button to turn off the alarm. Of course, I’m already running late. How long had this alarm been going off before it shook me from that strange dream?

“Did you get any sleep last night?” Ethan asks, when I pause by his cubicle.

“Maybe a couple of hours,” I say past a yawn and hastily cover my mouth.

“Oh no, you know those are contagious right?” Ethan chuckles before yawning himself.

“Sorry.” I scrub a hand over my face. Not even my shower could completely wake me up this morning. If it had been any other day I would’ve curled right back into my comfy bed, but not today. Not when I only have one more day to come up with an idea that will blow Mr Ainsworth away.

“I figured you might need this,” Ethan says, and he passes me a white to-go cup from my favorite little coffee shop down the street.

“You didn’t have to do that.” I smile, but still take the drink. The day I turn down a coffee is the day that there’s truly something wrong with me.

“I really did it seems.” He passes me a small paper bag next.

The smell of buttery pastry wafts from the opening as I accept it, and I can’t help the moan that slips from my lips at the scent.

“I followed up with the staff at the loading docks this morning,” Ethan says, clearing his throat abruptly as he slides a paper towards me. “It seems like your threat to Jack worked. All the tinsel shipments were received this morning, along with the materials from these two suppliers.”

“That’s a shame. I was kind of looking forward to going down there to scare him a little,” I huff, unable to keep the grin off my face as Ethan laughs.

“Seriously, thank you. I don’t know how I’d be getting through this if it wasn’t for you.”

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