Page 10 of Storybook Christmas

He steps in carrying a stack of papers in one hand and a large Queen Bean to-go coffee cup in the other, which he sets on my desk. “Chocolate-covered cherry mocha, your favorite. Bertha told me.”

“Wow. Thank you.” I pick it up, the tiny chip on my shoulder crumbling away. When I take a drink, the bursting sweet tart flavor and warmth rushes through me. I swear that the first sip of Queen Bean’s chocolate-covered cherry mocha actually touches my soul. I close my eyes, uttering, “Amazing.”

When my eyes finally drift open, I see Finn has a proud smile on his face, and it snaps me out of my trance. Desperate to flip back into professional mode, I nod to the papers he’s holding. “What’s that?”

“A manuscript of an unpublished author—her name is Winnie Burton, and she’s eighty-one. Anyway, she emailed me her submission as a cold query. It’s very promising, and I wanted to edit it before pitching it to Joshua.”

I put my hand out. “Want me to take a look?”

“You’d do that?”

“Someone’s gotta show you the ropes,” I say, sighing. I didn’t have a mentor, so I had to learn things the hard way. “Also, I know what Joshua will want to see.”

“Thank you. Really.” Finn eyes me, a bit awestruck, before handing me the manuscript. The teasing tone returns to his voice when he says, “Wow—Queen Bean’s mocha really is your kryptonite.”

“Well played, Lackey.”

# # #

IT’S THE ENDof the workday for most—not me, Finn, or the other associate editors—but everyone else. Bertha lets me know it’s her by tapping out “Hi” in Morse code on my door before buzzing in.

She takes a seat in my guest chair. “What’s the word, turd?”

Thinking about her earlier kissy sounds, I let out an exaggerated sigh and say, “Finn’s getting in my way.”

“Is he now?” Bertha tsk-tsks. “He’s a beautiful, chiseled boulder, though. Wouldn’t you say?”

“He’s decent.”

“Lacy.”

“Okay, fine.” Now that I’ve crumbled, I might as well spill my guts. “He’s stunning. And what’s with his eyes?”

“Oh, babe, not even a monk could say no to those eyes.”

I shrug. “And he’s kinda sweet too.”

“He gives me a toothache.”

I laugh.

She leans in, a conspiratorial smile spreading across her face. “And he’s got the hots for you, Lucky Lacy.”

“Oh, no. I’m never dating someone I work with again.” I groan. And Finn takes his clothes off for countless women as a job. I couldn’t handle that. “Let me amend that—I’m never dating again, period.”

Bertha leans back. “On that note, I have your next life coaching assignment—a requirement for allGrab Life by The Ballsgraduates.”

I shake my head definitively. “You’re fired as my life coach.”

“You must do or say something bold,” she plunges on.

“Too vague, sorry. No can do.”

She lifts her chin. “Boldness is like porn—I know it when I see it. So, take a stab at it. Do or say something bold and report back. I’ll decide if it counts.”

I flop my head down. “Bertha, bold means something different to you than the rest of the world.”

“And what, exactly, doesthatmean?” She folds her arms.

---