Page 6 of Matchmaking Under the Mistletoe

Relief hits my veins as I enter the cozy lobby and the warm heat from the fireplace begins to wrap around me. I glance around at all of the guests sitting on our overstuffed armchairs, playing checkers, chatting with their neighbors, and sipping from their wine glasses while watching the snow fall out the huge windows that cover the length of the wall. Despite my frustration from earlier, I feel a small smile pulling at my lips as I look out at the view of the small vineyard covered in the blanket of snow. The weather may have been a pain in my ass today, but even I have to admit it’s gorgeous.

Shaking myself from my daze, I turn and walk toward the front desk, where Bridget is attempting to work through the short line of people currently waiting for help.

“Thank God, you finally made it,” she says with relief. “Can you answer the phones while I handle our in-person guests? The room you texted about was our last one, so we’re full for the night if anyone asks.”

“Sure thing. Hopefully, we’ll have more help here tomorrow, and the snow will be gone. I have a meeting as soon as Huey gets here, but I’ll help out until then,” I tell her as she goes back to helping the guests that called ahead get checked in.

The next thirty minutes pass quickly as I answer three more calls about potential weddings for the next year. Bridget was right; the magazine article and social media feature thatWeddings and Wineran on us this week was an incredible success. We’ve already booked double the weddings today than we had all year last year. But by the time I see Huey’s truck pull into the parking lot, I’m already realizing we’re gonna need a dozen more employees to handle the influx of business.

I answer another call as I wait for him and the mystery woman to make their way inside. This one is from a guest needing to cancel their reservation for tomorrow due to the road conditions, so I focus on the computer system, moving their reservation until the spring. After sending them a new confirmation, I hang up and see Huey standing in front of me.

“Hey, old man. I see you made it over okay?” I say, reaching out to shake his hand.

“Yep, sure did. Y’all are wrapped up today, huh?” Huey asks while looking around at the room full of people.

“You could say that again,” I say with a groan. “Who knew a snowstorm was so good for business?”

Huey chuckles before saying, “Listen, I really appreciate you helping Millie out. I know the circumstances are a bit unusual, but I really think she’ll be a great fit here.”

“Sure thing. I’m glad I could help.” I nod while offering him a smile. “So, where is she? You brought her with you right?”

“Of course. She stopped by the fire on the way in to warm up. She wasn’t sure if you were ready to meet her,” he declares, raising his hand to beckon an attractive brunette over from where she was standing by the fire. “Come on over Millie.”

I don’t know what I was expecting, but this gorgeous girl with long legs and big hazel eyes definitely wasn’t it. She looks to be in her late twenties or early thirties, so she’s not exactly the middle-aged woman I’d been picturing.

“Hey, I’m Millie. I really appreciate you agreeing to meet with me,” she says timidly, reaching out her hand to shake mine.

“Umm, yeah, of course. Nice to meet you, Millie. I’m Brian Jones. I’ve got you a room set aside for tonight. Here’s the key and everything else you’ll need. You’re in room 124. Now, Huey told me you’re gonna be stuck here for a bit, and we’re in desperate need of some event planning help here at Deer Valley Inn. Let’s step back into my office and make sure it’s something you’re interested in, what do you say?”

She gives me a nod as her tongue dips out to lick her lips nervously. “That sounds great. Lead the way.”

The three of us pile into the small office behind the lobby, and I gesture for Millie and Huey to have a seat in the plush armchairs across from the desk I’d picked out after deciding to remodel earlier this year. This office belonged to my mother for decades, but I’d needed to make it my own to help move past my grief. I still haven’t gotten everything exactly how I want it, but it’s nice to have a place to work away from the hustle and bustle of city hall.

“So, Millie, Huey tells me that you’ve got over a decade of event planning experience. What type of events do you usually work on?” I ask as I settle into my chair.

“Well, I guess you could say a bit of everything. I planned hundreds of events for my ex-husband over the last ten years in D.C. Mostly charity galas and other company events like that,” she says quietly. “The events ranged from intimate gatherings to huge events with thousands on the guest list. And most of them were formal, but I’m completely flexible depending on your needs.”

I nod at her as she speaks, impressed by the types of events she’s organized. I’m mildly surprised at the mention of her ex-husband, given how young she looks and how long she worked for him, but that’s really none of my business, so I ignore it.

“Well, Huey actually called at a great time. One of our weddings was recently featured inWeddings and Wine, and apparently that in combination with a good bit of social media traction, has led to a ton of interest in our venues. To be honest, we are in way over our heads with all the events we have coming up, and there are also several Christmas events later this month that we’re hosting here on behalf of the city. I’ve tried to stay on top of everything, but between managing this place and my position as mayor, I can’t do it all. So, if you’re interested, we can bring you in for the next few weeks, at least to get us through the holiday rush. Then, after Christmas you can decide if you want to stay. That should give the insurance company time to work something out with your vehicle too,” I finish, interested to see what she has to say.

She looks surprised by my offer, but after a moment, she smiles. “That sounds incredible. Thank you.”

“Wonderful. I know you’ll need somewhere to stay, so we can include room and board into your compensation. If you’ll plan to meet with me in the morning, we can get the ball rolling on the Springside Christmas events we have coming soon. Now, I just need you to sign this paperwork, and you’ll be good to go,” I tell her as I shuffle around my desk for a new employee packet.

I pull one out and hand it to her. She fills it out quickly while Huey and I make small talk about his farm and other town gossip. As she completes the paperwork, she nibbles at her bottom lip, and I wonder how that same pink mouth would feel against mine.

Whoa. Where the fuck did that thought come from?

Huey continues yammering about the Candy Cane Carnival that one of the churches puts on each year, but I don’t register anything he says as I continue to watch Millie.

After a few minutes, she signs the last of her paperwork and gives me a small smile. “Thank you, Mayor Jones. I’m really looking forward to getting started. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“What? Oh yeah, that sounds good. See you then,” I tell her as she breaks me from my thoughts, and she and Huey make their way toward the door.

As she walks away, I try not to notice the way her leggings hug her slim hips from the back and fight to remind myself that the paperwork she just signed made her my newest employee. I’ve heard too many horror stories of women being pressured into inappropriate relationships they didn’t want but being too scared to do something about it out of fear of losing their jobs, and I’ve promised myself I would never chance putting someone in that situation. I’ve always prided myself in maintaining a professional relationship with everyone I employ, and Millie will be no different.

But as she turns and gives me a small wave before making her way back out into the lobby, I can’t help but wonder what the hell I’m getting myself into.

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