Page 27 of Snowflakes and Sparks

I poured everything into a spreadsheet and drafted a proposal to send to Kate. I also included a final presentation for the collaboration between the inn and Got It Covered.

I couldn’t lose this promotion. It would be as if nothing had mattered. The late nights, the birthday parties I’d missed, the trips I didn’t take, the weekends I’d had to work.

No one was taking this chance away from me. I hadn’t come this far to be stopped in my tracks by someone who didn’t have the faintest clue of what Got It Covered was like. The job was mine and mine only.

∞∞∞

Later that day, I was about to close the store when Addy and a man I didn’t recognize walked in together.

“This is Hugo, a journalist for Old Pine Cove Weekly,” Addy said. “He’s agreed to write an article about your involvement in the Snow Ball.”

“Uhm, okay. But why me?” I asked. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice idea, but wouldn’t it make more sense to talk to some of the locals?” I wasn’t looking forward to having my name printed in the local paper again.

“Nonsense,” Addy said. “People want to hear about the new girl in town who’s contributing without expecting anything in return. I told Hugo about your wonderful ideas for the Winter Walk and how you’re planning on selling those special calendars.” She leaned closer and whispered into my ear. “It’ll make everyone forget about that article they published about you earlier.”

“You think?” I asked.

“You bet.”

“Well, okay. Thank you,” I said and turned to Hugo. “I’d love to talk to you, but first I need to wrap up some things around here. How about we meet in an hour?”

He nodded. “Very well. Would you be okay with meeting me at Dave’s Diner?”

I thought back to the whole veggie burger debacle, but decided I couldn’t let this friendly man down. He was going to write something nice about me after all and I didn’t want to influence his opinion about me. I could always order a double cheeseburger during the interview and impress Leanne that way.

“Sure, that sounds perfect.”

“I’ll make sure we get the best table,” Hugo said, then turned and walked out the door.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked Addy. “I’d rather keep a low profile while I’m here. I even asked Alex not to mention they were my ideas at the Snow Ball meetings, but rather to pretend he was the one who came up with them.”

Addy laughed. “Pretend he came up with getting his picture taken and have his face plastered all over a sexy calendar? That seems highly unlikely.”

“I never said it was going to be a sexy one,” I said, a blush deepening the color of my cheeks.

She wiggled her eyebrows. “If it was, I’d buy a bunch and give every one of my friends a copy for Christmas.”

“We’ll see how they turn out, but don’t hold your breath.”

Addy walked through the store, picking up books and leafing through a magazine. It was clear she was trying to act casual, but I could sense something was up.

“So, Helen told me she saw you and Alex at Santa’s Village and that you two looked quite cozy.”

Ha, there it was.

“Is it even possible to have secrets in this town? Or does everything go straight to the grapevine?”

Addy smiled. “The latter. There are no secrets in this town, I’m afraid. Unless you do something where no one can see you. Like… someone’s bedroom.”

“Why does everyone think I’ve got the hots for Alex? I mean, yes, I have seen his bedroom. Slept in his bed even,” I said without thinking.

Addy slammed the book she was holding back on the table. “What? You have to tell me everything. Please. This is the most exciting thing that’s happened in this town since old Richard almost choked on a donut three months ago.”

“I was just kidding. I mean, I’ve slept in his bed, but only because he was taking care of me.”

I told Addy about how I got lost in the woods and almost froze to death, purposefully leaving out the part where I’d walked into the pond like a dumbass. That was something I didn’t want the entire town to know. Then it dawned on me she could just as easily talk about me being in Alex’s bed and next thing you know, the story would get blown out of proportion, turning me into a tramp.

“You have to promise me you won’t tell a soul about this. Not a word.”

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