Page 25 of My Secret Snowflake
After wrapping fairy lights around the garland, I hand one end to Tessa and the other to Lily. They’re standing on stepladders at either end of the window. The shabby chic wooden letters spelling “JOY” look great in the window. We all go outside to admire our handiwork.
The front window finished, we gather at the table to make festive centerpieces for each table. “All I Want for Christmas” plays over the sound system.
As I’m winding fairy lights around a little tree and hiding the battery in a gift box at the bottom, I look up to see Sebastian arrive with Rupert and Zeke.
His glance meets mine, and I flush. His blue scarf brings out the color of his eyes. Hopefully my friends didn’t see my reaction, given his committed single status.
“Hope you don’t mind that I tagged along,” Sebastian says to me. “I thought you might want someone who’s not part of a couple. Plus, Rupert insisted.”
Lily is definitely matchmaking.
“Definitely,” I say. “The more, the merrier.”
We put the men to work hanging the snowflakes from the ceiling and stringing fairy lights.
We finish making centerpieces and distribute them to each table. Tessa hangs an elf laundry line, filled with little green trousers and jackets attached with red wooden clips, on the front side wall.
The last project involves hanging the mistletoe.
“Sebastian, you should hang it,” Rupert says, “so you know where it is and can avoid it at the next concert. I’m willing to be the test case underneath.” Rupert pulls Lily next to him and kisses the top of her head.
“As if you need mistletoe.” Sebastian takes the mistletoe and turns to me. “Where do you usually hang it?”
“By the bar in the front corner by the window,” I say. “I’ll show you. I can hold the ladder steady.”
Sebastian follows me to the front. He climbs up the ladder and hangs the mistletoe on the hook conveniently left from last year. He steps down.
As he stands close to me, I whisper, “Have you heard the rumors about how badly the company is doing?”
He nods. “You?”
“Twice today,” I say. “From my boss and Accounting.”
“Accounting too? That’s not good.”
“Has Ernest said anything?” I ask.
“Ernest initially said the last two movies were flops, but we could weather that storm financially. I understand the negative attitude is recent—and the pressure is coming from France.”
“That’s my understanding too,” I say. “So much for the infusion of cash.”
“But do you know of problems anywhere else within the company?” Sebastian’s blue eyes look concerned. “Bob seemed concerned about something, but he gave no details.”
I bite my lip. Do I share that we’ve had an increase in intruder attacks—and the latest, most suspicious intrusion? He is the company lawyer, so Raphael must have informed the General Counsel—Bob—if not Sebastian.
“Someone tripped two of my traps today. A hacker was in the system. Raphael told Kevin today, but Kevin didn’t think it required an all-hands-on-deck reaction.”
“The impression Bob gave me was that people did something stupid in response to a threat,” he says.
“Thanks,” I say. “We definitely haven’t done anything stupid in response. But Kevin didn’t want us to hire an outside forensic team and didn’t want usbothworking on it—whichisa stupid response. Raphael and I are fully on it.”
“I didn’t mean that.” He flushes. “That was a poor choice of words on my part.”
“Sebastian, you’re losing your touch.” Rupert grabs several pitchers of beer from the bar. “You’re standing right under the mistletoe.”
“It’s his subconscious at work,” Zeke says, holding a tray of drinks, “saying ‘save me from my single status.’”
Sebastian looks up at the mistletoe hanging right above his head and blushes sheepishly.
