Page 39 of Never Kiss a Krampus
“We had to move on. We’ve finalized the parade route, and we’re about to discuss the tree lighting ceremony.”
My heart sank. “Please let me present.”
Brenda gave a long-suffering sigh. “I really don’t think you’re going to get many volunteers, especially with all the budget cuts.”
“The issue is not a lack of volunteers,” Bastian said suddenly, coming to my side. “It is a lack of hope.”
Brenda rolled her eyes.
“Look, I don’t know who this guy is,” she said, “but we’re dealing with a budget crisis, not a spiritual one. People are overextended. They’re working extra hours to make ends meet. They won’t have the energy to participate.”
“That is an effect,” Bastian countered, not raising his voice, yet somehow making it carry more authority. “Not the cause.”
“And what, in your expert opinion,” Brenda said, dripping sarcasm, “is the cause?”
“Despair is a contagion,” he said simply, his amber gaze sweeping over the tired faces around the room. “It has spread through your town like a plague. You see it in the half-lit street decorations, the bare shop windows, the lack of laughter in the streets. You have let the season of light and hope be overshadowed by the shadow of your own struggles.”
It was harsh. Brutal. And everyone in that room knew, with a gut-wrenching certainty, that he was right.
“This Good Deeds Extravaganza,” he said. “You see it as an event. A task to be checked off a list. But it is not an event. It is a catalyst.”
Brenda sighed, but she was listening now, her clipboard forgotten. “All right. Noelle, you have the floor.”
This was it. My pitch to save the shop, the block, everything.
“Thank you, Brenda. As you all know, several businesses on our block are struggling. Mr. Grinchly has made offers to purchase the properties, and some of us are running out of options.”
Sympathetic nods around the table. Everyone knew the situation. Everyone understood the stakes.
“The Good Deeds Extravaganza on Christmas Eve is my proposal to bring the community together and boost business for all of us. The concept is simple: every participating shop offers one free ‘good deed’ to customers. A free book. A free wreath. A free tool rental. Whatever fits the business.”
“That’s giving away inventory,” Gordon from the garden store pointed out. “How does that help us?”
“Because it brings people in. And people who come for a free item often purchase other things. Plus, it creates goodwill.Shows the community that we’re here for them, not just for profit.”
“Mr. Grinchly won’t like it,” Tammy said, frowning. Her pet store was also being threatened by Grinchly.
“Which is exactly why we should do it. We should show him that we are standing together.” I flipped to my detailed proposal. “I’ve run the numbers. If we get even a modest turnout, the increased foot traffic should result in higher sales across the board. And the publicity should help—the local news has already expressed interest in covering it.”
I continued my presentation, warming to the topic. As I spoke, I could feel his gaze on me, assessing. This was exactly the kind of thing he’d be watching for—my motivations, my sincerity, whether I was truly as altruistic as I claimed.
Let him watch,I thought.This is who I am.
CHAPTER 14
“Questions?” I asked when I finished my presentation.
Gordon raised his hand. “What’s your shop offering?”
“Free gift wrapping for any purchase. And I’ll have hot cocoa and cookies for everyone who stops by.”
“That’s generous.”
“That’s the point.”
We discussed logistics for another thirty minutes. By the end, the committee had voted unanimously to support the extravaganza. Relief flooded through me so intensely I felt light-headed.
“Excellent work, Noelle,” Mr. Peterson said warmly. “This is exactly what our community needs.”
