Page 17 of Only for Christmas

Sarah briefly closed her eyes.

Lucas knew how she felt. It was time to put her out of her misery. Him too. ‘Anyway, nice seeing you again, Sarah. Small world, huh?’

She offered him a weak smile. ‘Indeed.’

He nodded behind her. ‘The queue’s moving.’

It took a moment for her to catch on. ‘Oh, right. Yes. The queue.’ She turned away and scuttled forwards on her heels.

‘See you around?’ he called after her.

‘You can count on it!’ Georgia said, grabbing Sarah and whispering in her ear.

That was his third strike now. The woman was cute as hell, but clearly not interested in being friendly. He should take the hint and back off, but it didn’t stop him wondering about her. Some folks are dealing with a battle we know nothing about, his mom would say. Maybe she was right. Perhaps Sarah had issues that had nothing to do with him. Or maybe she just didn’t like him. It was a depressing thought.

‘You know anything about a woman called Sarah?’ he asked Carla, when he returned to the consulting room with their coffees. ‘Head of human resources.’

Carla took her coffee from him. ‘Sarah Haynes? Of course. Total sweetheart. Why?’

‘You say “total sweetheart”, but three times I’ve tried to talk to her, and three times she’s shot me down in flames.’

Carla sipped her coffee. ‘Don’t take it personally. It’s not you.’

‘It sure feels personal. She looks at me like I’m the devil.’

Carla shrugged. ‘It’s a male thing.’

He paused, his coffee carton halfway to his mouth. ‘Come again?’

Carla went over and shut the door. ‘You didn’t hear this from me, but Sarah was jilted five years ago on her wedding day.’

Lucas lowered his coffee. ‘For real?’

‘Sadly, yes. There she was, standing at the altar, all smiles and looking like a fairy princess in her white dress and sparkly tiara, and he never showed up.’

‘You were there?’

She nodded. ‘Quite a few of the staff were. It was awful. She was so humiliated, poor love. She didn’t come into work for a month afterwards. She couldn’t face anyone.’

He slumped into a chair. ‘I’m surprised she’s still working here.’

‘I don’t think she would be if she hadn’t been promoted,’ Carla said, with a sigh. ‘But it was her dream job; she didn’t want to turn it down. Besides, I think she needed the distraction. She threw herself into work afterwards. She’s been brilliant too, completely changed this place for the better. Working conditions have really improved since she’s been doing the job.’

He nodded slowly. ‘Good for her.’

‘Yes… except, well, the experience has left her a little bruised.’

He didn’t doubt it.

‘A lot, actually. I don’t think there’s been anyone since. You know, romantically.’

Lucas blinked. ‘Seriously? No one?’

‘Not that I know of. So, you see, you mustn’t take it personally. It’s not you. It’s men in general.’

Lucas sat forwards in his chair. ‘What, like all men?’

Carla nodded.

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