“If you’re thinking it’s against company policy to date an employee,” he quickly added, “then you’re right. But technically you’re not an employee of the company, so I feel confident I’m not going against company rules. And it’s not really a date anyway. Just friends, remember?”
Merry couldn’t help it—she laughed out loud. “You really are a stickler for the rules, aren’t you?”
“No, I simply wanted to assure you that you’re under no obligation to accept. No harm, no foul.”
“Then I’ll gladly accept. I’ll need to make a call first, though.”
He grinned. “Then you’re game?”
She nodded, her smile so big her mouth hurt. This was a night filled with surprises. She’d been afforded a different side of Jayson Bright, and now he was giving her another opportunity to know him on a completely different level. “Sure, why not? Dinner between friends.”
“What’s your favorite food?” he asked. “Steak? Italian? Greek? Mexican?”
Over the weeks, they’d had extensive conversations about their likes and dislikes. She knew Jayson was a meat-and-potatoes kind of man. “A steak dinner sounds wonderful.”
His eyes revealed his pleasure in her choice. “You make your phone call and I’ll see about reservations.”
“Deal.” Merry couldn’t hide her joy. Wanting privacy, she said, “I’ll meet you outside.”
Jayson already had his phone out and had it pressed against his ear.
As soon as Merry was outside the deli, she called the house. Patrick answered. “Hey, Patrick, any chance you could take care of dinner tonight for you and Mom?” Their dad was on an overnight business trip to Yakima, in the center of the state.
“It’s your turn to cook,” he reminded her. Patrick was the one who made up the schedule.
“I know. This is special, though.”
“What are you doing?” he asked suspiciously.
“I have a date,” she told him. This whole craziness had started because Patrick and her mother didn’t think she got out enough.
“A date?” her brother pried. “With who?”
Merry lowered her voice. “My boss.”
She could feel her brother’s disapproval radiate over the phone. “You shouldn’t do that. Jay wouldn’t like you dating someone else.”
It would be too complicated to explain everything to her brother. “It’s fine, Patrick. I promise you, Jay won’t mind at all. Can you take care of you and Mom tonight?”
“Okay. I can make chili with chips. I like chili with chips.”
Not her mother’s favorite meal, but she would eat it gladly when Patrick told her why Merry wouldn’t be home for dinner that evening. “Okay. Thanks.”
Merry ended the call at about the same time she saw Jayson approach. “I couldn’t get a reservation until seven. I hope you don’t mind waiting.”
Glancing at the time on her phone, she saw that they had sixty minutes to spare. A later dinner gave her even more time to spend with Jayson, allowing her to get to know him better without him suspecting she was Merry.
Dangerous game or not, she couldn’t be more pleased or excited.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Jayson
“The restaurant is only a few blocks away,” Jayson mentioned. “I hope you don’t mind walking.” The weather was relatively clear, although chilly. He enjoyed the cold, clear weather. His favorite time of year was winter, when the sky was blue and the cold air was crisp. He’d grab them a cab if Mary deemed it necessary, but he’d prefer the walk.
“Yes, please. It would be fun to see all the Christmas displays. I haven’t had much of a chance to do that yet this year.”
“You mean because of all the overtime?” he said, half jokingly. He felt bad about that, but there’d been no other option if he intended to get that report in on time.
“That, and for other reasons, too. I love the lights, the street vendors selling their wares, and there’s usually a few caroling groups around Pacific Place. Would you mind?”
How could he refuse in the face of such enthusiasm? He walked to and from the office every day and hadn’t noticed a single thing Mary had mentioned. “I think we could manage that and still make it to the restaurant in time.”
“Great.” She rubbed her hands together eagerly.
They walked away from the deli, and Jayson placed his hand at the small of her back, guiding her. She glanced his way and smiled. Such a simple gesture from her, and yet it touched him and he found himself smiling back. Jayson wasn’t one who smiled freely. It felt strange and he realized he hadn’t done nearly enough of that in the last few weeks. The relief he felt getting that report into Boeing was a huge weight off his shoulders.
As they crossed the street, Jayson’s thoughts drifted to Merry. They’d made no official plans to chat that evening, though they usually connected every night, with few exceptions, at around eight-thirty, nine at the latest. It would do him good to miss a night, to keep her guessing. He didn’t owe her an explanation. As much as he wanted to believe what they shared was real, his cousin’s doubts had left him questioning his judgment. He’d never been one ruled by emotion. He wanted to believe Merry was everything she’d said, and that left him vulnerable in ways that made him uncomfortable. Skipping a night might be exactly what was needed for her to agree to meet.
Being it was the holidays, Jayson found the streets crowded with last-minute Christmas shoppers. Someone bumped into Mary and she stumbled forward a step. Jayson steadied her and then wrapped her arm around his elbow, surprised by how much he enjoyed the sense of being linked with her. He placed his hand over hers, sorry he wore gloves, as he’d enjoy the feel of her hand in his.
“There doesn’t seem to be much of that goodwill toward mankind left these days,” he commented.
“Oh, but there is,” she insisted, looking up at him. “You just have to look for it. I promise you it’s there.” She pointed toward the woman who stood in front of Nordstrom, ringing a bell to remind those rushing about on the street of those less fortunate. “There’s a good example.”
She was right. Another woman stood on the corner, handing out notices for a church that was holding a free dinner for anyone who cared to attend. Mary took the flyer and read it aloud to him. “See?” she asked.
“Okay, you win. All I need to do is open my eyes.”
“Oh look,” Mary cried, hurrying their steps as she steered them toward a street vendor.
“What’s this?” Jayson asked. The man at the cart had a pot going and people had lined up, waiting their turn.
“Roasted chestnuts,” Mary said excitedly. “Let’s get some.”
“This is a real thing? Roasted chestnuts sound like something out of a Dickens novel.”
“It does, and yes, it’s a real thing.”
“I’m happy to buy you some, but they don’t sound all that appetizing to me.”
“Give it a chance. They actually taste quite good.”
Jayson was game to give them a try. He’d passed this vendor any number of times on his walk to and from the office but hadn’t bothered to investigate.
They joined the queue and Mary gave him a brief rundown on what to expect, flavor-wise. Jayson didn’t pay much attention to what she said; all he seemed capable of hearing was the sweet joy that radiated from her. It touched him in a way he found difficult to ignore. The more time he spent with Mary, the less his thoughts drifted to Merry. He felt drawn to her, almost as if he’d known her far longer and better than their limited contact accounted for.
When it was their turn, Jayson bought the chestnuts and had his first sample. He bit into the warm crunch and raised his brows, noticing that he had Mary’s attention. She was right, they weren’t half bad.
“Well,” she asked, studying him. “What do you think?”
He shrugged. “Like you said, they’re tasty.”
“For me, it’s more the novelty of it,” Mary told him. She removed her glove and dipped two
fingers into the bag to help herself to a second one. “Thank you for this.”
He brushed off her appreciation, slightly embarrassed by her gratitude for such a small thing. They continued their walk with Jayson holding the bag of warm chestnuts, munching as they headed down the street toward the restaurant.
As they neared the corner, a group of singers dressed in Victorian garb approached. The women wore long wool coats with fur collars and had their hands inside matching fur muffs. The men were dressed in dark wool coats with top hats. Their voices blended in perfect harmony as they strolled along singing, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”
Jayson steered Mary back as the singers moved past. He noticed a dreamy look come over her, as if their music was equal to that of the angels.
“Aren’t they wonderful?” she asked, smiling, eyes clean and bright with happiness.
For the first few moments, he was mesmerized by her smile. Thankfully, the question was rhetorical and didn’t require an answer. Experiencing the joy of the season with her brought a new appreciation of the holidays. Christmas was just another day to him. He’d never paid that much attention to many aspects of the holiday season. But then, he acknowledged he never really had celebrated it. Oh, there’d been gifts. His fractured family had always seen to giving him material goods. But it was the important things like time, attention, love, and any kind of nurturing that had been sadly absent. It was as if his parents didn’t know what to do with a child. Their gifts meant nothing to him. He routinely gave them away. He viewed their gifts as attempts to assuage their guilt for abandoning him. His refusal to accept their presents was his way of letting them know he couldn’t be bought.
It started to snow—light flakes that drifted down from the heavens like small feathers released from angel pillows. Mary was beside herself with joy, tilting her head toward the sky and letting the flakes fall on her face.
“I’ve always loved catching snow on my eyelashes.”
“What?”
“The song ‘My Favorite Things’ from The Sound of Music. Surely you remember that?”
He had seen the movie, but that had been years and years ago. “Sure,” he said, “I remember it.”
“I’d so hoped it would snow. This is perfect, just perfect.” She all but danced down the sidewalk, dragging him along with her.
He stared at her in disbelief. The woman was nuts. Snow complicated everything, and even a small accumulation had the potential to cripple the city, causing all kinds of problems. Seattle didn’t deal well with snow. A few inches were enough to paralyze the city.
“I hope it doesn’t stick,” he muttered. He was willing to admit he enjoyed her enthusiasm. He was more practical, though.
“You’re joking.” Mary looked at him like he’d suddenly sprouted horns. “It’s almost Christmas,” she reminded him. “Who doesn’t long for a white Christmas? This is perfect.” She threw out her arms and twirled around like a child on the playground.
Jayson grinned, finding her enthusiasm infectious. “Okay, okay, you’re right. Snow is…beautiful and the timing is perfect, especially for kids.”
“Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year.”
“For some,” he whispered, thinking she wouldn’t hear.
She did.
“It’s more than a season,” she said, wrapping her arm around his elbow and leaning her head against his shoulder.
Her familiarity surprised him. With anyone else he would have been taken aback, but for reasons he had yet to explore, he felt completely at ease with Mary. He found nothing pretentious about her. She was real and genuine, unlike many of the women he’d dated in the past. Not that this was a date…
“Christmas is a condition of the heart,” she continued, and as she spoke she planted a hand over her chest. “It’s being open and sincere, generous and kind to those with less, or showing our love to those we cherish.” She stopped talking abruptly and glanced at him with a guilty look. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get on a soap box.”
He smiled down at her, enjoying her more than he ever expected he would. As they walked toward the restaurant, Mary made multiple stops to gaze into the shop windows, pointing out little things he didn’t notice in the displays, or along their walk, like the shining star in the distance atop Macy’s department store.
“You know if it’d been three wise women searching for the newborn babe, they would have asked for directions much sooner, found the stable, swept it out, and had a meal waiting by the time Mary and Joseph arrived.”
Jayson chuckled and shook his head. “No comment.”
They saw children behind a display window of Santa’s Workshop, waiting in line to visit Santa. Parents stood with them as the children squirmed. Jayson couldn’t imagine the nightmare of standing in line with a bunch of fussy kids. Mary, however, had exactly the opposite reaction.
“Aren’t the children adorable?”
He looked again, and all he saw were little ones clinging to their parents. A few were asleep on their father’s shoulders and others were holding on to a mother’s leg, terrified of meeting the oddly dressed man with a white beard.
“I feel sorry for them.”
“Sorry?” The look she gave him suggested he was a space alien.
“Look at those parents,” he commented. “They’re exhausted, the kids are fussy, and Santa looks like he’s completely worn out.”
“That’s what you see?” she asked, sounding shocked.
“You mean you don’t?”
“No!” She stopped in front of the window. “I see that little girl in the ballerina-style dress entertaining her little brother and telling him all about Santa and those two mothers chatting happily, sharing experiences and information. As for Santa, he’s the best. When I was small, my mother brought me to have my photo taken with Santa. I was so excited I could barely stand still. She still has the photo of me on his lap. I’m looking up at him adoringly. I savored the candy cane I got from him, and licked on it for three days.”
Jayson paused, trying to see it through Mary’s eyes, and realized she was right. Yes, there were a couple disgruntled and cranky children. The majority, however, were excited and happy, patiently waiting their turn.
When they reached the restaurant, their timing was perfect and they were seated immediately. They were given an upholstered booth with poinsettias displayed along the wall behind them.
Mary glanced around at the lushly decorated interior with the gold wall sconces and original artwork.
“Oh my goodness,” she whispered, looking over the top of the menu, her eyes widening more by the moment. “I just saw the mayor of Seattle.”
Jayson grinned. “It’s one of the better steakhouses in town.”
Her eyes grew even bigger when she reviewed the menu. He speculated she was looking at the prices.
She pressed the glossy menu to her chest and elbowed him before she whispered, “The cost of one steak here would feed a family for a week.”
Jayson was busy studying the list of steaks. “Order whatever you’d like.”
“I can’t let you spend this kind of money on me,” she said, keeping her voice low, as if afraid someone might overhear.
Jayson ignored her protest.
When the server approached, Jayson ordered a bottle of Malbec, one of his favorites. He talked her into sampling a glass.
The meal was everything he knew it would be. They carried on a conversation over the wine, and as he had earlier, Jayson found himself enjoying her company more and more. He casually mentioned Merry, explaining she was someone he’d met online but had yet to meet personally. Mary asked a few questions about that relationship. He felt comfortable enough to ask her advice about meeting a stranger online, and she admitted to doing it herself recently.
As they chatted, he sensed his feelings drifting away from Merry and toward Mary. He was interested in learning what he could about her. She had a close forever friend, who she hadn’t seen in several months, and
Mary missed her terribly. She told him about Lauren and Kylie, the two women she worked with in data entry. He avoided asking her about the man she was dating. If the two were serious, then it was doubtful she would have agreed to dine with him.
When they’d finished eating dinner, Mary leaned back against the cushioned booth and placed her hands on her stomach. “Wow, that was amazing,” she said, sighing the words.
The dinner was excellent, he’d agree, but the company was more so.
Jayson couldn’t remember a meal he’d enjoyed more. The steak was cooked to perfection, and watching Mary eat was a delight. She savored every bite and cleaned her plate. He enjoyed the fact that she enjoyed her food and didn’t stress over every calorie.
When it came time to order dessert, she declared, “I couldn’t stuff down another bite.”
“Would you like to take one home for later?” he asked.
“I can do that?”
From her reaction, one would think he’d offered her shares in a gold mine. “Of course.”
She couldn’t seem to decide between the cheesecake and the chocolate cake.
“She’ll take both,” Jayson instructed the waiter.
A few minutes later, the waiter delivered a take-out bag containing the two desserts, along with the bill.
Leaving the restaurant, Mary checked her watch. “I have ten minutes to the next bus.”
“No, you don’t,” he stated calmly.
“But I do. The bus comes fifteen minutes past the hour, every hour.”
“Mary, I am not letting you ride the bus home. I’m driving you.”
Her eyes got as big as dinner plates. “You’re willing to face the Seattle traffic on a Friday night?” she asked, as if he needed to seriously reconsider.
“I insist on driving you home, so your answer is yes.”
“But…”
“No arguments.” He took her hand and led her to the high-rise where he kept his vehicle. The homeless man who’d taken to sleeping on the corner remained there, sitting over the grate. He glanced up at them.