Mistletoe Deadline
One|It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
It's the most wonderful time of the year, With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you be of good cheer, It's the most wonderful time of the year
-It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Andy Williams
Wednesday 28 November
18 days left in Operation Mistletoe
There was a reason people claimed commercialism was ruining Christmas. All of the ads promising the perfect gift, the plastic trees, and peppermint everything. And I was spending the season smack dab into the middle of it, but at least I wasn't a seasonal worker even if it was entirely possible that I was going to get fired for asking as much time off as I had to.
My best friend Courtney just seemed to find it utterly hilarious the kind of pickle I had gotten myself into. She had spent the last half hour of sweater folding going over the pros and cons of every guy we knew while trying to get me to remember what exactly I had told my parents about my new ‘boyfriend.' All we had come up with was the fact that we didn't know any decent guys and a mission name (totally Courtney's idea) of Operation Mistletoe.
"Well, they are having a work party this Friday? The new seasonal workers should be in; maybe we can find someone cute there?"
This was probably just one of Courtney's cheap ploys to try and get me to go to a party with her, but it seemed to be my only option, other than calling my mother and explaining that it was all fake. But Heather had made my life hell before, and it hadn't been a pleasant experience.
I sent a well-aimed eye roll at her before going back to folding some of the ugliest Christmas sweater's I'd ever seen. Macy's was running an ugly sweater line this year, but I failed to see how people could need sweaters with LED lights and battery packs.
"What about Louis in accounting?"
I had to snort at that last option she really was getting desperate. Louis was way out of both of our leagues, 25 and gorgeous, Macy's was only his side job while he worked on building his portfolio of high-end customers. He put the sexy in geeky, and I think that everyone had had a crush on him at some point or another.
"Well, he fits all of the requirements."
"He'd never go for it."
"You never know unless you ask."
I sent a well-aimed kick at the back of Courtney's fuzzy boots to tell her the subject was closed. Finishing the pile, I turned to find that I had finished sooner than I thought, which meant that I could go to lunch at a reasonable time, as long as I didn't get caught on the way to the time card room. With a silent wave goodbye, I took quick, purposeful steps towards the back. Coming up to the door, I slipped in to see my boss having a stern conversation of one of the fellow regulars.
It took me precisely fifteen seconds to duck into the break room that sat next to the door and another five to realise I had run into something or someone warm. Pursing my lips, I looked up and right into a set of captivating icy blue eyes. I was slightly proud of myself for not turning bright red as I stammered to apologise.
"It's fine, are we hiding from Mr. Connely?"
A playful smirk had worked its way across Louis' face as he sent a quick glance towards the closed door. Nodding in approval, I had my finger at my lips with an awkward giggle.
"I know a back way," Louis offered with a raised eyebrow.
"That would be amazing," I said with a smile.
Following Louis, through the other door, he led me through the maze of offices that occupied the employee area on the first floor. It looked like a complicated maze to me, but he made his way deftly through like clockwork. Opening a final glass door, Louis presented the time card machine to me in all of its stainless steel glory.
"Here you are, my lady," Louis stated waving his hands towards the box. "Enjoy your break."
"Thank you."
Leaving Louis to get back to whatever he had been doing I twirled my card into the punch slot before grabbing my coat. The fear of Mr. Collins lessened by the fact that he couldn't give me a task to do so I didn't dare try to make it through the maze of offices by myself.
"Miss Brooks!"
"I'm on break."
The food court was hell; I didn't even know where to turn without running into someone. Moms pushing strollers, gossiping teenagers, it seemed like everyone had decided that a Saturday afternoon was the perfect time to go to the mall. Elbowing my way through the crowd, I finally managed to order off some dollar menu and squeeze onto the end of a long table occupied with fellow mall workers.
I don't make a habit of eavesdropping on other's conversation but eating by yourself doesn't provide much to do. So in a haphazard fashion, I realised that the boys next to me were discussing the pros and cons of the ski resorts that I'd grown up in. They were trying to plan a trip of some kind but had gotten their information from the ever helpful and deceiving internet. In my usual, less the subtle way, I forgot that I wasn't supposed to be listening and scoffed as one of them mentioned another overly priced and popular resort.
"What do you know?"
I'd been caught as the group turned to me as one of the boys had heard my small scoff and called me out. I looked up to see the one with dark hair raise his eyebrows in a sort of dare almost like he was slightly offended at me eavesdropping and wanted me to make a fool of myself.
"Well, Kingsfield is fine if you want to spend all your money on ski tickets to spend your time getting knocked on your ass by little kids. It's much too crowded. Deerbourne is where the party's at, but Elk Horn has quieter slopes. They aren't as well advertised though so mostly regulars only." I offered with a sly smile not ready to let him get the best of me.
With a laugh, he went back to chattering to the others about how his family has always had a cabin at Kingsfield, and it was only looked down upon by wealthy prudes who just wanted private slopes. Turning back to my burger, I nearly missed the boy closest to me, who had an almost thoughtful look on his face, as he seemed to be staring somewhere between my nose and the middle of my forehead.
"Can I help you?"
Shaken from his reverie, the boy cleared his throat as if looking for words. His messy hair was unceremoniously splayed from out from under his beanie like he didn't know what to do with his hair, so he just dumped a hat on it.
"What about Lune Lake? Is the view really as good as they say it is?"
Wondering how the hell he had heard of Lune Lake when his friends had only done skin deep research relying mostly on their friend's word. I gave him a small nod trying in vain to finish my bite. The bane of my existence was people asking me a question right after I took a bite of something.
"It is, that's where we go every year, and it's a great distance to most of the good resorts."
He didn't say another word but drifted back into staring into space thankfully though his gaze was blissfully somewhere other than on me. I couldn't figure out if he was thoughtful or stupid although his piercing green eyes had part of me hoping it was the former. Unable to handle the callous boasting of the boy whose parents now apparently owned the whole resort I slipped back into my favourite pastime of daydreaming about whatever Louis interaction I had had that day.
I would never in a million years admit it to Courtney, but maybe I just wasn't over my Louis phase yet. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I texted Courtney so that she could read it on her break.
Fine, I'll come on Friday get ready at my place?
And everyone telling you be of good cheer, It's the most wonderful time of the year
-It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Andy Williams
Wednesday 28 November
18 days left in Operation Mistletoe
There was a reason people claimed commercialism was ruining Christmas. All of the ads promising the perfect gift, the plastic trees, and peppermint everything. And I was spending the season smack dab into the middle of it, but at least I wasn't a seasonal worker even if it was entirely possible that I was going to get fired for asking as much time off as I had to.
My best friend Courtney just seemed to find it utterly hilarious the kind of pickle I had gotten myself into. She had spent the last half hour of sweater folding going over the pros and cons of every guy we knew while trying to get me to remember what exactly I had told my parents about my new ‘boyfriend.' All we had come up with was the fact that we didn't know any decent guys and a mission name (totally Courtney's idea) of Operation Mistletoe.
"Well, they are having a work party this Friday? The new seasonal workers should be in; maybe we can find someone cute there?"
This was probably just one of Courtney's cheap ploys to try and get me to go to a party with her, but it seemed to be my only option, other than calling my mother and explaining that it was all fake. But Heather had made my life hell before, and it hadn't been a pleasant experience.
I sent a well-aimed eye roll at her before going back to folding some of the ugliest Christmas sweater's I'd ever seen. Macy's was running an ugly sweater line this year, but I failed to see how people could need sweaters with LED lights and battery packs.
"What about Louis in accounting?"
I had to snort at that last option she really was getting desperate. Louis was way out of both of our leagues, 25 and gorgeous, Macy's was only his side job while he worked on building his portfolio of high-end customers. He put the sexy in geeky, and I think that everyone had had a crush on him at some point or another.
"Well, he fits all of the requirements."
"He'd never go for it."
"You never know unless you ask."
I sent a well-aimed kick at the back of Courtney's fuzzy boots to tell her the subject was closed. Finishing the pile, I turned to find that I had finished sooner than I thought, which meant that I could go to lunch at a reasonable time, as long as I didn't get caught on the way to the time card room. With a silent wave goodbye, I took quick, purposeful steps towards the back. Coming up to the door, I slipped in to see my boss having a stern conversation of one of the fellow regulars.
It took me precisely fifteen seconds to duck into the break room that sat next to the door and another five to realise I had run into something or someone warm. Pursing my lips, I looked up and right into a set of captivating icy blue eyes. I was slightly proud of myself for not turning bright red as I stammered to apologise.
"It's fine, are we hiding from Mr. Connely?"
A playful smirk had worked its way across Louis' face as he sent a quick glance towards the closed door. Nodding in approval, I had my finger at my lips with an awkward giggle.
"I know a back way," Louis offered with a raised eyebrow.
"That would be amazing," I said with a smile.
Following Louis, through the other door, he led me through the maze of offices that occupied the employee area on the first floor. It looked like a complicated maze to me, but he made his way deftly through like clockwork. Opening a final glass door, Louis presented the time card machine to me in all of its stainless steel glory.
"Here you are, my lady," Louis stated waving his hands towards the box. "Enjoy your break."
"Thank you."
Leaving Louis to get back to whatever he had been doing I twirled my card into the punch slot before grabbing my coat. The fear of Mr. Collins lessened by the fact that he couldn't give me a task to do so I didn't dare try to make it through the maze of offices by myself.
"Miss Brooks!"
"I'm on break."
The food court was hell; I didn't even know where to turn without running into someone. Moms pushing strollers, gossiping teenagers, it seemed like everyone had decided that a Saturday afternoon was the perfect time to go to the mall. Elbowing my way through the crowd, I finally managed to order off some dollar menu and squeeze onto the end of a long table occupied with fellow mall workers.
I don't make a habit of eavesdropping on other's conversation but eating by yourself doesn't provide much to do. So in a haphazard fashion, I realised that the boys next to me were discussing the pros and cons of the ski resorts that I'd grown up in. They were trying to plan a trip of some kind but had gotten their information from the ever helpful and deceiving internet. In my usual, less the subtle way, I forgot that I wasn't supposed to be listening and scoffed as one of them mentioned another overly priced and popular resort.
"What do you know?"
I'd been caught as the group turned to me as one of the boys had heard my small scoff and called me out. I looked up to see the one with dark hair raise his eyebrows in a sort of dare almost like he was slightly offended at me eavesdropping and wanted me to make a fool of myself.
"Well, Kingsfield is fine if you want to spend all your money on ski tickets to spend your time getting knocked on your ass by little kids. It's much too crowded. Deerbourne is where the party's at, but Elk Horn has quieter slopes. They aren't as well advertised though so mostly regulars only." I offered with a sly smile not ready to let him get the best of me.
With a laugh, he went back to chattering to the others about how his family has always had a cabin at Kingsfield, and it was only looked down upon by wealthy prudes who just wanted private slopes. Turning back to my burger, I nearly missed the boy closest to me, who had an almost thoughtful look on his face, as he seemed to be staring somewhere between my nose and the middle of my forehead.
"Can I help you?"
Shaken from his reverie, the boy cleared his throat as if looking for words. His messy hair was unceremoniously splayed from out from under his beanie like he didn't know what to do with his hair, so he just dumped a hat on it.
"What about Lune Lake? Is the view really as good as they say it is?"
Wondering how the hell he had heard of Lune Lake when his friends had only done skin deep research relying mostly on their friend's word. I gave him a small nod trying in vain to finish my bite. The bane of my existence was people asking me a question right after I took a bite of something.
"It is, that's where we go every year, and it's a great distance to most of the good resorts."
He didn't say another word but drifted back into staring into space thankfully though his gaze was blissfully somewhere other than on me. I couldn't figure out if he was thoughtful or stupid although his piercing green eyes had part of me hoping it was the former. Unable to handle the callous boasting of the boy whose parents now apparently owned the whole resort I slipped back into my favourite pastime of daydreaming about whatever Louis interaction I had had that day.
I would never in a million years admit it to Courtney, but maybe I just wasn't over my Louis phase yet. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I texted Courtney so that she could read it on her break.
Fine, I'll come on Friday get ready at my place?
Notes
And so it begins :)
YAY!!
1/13/19