“We’re allowed to drink at our desks,” Mary reminded Jayson, as if he wasn’t already aware of it. “I didn’t see anything in the employee manual that said otherwise.”
“You actually read it?”
She hesitated. “Ah, no, but I will.”
He smiled and she smiled back. Then, feeling foolish at having been caught watching her, he glanced at his wrist and commented, “You’re late.”
Her smile disappeared. “Mr. Bright, if you’re looking for an excuse to fire me, then all I ask is that you wait until just before Christmas.”
The last thing he intended was for Mary to feel threatened. “Your position is secure, Ms. Knight.”
“Thank you, but I realize it’s only because you need me until this project is completed.”
He opened his mouth to contradict her and stopped. This was getting awkward, and the last thing he wanted was to start his morning off with a verbal confrontation with a temp.
“I won’t keep you any longer,” he said, and headed toward his own office. Jayson felt uneasy with the way he’d handled the situation. He wished he knew what it was about Mary Knight that lingered in his mind.
—
Later that morning, when he was between meetings, Jayson’s personal phone rang. He smiled when he saw Cooper’s name come up on the caller ID.
“Hey, Jay,” Cooper greeted in the same cheerful voice that was his signature. “What’s going on?”
“Work, what else? What’s on your mind?” He didn’t have time for idle chatter. The project deadline was looming.
“Actually, Maddy wanted me to ask if you’ll be bringing anyone with you to the wedding.”
“The wedding isn’t for months yet.”
Cooper sighed, as if that was exactly the response he’d expected. “What can I say, the woman likes to plan ahead.”
Jayson was about to tell him he would attend alone, but before the words could leave his mouth he hesitated. “I might.”
“What?” Cooper sounded shocked. “I told Maddy I’d ask, but you’ve always been a lone ranger. You meet someone special since the last time we talked?”
“Yeah. Sort of.”
“How do you ‘sort of’ meet someone?”
Jayson decided he might as well fess up, as Cooper would eventually find out anyway. “After you stopped by and told me about you and Maddy, I logged on to that website you mentioned.”
“Mix & Mingle. Really?”
“Yeah, I know. I saw this photograph of a dog…”
“You’re dating a dog?”
“No, Coop, I’m not dating a dog. And stop your snickering, I’m being serious.”
“Okay, sorry.”
“I saw the photograph and figured she was probably someone like me who wanted to be liked for herself.”
“Are you telling me you signed up and messaged her?”
“Yup.” He couldn’t seem to wipe the grin off his face as he imagined the shocked look from his cousin.
“So, you haven’t actually met face-to-face?”
“Not yet.” He thought about their date for coffee on Sunday. “We’ve been talking online and I like her. A lot.”
“Do you have any clue what she looks like?”
“Nope.”
“That doesn’t bother you?”
“Nope.” It didn’t. It really didn’t.
“What if she’s, you know, weird? For all you know you could be chatting with a fifty-year-old cougar.”
Jayson barked a laugh. It had been easy for Cooper; he’d known Maddy from their childhood. “She is taking a risk same as I am. For all she knows, I could be a sixty-year-old pervert.” That was what Merry’s coworker had warned her; she’d shared that a week or so ago. He’d smiled when he read that and assured her she had no worries—he was exactly what he claimed to be. She’d believed him, and it sort of worried him that she would be so utterly trusting.
“You mean to say you didn’t post your photo, either?”
“No, I put up one of Rocky.”
“You didn’t!”
He chuckled softly. “You wouldn’t believe the ‘winks’ I got. But no one interested me more than this girl. She said her name is Merry, spelled M-E-R-R-Y. I figured she made it up, seeing how close it is to the holidays.”
“Bro, listen, I’m glad to hear you’ve taken the leap. Just be careful. The fact she didn’t put up a photo worries me.”
“Why are you concerned? It’s going to be great. I like this girl. I haven’t felt this way about anyone.” Ever, he added silently.
His cousin was uncharacteristically silent and then inquired, “So you’re planning to meet soon, right?”
“Sunday afternoon. We’re going out for coffee. Nothing big or elaborate. I realize we’ve only been talking for a couple weeks, but I should tell you, I’m hooked. I’ve never met anyone like her. She’s levelheaded, family-oriented, kind, and thoughtful.” He closed his mouth before he said anything more. If this thing went south he didn’t want to hand his cousin bullets to use against him.
“You do realize she could look like a dog, which is why she may have posted that photo in the first place.”
Jayson had considered that. Still, it didn’t matter. He was intrigued by her. Her. He thought about Merry almost continually. Their chats had become addictive. She made him smile, and when they said good-bye each night he felt warm and happy. Both feelings were foreign to him, and he hung on to that sensation for as long as possible after they ended their online chat.
“Bro. You still there?”
“Yes, sorry. I was thinking—”
“I hope this works out,” Cooper said, cutting him off. “And when the time comes, I’d like to meet this woman who’s already got you twisted around her little finger.”
“She doesn’t,” he countered, and couldn’t decide who he was trying to convince—Cooper or himself.
—
Sunday afternoon Jayson was dressed and ready well before noon. In retrospect, he wished he hadn’t told her to look for a man in a blue dress shirt. That was far too stuffy. He’d opted for that because it was his daily uniform and seemed a natural choice at the time. Merry must think he was a workaholic. That wasn’t the impression he wanted to give her. He wished he’d said jeans and a sweater.
He smiled to himself, thinking that it would have been fun to buy one of those ridiculous holiday sweaters, like the one he recently saw in a store window, with battery-driven reindeer ears that flapped. Another one on display had a huge Santa face with a flashing light for the red nose. He was certain Merry would get a kick out of that.
By one o’clock, he was pacing in his condo, looking at his watch every few minutes. The closer the time came, the more anxious he felt.
Pacific Place was only a few blocks from his condo; less than a fifteen-minute walk. Unable to wait any longer, he left far too early and headed in that direction, taking a leisurely route. He passed a flower shop with a window display full of holly sprigs and potted poinsettias. For several minutes, he stared at the window and toyed with the idea of bringing Merry flowers. The temptation was strong and he wavered before finally giving in.
He wasn’t a flower-giving kind of guy and he wasn’t sure what would be appropriate for her. Carting a potted poinsettia into Starbucks seemed ridiculous. Flowers would be a nice touch, though. Feeling self-conscious, he walked into the shop. He’d have been more comfortable in a Santa suit than he was in this place. To hide his nervousness, he stuffed his hands into his pants pockets and wandered around, seeking inspiration.
“Can I help you find something?” the salesgirl approached and asked.
Jayson hesitated. She looked like she might know a thing or two about situations such as his. Throwing caution to the wind, he mentioned his mission.
“I’m meeting a girl for the first time and was thinking it might be a nice gesture to bring her flowers.”
“That’s a wonderful idea. Someone you met online?”
He nod
ded, pleased that she understood the situation without him having to explain. “We’ve been chatting for a while, though.”
“A bouquet of roses?” she suggested.
He shook his head instinctively, recognizing that roses were a little much. Merry was the kind of woman who enjoyed simple pleasures. He remembered how she’d once mentioned her affection for wildflowers. It was unlikely the shop carried flowers like that, but perhaps they had something close, so he asked.
“We recently got in a shipment of yellow daisies. Would those do?”
“Perfect.”
The sales clerk wrapped them up beautifully and tied them together with a pretty silk ribbon. While Jayson felt silly walking into the busy shopping mall carrying yellow daisies, he couldn’t wait to see Merry’s face once she saw them.
He arrived early and was glad of it—otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to snag a table. After standing in the fast-moving order line for two coffees, he took a seat so that he could keep an eye on the entrance.
Time crawled. Then three o’clock came and went.
At ten minutes past three, he grew restless. This didn’t bode well. Being punctual himself, he usually found tardiness an irritation. Merry had never been late for their chatting sessions, well, other than the one time. Even then, her brother and mother had logged on and explained for her. If he’d been thinking, he would have given her his cell number. His mind raced with the possibilities of what might have gone wrong.
“Excuse me, are you going to need this chair?” a grandfatherly man asked.
“Yes, I’m waiting for someone.”
The man thanked him and collected a chair from another table.
At three-thirty, Jayson decided not to wait any longer. He was disappointed and worried. This wasn’t like Merry.
As he made his way out of the Starbucks, he paused at the garbage dispenser and tossed the daisies into the can before he headed back to his condo.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Merry
Merry’s mom, dad, and Patrick were anxiously waiting for her when she returned from her meeting with Jay. They were sitting in the family room with the fireplace going, writing Christmas cards while carols played softly in the background. Her mother wrote notes in each of the cards, and Patrick carefully wrote his name, leaving room for her dad and later for Merry to add their own signatures. This was the way they’d always done it. Every member of the family signed their own names.
“Merry, Merry, you’re here,” Patrick called out excitedly when he saw her. “Did you like Jay? Was he handsome and kind?” Patrick had been almost as excited about this meeting as Merry had been herself. Her brother leaped from his chair and rushed toward her, eagerly waiting for her to tell him everything.
Immediately, her mother sensed something was wrong. “Merry? Did something happen?”
“You look disappointed,” her father added.
Defeated, Merry slumped onto the sofa, unable to find the words to explain. Wanting to hide her distress, she resisted burying her face in her hands. The entire bus ride home, her thoughts had been in utter turmoil. Even now she had a hard time accepting that Jay, the one who’d consumed her thoughts every day, was Jayson Bright, the boss she’d clashed with on more than one occasion. “I…I hardly know what to say.”
“You met him, right?” her mother asked. “You obviously didn’t spend a lot of time talking, seeing that you’re back this soon.”
She sadly shook her head. “I didn’t introduce myself. In fact, I left without saying a word to him.”
“You didn’t even say hi?” Patrick frowned, as if he had a hard time understanding why she would ignore Jay.
“If you didn’t introduce yourself, does that mean you left him there to wait?” Her mother was unable to hide her surprise and shared a look with her husband. “Merry Knight, that isn’t like you.”
“You didn’t meet him, but you said you would,” Patrick cried. Her brother glared at her as if he was the offended party. “You stood Jay up and that’s mean. You did a rude thing, Sissy.”
“I know.” Her brother was right; walking away the way she had was cowardly of her. The shock of seeing Jayson Bright had thrown her off balance. Merry had been too stunned to do anything more than turn around and flee. All the way home she couldn’t find a way to equate the man who insisted she remove the Christmas decorations from her desk with the charming, interesting guy she’d come to know online. The two didn’t compute.
“Patrick, would you go watch TV in your room for a bit while I talk to your sister?” her mother asked.
He hesitated.
“Come on, buddy,” her father encouraged, his arm around Patrick’s shoulders. “Let’s leave the women to sort this out.”
“Okay,” he agreed, “but you need to tell Merry she did wrong.”
“I will.”
“Good.” Patrick returned his attention to his sister. “I like Jay and I know he likes you, but he won’t anymore because you were mean.”
“I know.” In retrospect, Merry felt dreadful about leaving Jay sitting in the coffee shop, waiting. She couldn’t help wondering how long he’d remained before he realized she wasn’t going to show. It made her heart ache.
Patrick hung his head. “Is he special like me? Is that why you didn’t like him?”
“Oh Patrick, you know better than to ask me that. I’d like him even more if he was anything like you.”
Her words seemed to appease her brother, who quietly left the room with his dad so Merry and her mother could talk.
“Tell me what happened,” her mother said gently.
She didn’t seem to be as upset with her as Patrick was. Merry looped a strand of hair around her ear. “Jay is Jayson Bright.”
It took a moment for her words to sink in.
“Your boss?” Her mother’s eyes rounded as soon as she understood the significance of what Merry was telling her. “The one who wouldn’t let Kylie take care of her sick son?”
Merry nodded. “One and the same.”
“The one who makes overtime mandatory?”
“Yup.”
“Oh dear,” Robin whispered on the tail end of a sigh. “But until you saw who he was, you liked Jay and enjoyed chatting with him.”
“I did…I do.” It wasn’t like Merry could deny it. Jay had quickly become a large part of her world. She couldn’t stop thinking of him. She counted the hours until they could connect, rushing home at the end of the work day. The man she saw at work wasn’t the same man she’d come to know online. And she wasn’t the same woman he knew from online, either, and that was the crux of the problem. He would be just as shocked to discover the woman he had come to know was the very one who clashed with him at every turn. What she realized in those fleeting moments before she’d turned tail was that she was bound to be a huge disappointment to him. He had someone else set up in his mind, and that someone wasn’t her. She couldn’t bear to see the look in his eyes when he realized he’d been chatting with the woman whom he considered to be a major menace at work.
“He brought along a bouquet of yellow daisies,” Merry whispered. It seemed impossible that Jayson Bright would bring anyone flowers, let alone her. But then he didn’t know…just as she didn’t know.
“You need to tell him, Merry,” her mother said in the same understanding voice she’d used earlier.
“Tell him it’s me? No way, Mom. I can’t. Let me finish this contract first. It goes to the end of the year, and if we finish this report for Boeing before Christmas, we’ve been told we can have the week between Christmas and New Year’s off. My contract will be over then.” She didn’t mention that the employee handbook, which Jayson had insisted she read, clearly stated, “Dating between supervisors and their subordinates is strongly discouraged.”
“Honey, I know, but you can’t leave him hanging. You two have been talking for weeks. He must have been worried when you didn’t show, wondering what had happened.”
“If he finds ou
t it’s me…I can’t. I just can’t. Can you imagine how uncomfortable it would be for us? I mean, the two of us working together. He might even think I somehow arranged all this, tricking him. I know it sounds crazy. All the way home these different scenarios kept going through my head of what Jayson Bright would say had I walked through those doors to meet him.” She briefly closed her eyes, trying to imagine the scene, the big reveal. She couldn’t see how any good would come from it.
“Merry, you know as well as I do that honesty is the best policy,” her mother reminded her. “I’m sure Jay would be as shocked as you, but he’d get over it soon enough. Given time, I believe he’d accept you for who you are, for the woman he’s come to know. But by your action today, you’ve taken the option away from him.”
While Merry would like to think that it wouldn’t matter who she was, the risk was too great. “I don’t want to take the chance…remember, he’s a stickler for the rules and practically has that employee manual memorized. The company has a clear policy about employees fraternizing.” There was a lot at stake in this, especially her heart. She was half in love with Jay already. The problem was she couldn’t reconcile that her boss was Jay. Her Jay.
“No matter what you decide, you owe it to Jay or Jayson to tell him the truth,” her mother said, and hesitated as though unsure. “If nothing else, you should explain why you didn’t introduce yourself.”
“Maybe.” Merry hadn’t concluded in her own mind how best to resolve this problem. Patrick was right, though. Leaving without offering an explanation had been rude. In retrospect, she should have sent someone over with a message to tell him she wouldn’t be coming.
“Merry,” her mother said pointedly. “Do whatever it is you do and get online and talk to him. He needs to know you’re safe. Explain as best you can. You owe Jay that much.”
“Okay, okay.” She wasn’t happy about it, but she knew her mother and Patrick were right. She owed Jay an explanation, though she didn’t know what she could possibly tell him to excuse her behavior.
Once in her bedroom, she climbed onto her bed and scooted up so her back was braced against the headboard. With her laptop resting on her legs, she assumed her usual position. It was the same way she sat every night when “talking” to Jay.