Holiday Magic (Second Chance)

Holiday Magic

Second Chance: Book One

by Susanne Matthews

A Front Porch Romance Book

Holiday Magic

Second Chance: Book One

Copyright © November 2013

Edited by Debbie Rowe

Cover Design:
Niina Cor
d
http://niinascoverdesign.weebly.com/

Formatting: D&D Publishing

First Copyright e-Publication November 2013

ISBN-13: 978-1493698097

ISBN-10: 1493698095

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any

form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part,

without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any

resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

Dedication

To all my Scribbler Sisters, may the magic of Christmas make your lives as wonderful as having your friendship has made mine. To my own Georgia and Eleni, you are the angels in my Christmas tree.

Chapter One

Georgia Baxter took a sip of her peppermint tea and looked around her. How many afternoons had she spent here, sipping tea and watching life pass her by?  No more! Despite the doubts assailing her this morning, she would stand by the decision she had made. It wasn’t as if she could back out of it now anyway.

Dressed in a new cherry-red coat and tam, she sat at a window table in the Boathouse Café overlooking the lake in Central Park. This was her favorite part of the city, the only place where she had ever felt comfortable since coming to New York.

“Can I get you anything else, Georgia?” asked Gwen, one of the few friends she had made during her time in the city. The girl had left some tiny town in Kansas to try her luck on Broadway, but so far, all she had managed were a couple of off-Broadway parts. Georgia thought Gwen was talented and had a great voice, but she had learned not to trust her instincts. Gwen seemed excited today, and Georgia was anxious to know why. She hoped her own news wouldn’t distress her friend.

“
No. I’m good. Can you sit a minute? We need to talk.”

“
Yes, we do. I have some great news, well, I think it’s great news.” She looked around the almost empty restaurant. “Give me a sec.”

She walked over to the other waitress who nodded, came back with a cup of coffee, and sat down in the chair across from her.

“I wanted to tell you that this is my last week.” Gwen took a mouthful of coffee.

Georgia looked up in surprise. “No! Really? How come? Did you get a part?”

“Uh-uh. Remember last week when I told you that my old boyfriend was coming to New York? We were supposed to get married before I got the acting bug. He asked me to marry him again, and I’ve said yes.”

Gwen’s eyes glowed with happiness. “He was willing to quit his job and come here, if that’s what it took. He said he’d do anything so we could be together. Georgia, I had no idea he loved me so much. I’m going home.”

A sharp pang of envy pierced her. “Congratulations, but what about your dreams of headlining on Broadway? What’s happened to them?”

Georgia knew how hard Gwen at worked at her goal, and how crushing the disappointments had been.

“Reality, life—give it any name you want, but I’ve had it. I was thinking of going home in the spring anyway, and now I’m going home looking forward to the rest of my life. Let’s face it. I’m never going to be a star. I had one bit role off Broadway that barely covered my costs. I’ve realized that this isn’t the life I want. New York is a magical place, and for some, the dreams they have when they come here come true. For others, like me, you realize that it’s the dreams you had before that matter most. I’m glad I came and gave it a shot, but I’ve been here two years, and you’re the only friend I have. I want more. I want a husband and children more than I want bright lights. Life isn’t meant to be lived alone.” She sipped her coffee and smiled. “I will miss this place and you.”

Georgia understood. She wanted someone in her life too—a husband and children—but the reasons that had brought her to New York in the first place and had kept her here all this time, the same reasons she now questioned her decision to leave, threatened to make that impossible.

“I guess things don’t always turn out the way we want them to, but if this is what you want, then I’m happy for you, and I envy you. I wish I knew what life was waiting to throw at me next.” She sipped her tea and smiled ruefully.

“
You stole my thunder. I wanted to tell you I was leaving New York myself. It’s time for me to go home too.”

Gwen reached out and took her hand. “I’m glad for you. It’s time you put all that behind you
.
Your sister must be happy. Twins should never be apart as long as you two have been. When are you leaving?”

“
Wednesday.”

“
So soon?” Gwen pointed to the pin on Georgia’s coat. “What are you going to do about Delicate Designs?”

Delicate Designs was Georgia’s small custom design jewelry store located just down the street from the Museum of Natural History.

“I’ve promoted Jane to manager. The shop does a steady business, and I can create and design from anywhere. If you weren’t leaving, I was going to offer you a job. Online sales have grown, and Eleni’s showroom has made a tidy profit for me as well. If things don’t work out, I suppose I can always come back. I’m only burning some of my bridges.” She laughed, but there was an underlying bitterness to it.

She unpinned Autumn Leaves, the tricolor-gold elm-leaf broach she had created, and handed it to Gwen. “Take this as a remembrance gift. You helped me through some really dark times, and I will miss you.” She opened her purse and pulled out a business card.

“This is Eleni’s address. I’ll be staying with her. Promise me that you’ll keep in touch. I’ll expect an invitation to that wedding.”

Gwen ripped a page off her order book, scribbled a number on it, and handed it to Georgia.

“This is my mother’s number. If you need anything, call.”

They chatted a few minutes longer, but soon Gwen’s break was over, and she had to return to work. Georgia sat back in her chair and looked out the window. She was happy for her friend, truly she was, but she wished that she were the one going back home to marry the man she loved.

Since she was leaving in two days, today had been her last day at the shop, as well as her last walk through the park, the inspiration for so many of her jewelry pieces. As she did each Monday, she had entered the park at West 79
th
Street, just down from the shop, and had walked along the paths from one landmark to another, but unlike those days where she sought inspiration in the beauty she saw, today she searched for confirmation that she had made the right decision.

The phone conversation from two weeks ago, the one that had propelled her into action, echoed in her head. Right up until last Friday, the day her condo had sold, she had kept her final decision from her sister. From the beginning, Georgia had known that the call would be a life altering one.

“Georgia, you’re never going to believe this,” shrilled Eleni, without bothering to say hello.

“
Calm down, and tell me why you are just a little bit more excited than normal.” Georgia, laughed at her sister’s obvious delight.

“
I got the contract! I’ve been retained as the exclusive holiday designer for Atlantic City’s Ocean Front Casino.” 

“
That’s wonderful!” Georgia cried, but to her expert ears, she knew there was more to it from the tone of Eleni’s voice. “So what’s the bad news?”

“
Why do you always do that?” Eleni sounded exasperated, and laughed.

“
You know me too well. The downside—there is no bad news—is that I will have to spend a lot of my time in Atlantic City.”

Eleni paused and Georgia waited for the rest of it, knowing that somehow she was going to be embroiled in something she might not like.

“Since you’ve already decided to move back to Philadelphia after the holidays, I wondered if you might come early and manage the showroom?”

The words rushed out of her sister as if saying them quickly would make them easier to refuse. The barely hidden plea in Eleni’s voice warned her that, unless she was willing to help, her big break might not happen.

Georgia sighed. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for Eleni, but sometimes she had a habit of biting off more than she could chew. She thought this might be one of those times.

“
Okay,” she replied. “I need a few more details. When do you start, and how does it work?”

“
I’m going down this weekend to look over the casino, and then I start the week before Thanksgiving. I’m committed to them until the end of February, but Valentine’s Day is my last scheduled event. Here’s my problem. The contract arrived two days ago and stipulates that I have to be available to the casino twenty-four seven, in case any unexpected events arise.”

“
What do you mean twenty-four seven? Do you have to be there all the time?”

“
Of course not. Don’t be silly. That would be ridiculous; what would I do with myself? I think I just have to be able to drop what I’m doing in Philly and go there to do whatever they need. For example, if a couple wants to get married, I have to decorate for it. No one else can do any work there, and of course, I can’t work for any similar venue. In addition to the traditional holiday decorations, the casino has three weddings and three anniversaries booked. This is my big break.”

Georgia had stared at her image in the window reflected by the blackness outside and had frowned.

“Eleni, that’s a pretty major demand on your time. I think you had better read the contract very carefully before you sign it. I assume you’ll have someone to do the grunt work of putting the materials together and getting them to you? Don’t you have other events booked? What happens to those?”