Home for Christmas (17 page)

To which she responded with her own
sticky note stuck to a container in the freezer,
“You think those were good,
try these!”

Or he would say,
“Santa needs
more frosting. A,”
accompanied by a sad face and stuck onto a half-eaten
cutout cookie left on her desk.

One note was a bit more personal.
“Was
here last night for meeting with staff. Someone turned on the music. Heard
‘White Christmas’ and remembered the night we decorated the tree. A.”

She’d then left him a new pair of
mittens because she remembered how cold his hands were that day they cut the
Library tree.

In turn, he’d left a canister of
Starbuck’s Hot Chocolate mix and a new pad of yellow sticky notes on her
kitchen desk.

Being the sentimentalist she was,
she’d kept each note on a protected page in her hidden red journal that rarely
left her side these days. She would be mortified if Courtney ever came across
it. That bound book contained her most private and personal dreams. Among her
written thoughts and prayers were copies of lists she’d made as a child;
Attributes I Want in the Man I Marry, Wedding Ideas, Names of Children, Places
I Want to Visit, to name a few. 

And so the days had run one into
the next as the countdown continued. She was in daily contact with Lois
regarding last minute details, and was able to ascertain Austin’s schedule. She
spent much of her days baking; myriad varieties of Christmas cookies and her
traditional giant colonial gingerbread house with its gold leafed roof, poured
sugar window panes and spun sugar embellishments. She’d hired some helpers from
the culinary institute to assist not only with construction of the house, but
the baking for the evening and remaining season as well. A catering company would
be taking care of the bulk of the food and drinks served that evening, but she
liked to have personal, hand-made touches as well. The crowd coming for the
Open House would expect as much.

Her evenings were spent either
planning and list making for the next day’s activities, outings with friends,
meetings with her charitable groups, or getting her “snow fix.” It was either
drive thirty minutes east of Seattle to Snoqualmie Pass and experience the real
thing or “jump across the pond,” as Seattleites liked to call the crossing of
Lake Washington into the city of Bellevue, and experience something almost as
wonderful.

Each evening at seven o’clock, The
Bellevue Collection, a consortium of vibrant retail; shopping, restaurants,
hotel, work spaces, nightlife and more, presented Snowflake Lane. Whenever she
felt her spirit dip, she’d drive over, walk down the sidewalks on Bellevue Way
bumping along with hundreds of other holiday enthusiasts and watch the
procession of live, costumed toy drummers play their instruments on
old-fashioned toy drum pedestals, dancing snowmen and sugar plum fairies mingle
with the crowd, dazzling lights, iconic Christmas Music piped over speakers
filling the entire area … and yes, snow. From special snow making machines high
above, the magical snow would fly, each night, brightening the spirits of
all. 

It was Friday night, the evening
before the Open House. She’d been at the house since five in the morning,
knowing that Austin was out of town. She’d worked straight; meeting with work crews,
caterers, florists, accepting rental deliveries, as well as last minute
Christmas touches she made around the house. Tomorrow would be another very
long day but Lois would be there to assist, and she refused to worry herself
over the details. Tonight, tired as she was, she wouldn’t miss the Holiday Pops
at Benaroya Hall. It wouldn’t be Christmas without hearing the symphony play
her most cherished tunes.

Thankful she’d checked with Lois on
Austin’s schedule, she wouldn’t be surprised tonight. Arriving with one of her
sorority sisters, she immediately began scanning the crowd after arrival.
Spotting him with his usual entourage across the lobby wasn’t difficult.
Assuming Courtney was somewhere in that group of people, she began to turn
toward the opposite side of the room, knowing it wouldn’t take long to run into
friends who were fellow symphony subscribers.

From the corner of her eye, she saw
the same beautiful and exotic woman from the Nutcracker approach Austin and
again slip her hand onto his arm. He smiled congenially and continued talking
to friends, although she did notice he’d pulled away slightly. Still, what man
wouldn’t enjoy her attention? Savannah tried hard to distract herself with the
promise that it didn’t bother her in the least. Of course, she knew it wasn’t
true, but she did her best to determine that soon, it would be. She would
make
it be.

It wasn’t long before the signal
was given that the performance would begin soon. She was able to waylay her
friend with an excuse so she could watch where Austin’s group would be sitting.
Fortunately, they were on the opposite side of the auditorium and she was able
to slip into her seats and enjoy the warm and friendly yet spectacular
performance.

Stealing only occasional glances
toward the Founder’s Tier where Austin was sitting, she found it particularly
irritating that the woman had somehow maneuvered herself next to Austin between
musical numbers. Turning back around, she promised herself she would find out
exactly who she was from Lois in the morning. With her back to his seat, she
determinedly refrained from checking again.

“Can we take a break?” Lois asked
Savannah mid-morning on Saturday, the day of the Open House.

The woman looked exhausted.

“Are you feeling okay?” Savannah
questioned as she led her into the library, the one room that wasn’t marauded
by workmen, caterers, or florists. This room was completed, thankfully.

“I’m fine,” she replied wearily.
“I’m just not as young as I used to be,” she sighed, as she gratefully accepted
Savannah’s offering of hot peppermint tea and sat in a comfortable down-filled
chair near the fireplace.

Savannah smiled as she joined her
by sitting in the matching chair, her ever-present list in hand.

“You know, you could take a break,
go home for awhile. I’ve got this,” Savannah said, glancing with concern at
Lois’ wane features. “It will be a long night, and there really isn’t much for
either one of us to do right now, other than answer questions and direct
traffic,” she explained.

“I’ll be fine after this tea my
dear,” she said, sipping gingerly at the delicate china teacup Savannah had
provided.

“How long do you plan to work?”
Savannah asked gently.

“Tonight?”

“No, I mean … long term.”

Lois smiled a knowing smile. “Not
much longer. I needed to be with Austin until he launched this IPO and he was
more … settled.”

“Settled?” she asked, wondering if
she meant in the house.

“No,” Lois grimaced correctly
interpreting her line of thought. “Settled, like in a mate?”

“Oh.” Savannah uttered, wishing she
hadn’t asked, not really wanting confirmation on a suspicion growing in her
heart since the Nutcracker. Still … her morbid curiosity was piqued and she
couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows hoping Lois would continue. 

“Yes,” she finally answered. “And
that appears to be soon, which is good for me.”

“I’m sure Austin will miss you at
work, though,” she said in a feeble attempt to change the subject away from his
marital plans.

“He will, for a time. But he
handles a lot of things on his own anyway and I’ve been training someone,
knowing my time was coming.”

“Oh,” she responded pitifully
again. “You are very loyal, Lois. I’m sure Austin really appreciates you.”

“He does. And he’s taken care of me
…
handsomely
, I might add.” Glancing at Savannah from the corner of her
eye, she continued with a knowing smile. “With the stock he’s given me, I’ll
not be far away. I’ll always be watching over his shoulder.”

Savannah couldn’t help but smile in
return. She was happy to hear that Austin was generous with his employees,
especially those like Lois who had contributed so much.

“So … you think Austin has found
someone? You mentioned … a mate,” she said, slowly stirring her tea, trying to
sound nonchalant, fearful she appeared anything but.

“Yes,” Lois replied confidently,
endeavoring to keep her facial expression blank but miserably failing.

When she didn’t elaborate, Savannah
tried again. “Is there someone special in Austin’s life?”

“Oh yes. You know, it kind of snuck
up on me, but the minute I saw her, I knew she was the one. She was perfect for
him in every way.”

Savannah’s mind went immediately to
the woman she’d seen with Austin on two occasions. She was indeed beautiful and
stylish. The media was enamored with Austin. They loved his company, his
youthfulness, and his business approach. He would need someone equally savvy to
complement his growing social status.

Not being able to help herself,
she’d carefully studied the woman’s attire last night. She had recognized every
label and knew exactly the price it cost to look as stunning as she did. The
woman had also known how to turn on the charm … and how to turn it off. She was
gravely disappointed in Austin’s apparent choice. Of course, she would most
likely be disappointed in any choice he’d made … except maybe … well, she
wouldn’t go there.

Her face blanched a little as she
took out her list, pretending to study it, desperately wanting to change the
subject, but sadistically needing to know more about the woman.

“I saw Austin last night at the
symphony,” Savannah began without making eye contact, then glancing up quickly.
“He was with a gorgeous brunette.”

Lois’ eyes crinkled in thought.
Savannah smothered a reluctant giggle at Lois’ poor acting.

“You must mean, Elise,” she finally
said.

“Elise?”

“Yes, Elise Pasternak,” she said
carefully. “She’s, uh, worked on some projects for the company. Actually,” she
sighed, “she’s been doing some P.R. for Austin back east.”

“Oh. She must be very good,” she
said cautiously, wondering how much contact Courtney had with her, guessing her
friend’s opinion, knowing the two could be potentially fierce competitors,
perhaps perfected suited to the challenge.

“I don’t know about that,” she
replied warily. “I think she’s rather … new at it.”

Surprised, Savannah’s eyes pierced
her companions. “Why would Austin hire a novice for something this important?”

“He didn’t have much of a choice,
my dear,” she said, setting her now empty teacup and saucer on a nearby table.
“She is the daughter of Marcum Pasternak, his largest investor and member of
his board.”

“Oh,” Savannah uttered slowly, a
wealth of understanding flooding her mind. Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t see
Lois stand, until she began to shuffle toward the door.

“I think I may take you up on that
break,” she said as Savannah leaped to the door to accompany Lois. “I may just
head home for a little nap. I’ll be good as new then.”

Savannah wasn’t so sure about that
but insisted on driving her home before quickly heading back to the house.

As it turned out, Savannah had been
right. Lois had come down with a horrible virus and was in bed. Thankfully, all
of her preplanning had so far allowed the preparations for the evening to go
smoothly and efficiently. She’d brought everything she needed to dress for the
evening, the new designer dress purchased specifically for tonight and a new
pair of stunning shoes, her one splurge of the season. She’d stowed it all in
the closest of her old room early this morning.

The first guests were due to begin
arriving in about an hour, the chefs were vociferously giving orders in the
kitchen, the wait staff was scurrying around, polishing silver and crystal,
receiving last minute instructions. Savannah hadn’t yet seen Austin but
Courtney was here, doing what she did best. She was running the serving staff
through a list of drills like an Army sergeant. This was a big evening for her,
a testament to her success in her chosen field. And, the guests were perhaps
her toughest critics as they’d watched her grow up among their circles.

It was an incredibly important
evening for Austin. In attendance would be a group of people who had money to
spend, and liked to invest in solid yet up-and-coming technology companies.
They weren’t the sort to often take a chance on unproven companies, but Austin’s
had been getting great reviews. Everyone in the country was paying attention.
Old Seattle families may have roots in timber, but most had considerably
diversified their holdings as the city began to make its splash on the world
market through its innovative technology. These were a group of sharp-minded
financial wizards that for the most part, had large coffers, and were
interested.

Savannah took a final walk through
the public spaces before running upstairs to dress. The Seattle Times had been here
earlier, taking photographs to include in their society column, asking curious
questions about her involvement, but praising the work of her designers on an
incredibly beautiful seasonal display.

She couldn’t help but be proud of
the house. It was shown in the best possible light. The florists had done an
amazing job. In every room there were antique pots of paperwhites and
amaryllises, not to mention poinsettias tucked here and there. The mantles were
dramatic and stunning. Each displayed thick and lush garlands cascading to the
hardwood floors on each side. The fragrance was pungent with the garland
greenery of cedar, holly and pine boughs with sprigs of magnolia and layers of
milo, millet, and rose hips. The splash of color with the red pepperberries
drew one’s eye immediately. Savannah had instructed them to use a green satin
ribbon woven throughout its entire length to give softness without taking away
from the splashes of natural red.

Each room, including the kitchen
that most guests would not see, had a Christmas tree with an incredible array
of ornaments, natural elements and twinkling lights. Candles were lit, the
recessive lighting subdued, pillows plumped, and the staff was ready. Already
the stringed quartet had set up in the music room; two violins, a viola and
cello, were tuning their instruments and sorting requested sheet music.

Soon guests would be greeted at the
front iron gate by a pair of statuary lions, their necks encircled by a
bayberry wreath of green each sporting a red velvet bow; candles were already
flickering in each sparkling window, giant black urns filled with an abundance
of winterberries, fresh apples and greenery harvested from the grounds lined
the vast front porch and would give visitors a preview of the Christmas wonderland
inside.  

The dining room was spectacular
under the glistening chandeliers. A seven foot low arrangement was centered on
the enormous table. It was filled with pine sprigs and cryptomeria, its needles
spilling over the sides to brush the tabletop. Magnolia leaves gave a nuanced
complex sense of color while the apples, cabbages and pomegranates lent
interest and warmth.

Centered on the antique buffet was
her giant gingerbread house, lit with tiny lights from inside, its gold leafed
roof shimmering under the buffet lights. The silver and crystal serving pieces
sparkled and the aroma coming from the kitchen was mouth-watering. The chefs
had been here for hours, preparing an array of food fit for royalty. The Baron
of Beef had been basting most of the day. It was all Savannah could do to
refrain from nibbling every time she entered the kitchen.

A last check at the entrance showed
that her table stacked with custom white embossed boxes, featuring a simple
monogrammed “D,” and tied with a scarlet velvet bow were ready and waiting. The
boxes were understated and simple, perfect for the occasion. Each were lined
with festive paper and filled with an assortment of Christmas cookies she and
the students had made earlier in the week. Upon leaving, each guest would
receive a box to take home. It was a carryover tradition from her mother, who
had begun it years prior. Many of the people here tonight had been at her
family’s holiday parties. Some, she knew, would specifically attend out of
curiosity; many would be anticipating those little white boxes. They would not
be disappointed.

Strains of, “We Wish You a Merry
Christmas,” from the stringed musicians floated into the entry as the first of
the guests arrived. Courtney was there to greet them and Austin, splendidly
attired in a black tux, was at her side. Cordially and warmly thanking them for
coming, Savannah watched as the matrons of Seattle society critically evaluated
him and knew the moment he had passed the test. They had decided he would fit
with their illustrious group. And when the matrons gave their blessing, the
gentleman usually followed … at least socially.

Austin had the gift of drawing
people to himself. His interactions with others were always friendly, and real.
Even with his staff, they certainly respected him, but they
liked
him as
well. It was a gift that Savannah, particularly, truly appreciated. He had a
charisma that was contagious. He made friends easily, whether young or old, in
high positions of authority or simple hourly wage-earners, he became one of
them. He was trusted. It was one more thing she had learned to love about him.

She had positioned herself to watch
from the dining room, but as the guests began to arrive, they immediately
gravitated to her, surrounding, peppering curious questions, complementing the
house, sweetly kissing her cheek. Courtney had apparently told everyone about
her involvement, Savannah quickly became aware. When the crowd surrounding her
began to impede the ability for new guests to enter the house, she graciously
excused herself to the kitchen for a glass of water, basking in the wonderful
aromas and the functional precision she saw coming from the caterers. So far,
everything was working according to plan.

Austin tried his best to keep his
attention centered on each guest, but it was proving a difficult task. When
Savannah arrived wearing that red wool dress, an enticingly Christmassy splash
of color in a sea of black attire, her hair gleaming in the candlelight, he
couldn’t help but stare. She was captivating and literally … took his breath
away. Her amber-colored eyes, rich with warmth, sparkling with an inner joy,
was mesmerizing. He had a thing for eyes. In some, one could only detect a
calculating, appraising gleam, others, a rich and warm soul. She was a prize,
one he felt too valuable for the likes of Robert Winslow. His jaw twitched at
the thought of his hands of her. It wasn’t his business, obviously, but it
irked him more than he could say.

Thankfully, Courtney was taking up
his slack so, determinedly; he put it out of his mind. Yet he knew the man
would be there tonight. Seeing them together was almost more than he could
stand. Working his jaw, he was exceedingly grateful when Savannah had stepped
into the dining room, out of his sight.

Soon, the man in question arrived
with several of his friends, his hair still overly long, his demeanor confidant
and smooth. Of course, it would be. He’d practically grown up in this house as
well. Curiously, Courtney became overly animated upon his arrival, reaching out
to give him an obsessively long and warm hug. Austin quickly glanced into the
dining room to see if Savannah could observe them from her position. He hoped
she couldn’t. It seemed inappropriate, but then again, perhaps in their
circles, expected. It wouldn’t be acceptable in
his
circle of his own
making, of that he was certain.