Home for Christmas (5 page)

“I understand. I’m not asking for
an investment, what I want to propose is a little different than what you’re
thinking. Courtney came to me with this idea,” and as Savannah became guarded
again, Austin carefully chose his next words. “I need someone to help me
attract investors in a very specialized way.”

“Attract investors?” she replied
after a few seconds, her interest piqued.

“Yes. The whole reason I purchased
your house, for a nice price I might add,” to which she smiled, knowing full
well the incredible profit she’d made on the house had helped close the books
and pay the remaining business debt. It had been vitally important to Savannah
to do so.

“Isn’t attracting investors what
you’re hiring Courtney to do?” she questioned.

“In a way. But I need to do
something a bit more personal for some of the larger investors, some of which
live here in Seattle. As you know, they’re usually more traditional in their
approach to life, they like to get to know someone on a personal level before investing
in their company, or so I’ve been told by Courtney. This has been her idea from
the beginning … to attract old money.”

Savannah nodded, it sounded exactly
like her. They were both members of that illustrious group. She could see
Courtney’s mental wheels turning.

“Thus, the purchase of your house,”
he concluded.

“Did Courtney suggest you buy
my
house?” she questioned uneasily.

“No. Her recommendation was to find
an older, historic home to either buy or lease. My agent found yours. In fact,
I hadn’t even seen the house, in person, until Halloween night. It’s why I was
in the neighborhood to begin with.”

“You bought the house sight
unseen?” she asked with shock.

“Well, I haven’t been in town much
lately …”

“But it’s going to remain a home,
right?”

“Of course it’s a home, it isn’t
zoned for anything else.”

“Zoned? Why did you check into …
never mind. You’re going to
live
there, right?”

“Why is this so important to you?”
he questioned, hedging.

“I don’t know. It just is. I don’t
want to think you’re just going to use the house because it looks good on the
outside. It has amazing bones, an amazing history. It’s been in my family for
generations. And we lived our lives there. Sure we entertained and of course my
parents had their business functions there, but it is so much more than just a
showpiece. It’s like a piece of living history to me. It’s part of who I am.”

Austin let a moment of silence fall
between them. This was going to be a more difficult prospect than he’d
originally thought. He had never known anyone so attached to a
house
before. Frankly, he’d not known many, in his world, who were attached to much
of anything, save their job and career. He didn’t want to get into something
complicated right now at this juncture in his life. Too much was at stake with
his company and too many lives were involved … people who depended on him.

Yet, as he studied her expressive
eyes, he saw something in their depths that made him question that decision.

Savannah pondered the man sitting
across the table. He was so many of the things she’d secretly wished for in a
man; he was smart, strong, independent, confidant, empathetic, a man who led.
But she wondered about his past, his family, even as she was learning the
future he planned. In her world, everyone’s pedigree was known, generations
back. Family was a central element in understanding their world. It came up in
casual conversation, often. It didn’t with him. In fact, very little personal
details emerged. She was compelled, for some strange reason, to learn more.

Attractive? Perhaps the most
attractive man she’d ever met. She definitely felt a pull. She was wary,
however, for she’d known many like him in the retail world. They lived their
life for business, nothing else. She wondered if he even knew that something
else could exist. Did he even know what it meant to have a home? A family?

Those questions ran unanswered over
and over in her mind, fixating. She knew what he was leading up to, this
proposal of his. He and Courtney needed someone, on the inside of the circle,
to make him and his ideas viable for investment. Though Courtney was as capable
of accomplishing the same end, Savannah knew how busy her friend would be on
other fronts. She also recognized the value Courtney would see in the endeavor.
To be fair, she also probably saw it as a provision for her friend. Savannah
didn’t want to dwell on that thought, although it was true.

“Sorry. I get a little emotional
about that house, as you can see,” she said waving her slender hand, simply
manicured and void of all jewelry. “That house will always be a part of me, but
I recognize I’m not its owner any longer,” she said sincerely. “What did you
have in mind?”

“I need someone to make that house
look like a home, my home. I need to entertain for the holidays and make it
seem believable.”

Savannah began shaking her head.
“What?” he questioned tensely.

“It won’t be believable unless you
make it that way, no matter who you get to coordinate your parties.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You can’t just open the doors,
invite people over and say, ‘See, I’m one of you now.’” She watched as his
annoyance grew. “People invest in people.”

“That’s not true, they invest in
technology.”

“In
my world
, they invest in
people. If you can talk to them about your business the way you talked to me a
few minutes ago, the house and all its accoutrements will only be a bonus. And
just so you understand this from the beginning, a home is created out of the
warmth and love of the people who live there; the memories they create together.
The only person that can make that house a home again is you.”

“That’s not true,” he stated
angrily. “I can’t make it a home because I don’t have a home and I don’t know
the first thing about them! But you do and you’re the only one who can do it,
actually,” he said more calmly, “the only one I would trust to do it.”

A deafening silence ensued as they
each sat, weighing the words of the other. Austin had revealed more about
himself than he’d intended. It was exactly that vulnerable statement about
trust that had finally won her over, although she didn’t want to admit that
just yet.

“Look,” he said, finally breaking
the silence, “It’s this simple. Courtney and I have been discussing
entertaining potential investors over the holidays. She recommended finding a
comfortable and established home in which to do it. I don’t know the first
thing about all of this. Ask me something about my company, my competitors, the
stock market … anything economic and I’m comfortable. Ask me something
personal, and I’m out of my element. I can’t do this with someone I don’t
trust. And I know we’ve only known each other a few days, but somehow I trust
you to do this.”

He looked intently into her eyes.
“Savannah, as I do with all of the people I become involved with in business, I
read everything I can find. I did that with you.”

She nodded in understanding for she
had always done the same.

“Believe me,” he continued, “I
understand how valuable you are. I recognize what an asset you’d be to me. Your
family name is respected and known, as you are in your own right. To have your
stamp of approval on what I’m doing would be immeasurably helpful. And I will
compensate you as highly as I’m able. But while your connections are valuable,
the overriding reason I want your help is because I respect what you do, how
you work, what you create.”

“You see,” he said scooting closer
to the table, “I remember what kind of atmosphere you created in Wentworth’s
during the holiday season. It was a veritable feast for the eyes. You
transported shoppers from the ordinary into a fantasy land, it was incredible.
And all of that was under your watch. I saw it with my own eyes how, even with
an empty tomb of a house sitting behind you, you decorated your Capitol Hill
home and made it look warm and inviting, like every child’s vision of the
perfect Halloween.  You made an empty house a place that people were drawn
to. I saw the lines of little goblins and princesses myself.  If you can
do that, you can do this. You can take a bachelor who knows absolutely nothing
whatsoever about anything resembling domestic life, and transform that bachelor
and his new home into something acceptable. I want you to make my new house the
place everyone wants to be for the holidays. I have thousands of employees
whose families are depending on a successful launch of this IPO. This is a
critical element. I can’t let them down.”

Tears pricked in the corner of her
eyes. Turning her house, her
old
house, back into a home was like giving
it new life. She … the one who thought all was lost, the one whose biggest
regret was not being able to spend another holiday season in that house, was
being given the opportunity.

Austin reached across the table to
cover her hand with his as he watched her conflicting emotions. “Will you help
me?” he asked simply. “My assistant can hire caterers and send out invitations,
but she can’t do what I saw you do.”

Spotting the women heading back
toward their table, he removed his hand from hers, the question still
unanswered. When Savannah heard their approach, she nodded her head in
agreement. She felt his answering smile to the center of her being.

“We’re back,” said Courtney as they
came hurrying up to the table. She eyed Austin and Savannah, trying to gauge
the political climate as well as read behind Savannah’s eyes.

As the women joined them,
quizzically glancing between the two, Austin reverted to his professional
demeanor, giving rapid-fire instructions. Lois, his assistant, obviously used
to his ways, quickly pulled out her pen and began to write.

“We’re set,” he said. “Savannah has
agreed. Now. I’ve got a planning meeting scheduled for the management team in
two weeks, I want to host a Thanksgiving Dinner, which invitations will go out
today, I believe, and many smaller December parties leading up to Christmas.
I’d like you all to be in the loop for potential guest lists and Lois will
coordinate. I’ll get all the dates to you by this afternoon.”

“Two weeks?” Savannah questioned,
quickly drawing out her notepad. “Is your furniture already moved in? I may
need to tweak it a little.”

“I don’t have any furniture. You’re
going to need to furnish it and I’ll have Lois set up an account to meet all
your expenses. Remember, this is vital to our IPO. While I’m all about
frugality when I can be, I understand this will be a substantial financial
undertaking. I want it done well, just not excessive.”

“Of course it will be done well,”
Savannah replied tartly. “But you will need to be involved, somewhat at least.
You’re going to be the one living there and it will seem a little off if the
interior doesn’t suit you. You’ve got to be comfortable and it should be a
reflection of who you are.”

“Savannah, I grew up in the wheat
fields, working like you can’t even imagine. A house can’t possibly reflect who
I am. I spent all day on a tractor from dawn to dusk; sweaty, thirsty or
freezing cold and more tired than you could even imagine. I slept in what
amounted to a barn more than half the time. Today, I live in a penthouse
overlooking the city but I’m rarely there. I really don’t care about how the
house looks … just make it look like a home, whatever people like you would
expect. I trust your judgment.”

Courtney’s eyes were wide with
expression, teaming with interest. It was something their set couldn’t begin to
imagine. A barn? Truly? Savannah was more than just a little intrigued.

Her mind began spinning with
possibilities. Yes, she could create and host the events on his calendar, and
they would be memorable, beneficial to achieving his goals. She knew he would
appreciate it. But she could and
would
do much more.

The entertaining was second nature.
Rather than a chore, it was something she thrived on. The making of a home, was
something all together different. She couldn’t think of anything that appealed
to her more. Because it wasn’t just creating a beautiful box to house things
that came from stores, it was creating a place, a haven, where one belonged.
And in so doing, the challenge she gave herself was to show Austin just how
important that home could be. Breathing new life in her old home would go a
long way toward healing the wound of losing it.  

“It will be a …
challenge
to
get it done in two weeks,” she admitted to the three. “But … I know people and
I could ask for some favors,” she finished with a smile. “It might not be
perfect by then, but it’ll be well on its way.”

“I have faith in you,” he smiled
into her eyes, effectively flustering her once again.

“Well, I think we’re finished
unless there are more questions,” Austin concluded, rising quickly, telling
Courtney he would see her in an hour at the office.

Lois leaned over and gave Savannah
a quick hug. “I’m so glad you’re going to help him. He’s a wonderful man,” she
said meaningfully with a gleam in her eye.

Courtney quickly gathered her
things, pausing for a moment to kiss Savannah’s cheek. “Thank you so much,” she
whispered as she also ran out the door. Alone, Savannah gathered the empty bags
and cup sleeves left behind, only now realizing for what she’d signed up for.
An unbidden smile formed as she walked toward the trash receptacle.  

The meeting concluded, and tons on
her mind, Savannah found her feet wandering down toward Seattle’s busy
waterfront; teeming with tourists and ferry passengers and … activity. The
aroma of Pike Place Market drew her subconsciously. One foot in front of the
other. Step by step, she walked, downhill; further and further and further.
Without thought, without conscious direction.

She felt haunted. Everywhere she
looked, memories and images of her past floated through her mind.

It was a horrible idea, Austin and
Courtney’s plan. Absolutely
horrible
. She couldn’t do it. Simply and
unequivocally impossible. When the idea had been presented and in the moment,
she thought she could. Now, alone amidst dozens of strangers with time to
think, the decision took on a different dimension.

Walking back into that house …
going backward … she couldn’t do it. It was too much. She’d stayed strong …
right through to the end. But now that the pressure of finalizing and closing
and negotiating was finished; there was nothing left standing of her old life …
but herself. Everything was gone; sold, buttoned up, removed. And here she
stood, alone, completely and utterly … alone. And all she had left was her
memories. And that was daunting.

Now, they wanted more. One of her
oldest friends had thought she could give just a little bit more. She felt a
little angry and a little stung. Sure she’d given Savannah a place to stay; a
refuge she’d thought. Now she felt manipulated, used. And Austin? He was
nothing but a shrewd businessman who recognized what she could bring to the
table. It was, after all, just business. Except that for her … it was so much
more.

There hadn’t been much left after
the assets had been settled and balanced against the debt. But perhaps she
could squeeze out a bit more. Enough to escape for awhile. A change of scenery,
someplace where people didn’t know who she was. A place where no one would ask
anything of her, wouldn’t push, wouldn’t presume. She felt more than a little
angry at the presumption of her so called friends. At this moment, she didn’t
want to see Courtney any time soon.

Her feet continued to walk one step
in front of the other. The breeze coming up off the Sound had that November
chill already. It wasn’t raining at the moment, thankfully. Without thinking,
Savannah veered toward Pioneer Place and the interior décor shops and art
galleries that always lifted her spirits. Before long, she was window shopping
in earnest. Delighting in the displays, captivated by little trinkets that
caught her eye.

A few minutes later, a particularly
brisk gust of wind sent shivers down her arms and legs, driving her into the
welcoming warmth of her favorite furniture gallery. A familiar sales associated
nodded a polite greeting as Savannah began wandering the vignettes.  A
particularly lush fabric covering a sectional caught her eye, compelling her to
run her hands through its weave. The color … magnificent. In fact, it would be
perfect in the family room …

Catching her wayward thoughts,
Savannah sank into the down cushions, covering her eyes, willing her mind
elsewhere. She bit her lip as she glanced around the showroom.

He was right. It was just a …
house
.
It wasn’t … living, per se. Just a building now devoid of the people who’d
loved it. Time moved on, people moved on. Could … she?

The hurt welled up inside once
again, the pain of the loss, the sting of loneliness, the nostalgia of what
once was. But she
was
strong. Had
always
been strong. Mind over
matter and all that. Savannah was confident she would be able to move on with
her life and create something new. But that confidence was based on
time
.
Time to heal, to consider, to decide. Time hadn’t been given to her in regard
to Austin’s proposal. Wasn’t that the way it always was? Too little or too
much. Never just enough.   

Reluctantly rising from the
incredibly comfortable seat, she walked across the showroom to a set of
candlesticks that drew her artistic eye. And the painting beyond that somehow
captured a perfect balance between traditional and modern. Amazingly perfect.
Her eyes continued to wander, seeing little gems in nooks and crannies and
cubbyholes. Completely and utterly satisfying.

As she left the building with a promise
to the polite associate to return soon, Savannah continued her walking journey,
delighting in the unique shop windows for blocks to come. A scarf here, a pair
of shoes there, an antique book her father had always wanted to find. Somehow
she’d acquired these items and her bags were becoming heavy and cumbersome. But
it had made a difference. She had a new lease … and she had begun to claim a
new resolve.  

After hailing a cab to take her
back to her car, Savannah rode the elevator up to Courtney’s top-floor
condominium, resolved yet hoping she wasn’t waiting for her there. And
blessedly, it was empty.

Savannah kicked off her shoes in
her bedroom and quickly placed her newly acquired things in the closet, waiting
for yet another day. The condo was deliciously quiet. As she made her way into
the kitchen, snagging a banana on her way toward the floor to ceiling windows,
Savannah knew she couldn’t put off an internal decision much longer. Even
though she’d given her word, she could still back out. She’d signed nothing.
She needed to be all in or all out.

The day had spent itself, the city
lights below were beginning to sparkle and glisten in the ever darkening sky.
Tomorrow was on its heels.

Her eyes tracked a lone ferry
traversing the Sound on its way to Bremerton or Bainbridge Island, gliding
effortlessly toward dark waters. Unchartered waters easily navigated by a
captain who knows it depth and breadth, yet a frightening challenge to mere
untrained passengers who can navigate only what can be seen with the eye. An
eerily similar metaphor to her own life.

Savannah returned to her room and
changed into yoga pants and t-shirt, planning to visit the building’s gym
despite her long walk earlier. Still tossing the decision back and forth, she
decided to tackle it once and for all, ending the uncomfortable dilemma as
quickly as possible. And to do that, she would make this decision as she
normally made decisions … with lists and data.

Soon after, laptop propped on her
bed, Savannah began perusing her bank accounts, her emails from prospective
employers, calendaring dates, making budgets … essentially planning the next
three months of her life. Her earlier aimless wandering, ambivalence,
indecision … now gone. And with its absence came a return to that which was comfortably
familiar, confidence. The pain wouldn’t lessen, the sting of the change
wouldn’t diminish overnight, but she was on her way. The door had opened and
most importantly of all, she had walked through. Though she might still be on
its step, she had walked through the door.

Sometime later, Savannah leaned
back against the pillows while she looked at a hard cold reality. Her funds
were more depleted than she had originally thought. The closing fees had
required more than she had expected. She could make it without employment until
the first of the year … but,
just
. It wouldn’t be comfortable, it
wouldn’t be easy. In fact, some of her friends would most definitely not
understand her diminished lifestyle. But it wasn’t important enough to Savannah
to even consider that in her planning.

Her mind wandered back to her
beloved family home. Now empty. Dark. And the holidays were approaching and its
very life would be so very different. She was certain that if she turned down
Austin, he would find someone else. His plans would go forward and with
Courtney’s help, he would entertain … in her house.

But no one could bring her house to
life better than she. No one could evoke a holiday spirit, in that house,
better than she. No one would put as much love and attention and thought into
the holidays, in that house, as would she.

And the holidays were approaching,
her very favorite time of the year. Unemployed, and essentially homeless, she
wouldn’t be entertaining at all. She would always and only be the invited guest
this Christmas, never able to give … only receive. Living here was essentially
a Christmas-free zone for if this season was anything like the previous year,
her friend would balk at even putting up a tree.

But it wouldn’t have to be that
way. With the generous budget Austin had vaguely mentioned, she would be able
to create the holidays, in her house …
his
house … one more time, with
no thought, really, to expense. She could celebrate the season’s splendor, and
most importantly, share it with others. She could bring meaning to people who
had perhaps grown numb with holiday demands, and remind them of its tremendous
significance.

I need to speak with Mr. Douglass,
Savannah told the receptionist on his floor the following morning while
standing unannounced at her desk. She’d hesitated and procrastinated since the
sun came up, all of which were contrary to her nature, before finally giving up
the fight and making her way to his office.

Lois greeted her and brought her
back to Austin’s suite of offices. The unruffled assistant looked at her
compassionately for a moment before removing her glasses and promising to do
what she could to extricate him from a regional director’s meeting.

Savannah graciously thanked her
before making her way toward the expansive windows overlooking Fisher Plaza and
beyond. She was aware that a simple phone call would have been sufficient,
especially for him, but she somehow wanted … no
needed
a face to face
with him. She had to look him in the eye and gauge his reactions to what she
would say. This project, as they’d called it, was asking a lot of her, it was
presumptuous; it was beyond what most would even consider.

Taking a deep breath, she halted
her wayward thoughts destined to bring those depressing emotions again.
Mentally, she took a different path. It wouldn’t do anyone any good for her to
become maudlin. Because, truly, it was her problem and hers alone. She had to
come to grips with all of this … and move on.

As she gazed unseeing at the snow
dotted Olympic Mountain Range in the distance, she couldn’t help but consider
Courtney. By the time she had finished working out and returned to the condo,
Courtney still had not come home. True to her word, Savannah had made a quick
grilled salad from the produce she’d picked up, plated half of it and put it in
the refrigerator for her friend to find. Hours later, Savannah heard Courtney
quietly open the door and tread lightly toward her bedroom at the end of the
hall. Early this morning, the door was still closed and Savannah didn’t have
the heart to wake her for the chat they both knew was necessary.

“Savannah,” came a masculine voice
she was becoming familiar to, jarring her back to the present.

“Austin.”

“Come this way, I’ve got a few
minutes.”

She didn’t say it. She wanted to …
but she didn’t. What he didn’t know was that if she was going to take on this
project, it would require more from him than he knew. Smiling to herself, she
followed him into an office that most definitely took her by surprise.

“Here it is,” he commented with
arms stretched wide. He always enjoyed this moment. The moment when people
entered his office for the very first time. “What do you think?”

Savannah quickly decided to
camouflage her true reaction to this tiny nook that most would confuse for a
barely used storage closet.

“Comfortable,” she nodded, glancing
quickly around while setting her bag on the floor next to the stool she assumed
was to be used as the only extra available seating. There was another stool
against the window. The desk … a peeling, painted door set on crumbling
sawhorses. Smiling confidently and successfully hiding the chuckle lurking
behind her eyes at his crestfallen expression, she delighted in refusing him
the anticipated reaction.

While her retail world has catered
to the lux of fashion, was decidedly upscale; she knew very well how the tech
industry operated, what it prided itself on, and truly wasn’t all that
surprised at his office.

“I thought you’d think it a little
small judging by your tastes,” he mumbled, pulling his worn stool up to his
desk.

“Well, that shows you really don’t
know much about me, now doesn’t it?” she answered sweetly.

“I know enough … or at least what I
need to know, Savannah.”

“I know I told you I would take on
the project yesterday,” she began watching as his eyes showed a modicum of
concern. “But truthfully, I needed twenty-four hours to really consider your
proposal.” She could see disappointment lurking behind his eyes. “I’ve taken
that time to consider everything … and the answer is yes.”