A Christmas Worth Billions (Countdown to Christmas Book 4) (8 page)

“No, he needs to talk to you.” Ann grabbed Lily’s arm.

“Hey, I’m your boss. You have to listen to me.” Lily tried to hand her the paper and pen, but Ann pushed her toward the front.

“I’m your best friend, and I’m preventing you from doing something stupid. Go.” She shoved Lily out of the kitchen.

Lily straightened her apron and glared at Ann before walking over to David. She knew her best friend was right, but it didn’t make things any easier. She’d really messed things up the night before.

“Good morning. Would you like the usual?” Lily smiled at him nervously.

“Sounds perfect.” David handed her the menu. “I’ll have it to go. I need to get to the office.”

Lily nodded and turned away. She poured a mug of hot chocolate and topped it off with a large helping of whipping cream, then took the plate of toast from Ann. “Thank you.”

“Welcome.” Ann grinned and headed out to take an order from an older couple who had just come in.

Lily packed the toast into a bag and took the food out to David. “Sorry, I was going to put your hot chocolate in a cup, but then I couldn’t add all the whipped cream.”

David chuckled. “Fair enough. Thank you.”

“Here you go. You can pay as soon as you’re done.” Lily set the check down, her face red as she turned to leave. She wanted so much just to give him the food after everything he’d done, but knew she couldn’t afford it. “And I’m sorry about last night. I’m thankful for the tree.”

“It’s fine. Really. I should have asked instead of assuming.” David shook his head.

Sighing, Lily put her hand on David’s. “It meant a lot. That’s all the kids talked about this morning when we woke up.”

“Lily, wait.” David paused. “I was wondering if you’d like to go to my work Christmas party. I need a date, and I’d love for you to come.”

Lily stared at him with her mouth slightly open. What should she say? How could she say anything? His company was huge, and she was nowhere near glamorous enough for something like that. She shook her head to clear it. “I … wow. I want to, but I don’t have anything to wear.”

David nodded. “I understand. But I’m working with a clothing company right now, and I think they’d love to have you show up in one of their dresses. It’s good business for them. Please.”

“I …” Lily glanced over at Ann, who smiled and nodded. “Sure. When is it?”

“Saturday. Will that work?” David finished off his drink and stood.

Lily bit her lip. “I need to find a babysitter, but I think I can make it work.”

David’s eyes lit up when he grinned. “Great. I’ll pick you up earlier in the day so we can find you something to wear. For now, I’d better take off. Meetings and all that.”

Lily watched David go in stunned silence. She was about to go to a party with a guy who probably made more money in a week than she’d made in a lifetime. She went back to the kitchen to collect her thoughts, and was soon joined by a shrieking Ann.

“I can’t believe you’re going to his party. I’ve heard all kinds of stories about this party from my friend who works at the reception center he reserved. It’s supposed to have caterers and acrobats, and they’re giving out gifts to everyone. And you’re going as his
date
.” Ann squealed again.

“Yes, and I have no clue what to do with my kids.” Lily felt lightheaded and leaned against the counter. What had she just done?

Ann waved off her concern. “You know they can hang out at my house. You’re doing this. It’s time to get out of your shell and go.”

Lily knew she was right, but the thought of it made her want to curl up in a ball. She hadn’t been on a date for years. Well, not counting the times she’d been with David over the last few days. “Fine. I’ll do it. But I’m not going to enjoy it.”

“Yeah, right.” Ann laughed and took the coffee pot out to a couple who had just come into the diner.

Lily was grateful for the few people who trickled in during lunch. She treated them to a piece of the cake she’d baked when no one had come in during the morning hours. It probably wasn’t wise when she was already hurting financially, but it was Christmas, and she needed something to do.

The bell over the door rang, and she heard Mary and Patrick’s voices. They ran around the corner and wrapped her in a hug. The cold that had clung to their coats soaked into her.

“Hey, how was the activity?” The church had put on a Christmas party for the children in the congregation after school that day. Ann had gone to run errands and offered to pick them up on the way back.

“It was fun. Reverend Smith had a few of us act out the nativity. I got to be Mary.” Mary’s eyes were bright as she looked up at her mom.

Lily hugged her tightly. “That’s wonderful. What about you, Patrick?”

“I was a shepherd. I got to hold one of the hooks.” Patrick opened the fridge and pulled out some milk. “Reverend Smith asked how you were doing today.”

“What did you tell him?” She was supposed to meet with him the night before, but had forgotten in the excitement of getting the tree.

Patrick carefully poured a cup of milk and took a drink before turning back to her. “I told him that you were good because David’s taking care of us.”

Lily’s eyes widened. “You told him that?”

He shrugged. “Well, he is.”

“Yes, but you don’t have to tell the world that. People will think we’re dating or something.” Lily turned to the sink and washed Patrick’s cup.

“You’re not?” Mary asked. “Hannah told me that her sister has gone out with a boy four times, and now they’re boyfriend and girlfriend. That’s what you’ve done with David.”

“Um, right. Well, you two have been with us, so we’ll just call them outings.”

Mary rolled her eyes. “They’re still dates. Oh! Hannah’s mom wants us to go over for ice cream on Saturday night.”

Lily grimaced as she pulled out the ingredients for another cake. With no customers at the moment, she’d have time to bake for that night’s crowd. “I’ll be gone, and you’ll be with Ann. Maybe she can take you over for a bit.”

“Where are you going?” Mary asked, surprised.

“To a party. With David.” She turned away and measured some sugar to dump into the bowl.

Mary squealed. “See? I knew you two were dating. What kind of party?”

“A work party. And don’t squeal. You just scared the whole diner.” She tried to glare, but her smile crept through. Knowing Mary was okay with it made the party that much more exciting.

“There’s no one here.” Patrick helped dump in the flour while Mary measured out the vanilla. “Can I go to Seth’s house?”

“Of course. As long as his mom is okay with it.” Lily turned on the mixer and watched the ingredients blend together.

Patrick pulled his coat back on. “I’ll come back for dinner. Are you coming, Mary?”

Mary blushed, but nodded and followed him. She’d had a crush on Seth’s brother for years. Lily chuckled as she dumped the batter into the cake pan and wiped the edges of the bowl. She set the pan in the oven and set the timer.

Next, she started on some cupcakes. Ann came in the kitchen and stopped short before joining in. She grabbed some tins and put the little papers in each muffin spot.

“You’ve been baking all day. Is there a party tonight I don’t know about?” Ann asked.

“No, just hoping to entice people into coming.” Lily stopped stirring and turned to Ann. “I don’t know how much longer we can do this.”

Ann didn’t say anything for a moment. “I know. I’ve been praying something would happen, but so far, there are no miracles popping out of the woodwork.”

Lily grimaced. She’d hoped to keep up the act for at least a little longer. “We’ve survived for generations, and now I’m the one who let it fail.”

“That’s not true, and you know it. I’ve seen you go hungry just so you could buy a few more supplies. It’s these people who aren’t coming. Not that I can blame them. Business has been hard on all of us.” Ann set the pan by Lily and moved on to the next one.

“You’re right. As always. But I just want this icon to stick around.” Lily dumped the batter into the tins and wiped her hands.

The bell on the door dinged, and Ann left to take the order. She returned a couple of minutes later with a frown. “You’re needed out there.”

Lily gave her a questioning look and
walked out
to find two men standing there in long coats and holding an envelope.

“Miss Johnson?” one of the men asked.

“Yes?” Lily’s heart was pounding as she moved closer. She had been afraid it would get to this point.

The man handed her the letter. “We have come to inform that unless you can pay by the end of next week, we’ll have to close down your diner. We know that you asked for the end of the month, but our employers have moved up the date. I’m sorry.”

Lily took the letter and nodded. “I understand. Thank you.”

The man tipped his hat, and they left. Lily dropped into a chair, and laid her head on her arms. Sobs racked her body, and she was glad her kids had
gone to play
when they did. When she was finally able to calm herself, she stood and wiped her eyes, then took the letter into her office. One thing her parents had taught her was never to give up, and she wasn’t going quietly.

She tapped her pen on the desk as she tried to come up with a few ideas to make this diner irresistible to the people walking by. Most were old friends who had been coming for years, but like Ann had said, business was slow for everyone. Thoughts of asking David for help with advertising were quickly smothered. He probably cost a fortune, and there was no way she would ask for a favor after how she'd treated him.

The menu had changed a little over the years. Maybe if she brought back some of the classics and added a few new dishes, it could help. At that point, it was her only choice.

“Ann? Could you come here?” Lily wrote out a list of items. “I want you to grab these things. We’re going to try to earn at least enough to pay off what debts we have. That way, when I sell this place, I can use the profits to help my kids until I find something else.”

“This is the Lily I know and love. You’re good until I get back?” Ann put on her coat and stuffed the list in her pocket.

Lily laughed. “Yeah, I think I’ll be just fine.”

Ann left, and Lily pulled out her paint. She wrote out the specials on the front windows, and decorated the other windows in Christmas scenes. Her arms ached by the time she was done, but she hoped it would do the trick.

After washing her hands, she pulled out the roasts she’d been saving and set them on the counter to defrost. She sent a quick text to a friend who worked for the radio station nearby, and another to her friends at the local paper, hoping they’d do her a favor.

The door opened, and Lily could hear people talking, so she left the kitchen. A few groups of people stood in the entry.

“Welcome. Table for two?” she asked, then led them to a table. She sat another small family and a group of high school kids.

Lily made sure the Christmas music was playing in the background and went to grab more menus. She took the orders and hurried to the kitchen to fill them. Of course she would have to send Ann off just before the dinner rush. It was good she’d only written the menu items she already had made. She threw some noodles into the boiling water on the stove and poured sauce over the chicken just before putting it into the warming oven.

Mary and Patrick came bounding around the corner a few minutes later.

“Hi, Mom. There are lots of people … do you need you help?” Mary grabbed one of the orders from the counter and started dishing out in between telling Patrick what to do next. Lily could have hugged her right then—if her arms weren’t loaded with plates.

Lily took the first of the dishes out to the waiting tables and hurried back into the kitchen to grab drinks. “Here, Patrick, take those out to table four. That’s the one in the corner by the Christmas tree.”

Mary took out two orders while Lily plated the pasta. She set it on the table of a young family just as Ann walked through the door while her arms full of bags. Her eyes widened, and she bustled past everyone and tied on an apron.

“You couldn’t just wait until I got back to write the specials?” Ann asked in passing.

Lily laughed. “You’d think I would have learned a long time ago.” She handed off two more orders and went back to the kitchen to check the chicken. She pulled out the items that Ann had picked up and stuck them in the fridge.

The buzz of conversation coming from the dining room warmed her heart as she chopped up lettuce for salads. Mary added the other toppings to the salad, then helped Lily plate the dishes. Ann took one out to each of the patrons.

When the chicken was ready, Lily scooped noodles onto a plate and added the chicken and sauce on top. By the time the initial rush of customers was served, she was exhausted. Her kids sat in a corner resting, and Ann chatted with one of the groups.

Lily’s phone buzzed. It was her newspaper friend, telling her they’d love to do a piece and would be over in the morning. She smiled at the message and started on another batch of chicken. She’d have to answer back when she had a spare moment.