Mistletoe Magic (11 page)

“Hey, now don’t get all sentimental on me. I live in uptown Manhattan, not upstate New York.”

“Right.”

Quickly, Melissa hung up the dress, carefully folded the wings, then encased it in a protective plastic covering. She wished she could leave the costume behind—one less reminder of the holiday she wouldn’t be celebrating, one less reminder of Rafe and how she’d met him pretending to be the tooth fairy. But that would be foolish, a waste of the hard-earned money she’d paid for it.

Perhaps she could sell it to one of the secondhand clothing shops she enjoyed poking through. She could use the money. But remembering Rafe’s first kiss, the way he’d crushed her wings, and the way her rhinestone tiara had spilled onto his darkly handsome brow, Melissa knew she’d never part with the costume.

“Merry Christmas, girl.” Arlene hugged Melissa and headed for the door with a warning. “Don’t eat too many sugarplums tonight!”

Melissa had to grin at the other woman’s teasing. “Don’t worry, I won’t.” Actually, she wasn’t sure
what
she was going to eat that night. “And call me like you promised.”

“I’ll call.”

Melissa hoped Arlene would. It was much more difficult to make friends in a big city like New York than it was in her small hometown. She’d miss the black woman’s sense of humor and high spirits, which never seemed to flag. Right now she could use large doses of both positive qualities herself. Gathering her things, she said her last goodbyes to the other women she’d worked with before leaving the dressing room.

Her brows drawn, her mouth tense, Melissa struggled through the still-crowded store. Just before she reached the revolving doors she was surprised to hear the familiar voice of her boss, Huxley Benton.

“Hmm. I can tell you’re not in a party mood tonight.”

“Is it that obvious?” Melissa asked, pausing next to the cosmetics counter where he stood.

“I’m afraid so. But I have to admit it’s nice to see someone without a big dose of disgusting Christmas cheer written all over them. These holidays wear me out.”

Glancing at the wry expression on his handsome face, Melissa wondered if Hux was really as cynical as he seemed to be—or had he raised a defensive shield because he, too, was spending the holiday alone? She wasn’t about to ask. Instead, she took the opportunity to broach the topic of future employment.

“Say, Hux, remember those test shots you wanted?”

“How could I forget? They were terrific. You really have some kind of magic, kid. I’ve presented a few new promotion ideas to the other execs. Don’t worry, I have you in mind. Budgeting decisions will be made in a few weeks, after all this holiday folderol is over. I promise I’ll let you know the minute the idea’s approved.”

“No problem.” Backing away toward the door, Melissa smiled to hide her disappointment that the news was not more definite. “You’ve got my number. It’s best if you call me mornings.”

“Right. Or I’ll pass the message through Rafe. By the way, you two have a good one.”

Wondering if she should tell Hux she and Rafe wouldn’t be spending the holiday together, she realized he was already distracted by a willowy redhead inspecting the cosmetics counter. He murmured something about taking her to a wild party after the store closed. Perhaps she’d been correct about Hux’s having no one with whom to spend the holiday. Melissa quickly headed out of Haldan-Northrop and onto Fifth Avenue.

Even though it was scarcely an hour before the stores closed, people were busy with last-minute Christmas shopping. Arms loaded high with packages, they hurried down the street and jostled each other for space on overcrowded busses. One pedestrian ran into her, almost knocking her over while rushing to the curb to flag down an empty taxi. The woman didn’t even stop to see if Melissa was all right.

Melissa thought of her own family and home. Were the Pennsylvania mountains already blanketed with snow? Manhattan had been overcast all day, gloomy with the threat of snow which had not yet fallen. Would New York have a white Christmas? All that remained of the previous week’s snowfall were dwindling piles scattered here and there, heavily encrusted with the gray soot of the city.

Melissa couldn’t help it if her thoughts were equally gray: she needed a job, but more than that, she needed Rafe.

The subway ride was more boisterous than usual. Ignoring the good cheer, Melissa quietly kept to herself, banishing thoughts of Rafe and thinking instead of her family. She wondered if her parents and brothers had received the package of presents she’d sent more than a week ago. Maybe she’d call them when she got home. That might help pick up her spirits.

But upon entering the vestibule of her building she had yet another disappointment awaiting her, a letter from her ex-roommate, who still had title to the lease on the apartment.

Melissa read the letter as she climbed the six flights of stairs. By the time she got to her landing she was fighting tears. Returning to New York in the spring, Julie and her husband planned to move into the apartment. Melissa would understand. And since she had until April 1, there’d be no problem with her finding another apartment for herself, right?

A few straggling tears rolled down Melissa’s cheeks as she unlocked her door and turned on the kitchen light. Dragging her feet over the worn linoleum, she made her way to the bedroom and hung up her costume, after which she found a box of tissues, then sniffled and blew her way into the front room.

The only reason she could afford
this
apartment was because it was still rent controlled. Another place in the neighborhood would rent for three or four times the amount. And since she hadn’t found other work to replace her job at Haldan-Northrop, she now earned only the modest income from the reading program.

Dropping her jacket on the floor, Melissa picked up the wrapped present she’d bought for Rafe and hugged it to her chest. Still in the dark, she sank into her rocking chair and stared out the window, allowing the collected misery of the past few days free reign. She sobbed out loud. Melissa had thought she’d been miserable last Christmas when she’d had the flu and had to remain huddled under her electric blanket after the furnace conked out, but this was going to be the worst Christmas ever!

No secure job.

No apartment.

No Rafe.

What was she going to do?

Heaving a large sigh and wiping her eyes with a tissue, Melissa stared out into the night at the Empire State Building. For years it had been the tallest building in the world, the beacon of the city of dreams. What had happened to her dreams? Melissa wondered. As if to taunt her, the view from her sixth-floor apartment subtly changed as the lights of the Art Deco tower were veiled by a translucent curtain and she realized it was going to be a white Christmas after all.

Mesmerized by the large white flakes, Melissa remembered the first time Rafe had climbed the six flights to her apartment. It had snowed that night too. He’d kissed her and she’d imagined them drifting high above the city, gliding through the night sky like snowflakes—

A loud banging noise from the kitchen startled her. Someone was at the door, obviously determined to get in. Who could it be?

“Rafe?” Her heart beating with excitement, Melissa scrambled to her feet while wiping her eyes. Had Rafe really decided to patch things up? Would this be a wonderful Christmas after all? Still clutching his present, she raced through the dark to the kitchen, already counting the hours they would share together and imagining the ways they would make up for their harsh words to each other. At the repeated knock she yelled, “I’m coming!” But, about to open the door, her big-city caution made Melissa pause before releasing the lock. “Who’s there?”

“Why, it’s Santa Claus and his favorite elf, my girl. Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!”

It wasn’t Rafe. Hoping they wouldn’t read the disappointment on her face, Melissa opened the door for her friends. Her eyes grew wide—they were both still in costume. Had they taken the subway home dressed like that?

“Merry Christmas, Melissa.” Terry looked at the package she was still holding. “A present for me?”

Melissa jiggled Rafe’s present nervously and set it down on the boards over the bathtub. “I—I thought you were someone else.”

“We weren’t sure if you had plans, so we decided to invite you to dinner,” Terry said, pointing to the larger of the two paper bags Clarence held. “It’s Chinese. We even got turkey fried rice to celebrate the season.”

“Thanks, but I don’t think—”

“Having a pretty female dinner companion would certainly cheer up a poor old overworked Santa,” Clarence grumbled, then checked her reaction from beneath his white brows.

“And Santa doesn’t look like he’s the only one who needs cheering up,” Terry added.

Knowing they couldn’t miss her red nose or swollen eyes, Melissa responded with a quivering smile. “You’re both sweet, but I wouldn’t want to ruin your holiday.”

“Nonsense, my girl, nonsense. Now, are you going to let us in before this food gets cold?”

Hesitating only a second—for even in her misery, Melissa didn’t want to be alone—she agreed. “Maybe we can make our own Christmas cheer.”

“Smashing idea. I have all the ingredients.” Clarence set the bags down and emptied the smaller one, pulling out red wine, aquavit, an orange, a lemon, cinnamon sticks, and other spices. “The secret for magical glogg has been passed down through my family for generations.”

Clarence went to work preparing the glogg while Melissa and Terry set the card table in the front room.

“Where’s your Christmas tree?” Terry asked.

“Rafe was going to help me pick one out. I got the ornaments out and everything,” Melissa said, pointing to a box.

She made a centerpiece by crowding together a dozen candles of varying sizes. When she lit them and the others on the shelves, the room glowed cozily. Then Terry tuned into a radio station playing Christmas music.

“Appropriately festive,” Clarence declared, sauntering in from the kitchen. “But aren’t you going to change?”

Realizing he meant her, Melissa asked, “Into what?”

“Into a sugarplum fairy. Would our Christmas celebration be complete with only a Santa and one elf?”

Knowing protesting would be useless, Melissa hurried and donned her costume along with a smile. How could she remain sad with two caring friends to gladden her heart?

When she came back into the front room her smile widened. Clarence and Terry were decorating her potted palm like a Christmas tree. They’d strung it with twinkling white lights and now were adding ornaments. Melissa hung the tiny fairy Clarence had given her near the top of the tree. She tried not to imagine what the evening would have been like if Rafe had been helping her decorate the Scotch pine she’d wanted.

Under her friends’ crazy influence, Melissa managed to have a better time than she would have thought possible. Only occasionally did Rafe Damon creep back into her thoughts to steal her laughter. After they ate their barely warm Chinese food, Clarence poured the glogg.

“Are you sure it won’t dissolve my insides?” Melissa asked hoarsely after taking her first sip.

“On the contrary. Be assured it will keep you healthy. Germs don’t stand a chance against this stuff.”

The glogg left a heated trail down to her stomach. Even so, the effects of the powerful drink snuck up on Melissa. “The room is spinning and I’m not even dancing.”

“What you need is fresh air,” Clarence said at the same time he poured another round. “Let’s go Christmas caroling.”

“On the, streets of New York? You’re crazy!”

“Oh, come on, Melissa,” Terry urged. “It will be fun!”

“But it’s snowing!”

“Merely atmosphere to set the stage, my girl.”

Giggling, she headed for her bedroom. “All right, but I guess I’d better dress warmer.” Donning white woolen tights and a turtleneck under her costume, Melissa wondered whether she was going along with their scheme because she was drunk or just plain crazy. Well, maybe caroling would help keep her mind off her problems. Grabbing a velvet cape she’d bought in a secondhand clothing store, Melissa rejoined her friends. “I’m ready.”

“No you’re not,” Terry countered, holding up a sprig of green. “You’ve got to wear my magical Christmas present.”

“Mistletoe?”

“Don’t you know about mistletoe magic? When you’re standing under it you become irresistible.” He pinned the sprig in her golden tresses, then kissed her on the cheek. “See what I mean?”

Melissa laughed. “Let’s go. I get to be in the middle so you two can hold me up. Boy, that glogg is strong stuff!”

Afterward, Melissa wondered how she made it down the six flights of steps, even with help. Once outside, Clarence navigated them along the streets of Manhattan, heading south in the general direction of Greenwich Village.

In a matter of hours the gray city had magically turned into a sparkling winter wonderland. Letting the fresh setting inspire her imagination, Melissa easily got into the spirit of the holiday. The trio melodically haunted the snow-covered streets, singing loudly if slightly off key, stopping whenever people greeted them merrily. Melissa was surprised when a few people offered them money after listening to their rendition of “Jingle Bells,” appalled when Clarence took off his hat and collected it.