CHAPTER ONE

   “I don't care if it's two weeks before Christmas! Somebody has to be working in this city this week, besides me. You think I can run this advertising firm, employing hundreds of people—forty percent being from your agency, I might add— and it be okay for me to take two freakin' weeks off before Christmas?” He paused to listen to the party on phone line and laughed aloud. “Okay, so I am taking two weeks off before Christmas, but hey, I take my work with me.”

   Alec Mercer rolled his eyes heavenward as, Allison James, of the James Beauty and Brains Employment Agency, tried to appease him. It wasn't working. “Look Allison, I know you've sent over four girls already, and I appreciate it; I really do. Still, all of them had that look in their eyes, like, they wanted to fuckin' eat me for dinner.” 

   Alec scratched his head in frustration pausing long enough to hear the same detailed explanation she'd given him fifteen minutes ago. He understood it the first time, he just didn't want to hear it or accept it, because he was desperate. He was leaving the day after tomorrow, and he needed an assistant that didn't mind working for the holiday away from home.

   His cell phone shrilled, and he moaned pulling the phone from his inner blazer pocket with a soft curse. I can't handle another problem today.  “Ally, hold a minute, its Mom, on the other line. Yeah, I'll tell her you said “Merry Christmas”. Don't hang up on me! We are not finished yet.”

   Alec took a deep breath already knowing what this conversation was about, what it was always about. “Hello, Mom. Ally said, “Merry Christmas”,” he said and repeated, “You went to church this morning, lit a candle for me, and made a Christmas Wish?” 

   He rolled his eyes skyward. “Do I need to ask what you wished for? Of course I don't, what else do you wish for every Christmas, since I got my first chest hairs?” Alec chuckled. 

   “I'm not being a smart ass, Mother. Nevertheless, you make it seem like you're not happy by anything else I've accomplished, in my life and please, stop talking as if you're going to die tomorrow.”

   Alec shook his head. He had a Christmas wish too, he needed someone to save him from this bad day…no, this bad month. This has always been the worse time of the year and for once, he would love for it to be different than every other year.

   “Well, you never know Mom, you may get what you hoped for this year. No mother not the marriage, but I can always bring home a babe or two,” he teased.

   Alec laughed; his Mother didn't, which meant she's serious about what she wanted for this Christmas. She was ready for him to settle down, and she wanted to be a grandmother. It would take a bit to get the second, but on Christmas Eve when he proposes to Erica, she would get the first part of her wish.

   Alec caught the tail end of what she was saying and replied, “Yes, I'll be leaving the day after tomorrow, and hopefully I'll have an assistant in tow. Either way, everything will be ready and cleaned up before everyone else arrives.”

   God, don't start on Erica again. She did.

   “No, Erica, is coming later with her parents.” He cleared his throat. “No, Mother, Erica doesn't mind helping me prepare the cabin, she's just swamped with charity events,” he lied.

   Erica has never lifted a dust rag in her life, and she refused to do it, even for me. He thought, but didn't dare say it to his mother.

   Alec rolled his eyes skyward. “Mom, be nice. I know how you feel about Erica and her parents; but please try to be civil, for me. Are you sure you and Dad don't want to ride up there with me?”

   He closed his eyes and pressed in on the bridge of his nose.

   “Okay, the weekend it is, tell Pop to drive safely.” Alec knew if he didn't interrupt her, she would go on forever. “Mom, I love ya, but Ally is on the other line, and I'm desperate for an assistant. I'm drowning here. Yeah, I lost another Executive Assistant. Not now, mother. I'll call you before I leave. Love you too…no I don't know Ms. Lane's daughter…yes, I heard you the first time…bye.” 

   He cursed softly. Great! He finally chose to marry the one woman with a similar temperament to him and his attentive mother couldn't stand her. Could anything else go wrong today? He cursed as he remembered Allison was on hold.

   “Ally, look babe, you know me. I can't deny a pretty woman a roll in the hay, but she has to know that I'm not looking to marry her because of it. Yeah, I'm giving up my old ways, I'm finally going to settle down, and I believe Erica would be a good understanding wife. Why you call Erica a bitch? She comes from a good family. Her father is a man as driven as I am, and she can handle my workaholic mentality. However, I can't risk any bad publicity at this time.”

   Alec rubbed his temple with his fingers.

   “I can appreciate your emphatic stance, but I didn't get in this mess alone, Ally. You owe me big. I need someone, reliable and dedicated to her work; no more loose women looking for deep pockets. I needed an assistant like yesterday.” 

   Alec paused and listened to Allison, his mouth dropped wide. “Did you just say you had an ex-Playboy centerfold, with a what cup size? Do those really exist? Now that's she graduated, she's looking for a flexible job as an assistant? How flexible is she?” 

   He cocked an eyebrow at Allison's answer. “Damn, you weren't talking about flexible hours, I see.”

   Alec closed his eyes with a deep sigh. He had to stick to his plans, he wasn't a kid fresh out of school, and he has had his share of beautiful women. Still, Ally was hitting him below the belt, and she knew it.

   “How did I miss that you had a cruel streak after all these years?” He laughed at Allison's reply and caught himself. He had to remain serious and focused or he would never hear the end of it from his about to be fiancée Erica Fontaine. Okay maybe he should be calling Erica his fiancé, because in a few weeks, on Christmas Eve, they will be announcing it to their families. 

    If it weren’t for his ailing mother and her persistent need for grandchildren, he would have remained one of Society Magazine's confirmed bachelors. Yet, since his brother's death, his mother poured the guilty readily.

         Already his normal humdrum life was changing to suit another person's insecurities. Should he even be considering marrying a woman that didn't trust him?

   In the end, isn't that why hiring a simple Jane assistance, was so important to Erica? She didn't trust him to keep his hands to himself, around a beautiful woman. Why are the gorgeous women the ones with the biggest insecurities?

   “Look Ally, we've been best friends since pre-school, and you get all my business. So I need you to get on this…wait a minute someone is at my office door. I'll check back in tomorrow.”

   Alec placed the phone back on its cradle and shouted for the knocker to come in. 

   “Mr. Mercer, Mr. Owens told me to stop by and drop off these files before I left for the evening.” 

   Alec whirled around in his high-back leather chair tearing his eyes away from the Seattle skyline. At least it wasn't raining. He thought absently. “Thank you…“ He halted, his brow lifted in quiet surprise. This woman worked somewhere in his building. She had to be from a temporary agency because she definitely wasn't one of Ally's girls. 

   In a short time, he summed her up; that was all the time, he needed to access the short heavyset black woman that entered his office with files in hands. 

   She was curvaceous, but even though, he would deem, she was well into the plus sizes, she wore it well and the calf length skirt with a matching linen jacket fit her roundness nicely. Her dark brown hair was pulled back tightly at the nape of her neck and not a hair out of place.

   As he reached for the file she handed him, her pink tinted perfectly heart shaped lips curved into a smile revealing short spaced teeth. Her glasses slipped down her short round tipped nose, and he glimpsed very beautiful friendly eyes before she pushed them back up her nose. 

   “You're welcome Mr. Mercer.” She smiled again. “Mr. Owens said if you had any questions you can call him at home. Have a Merry Christmas!”

   She turned to leave and Alec found himself stopping her, his mind thinking crazy thoughts; except, hey, he was feeling desperate. “Wait! You’re Mary, right?”

   She turned her attention back to him and those lovely eyes locked with his. He saw through the glasses and saw that they were a warm brown; sort of like a puppy, he once had and loved very dearly as a child. He didn’t know her, but he liked her.

   “Mary Christmas,” she said. 

   Alec thought he had missed something while immersed in the warm fuzzy thoughts of his childhood pet.

   “Pardon me.” His head leaned to the side in question.

   Her heavy jowl face spread in a wider grin and he saw a dimple deepen on both sides of her mouth as she stuck out her hand and said. “My name is, Mary Christmas.”

   Alec's green eyes widened at the young woman who stood before him, breaking the monotony of another humdrum day by her presence. “You’re kidding me.” 

   “No Sir.” Mary laughed. “I think the joke was on me, when I was born to parents who will do anything for a laugh. Trust me, I wasn’t mentally scarred by it.”

   Alec couldn't help but grin at her humor and the sound of her voice and the endearing drawl. “You’re from the south?” 

   “Oops.” She prettily put a hand over her mouth as she giggled. Rolling her eyes behind her glasses, she added, “I’m sorry, when I’m nervous it gets worse.”

   “I make you nervous?” He cocked an eyebrow.

   “Well, yeah. I don’t get up here much but with it being close to Christmas it seems to be getting shorthanded around here.” Mary rattled and giggled again shaking her head. “I’m sorry, I’m sure you are a busy man and don’t want to hear all of this.”

   “No please, sit down and lets talk.” Alec waved at one of the empty suede chairs in front of his desk. “So you're from the south. What part?”

   “Alabama.” She answered as she took a seat smoothing her skirt neatly over her knees and folding her hands demurely in her wide lap.

   “My parents are from Florida.” Alec supplied, not sure why he felt incline to reveal any aspect of his personal life to her.

   “Oh, I like Florida. It’s a great place to vacation, but I don’t do humidity and heat really well. It’s one of the reasons why I moved from Alabama.” Mary trailed off with a chuckle her pretty face blushing. “You didn’t ask about all of this, did you?” 

   Alec smiled again leaning forward in his chair. “You've been working for Owens, for what, almost two years?”

   Her eyes widened as if she was surprise, he'd noticed. “I've been Mr. Owens assistant for a little over two years now.”

   “Strange, we don't' seem to cross paths too often. I believe, I see you mostly in the outer offices interacting with the employees on this floor.”

   “I hope that hasn't been a problem, I keep an index of birthdays, anniversaries, and such, and I intend to spend more time up here then I should because of it--”

   “No, of course not,” Alec chimed in with an easy grin. “I just wonder why you never personally gave me my gifts. I believe my assistants have delivered your gifts to me in the past, and it’s never afforded me the opportunity to personally say “thank you”. I don’t know if you were ever told this, but I run an open door policy with all my employees. At the end of the day I’m just like the rest of you.” 

   “Uh,” she tilted her head to the side. “No, I wouldn’t say that, Mr. Mercer, if it wasn’t for you…” She paused leaning forward in her seat. “We depend on you for our livelihood. I’m thankful that I have a great job and that I can work for a company that allows me to celebrated holidays with my family. Giving your employees two weeks off during the busiest time of the year in your field, is very generous.”

   “Ms. Christmas, I need you to be honest with me. Do my employees find me…unapproachable?” 

   Alec tried not to chuckle and failed miserably when he saw Mary fidgeting in her seat as if she was trying to decide if she should say what she was thinking or tell him what she assumed he wanted to hear. Apparently frankness won.

   “Er, well, most of the time you’re breezing through the offices with an entourage of executives on your heels and a cell phone to your ear. I think it’s not that you aren’t approachable, it’s just that everyone sees how busy you are and I for one would never impose on your already full schedule,” she explained. “It’s just feasible for me and the other employees to deal with your assistant.”

   “Speaking of assistance,” he stated, seeing a perfect opening. “I find that I'm without one, or I would have sent someone down to retrieve these documents in the first place. I apologize for any added work I’m putting on you.”

   “Don't apologize, I--”

   “No,” he broke in. “I asked Owens to make the delivery, and he should have done so himself. I know you should have left over an hour ago. We allowed all our hourly employees to go home early with pay to begin the holiday vacation, it’s part of our gift to you, along with the bonus.” Alec released a long sigh. “My executives get paid well to be at my beck and call. You should have been allowed to leave on time with the others, while your boss, saw to it that his boss received what he asked for.” Alec spoke bluntly. 

   “Really, I don't mind,” Mary blurted. “I shouldn’t be here taking up your time.”

   “No, it's I that is taking up you time, and if you will indulge me, I do so because I have a reason for keeping you here.” Alec leaned back in his chair clasping his fingers over his abdomen. “I have a dilemma, Ms. Christmas.” He smiled. “May I call you Mary?” 

   “Of course.” She smiled again.

   Alec was caught off his guard as he was hit with a flip-flop feeling in the pit of his stomach. He could swear every time she smiled at him the prettier, she seemed to get. Alec shook his head in silent protest. He wasn't looking for looks, he was looking for a new personal assistant that was smart and didn't threaten his girlfriend in anyway. 

   “Mary, how would you like a new position?”

   “Huh?” Her double chin dropped and her round eyebrows arched high like McDonald's golden arches. “A new position, Sir?”

   “Please, call me Alec,” he insisted. 

   “I don't think that would be proper.”

   “Nonsense, I'm your boss, you're about to become my personal assistant, and I don't like those I work close with to call me Mr. Mercer. Mr. Mercer is my dad.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Well, Dr. Mercer is my dad, but you know what I mean. He's retired now.” 

   Alec scratched his head feeling foolish. When had he become chatty? Hell, he usually didn't have enough time to get six hours sleep, and here he sat, one hour late for his dinner appointment with Erica sharing his personal frustrations.

   “How about it Mary? Are you interested in advancing? Would you like to become my personal assistant?”

   “I'm honored Mister…um, Alec, but I really don't like the thought of leaving Mr. Owens in a lurch. He was nice to give me a permanent job as his assistant, when I tried for over a year to get my foot inside this door because regardless of my impressive resume, I never got a return call.”

   Alec flushed. He knew for the past few years he had gave Allison's Executives Assistants all his business and never though anymore about it, because the women that she sent over did the service expected of them. The problem came when they also expected to land themselves a high paying executive. Sometimes, the plan worked, other times they found themselves out of a job because they brought their personal displeasure into the work place. Which bring him to his current situation. 

   “You mind my asking how you come to work for Mr. Owens?”

   “By association,” Mary mused. “I worked in the floral shop with his wife, and we became very good friends. She knew I had a degree in Corporate Management, and had been an Executive Assistant in Alabama, before I moved here. She put in a good word for me.”

   “I'm sure she did,” he laughed remembering what Owens last assistant looked like. His wife wasn't a fool. Alec rested his chin on his hands; his elbows perched on his desk. He really did like listening to her talk. Her voice was soothing like waking up in the mountain cabin with fresh snow on the ground feeling cozy beneath, just the right amount of blankets on the bed. He sighed.

   “Yup, she sure did, and I owe her and Mr. Owens, big time.” She finished.

   “Well, Mary, I too know a good thing when I see it, and I got to have you.” Alec said and caught himself. Dropping his hands to his desk he clasped his hands together. He really needed to get more rest. What was he saying? “I mean, I want you as my assistant. I will handle Owens.”

   “I suppose as long as he won’t object--”

   Alec’s brow pulled into an affronted frown. She trailed off into silence. Of course, Owens wouldn’t object.

   He loosened his silk tie, something else he usually didn't do outside his home. Yet, it seemed rather warm in here tonight. “Mary, I assure you Owens will be agreeable. Now, I need you to start immediately, because my family, and I will be heading up to Greenwater Ranch in the Cascades for the holiday break. You’ll need to be ready the day after tomorrow. I'll be by to pick you up, say 8 a.m., make sure you dress comfortable because it's about a two hour drive.”

   “Huh? Me, go with you?” Mary leaned forward in the chair.

   She only said what Alec was thinking. Why did he just invite his new assistant to spend the holidays with him and his family? Well, he had done it before, of course, but those women were his current paramours. His intention with Mary was to leave her here working and communicate electronically. 

   Nevertheless, what if the lines froze, yeah, that happened sometimes up there. They could be without power for days and then where would he be with his assistant, new and not being able to ask him questions. Yes, this was for the best. Mary had to come with him.

   “Yes, of course. Is there a problem?”

   “Well, there could be. Will I be back home by Christmas eve?”

   “No, you will be spending Christmas with me and my family,” Alec answered. “Why are you shaking your head?”

   “I’m sorry Mr. Mercer. I can’t accept your offer.” Mary said bluntly standing up and smoothed her hands over well rounded hips. Nice full hips, he thought, but that wasn’t here or there.

   “Why not?”

   “If I can’t visit my parents for Christmas, you're going to have to find someone else.” Mary said pushing her glasses back up on her nose.

   Alec released a deep sigh his lips pursed in thought. “Mary, I'll be paying you handsomely for the holiday.”

   “That's not the point Mr. Mercer. I'm grateful for the offer, but in my thirty-two years, I've never missed spending Christmas with my Ma and Pa, and they're getting up in the years, so I don't intend to start now.”

   Mary turned making her way towards the door and for a moment, Alec felt a weird sense of panic. He would wonder about it later, but for now, he couldn't let her walk out of his office and possibly out of his life. He stood up bracing the heels of his hand on his desk. 

   “Mary, don’t go!”

   She halted with a hand on the doorknob and faced him once more, waiting for him to say something.

   Alec was as surprised as she was from of what came out of his mouth next and hours from now he would never understand why he said it. “Ask your parents to come along too. The more the merrier. As you said, it's Christmas, and it'll be fun. There are plenty of available rooms, it used to be an old ski lodge that was remodeled into a vacation home and there will be plenty of food.”

   “I don't know,” Mary moaned, worrying her bottom lip. “Are sure it won't be a problem, because it sounds like it will be a lot of fun, especially if there is snow.” 

   “As you began to work with me Mary, you will find that I don’t make offers that I don’t mean.” Alec answered. If he hadn’t been sure when he made the offer, he was now looking at the current smile on her face. He forged ahead trying to make the deal even sound sweeter. “You know this will give us a chance to see if we work well together. If you aren’t happy with me, then once we return you still will have your position with Owens and with him being away for the holidays, none the wiser.”

   “I suppose you’re right.” Mary agreed softly.

   “As I stated, the place is huge and my parents will welcome the distraction of company. Since my brother died, Christmases doesn't seem to be the same,” Alec confessed.

   Even though this was the first time he admitted it aloud, it was the truth. He was sure his parents would welcome the distraction and be delighted with the extra company, especially fellow southerners, that was the type of folks they were. However, it was Bostonian born Erica and her blue-blooded parents that made them feel less than comfortable being themselves.

   Speaking of Erica, she wasn’t going to appreciate him turning their engagement family gathering into a working holiday with a family neither of them knew. Did Erica’s parents have a problem with black people? It was a conversation he never felt obligated to have with her? Hell, he didn’t even know if his potential fiancée have a problem with people of other cultures. 

   As if sensing his train of thought Mary stared at him. “You know, if you wish to recant the offer at any time before we leave, I won’t be offended.” Mary stated, her entire face softening giving her a somewhat ethereal quiet appearance that had him staring at her in a more accessing way.

   “Mary, do you always wear your glasses?” He found himself asking.

   She grinned in that way that was contagious, and he smiled back. “Only if I want to see.”

   Alec threw back his head and laughed. “Of course.”

   “Seriously, I wear contacts, when I’m in a more social setting.” She added with a saucy wink, and he assumed he was mistaken because of its subtleness. “I prefer my eye glasses for reading and working.”

   With a grin still on his lips he said, “I won't change my mind, just make sure everyone is ready to go early.”

   “No problem,” she nodded. “I've taken up enough of your time. Good night Mr. Mercer--”

   “Alec.” He interrupted.

   “I'll call you that once we know for sure if I'm going to be your assistant.” Mary said logically. “So, as I said, if you find yourself changing your mind before we leave, just let me know.”

   “I won't,” he assured her. 

   Alec watched her as she scribbled off her phone number and address on a piece of note pad paper on his desk. “I'll see you the day after tomorrow, and if you change your mind,” she repeated for the third time. “I wish you and your family a safe trip and Merry Christmas.”

   “Mary.” Alec sighed, leaning back in his chair, his hands clasped across his abdomen.

   “Yes Sir?”

   “Pack warmly and you may want to bring a couple of semi-formals. We dress up for Christmas dinner and New Year's Eve, we throw a big party for the towns people.”

   “Mr. Mercer--” Mary began.

   He already knew what she was going to say. “I won't change my mind, Mary. Have a good night.” He dismissed her.

CHAPTER TWO