4. GRANT

I knew it was him.

There was so much evidence toward it. And as a lawyer, I loved seeing evidence. I wondered if he knew who I was, but I suspected he didn’t. Henry was Legal Elf and he was every bit as adorable as I assumed he would be. It wasn’t until he went on about Christmas decorations that I truly knew it was him. He’d told me about foil ceiling garlands in one of his emails before, I never knew they had a name, but I was well aware that he did.

The temptation to try and prompt him to realize who I was had been right there, but so was the prospect of me being a partner at this firm and not wanting to get into any HR hot water by flirting with the newest junior associate. I was practically his boss.

I left the office early, jetlag hitting after lunch. I went to a coffee shop to meet a friend, James Spencer, he was a songwriter from Texas. Originally started out as a friend, but then became a client of the law firm when he needed representation to help with the contracts of his songs.

James was sat in the corner with large headphones on and his pinched face staring at the glow of his computer screen. He barely noticed me approach and plant my briefcase down on the table.

“Jesus man,” he said, clenching a fist to his chest. “I thought you were clearing the table.”

The table had already been cleared from the looks of it. “I told you I was coming.”

He stretched and yawned, yanking the headphones from his head. “I was in the zone,” he said. “But it’s nice to see you. How was Europe?”

“Be specific,” I chuckled, taking my large overcoat off and placing it folded on a free seat at the table. “Paris was Paris, I mostly saw offices and paperwork, which is fine because it rained a lot. I spent a week in Italy, Roma down Naples, different vibe, different food. And then I took a weekend in Barcelona, not enough time to spend in Barcelona, again, amazing place with a beach. But too cold to take a dip.”

“C’mon now, you don’t have to rub it in,” he said.

“Didn’t the settlement come in from RBM Publishing yet?” I asked, taking a seat at the table.

“Officially, yes, but I’m not going to touch it until my accountant has taken everything that needs taking,” he grumbled. “And then you best believe on going somewhere warmer. I hear Thailand is nice this time of year.”

“Do it. I specifically made sure I was back here for Christmas.”

James looked at me with wide eyes. “Why? All your family is still back in Texas.”

“I just think the city is magic during this time of year,” I said.

“Overrun by tourists more like,” he grumbled.

“What you need is a number one Christmas record that people play every single year,” I said. “Think of that Mariah Carey money, every single year. She doesn’t have to do anything now if she doesn’t want.”

“I’m not a singer,” he said. “And I wish I could love Christmas as much as you do. But nobody does.”

There was probably a little truth in that. It’s what made it easy for me to get the job managing contracts and NDAs for those channels that specialize in Christmas movies, all year. “I think I might have met someone.”

James perked up in the chair. “Ok, that’s what you should’ve led with,” he said. “Go on. Tell me more then. Did you meet him in Paris?”

I shook my head. “Online.”

“Online,” he scoffed. “Jeez, nobody wants to meet anyone organically anymore. How can I write songs about meet cutes when people are bumbling around in coffee shops. Love songs about meeting on the internet, ugh, I can’t even process it.”

“And when was the last time you got laid?” I asked.

“And when was the last time you got laid?” he threw the question back at me.

“Barcelona, I went to this gay bar, they were playing explicit porn on the TV behind the bar and, maybe it wasn’t a bar I went to actually. But anyway, it was there.”

He rolled his eyes. “And you had a meaningful connection or—”

“Stop avoiding my question,” I said. “And that was a meet cute, but also, not who I’m talking about. And we haven’t met properly yet, but I strongly believe he lives in the city.”

James couldn’t stop rolling his eyes at every sentence that came out of my mouth. I didn’t blame him, I would’ve done the same, if I hadn’t been given all the information, and I certainly wasn’t giving him all the information about Legal Elf or how I was absolutely certain he was Henry.

We caught up a little more over coffee and sharing a slice of decadent cake. James was a romantic at heart, but a very specific type of romantic, he needed everything right and he was very particular about love. It meant he was very avoidant of online dating. I don’t think he’d ever even downloaded an app before.

I lived in a nice two-bedroom apartment in the West Village. It had exposed brick walls, a fireplace, and a nice balcony terrace with a couple metal chairs and table. It was nice out there in the warmer months, or if you were wrapped up in several blankets and a hot cup of coffee in your hands.

I’d only briefly been back to drop my suitcase off and shower before leaving for the office. My suitcase was opened on the floor of the living room with underwear scattered everywhere and shirts creased and unfolded. I didn’t have the energy to clean or pack. There was only so much energy coffee could provide before I was zonked.

Stripping out of my suit and kicking off all the items of clothing, I climbed into bed naked. And yet, as I laid there, trying to succumb to sleep, I couldn’t. My mind wouldn’t let go of the knowledge that Henry was Legal Elf , all the clues were there, every single piece of information he’d ever offered up about himself pointed to it all being him.

From my phone, I scrolled back through email exchanges to see what we’d talked about. He was starting a new job, he was nervous, and he was excited. Henry started today, nervous and excited too. If they weren’t the same person, then someone needed to work on a case for two people living the same life.

Just as I was reading through one of our first messages, he’d emailed me again.

‘ Hi Daddy Kringle, I wanted to updated you on my first day. It was good, I was invited for drinks, which I think I’m going to accept. I was certain people were going to hate me, but I guess that wasn’t the case. I also learned some stuff about the new place I’m in, and apparently people who have had a similar position to me before have gone on to do amazing things, but usually somewhere else. I’m hoping I can get some more information about perks at drinks. A lot of people have connections here.

All yours, Legal Elf.’

It was obvious. I wondered if he’d put the two together about me as well. Perhaps, I could sprinkle something out there too.

The first time I started talking to him online was on a forum. I had to use a pseudonym considering we represented the company who made most of the Christmas movies. I’d been part of Daddy culture for a long time, long enough to have my own custom made Santa costume in the cupboard. We had flirty conversations frequently, but never anything more than words were exchanged between the two of us.

‘ First days are always daunting, but I’m sure everyone loves you. You’ll have nothing to worry about once you’re settled in. If I knew where to send them, I’d have flowers on their way to you, and maybe even a little mistletoe, but you’d have to save a kiss for me. Enjoy drinks, but don’t drink too much, it is a week day, and you don’t want to be hungover on your second day.

Always here, Daddy Kringle.’

I laid the phone on my chest once the email was sent. I had a lot of feelings about the whole thing. James hadn’t been great at advice, but he never was. We were mostly talking about his career progression and how after winning a large settlement where there was a serious breach of contract which the firm handled, he felt like some producers and artists were blacklisting him, but it was most likely their labels doing that. So, we spent more of the time talking about that rather than discussing the actual issue that was my non-existent love life.

Henry wasn’t going anywhere, assuming it was Henry behind the emails, and I was ninety-nine percent sure that was the case. In the past, there had been a near openness to discuss meeting up with each other, but I was protective over my name and position, and I liked to think he was doing the same, considering his family’s name in legal circles.

The issue now was that I was his boss, or superior, but it wasn’t like I’d already imagined a fairytale romance between the two of us—well, it was exactly like that.

After years of watching and obsessing over cheesy Christmas movies, I was desperate to find myself lost inside of a cheesy Christmas movie where I was a main character who quit my big city job to live Upstate somewhere and make jam from a spare bedroom in the back of the house. I would meet my love interest through a punctured tire, his tire, not mine because I knew how to change a tire. Knowing Henry’s face, that’s the one I fixed over the top of this lost boy in need of a tire change on his beat up old car. Oh, and the roads were a dangerous place to be with snow and ice.

With all those ideas warming my brain, I found myself falling to sleep.

The danger of sleeping early was waking up even earlier than usual.

Just before 4 A.M. ticked around, my eyes were open and I was looking at the brightness of my phone screen. I wasn’t supposed to be up for another three hours. I’d slept for a solid ten hours. My entire body ached to move, so I laid in the warmth of my duvet for a moment longer. My apartment was cold, I’d forgotten to adjust the thermostat to account for the colder months, and now I was paying for it by needing extra time in bed to adjust.

There was another email from Legal Elf.

‘ I also wanted to say that I’m in New York City, so maybe we could meet up. That theatre you mentioned earlier sounds like a great idea. I don’t mean a date, but we could both be in the same place at the same time, and see each other for a drink. Or a hot peppermint mocha. I hear that’s one of Santa’s favorite drinks.

And maybe I’m only suggesting this because I’ve had a strawberry daiquiri, but I think it could be fun to finally meet. And Christmas is probably the best time of year for that to happen.

For the holidays, Legal Elf.’

My jaw ached from the smile it held. I didn’t want him to feel like he’d volunteered something while drink, but I already knew who it was, and maybe he knew who I was as well. I’d mentioned my Christmas mug in an email once before, he’d definitely saw me with it in hand, and peppermint mochas were my holidays drink of choice.

As much as I wanted to be outright and ask if he was Henry Beck, I also knew I couldn’t just come out with it like I was a trial attorney presenting evidence, but I could do the next. best thing.

For all the months we’d been speaking, I’d gathered enough information about him to know perfect gifts for him. It was definitely an out there idea, but I’d woken up on the right side of bed, and I was desperate to feel that cheesy Christmas romance love I knew I deserved, and so did Legal Elf, whoever he might be.

I showered and got ready for the day. I adjusted the thermostat to make sure when I got back home tonight, I wouldn’t be walking into a cold apartment. I filled a thermos with peppermint mocha and grabbed a briefcase with some of the files I needed to finish going over at the office from my trip in Paris.

The only thing that would make this day better would be some snow that actual stuck to the ground. All I got instead was an icy wind that nipped my nose and forced me to wrap my scarf around my neck again for he little respite of warmth it offered.