8. Christmas Cookies

Christmas Cookies

Grant

33 Days Until New Year’s Eve

W e sat in the conference room, reviewing the launch schedule and the big sponsor we had lined up to market it. This would be one of our biggest launches, and everything had to be perfect.

“We’re in the last stages of testing,” Ben reported. “So far, everything seems to be working seamlessly.”

I nodded as I reviewed the latest financial report before relaying it to them. As the Chief Financial Officer, it was my job to keep track of the money we were spending and how it was projected to give us positive returns. “And how are we doing with Midland Sports Media?” I asked Lincoln. MSM was our biggest sponsor for this launch, and getting them to confirm their sponsorship proved tricky. We needed them for the publicity they would bring to the tracker by putting it on the wrist of all of their athletes, and they knew it.

“As of right now, we’re back on track as planned. That doesn’t mean that they won’t try to squeeze us some more before the launch, though,” Linc sighed. “They have a new guy calling the shots over there, and it seems like he’s trying to make a big splash on the first jump. We may need to discuss where to draw the line soon.”

I nodded. This wasn’t the first time big shots from other companies came in needing to show us how big and bad they were, and it wouldn’t be the last.

Joel came into the conference room with fresh cups of coffee. “These are for you. I feel compelled to tell you it’s five o’clock somewhere, and you should go home. That’s where I’m going. That said, Lincoln, don’t forget you have the ribbon cutting at that orphanage tomorrow. Grant, you have a ten A.M. meeting tomorrow with the legal team. Ben, the product assembly dropped this off for you. They said it is fully functional according to your specifications, and if you need anything else, let them know. Someone called to talk to one of you about Christmas cookies. I told her you were too busy and to send along two dozen and where to donate, so we should be getting cookies soon. That’s all I have for you. Good night.”

I exchanged looks with the others. “Wait! Do you know who the woman was that called?” I asked Joel before he could leave.

He looked down at the tablet strapped to his hand and clicked on it several times with his stylus. “Umm, her name was Nova, something I think. Why?”

“Nova Lane?” Lincoln asked.

“Yes!” Joel said with a smile and a snap of his fingers. “Come to think of it. Her name was Nova Lane.”

We all cursed as we jumped from our chairs and grabbed our things. “The next time she calls, you hear her out and adjust our schedules for whatever she wants,” I growled as I brushed past Joel. “And if there is no way to do that, you put her through to one of us immediately. No fucking excuses.”

“Ok, I will,” Joel said, hurrying behind us to the elevators. “But who is she?”

“She’s—,” Lincoln started to answer.

“None of your fucking business,” I barked, cutting him off as we stepped onto the elevator. “Just do as you’re told.” I glared at him until the elevator doors closed. “We need to call her.”

“I already tried,” Ben replied. “She didn’t answer.”

I cursed as I led the way to my Mercedes. We checked Icing first, but the shop was dark. “Does anyone have her address?”

“Yeah, just a second,” Ben replied. “Ok, head to the end of the street and make a left.” Ben guided me to her house, and I pulled into the driveway of a charming ranch-style home. I felt relieved when I saw the lights were on inside. If she wasn’t home, I didn’t know where we would have tried to look next. We went to her door, and I mashed the doorbell with my finger.

It took far longer than I would have liked for her to open the door, and when she finally did, I could see the surprise on her face at finding us on her doorstep. Without waiting for an invitation, I pushed past her, my brothers following.

“By all means, come in,” she said sarcastically.

“I’m sorry about the mix-up with our assistant,” I told her. “He hadn’t been made aware of our arrangement before you had called. He is now.”

“Next time, Sugar,” Lincoln added, “just call one of us directly. Fuck what the contract says.”

“Let’s not get too carried away,” I said.

“Joel said something about cookies?” Ben asked, peeking around her house.

“Well, I had called to invite you over for dinner, Christmas cookie baking, and, if we have time, a Christmas movie, but I understand if you’re too busy,” Nova explained softly. “Joel said you were. I don’t even have dinner started or anything prepped because I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Why don’t you let us take care of dinner, and then we can jump right into baking?” Linc suggested.

She smiled shyly and nodded her agreement.

“I’ll make the call,” I said as I walked back outside. I called the local diner and ordered cheeseburgers and fries for everyone to be delivered. When I returned inside, they had moved to the kitchen, and Nova was explaining the cookie recipes she wanted to make.

“You will each get your own recipe, and I’ll help you as you go along. Grant, you can take the chocolate chip cookies. Lincoln will do the butter cookies. That leaves Ben with the thumbprints.” She handed each of us a large mixing bowl, and we started mixing our ingredients. I wished I had been assigned the thumbprint cookies as it was a more technical recipe; therefore, Ben got more assistance from Nova. I struggled to thoroughly mix the dough when Nova came to stand beside me.

“It’s easier if you use your hands,” she told me as she took the spoon from my hands. She rolled up my sleeves for me, placed her hands over mine, and shoved them into the bowl. She showed me how to mix and then smiled up at me. “Good job. Once fully mixed, you can add your chocolate chips and then form the dough into one-inch balls and place them two inches apart on the baking sheet.”

“Kinda messy,” I commented, trying not to show how much I disliked this.

Her smile shifted to a full grin. “I know. I hate mixing it by hand, but it produces the best cookies.” I was momentarily blinded by the radiance that came with a genuine smile from her. Getting my hands all goopy was worth seeing her like that.

“Umm, Nova?” Ben called over. “Help.” I looked over at the evident distress in his voice and laughed. As messy as my cookies were, they had nothing on the ones he was making.

“Oh, Ben! You’re supposed to refrigerate the dough first. Didn’t you read that part?” Nova asked as she rushed over to him with my spoon. She scraped the sticky dough covering his hands into the bowl.

“I thought it was just a suggestion,” he admitted.

“It’s necessary if you want to be able to shape the dough into balls,” she huffed. She nudged Ben toward the sink and turned the water on for him. After squirting some soap into his hands, she grabbed the roll of cling wrap and cut a piece off.

“How am I doing?” Linc asked as she moved the contents of Ben’s bowl onto the plastic.

“You’re doing great, Lincoln,” she replied approvingly. “Your dough is ready to chill as well. Why don’t you grab a piece of plastic wrap and do what I’m doing.”

He followed her example as best he could as she expertly shaped the dough into a log and wrapped it. Pinching the loose ends with her fingers, she lifted the log and began twirling it like a mini jump rope, causing the ends to twist. Lincoln tried to copy her and nearly sent his dough log flying into the living room. She giggled as she helped him get a hold of his dough. Instead of doing it for him, she placed his fingers where they needed to be and guided his movements. The dough didn’t go flying this time, though it lacked her perfection.

She placed both in the fridge and then turned to look at me. “How is your dough coming?”

I looked down at the dough I hadn’t been mixing and started going on it again. “Almost ready for chocolate chips,” I said with more confidence than I felt. When I was satisfied that all the ingredients were mixed, I added the amount of chocolate chips the recipe said to add.

Nova came over while I was mixing them in and added another cup. “Always add an extra cup over what it says. That’s how you get the gooey cookies everyone likes.”

As she helped Linc and Ben finish their cookies, I anxiously watched mine bake. Needing to distract myself, I decided to learn more about our host and what she had planned for us.

“What other Christmas traditions did you want to accomplish?” I knew I could read the contract but I wanted to hear it from her. Nova didn’t disappoint as she launched into an explanation about what she wanted to do. I loved the added small memories and anecdotes as she explained why she wanted to do each activity.

“Oh, but my favorite tradition was…” She trailed off, getting our attention.

“What is it?” Linc asked.

“Nothing. I think it might be asking too much from you,” Nova admitted as she brushed me aside to pull a tray of cookies from the oven and replace them with a fresh batch.

“Tell us,” I urged.

“Well, every year on December twenty-eighth, the town holds a gingerbread house decorating contest at the high school. Dad and I would plan our design for weeks and loved competing. We never won, but each year, he would tell me that next year would be the year.” Her eyes had a sad, faraway look in them. “I never thought that one day there wouldn’t be a next year,” Nova said quietly.

Well, now we had to do it. Even if it were too much of her to ask, which it wasn’t, we would be doing the contest. And this year, we would bring home that win for her and her Dad.

“Sounds like fun,” Ben said. “I’m in.” Linc and I both agreed as well, and Nova glowed with excitement.

“If you’re sure, I’ll start designing our entry!” Fuck, making her happy was becoming an addiction.

Shortly after the cookies were finished baking, dinner was delivered. While we ate, Ben gave her the fitness tracker he had brought, and we told her about our latest launch.

Halfway through dinner, Nova perked up as she sipped the wine she had poured for us. “Ok, tell me about your Christmas traditions.”

“Well,” Linc started, “we grew up in the system, so we don’t have any.”

“That’s not true,” I said. “Don’t you remember? Mama Clair used to let us decorate our stockings on Christmas Eve after dinner.”

“Oh, yeah!” Ben said. “I had completely forgotten about that! You always stole the blue glitter glue and never let Linc or me use it.”

“I love that idea!” Nova exclaimed. “We’ll add it to the list.”

A short time later, Nova convinced us to stay for a Christmas movie, and as Bing Crosby started singing, I pulled out my phone. There were a bunch of important emails waiting for me. I glanced from my cell phone to Nova, sitting between me and Linc, her lips moving along with the movie. I smiled softly as I pocketed my phone. The emails could wait. This was far more important.