Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

Emery

I watched from across the room as Blake meticulously arranged the cocktail napkins at his otherwise empty table into perfect right angles. Even at a party, the man couldn’t help but organize things. I glanced down at the carefully wrapped gift in my hands, suddenly nervous about my choice.

It’s Christmas. Even the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes. Although it wasn’t exactly Christmas anymore—it was the Saturday after—it still felt like Christmas, especially with the way the room was decorated.

The converted warehouse space had turned out even better than I’d imagined. White fabric draped from the ceiling created the illusion of snow-capped peaks, while thousands of twinkle lights transformed the industrial space into something magical. Oversized paper snowflakes, which Max had helped me craft late into the night, dangled from fishing line at varying heights, catching the light and spinning gently in the air circulation.

Making my way over to Blake, I caught Levi’s eye from where he was chatting with some of the warehouse staff. He gave me an encouraging wink, probably knowing exactly what I was about to do. The man had an uncanny ability to read my mind sometimes, which was both thrilling and terrifying.

“Mind if I join you?” I asked, hovering by Blake’s table.

He looked up from his napkin arrangement, his expression suggesting I’d asked if I could perform an interpretive dance on his table. “I suppose.”

“Great party, right?” I sat down, gesturing to where our coworkers were actually laughing and mingling. “I think I even saw Janet doing the electric slide earlier.”

“It’s... different,” he admitted, his eyes darting to where Max was showing off his salsa moves to an impressed group of gift wrappers. “Though perhaps a bit unprofessional.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “You know, being professional doesn’t mean we can’t have fun sometimes.” I slid the gift across the table. “Speaking of which, I got you something.”

Blake stared at the present like it might contain a live ferret. “Why?”

“Because it’s Christmas? Because you’ve taught me a lot, even if your teaching style is more drill sergeant than mentor?” I shrugged. “Because everyone deserves a little holiday cheer?”

He carefully picked up the package, testing its weight. “You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to.” I watched as he methodically removed the paper, managing not to tear it even slightly. Of course he’d be a surgical gift opener.

When he finally lifted the lid of the box, he went still. Inside was a custom-made desk organizer, specifically designed for ribbon spools and tape rolls, with dedicated spaces for scissors and other wrapping tools. I’d noticed how he was always reorganizing his supplies, trying to find the perfect system.

“I had it made specially,” I explained into the silence. “The compartments are adjustable, and there’s a built-in tape dispenser.”

“How do you do it?” His voice was oddly thick.

“Do what?”

“Make everything... better.” He traced the edge of the organizer with one finger. “You waltz in here with your Christmas carols and your decorations and your... your joy, and suddenly everyone’s different. Even the owners are different.” He looked up at me, and I was startled to see moisture in his eyes. “I’ve worked here for five years, trying to maintain order and efficiency, and you accomplish more in a few weeks by breaking all the rules.”

“Oh, Blake.” I reached across the table and squeezed his hand, surprised when he didn’t pull away. “Order and joy aren’t mutually exclusive. Look at this party—we have name tags, designated food stations, even a scheduled gift exchange. But we’re also having fun.”

He glanced around the room again, this time seeming to really see it. Ronan was actually smiling as he talked with some of the shipping department staff, while Sophie led a group in what appeared to be a very enthusiastic round of charades.

“I suppose,” he conceded, then looked back at the organizer. “Thank you. This is... extremely thoughtful.”

“You’re welcome.” I stood up, smoothing my dress. “Now, what do you say we get you some punch? I promise it’s been portioned out according to strict guidelines.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “With proper serving utensils?”

“Of course. We’re not animals.”

And for the first time since I’d known him, Blake actually smiled. Not just a polite twitch of his lips or that barely there professional acknowledgment he usually gave, but a real, genuine smile that transformed his entire face. It caught me so off guard that I grinned back at him like an idiot, oddly proud that I’d cracked the Blake code.

Once Blake had a drink in hand, I made my way to a few other tables to chat with some of the other wrappers. Many were moving on to other jobs or going back to school in January, but several were staying.

Including me.

I’d had every intention of leaving Wrap It Up, but I saw so much potential that I couldn’t. After a brief conversation with Janet in HR, we pitched an idea to the guys to bring me on as employee engagement manager.

“I still can’t believe you pulled this off in just a week,” Levi said, appearing at my side with two glasses of champagne. He handed me one, his fingers lingering against mine.

“I still can’t believe you three weren’t going to do anything to celebrate.” I took a sip, watching Janet doing what appeared to be the robot to a Christmas remix. “I mean, these people wrapped approximately eight million presents in the last month. They deserved something special.”

“You’re right. We should have been doing this years ago.” Ronan’s tie was slightly loosened, and there was a softness to his expression I rarely saw at work.

“The Three Scrooges finally admit defeat?” Max appeared on my other side, stealing a sip from my champagne despite having his own glass.

“Hey! Get your own!” I couldn’t help smiling as he pressed a quick kiss to my temple.

“Yours tastes better.” He made me blush with the innuendo in his voice.

We were trying to keep things professional at work, but sometimes they made it really difficult. I was almost positive that every single employee knew we were in a polyamorous relationship by now.

“Look.” I nodded toward the dance floor where Sophie was now teaching Blake some kind of line dance. “I think we might need to add Party Planning Committee to the organizational chart. This is a big success.”

“Don’t push it,” Ronan warned, but I caught the smile he tried to hide behind his glass.

“Too late. I already ordered the committee T-shirts. They’re bedazzled.”

“You didn’t,” all three said in unison, making me laugh.

“No, but your faces were priceless.” I set my glass down, unable to resist the pull of the music any longer. “Now, which one of you is going to dance with me first?”

They exchanged glances, having one of those silent conversations that still amazed me.

Levi took my glass and set it aside. “I think we all owe you a dance for making this happen.”

Before I could process what was happening, I was being led to the dance floor by all three of them. The music shifted to a slower song, and we fell into a natural rhythm, moving together as if we’d practiced this.

“People are staring,” I whispered, though I couldn’t bring myself to care too much as Max’s hand found the small of my back.

“Let them,” Ronan murmured, his fingers intertwining with mine as we swayed.

“They’re probably jealous of your dance moves,” Levi added, making me snort most unattractively.

As we moved together under the twinkling lights, surrounded by the joy and laughter of people who weeks ago had seemed beaten down by holiday stress, I felt something settle in my chest. This—all of this—was more than I could have hoped for when I’d walked into Wrap It Up desperate for a job.

I looked at each of them. “Thank you. For trusting me with this. For letting me bring a little Christmas spirit to everything.”

Max squeezed my hand. “Thank you for showing us what we were missing.”