Red Hot Christmas (16 page)

      He nodded to her and looked pointedly at Gabby but she didn’t return his gaze.

      “Fraser has already had dinner but I’ve put the oven on for the two of you. Anything else you need from me tonight?”

      Tessa obviously sensed the tension, he could see the trepidation in her eyes but her smile didn’t let on.

      “No. Thank you. Everything working out with you and—” he pointed at Fraser not wanting to draw the boy’s attention.

      “Oh yes. I’ll let you discuss it with Gabby of course, but the two of us are fine, so if it works for everyone I’m happy to continue.”

      Finally Gabby looked up but her eyes skated over him as she smiled at Tessa. “We should discuss it, you’re right. But I really appreciate the way you are with him. It’s great.”

      “Well then. Have a good weekend the three of you.” Tessa started towards the front door.

      “The weekend? You’re not here tomorrow?” Gabby paled.
 

Was she dreading spending time with him that much? It was only a weekend for goodness sake. Her being here was never going to work if two days with him filled her with dismay. “Tessa has the weekends off to be with her own grandkids.” Nicolas said, more sharply than he’d intended

      Gabby’s lips thinned and she looked as if she’d swallowed something bitter. “Of course. Have a lovely few days.”

      The door shut behind his housekeeper and Nicolas took a deep breath.
 
“You won’t be in my way this weekend if that’s what you’re worried about.”

      Gabby was still sitting on the floor, her back now to him. “I have to work tomorrow. It’s the grotto opening. I’d hoped Tessa would be able to look after him while I get things sorted at work.”

      Of course. He hadn’t forgotten the opening, but it hadn’t occurred to him that Gabby would need to arrange someone to look after Fraser. That’s what came from not having any kids of his own.
 

      “He can hang out here with me. Then we’ll come down and check it out.”
Really?
Nicolas was as shocked as Gabrielle’s face said she was.

      “I don’t think so.”
 

      “We’ll discuss it over dinner. Didn’t you say that Fraser was about to go to bed?”

      “We won’t discuss anything over dinner. If you think I’m going to make nice and sit down to eat with you…” she took a deep breath, obviously remembering Fraser was watching the two of them. “Come on mister. Time for bed.”

      Nicolas checked the oven, opened a bottle of wine and poured two glasses. Then sat to wait. And wait. Surely Gabby was kidding about not having dinner with him. She had to eat didn’t she?      When he reached the bottom of his glass he decided to find out. Putting a hand to Fraser’s door, he pushed gently. It opened a crack but there wasn’t a sound from inside so he moved on to Gabby’s room.

At her door he hesitated then shook his head. It was his apartment goddamit. Walking into the room he didn’t know what he expected, but it wasn’t to find Gabby in bed, the covers pulled right up to her chin.
 

She was far from asleep. “What are you doing?” he asked before he could think of something more pithy.

“What does it look like? I told you I wasn’t having dinner with you. Did you think I was joking?”

Served him right for asking such an obvious question. “I’m not waiting any longer for you.”

“Good.”

The pause filled the room. This was not how it was supposed to go. “Fraser will be fine here with me tomorrow.”

“I already said I wouldn’t leave him here with you.”

“You’ve managed to organize a free sitter in the last ten minutes have you?”

She was quiet. Finally. Perhaps if he did something useful she’d relent and they could talk.

“He seems a pretty affable kid. Or is that just because you’re around? He was okay with Tessa.”

“He’s fine. Great.”

“Of course, I just meant…”

“I know what you meant.” She sighed and pushed her hands out over the covers. “It wouldn’t be all day I guess. I’m really only needed there to make sure everything opens okay. Once we’re rolling I can come home. I wouldn’t say yes to you looking after him, except that I don’t have any other options. I’d just assumed Tessa would be here.”

“Sure. We’ll watch a movie or something. Then we’ll come down to the store and you can check I haven’t done anything terrible to him.”

      “Babysitting by television. Nice.” She bit her lip. “Sorry. I just—why are you doing this? What could you possibly be getting out of looking after Fraser? Keeping an eye on me sure, but my son? You don’t even like children.”

      He shrugged. It wasn’t like he was one hundred percent certain himself.
 

      “Your dinner will be getting ruined.” She pulled the covers up a little further and tucked her hands back under.

      “You sure you don’t want anything to eat?”

      “I’m fine. I’ll be leaving at five thirty. Fraser won’t be up till at least seven. I’ll leave him a note and he can call me on my cell if he needs to. But he probably won’t even bat an eyelid. Just don’t do anything stupid.”

      “Stupid?”

      “You know what I mean.”

      He wasn’t sure he did, but she rolled away from him and he wasn’t about to try and find out. Talking to a woman’s back while he stood in her bedroom doorway was not his idea of good evening conversation. Especially when he could so readily picture what was under the covers.
 

He’d set his alarm for five thirty just in case, and was up making coffee when Gabby almost ran through the kitchen, already talking on her cell. Giving her a gallant salute, Nicolas saw a flicker of a smile as she rushed out the door. Good.
 

      Nicolas looked out over the city. He often got up early, but rarely had the opportunity to watch the city wake up without rushing out himself. The City never really slept, it was why he’d had total block-out drapes fitted in all the bedrooms, but it did doze. Now in the dawn, the office lights that had been switched off were starting to blink on across his view. The sky still had some time before it began to lighten naturally, but with all the artificial light the city produced, especially with the Christmas decorations out in full, it seemed like the sun would be up any minute. As if to prove his observation correct, his cell buzzed where he’d set it on the kitchen bench.

      “Morganti,” he said to the unknown caller.

      “Nicolas. I haven’t woken you have I?” It was an old male voice. One that was used to commanding authority.
 

“I was awake.” Nicolas paused. The man sounded familiar, but he couldn’t place him. He waited for more of a clue in case he should have known who it was.

      “Sorry to ring you but I thought I’d still be able to do it. Turns out I can’t, so you’ll have to step into the roll this year after all.”

“The roll?” Despite his calm tone, Nicolas’s curiosity was well and truly peaked.
 

“It’s tradition. Owner at Able’s has always done it. It’s usually an Able of course, but you’ll have to do.”

Finally Nicolas placed the voice. Old Mr. Able, with a rattle in his voice that hadn’t been there before. “What is it you want me to sort out for you?”

The old man hesitated. Nicolas’s tone obviously struck a nerve. “The grotto today. I can get my assistant to send round the suit now. She’ll help you get into it.”
 

“I’ve plenty of suits thank you.” And they were better cut than anything he’d ever seen Mr. Able in.

Again the pause. “You’ve got a Santa suit?”

If it hadn’t been impossible, Nicolas would have sworn he heard a penny drop. “No. Sorry. I was thinking of something else.”

“Right. So give me your address and my assistant will be round shortly. You’ll need extra padding, but at least we’re a similar height. She said she can find a beard for you, can’t expect you to grow one like mine in the next hour.” The old man laughed but trailed off into a cough.

“Hang on.” Nicolas’s head began to catch up with the conversation. “You want me to be Santa. Today?”

“Of course. Are you on drugs, boy? What have we just been talking about?”

Curmudgeon. Nicolas gritted his teeth. “Why are you asking me?”

“Because you own Able’s now. Keep up. This was going to be my last year. But the Doc has told me I’m not allowed to do it. Not because I can’t, you understand, just because of the kiddies. Wouldn’t want them catching this flu or whatever it is.”

It sounded a lot worse than the flu, but Nicolas wasn’t about to argue. “So you want me to be Santa. Today. At the grotto launch?”

“Good you’re not entirely dimwitted. It’s just for the opening. They hire some professional for the rest of the time. But it’s tradition. The owner has always been the opening day Santa.”

“Why wasn’t I told this before?”

“Doesn’t really matter now does it? Give me your address so Maryanne can make sure the suit fits you. You have to be down there at eight thirty.”

Suddenly the full impact of what he was going to spend his day doing hit Nicolas. “What am I supposed to say? What if one of them cries? Hell, I’m crap with kids.” Putting Fraser in front of a television set in his own home was one thing, playing nice with hundreds of stressed children all day, was another.

“Just have to fake it. And don’t let them scare you. They’re like dogs. Can smell fear on you.”

“I’m not scared of children.”

“Not the kids. Their parents. They all want their little darlings to get the best picture with Santa. Look the prettiest, yadayada. Let the elves do their thing, otherwise you spend too long with each kid and they’ll think you’re a nebbish.”

“A what?”

“Idiot. Never mind. Address.”

Nicolas gave him his address and hung up. Santa. Might as well wrap him in a bow and call him Christmas, dear lord. Then he spotted Fraser’s toy car. Damn.
 

In between showering and eating breakfast, Nicolas had rung Tessa who was out of town, and a professional sitter service, but it just hadn’t seemed right leaving Fraser with someone he didn’t know. Talking with Tessa had given him an idea though and at the same time old Mr. Able’s assistant arrived, Nicolas’s driver arrived with an extra package.
 

Struggling into the bright red pants and coat, Nicolas couldn’t believe what he was going to spend his Saturday doing. He heard a gasp behind him and turned around to see Fraser’s eyes wide and his mouth almost dragging on the floor.

“You’re Santa?”

Nicolas dredged up a smile. Great. The kid was still a believer. How was he supposed to explain this one? “Morning buddy. Did you have a good sleep?”

Fraser nodded and managed to shut his mouth.

“I’m not really Santa. You know that don’t you?”

“Then why are you wearing his suit?”

Sharp kid. “Well. Santa is right in the middle of supervising his elves at the moment. You know, for the big day. But because there are so many children that haven’t sent him their letters yet, he asked me to help out.” Fraser’s eyes seemed to be following Nicolas’s every word. The boy still stood transfixed in the hallway, his PJ’s bunched up, his dark hair disheveled. It was a pretty average explanation, the one every parent used when they weren’t ready to impart the truth to their bright eyed darlings. And a truth that Nicolas’s grandmother hadn’t bothered with. He’d known there was no Santa from the outset.

“I’m going to note down what everyone who comes to Able’s wants for Christmas, and then I sent a master list to Santa,” Nicolas finished.

“The real Santa?”

“Sure.” It wasn’t exactly lying, Nicolas decided. The parents who’d be buying the presents would be hearing, and buying the gifts. Preferably at Able’s.
 

“So you know the real Santa? That’s cool. What’s he like?”

Nicolas looked at his watch. “He’s a top guy. Now I promised your Mommy that we’d hang out together today. So I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Fraser tipped his head to the side. “Okay.”

Grabbing the bag his driver had brought, Nicolas pulled the elf costume out of its packaging. “Thought you could be my helper.” Fraser’s expression lit up as if he’d swallowed a bowl of Christmas lights.

“I take it that’s a good idea.”

Fraser just nodded.

“Okay. Breakfast first, then we’ll get you into this.”

As Fraser gulped his cereal, Nicolas finished stuffing the rest of the padding into his suit.

“He looks just like his daddy.” Old Mr. Able’s assistant said it quietly but Nicolas just about dropped the white beard he was trying to work out how to apply. He followed her gaze and watched Fraser pull at his lip with his left hand, just like Nicolas did when he was concentrating.
Coincidence.
The kid had been here a couple of days, and he was clever, probably just copying the alpha male of the family. Evolutionary survival tactics, pure and simple.

Still. Nicolas looked closer at Fraser. Dark grey eyes. Dark hair. Maybe even the hint of a square jaw under his childish smile.
Don’t be ridiculous.
Nicolas changed his gaze to the assistant. She was all of twenty years old, probably thought Santa was real herself, what did she know. Even so, something walked over Nicolas’s skin, leaving a trail of goose bumps in its wake.