Gift Wrapped for Christmas: A Contemporary Romance Read Free Page A

that’s where your business would come from, agreed? Men
mostly, who either hate the idea of Christmas shopping or don’t have the time.”
Her gaze turned inward, the way it always did when she was trying to remember
something. “Wasn’t there one of those little shops in the lobby of the Drummond
Building? You know, the ones that used to sell cigarettes and chocolate bars
and magazines?” She looked across the counter. “That would be perfect for you.”
    Maddie brightened. “You’re right.
That would be an ideal spot. It was closed up before I started working there.
Something about the new building owners not wanting to sell cigarettes. It’s
been well camouflaged. They put down an area rug with some comfy seating and
massive plants. You don’t even notice that it’s there. I suppose if they were
willing to move things around, it could work.” She nodded to herself. “It could
work very nicely.”
    “So. You’ll go and look into it
tomorrow, right?”
    Maddie sometimes wondered if Lily
made up for her small size by being so pushy. And yet she was right...there was
no time to waste.
    “I have to go back to pick up my
cheque tomorrow. I suppose I could ask David about it. He’ll know where to
direct me.”
    “David?” Lily gave her a puzzled
look. “Do I know him?”
    “No. David is the concierge. He
has a desk just to the right of the entrance.” She nodded to herself. “He knows
everything that goes on in the building.”
    “Then he’s your man.” Lily toyed
with her wineglass. “I have a good feeling about this. You’ll go in the
morning, right?”
    Maddie knew better than to argue.
“Yes, I’ll get right on it.”
    “Good. I could eat something. How
about you?”
    Maddie was surprised to realize
that she was hungry. “Yes, but I’m not sure what we have.” She slid off the
stool.
    “It’s my turn to cook.” Lily
pulled open a drawer and pulled out a handful of takeout menus. “How about some
Thai food? It won’t be as good as my mother’s but it will do.” She picked up
her cell phone, scrolled through her numbers and was soon ordering.
    * * *
    Maddie studied her reflection in
the mirror the next morning. Her eyes sparkled with an enthusiasm that had been
missing for some time now. She turned sideways, studied her profile, then
turned back to face the mirror. Confident. That’s the image she wanted to
project. She had no doubt that the requirements for renting space in the
Drummond Building were fairly stringent. It might be an older building, but it
was in a prime location, and commanded some of the highest rates in the city.
    Her long auburn hair hung down
her back in a single braid. Lily had assured her that her hair was perfect for
this style, and had encouraged her to leave a few strands loose. She fussed
with them now, a sure sign that she was nervous.
    The truth was, Maddie didn’t need
to work. Her parents had died suddenly while on a river cruise in Europe,
victims of a virulent strain of food poisoning that had affected everyone on
the boat. Her parents and three others had died. In an effort to minimize
publicity, the cruise line had paid a large amount to the estates of the
victims. Shortly thereafter, Maddie had realized that she couldn’t live in the
family home. Memories of happy times spent there with her parents haunted her
in every room. Each time she entered the kitchen, she expected to see her
mother, and she couldn’t bring herself to go into her father’s office, where
the scent of his cigars still lingered. Real estate had been at an all-time
high, and her father’s financial consultant advised her to sell the home. As a
result, she had more money than she ever dreamed she would have, but being rich
was no consolation. No amount of money could replace her parents, and it became
a matter of pride to be self-supporting. Irrational perhaps, but she felt
strongly about it, and this recent setback had done nothing to change her mind.
She checked her