The Promise - By Danielle Steel Page 0,37
Mike never noticed, of course. He never noticed anything anymore, unless it was lying on his desk and needed a signature.
“Do you always wish people Merry Christmas that way?”
“Only the people I truly enjoy hearing from.” He smiled at her and wondered what she was doing there. He hadn't asked to see her, and she had no direct business with him, not that he knew of anyway. “Is there anything I can do for you, Miss …” Damn. He couldn't remember her name. What the hell was it?
“Wendy Townsend. I just came to wish you a Merry Christmas.”
Ah. An apple polisher. Michael was amused and waved her to a chair. “Didn't they tell you I'm the original Scrooge?”
“I gathered that when you didn't show up at either the office party or the Christmas dinner last night. They also say you work too hard.”
“It's good for my complexion.”
“So are other things.” She crossed one pretty leg over the other, and Michael checked it out. It did as little for him as anything else had since last May. “I also wanted to thank you for the raise I just got.” She flashed a set of perfect teeth at him, and he returned the smile. He was beginning to wonder what she really wanted. A bonus? Another raise?
“You'll have to thank Ben Avery for that. I'm afraid I had nothing to do with it.”
“I see.” It was a pointless conversation, and she knew it. Regretfully, she stood up, and then glanced at the window. There were seven or eight inches of snow piled up on the window ledge. “Looks like it's going to be a white Christmas after all. It's also going to be practically impossible to get home tonight.”
“I think you may be right I probably won't even try.” He pointed at the leather couch with a grin. “I think that's why they put that there, to keep me chained to my office.” No, mister, you do that to yourself. But she only smiled and wished him a Merry Christmas. Michael went back to signing letters, and true to his word, he spent the night on the couch. And the next night as well. It suited him perfectly. Christmas fell over a weekend this year, so no one knew where he was. Even the janitor and the maids had been given the holiday. Only the night watchman realized that Michael never left the office from Friday until late Sunday night, and by then Christmas was over. And when he got back to his empty apartment, he had nothing more to fear. Christmas, with all its memories and ghosts, was already a thing of the past. There was a large, ostentatious poinsettia wilting outside his door, sent to him by his mother. He put it near the trash can.
In San Francisco, Nancy had spent the holiday more comfortably than Michael, but in equal solitude. She had cooked a small capon, sung Christmas carols alone on the terrace on Christmas Eve, after she came home from church, and slept late on Christmas Day. She'd hoped to keep the day from coming, but there was no escaping it. It was relentless with its tinsel and trees, its promises and lies. At least in San Francisco the weather reminded her less of Christmases she had known in the East. It was almost as though these people were pretending it was Christmas, when she knew it actually wasn't. The unfamiliarity made it a trifle easier to bear. And she had two presents this year, a beautiful Gucci handbag from Peter and a funny book from Faye. She curled up in a chair with it in the afternoon after she had eaten her capon and stuffing and cranberry sauce. It was all rather like celebrating Christmas at Schrafft's, with all the old ladies, and all your life's hopes stashed in a shopping bag. She had always wondered what they carried in those bags. Old letters maybe, or photographs, trinkets or trophies or dreams.
It was after six o'clock when she finally put down the book and stretched her legs. A walk would be nice; she needed to get some air. She slipped into her coat, reached for her hat and camera, and smiled at herself in the mirror. She still liked the new smile. It was a great smile. It made her wonder what the rest of her face would look like, when Peter was through. It was a little bit like becoming his dream woman. And once he