The Christmas Plan - Samantha Chase

One

“Wait…I’m confused. How can a house make you fall in love? I mean…is there something funky or magical about the house or is it just a family myth? Or is it some kind of Christmas magic?”

With a patient smile, Aspen Harris gave her best friend Gabe a gentle pat on the leg. “What do you think?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as his expression grew even more serious as he stared at the TV. “It has to be a myth,” he blurted out a few minutes later. “There are no little fairies flying around or anything sparkly in the air, and–if you ask me–it all just seems a little ridiculous.”

“Don’t look at it like that. It’s the magic of Christmas! Everyone knows that anything is possible during the holidays.”

“Only in the movies, Aspen. Real life isn’t like that.”

“Don’t ruin it for me. There are hundreds of movies about all the wonderful things that happen and people falling in love thanks to Christmas in a small town.”

“Trust me. As someone who grew up in a small Christmas town, I can safely say that these movies totally miss their mark. It’s not possible.”

Frowning, she gave him the side-eye. “So you’re telling me no one ever fell in love where you grew up?”

“That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying the town and Christmas have nothing to do with it.”

“I think you’re wrong,” she stated simply.

With a shrug, he stood up and walked into her kitchen. “Any chance you have any of your creations around to snack on?”

As a chocolatier, there was always something sweet in her kitchen. It was a passion that started back when she was in high school. After years of just making sweets for her friends and family, she went to school for it–which was where she met Gabe who was a film student doing a short film on the culinary department. They became fast friends and now, six years after graduation, they lived next door to each other in a small apartment complex in downtown Atlanta.

“There should be some in the tin on the island,” she told him.

There was some noise from the kitchen before he came back to sit beside her. “I swear, these are the best truffles I’ve ever tasted.”

Blushing at the compliment, she playfully nudged him with her shoulder. “You always say that.”

“And it’s always true. I don’t know how you do it. I think Angelo needs to give you a raise because no one else in this city makes desserts like you.”

The weary sigh was out before she could help it. “Yeah, um…I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“Why not? The holidays are right around the corner and there are always a ton of requests for your creations for parties and gifts. He makes a small fortune on your chocolates alone.”

“Not this year,” she murmured.

“What?”

Turning her head to look at him, she sighed again. “Not this year.”

Gabe, with his dark hair and even darker eyes, looked at her with mild confusion. Placing the tin of chocolate down on her coffee table, he twisted in his spot to face her. “What happened?”

“I quit my job at Angelo’s.”

“But…why?”

Ugh…it was totally embarrassing and yet if she had to talk to anyone about it, it’d be Gabe. “Things have been strained at work for a while. Mainly because Angelo has a problem keeping his hands to himself.” She shuddered. “Normally I just chalk it up to him just being a touchy-feely kind of guy. But I started noticing that I’m the only one he does it to.”

“Aspen…”

“Monday when I went into work, he called me into his office,” she explained. “Once I sat down, he told me he’d like me to prepare dessert for a private party. And by private, he meant just him. When I said I wasn’t comfortable with it, he gave me an ultimatum–I could either fall in line and do what he asked or I could quit. So…I quit.”

She watched as Gabe’s expression went from confusion to disbelief to rage. Jumping to his feet, he stalked across the room and picked up his coat. “That’s bullshit, Aspen! I’m going to go down there and give that guy a piece of my mind! And probably a taste of my fist!” His hand was on the front door by the time she jumped up to stop him.

“Gabe, don’t! It’s not worth it! The job just…” Pausing, she shook her head. “It’s just not worth it. Besides, it will be my word against his and