Holiday Hookup Read online

  CONTENTS

  Chapter One - Missy

  Chapter Two - Missy

  Chapter Three - Missy

  Chapter Four - Leo

  Chapter Five - Missy

  Chapter Six - Leo

  Chapter Seven - Missy

  Chapter Eight - Leo

  Chapter Nine - Missy

  Chapter Ten - Leo

  Chapter Eleven - Missy

  Chapter Twelve - Leo

  Chapter Thirteen - Missy

  Chapter Fourteen - Leo

  Chapter Fifteen - Missy

  Chapter Sixteen - Leo

  Chapter Seventeen - Missy

  Chapter Eighteen - Leo

  Chapter Nineteen - Missy

  Chapter Twenty - Missy

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  About the author

  CHAPTER ONE

  Missy

  The biggest dilemma I heard today was that a red, lace, plunge-neck teddy did not sit right over a pair of D-cups. Penny's Pleasures had certainly lost a customer for life and unfortunately, I couldn't find it in me to care. The holidays did fuck all to cheer up my spirits, and the demanding shoppers certainly didn't help.

  With a sigh, I removed the teddy from a familiar red wrapping and laid it out on the back counter for inspection. One would be amazed how many times customers returned a heavily used intimate item, and there was a filled trashcan out back to prove it.

  "Excuse me!" A hostile voice drawled across the counter. I knew the tone of impatience very well. With a sigh, I spun on my heel, forcing a smile.

  "Yes?"

  A woman with short, frizzy hair looked at me in contempt, waving two bras in her hand. She looked down at my name tag in contempt. "I have somewhere to be, Missy," she said, her voice dripping with annoyance. I took a deep breath, did my best to smile, and began to ring the woman up. "Those are fifty percent off," the woman told me.

  I forced a wider smile. "That's right," I responded in an overly cheerful voice. "Lucky you."

  The woman huffed and crossed her arms. I finished the transaction quickly, trying not to let my daydream of her falling over and impaled by a hanger rack get the best of me. I handed her the bag.

  "Have a nice--"

  The woman waved me off and stormed out of the store. I frowned. The holidays made dealing with some people practically impossible.

  "Excuse me?" A much less demanding voice piqued my attention. A tall man with blonde curls waved at me from beside the counter. He looked sheepish, shoulders hunched, like he was trying to make himself look smaller. In his hands he held two black babydoll lingerie pieces. He looked desperately confused.

  "How can I help you, sir?"

  He held up the garments. "I'm trying to get something nice for my girlfriend."

  I smiled. "Sure. Let's see what you've got there."

  Almost thirty minutes later, the man had bought nearly an entire collection. I couldn't help but feel a little jealous as he left the store, thinking about my own on-again, off-again…boyfriend? I'm not sure I could even call Conrad that. He was more like hook-up buddy, but only when he felt like it.

  No, he would never buy me something as tasteful as babydoll lingerie. His idea of high class lingerie would come complete with feathers, leather, or masking tape. I shuddered at the thought. Conrad didn't seem particularly interested in lingerie anyway. He seemed mostly in a rush to just get me undressed as quickly as he could so he could cum and go home.

  Between Conrad and this monotonous job, to say I was frustrated and bored would be an understatement. Still, it was absolutely better than admitting to my parents that I had no friends, no life, and was planning to spend Christmas alone with take-out while they were vacationing in Antigua. I was way too proud of my decision to move away from home.

  I made my way around the counter again. From the front of the store, the security guard, Leonard quickly approached me looking somewhat distressed. That wasn't all that unusual. Leonard was old, and his heavyset stature always made walking look uncomfortable. Poor guy was constantly trying to keep up with the teenagers who loitered around the department stores, grumbling under his breath at them.

  He was a loyal, dependable guy, and selfishly, I never wanted him to retire. I would never admit it to anyone, but he was probably my favorite person in the mall. He caught his breath before he spoke. "Missy," he greeted me. "How you doin' today?"

  "Hey Leonard," I answered, adjusting the one-dollar goodies next to the register. "I'm okay. Regular holiday nonsense. What's up?"

  "Well, we're closing down the mall."

  I looked at him in confusion. "What?"

  "It's snowing, and it's getting real bad, real quick. They changed the Winter Storm Warning to a Blizzard Warning about a half hour ago."

  I nodded, remembering the radio weather forecaster warning of inclement weather today on my drive in. But it hadn't even been snowing three hours ago when I started my shift. Closing the mall seemed a bit drastic. It had been slower than usual, but I chalked it up to it being Monday afternoon.

  "It's only five o'clock," I said, checking my watch. "This is the biggest shopping week before Christmas!"

  "Not anymore," Leonard said. "Parking lot's cleared out, and I doubt anyone is crazy enough to come out here in this."

  I chewed my lip in thought. "Think I should I send the staff home?"

  Leonard nodded. "Probably a good idea. Get done only what's necessary, and then get yourself home," he said. "It's bad out there."

  I sighed. "Alright. Thanks Leonard."

  He nodded, before seeing himself out. I stood in front of the counter for a minute, before detaching the walkie-talking attached to my belt. "Amanda?" I spoke into the machine to my assistant manager. A crackle, then a voice answered.

  "What's up Miss?"

  "Can you pull the store gate? We're closing down for the storms."

  "Sheesh, alright," Amanda answered. "Is it that bad?"

  "Apparently," I answered. "Don't want you guys getting stuck in it, so I'll finish up here. Just get everyone to grab their stuff and head out. We'll pay them for the full shift."

  "Cool," Amanda answered. "You sure you don't want me to stay to help you close up? I don't mind."

  I lifted the walkie to my mouth, pressed the button and paused. "Nah," I said finally. "Go ahead and get home. I'll be fine."

  CHAPTER TWO

  Missy

  I reached for the light switch at the front of the store, turning off all of the lights from back to front, one at a time, until it was completely dark. It was a routine I'd had since I started working at this store a year ago. I hated that it had been that long. I'd moved here a year ago with big dreams and a fire under my ass. Now, I felt stuck as the manager of an underwear boutique. With a sigh, I pulled the gate halfway up, ducked underneath, then locked it from the other side.

  Silence fell over me as I straightened, leaving me unsettled. There was normally some kind of commotion going on before the mall closed. The Christmas lights that decorated the trees along the center of the row of stores in our section still twinkled, casting a cheerful glow across the floor. But the stores on either side were all completely dark.

  Curiously, I walked down the row, peering into the next section of the mall. Dark. Quiet. My heart dropped. There wasn't a soul in sight.

  I shook my head and tried to stay calm. I'd only lived in the northeast for a year now, but found that many of the winter storms last year were over dramatized. Half of the time they predicted large storms and it barely even snowed. So, it would take me a little longer to get home tonight. I had nowhere to be, and at least the registers were closed and the shelves were tidied. Needing to do that tomorrow morning would be a nightmare.

  As I walked towards the exit, I hear
d the wind howl against the glass windows and door. I buttoned up my jacket and pulled my warm hood over my head, bracing for the cold. However, as I came closer to the windows, I realized it wasn't just cold, wind, and a little snow I was bracing for. The night sky was almost invisible, replaced by pure white, pounding the ground and windows, like small balls of hail. I couldn't even see the lights that illuminated the sidewalk directly outside the doors.

  Shit.

  I nervously looked down at my heels I thought were so cute this morning. I immediately regretted wearing them without bringing a change of shoes. You just had to be cute today, Meredith. Oh well. Time to put my big girl pants on and brace the storm.

  Snow was rare where I was from in North Carolina. I'd moved here for a fresh start, away from my overly involved parents. They had insisted I stay close to home, but I had other plans. I was supposed to be out here acting on my dream of opening my own store. I was supposed to be finding myself, a new set of friends, a sense of purpose. I was not supposed to be parading through blizzard conditions in heels.

  I stood in front of the door, watching the snow fall sideways, feeling the cold from behind the glass. How, in god's name, was I going to make to my car? I took a deep breath, opened the door, and attempted to walk outside.

  The wind was unbearable. I struggled to push the door open and almost fell as the wind stole it from me, slamming it into the side of the window. The ground was covered, and not just in a dusting, but in thick, wet snow. The slippery accumulation forced me to walk in tiny mouse-like steps, clutching my hood around my face, with deep concentration on my balance. I squinted, but it didn't improve my sight. My car was where I always parked it. If I headed sort of in that direction, then I'd find it.

  Hopefully.

  Somehow, I made it across the street and to the second row of parking spots. I was drenched to the bone in cold wetness, my face and fingers completely numb. My heels had been useless the minute I stepped out into the cold, my feet painfully cold, surrounded with little flecks of ice that found their way into the shoes as I walked. I clutched my purse, hoping too much precipitation hadn't fallen in to drench my phone. Finally, I could see the outline of my old Jeep Cherokee.

  I walked as quickly as I could, eager to reach the warmth of the car. My fingers found the side of it, helping me keep my balance around to the drivers side door. I pulled at the handle and slipped inside.

  It wasn't much warmer than outside, but at least it was dry and I could see again. I sighed, digging through my purse for my keys. I needed the heat on so I could dry my damn fingers off. I stuck the key in the ignition and turned.

  There was a rumble, a groan, a scraping noise, and then the engine died. My eyes widened, as I looked at my blank dashboard. No. No way. I pulled my key out, then shoved it back in the ignition. I turned the key, forcing it further than it was meant to go, as if it would work some sort of magic.

  Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

  Desperately I pulled it out and stared at the key, hoping this was just a fluke. Maybe the car just needed to warm up from the snow. I pushed it into the ignition and turned it once more.

  The car didn't even entertain the idea of pretending to turn on.

  Fuck.

  I pulled the key out and looked around the car helplessly. The roar of the wind rattled my windows, snow pelted every side of me. I couldn't stay here. I needed help.

  I was stranded in the middle of a blizzard.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Missy

  Somehow, I made it back to the front of the mall. Certainly there had to be somebody left who could help me fix my car, or at least give me a ride home. I pulled the doors open wide and rushed in, slipping all over the floor in the itty bitty heels. My feet were officially numb, but I ignored them. My situation was getting very real, and I was starting to panic.

  I ran down the rows of stores, peering into storefront windows, knocking on some of the gates. But my fears were realized after I ran around the food court without hearing a peep. I was truly alone, in the middle of a damn blizzard. Shit. I shouldn't have folded all of those panties. They definitely could have waited.

  The wind howled against the windows, as if to reaffirm that observation.

  I took my phone out of my pocket and pulled up Conrad's information. He had a truck that held up in this kind of weather, and he loved to show it off. What better way than I rescue me in my moment of distress?

  My finger hovered over his number for a second, before I bit my lip and let it dial. I put it up to my ear as it rang once, twice, three times before he answered.

  "Hello?" Conrad sounded sleepy, probably a little stoned.

  "Hey, Conrad. It's Missy."

  "Hey!" he said.

  "Listen," I started, "I'm sorry to bother you…" I paused, squeezing my eyes closed. "But…I'm at work and my car died."

  "Oh man, that sucks," he said, sounding bored.

  I frowned at his indifference. "Yeah, it does. Do you think…maybe…you can come pick me up?"

  "At the mall?"

  "Mmhmm," I said, chewing on my thumbnail.

  "Isn't it snowing?" he asked stupidly.

  "Yeah," I said. "They closed down the mall. That's why I need you to come pick me up in the truck. My car won't even turn on. I think the engine died."

  Silence. I could hear the television on in the background. "Miss, I don't know. My mom said it's pretty bad out there."

  I stood, alone, in disbelief. "So, how the heck am I supposed to get home, Conrad?" I asked him, my anger and frustrating getting the best of me. Looking back outside, I realized it was a selfish request to ask him to come get me. Technically, we weren't even dating. I sighed and tried to swallow my anger.

  "I dunno," he said nonchalantly. "Call an Uber?"

  I groaned. Clearly he thought nothing of me yelling at him, let alone being stranded. "Thanks," I said quickly, before hanging up on him. "For nothing."

  I looked back outside at the weather hopelessly. I couldn't call anyone on my staff, since I'd already sent them all home. Normally, I'd have no problem calling my assistant manager, Amanda for this kind of stuff, but I couldn't possibly make her turn around to come back here.

  I was stuck.

  I heard footsteps behind me, and turned, startled. My heart pounded in my eardrums with a mixture of anxiety and hope as a tall man came into view. He wore a knee length gray pea coat, a red scarf, and a gray, wool beanie that covered his ears. His face was kind, smiling as he took me in. He looked oddly familiar I realized, taking in his gorgeous green eyes.

  "Hi there," he said in a deep voice, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I thought I told everyone to go home." At once, I came out of my shock and realized I was staring at him like a moron.

  "Hi, um…"

  "Leo Bradley," he said, sticking out his hand. I took his hand, responding to his firm handshake, his fingers dwarfing my own.

  "Leo Bradley," I repeated, wishing my brain would start working "As in, Bradley Properties? Who owns this mall?"

  "The very same," he answered. "And you are?"

  My heart might as well have stopped right then. I could have melted into the floor with embarrassment. "Oh! God. I'm Meredith. Missy. Manager at Penny's Pleasures."

  "Ah yes," he said, looking over his shoulder at my store where the large advertisement featured a pair of red panties with the words It Ain't Gonna Spank Itself was featured. "I'm familiar with it."

  I blushed.

  "I hope you're heading home," he said, very seriously. "The weather's shit."

  "Actually…" I trailed off, looking hopelessly out the window. "I'm sorry, but I sent my staff home and spent too long closing up. Then I got outside and found out my car died. I was hoping someone was still here to maybe give me a ride, or help me fix the car, but everyone else went home." I quickly spluttered out my words, keeping my eyes on my soaked, absolutely ruined shoes, feeling stupider by the second. I sighed in defeat.

  "Well then you're lucky I'm s
till here," he said in a soft voice. "Although I wish you had gotten yourself home when I'd originally asked the stores to close down." His tone was stern, and it forced me to look up at him. I met his gaze. His eyes were impossibly bright, a little mischievous, and never left my own. There was no denying his good looks. Somehow, that made this so much worse.

  "I'm so sorry," I stumbled over my words, "I hate to ask you to do this, I just…"

  "Need a lift home?"

  I sighed in relief. "I'm so sorry to even ask."

  "It's okay," he laughed light-heartedly, looking down at my shoes, then back up at me again. "I'll get my car. Meet you out front."

  It was less of a question and more of a demand as he left to enter the blizzard through the doors,

  What the hell just happened?

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Leo

  Well, they didn't lie. It was definitely blizzard conditions out here. I stuck by my decision to close down the mall. Staying open in a storm like this would have been painfully stupid, not to mention downright dangerous. I struggled against the wind, my hand clutched to my hat, other in my pocket on my keys. Driving home in these conditions wasn't ideal. Taking someone I didn't know home was even less ideal. But it was better than a lawsuit.

  I consider myself somewhat of a refined man, but the conditions out in the parking lot were abysmal, and I swore the whole way to the car. I was wet, freezing, frustrated, and worried about getting Missy and myself back to our homes in one piece.

  My Mercedes G-Class truck could withstand a lot of weather, but fresh blizzards were in a league of their own, I soon found out. I reversed, my back wheels flying over the mound of snow already covering the ground, skidding in a circle before the breaks finally worked their magic. My heart pounded from losing momentary control of the car.

  Well, this was going to be interesting. I was no stranger to driving in the snow, but this storm seemed relentless and I knew from the weather reports it was not expected to end any time soon.