A Gingerbread Romance Read online

  “Don’t worry. I just got home.” She unwrapped and popped another piece of chocolate into her mouth, enjoying the creamy taste.

  “Hi, honey. Merry Christmas!” Her dad, Grant Scott, came onto the screen leaning in beside her mother.

  They were still such a good-looking couple: her mother with her warm brown eyes and always-smiling face, and her dad with his stern but loving demeanor. In Taylor’s eyes they were the standard for love and commitment. They were also the reason for her wanderlust, and for that she thanked them because otherwise she wouldn’t be in a position to receive the greatest promotion of her life.

  “Hi, Dad. Merry Christmas to you.” Taylor quickly chewed her candy so she could speak better. “So how’s Christmas in Singapore?”

  “Hot and humid,” he complained with a grin. “And this sweater isn’t helping.” Her father only wore Christmas sweaters once a year, and this was a nice red one. It had tiny wreaths all over and reminded her instantly of the early years when they each wore the craziest holiday sweater they could find and took lots of pictures. “So, now that you’ve seen it, I’m taking it off.”

  And as if to punctuate those words, her father walked away, leaving Taylor and her mother to chuckle.

  “So how did things go in L.A.?” Carolyn asked.

  Taylor was glad she’d asked. “Two sunny months and the new condo complex is almost built.”

  “And I see you’ve got the Advent calendar I sent. But is that tomorrow’s chocolate you’re eating today? Isn’t it only December ninth for you there?”

  Her mother knew her too well. Taylor never ate the chocolates chronologically. For her, a daily chocolate indulgence was nice, but lots of chocolate at once was never wrong.

  “Hey, it’s tomorrow in Singapore, right?” Another candy went into her mouth. “This one’s for you.”

  Carolyn grinned. “Any chance you can join us here this Christmas?”

  “Well, I’d love to, but I may be packing the moving boxes again. I’m meeting my boss tomorrow to talk about my next assignment.”

  “But honey, if you’re not coming here for Christmas, what will you do? I really don’t like the idea of you being by yourself at this time of year.”

  Why was everyone so suddenly worried about her being alone for Christmas? A good number of her adult Christmases had been spent alone, even if they’d been in a pretty nice location. Her mother was an international lawyer and her father was a diplomat, so their jobs had always taken a priority. Taylor had learned from the best.

  The little girl who’d once dreamed of having a permanent home with a husband and kids where she could host large holiday gatherings for all her friends and family—her parents included—had grown up. Now she was content traveling the world and building her career. Christmas came and went each year, and she pulled out her stocking to hang wherever she was at the time.

  “Well, Wendy’s invited me over. I can hang my stocking there. Okay?” Hoping that would appease her mother and end this portion of the conversation, she continued, “Give Dad a big hug for me.”

  “That sounds good. Wendy’s nice, and she has a beautiful family. When I see pictures of them, I can just imagine getting pictures of my future grandbabies at birthday parties.”

  Taylor vowed to never send her mother another photo of herself with Wendy and her family again.

  “But I will definitely give your Dad that hug. Love you!” Carolyn blew a kiss and waved on screen as casually as if she hadn’t just dropped that obvious hint.

  “I love you too, Mom. And I’ll let you know what my boss says tomorrow.” She mimicked her mother’s blow kiss and disconnected the call.

  Lowering her head to the table, Taylor allowed herself a few seconds to miss her parents and remember the naïve dreams of the little girl she used to be. Then she stood. Her hot bath was calling, and pity-party time was up.

  Chapter Two

  The next morning, Taylor walked down the street looking at all the buildings in Center City, Philly’s central business hub. A leather briefcase in the window of a supply store halted her steps. That would definitely hold her portfolio and laptop. It had a sturdy-looking strap and lots of side pockets where she could store things. She loved it. She leaned closer to look—and the purse and bag she was currently carrying slipped from her shoulder, making her stumble forward.

  “Excuse me.” A guy almost bumped into her. He wore tennis shoes with his suit and was obviously in a rush.

  “And a Merry Christmas to you, too,” she muttered to his retreating back as she readjusted her straps.

  The city was decorated in full holiday regalia. She’d already passed three sleighs, a humongous Santa, and too many twinkle lights to count. Even unlit, all those lights put Wendy’s yard to shame, and made Taylor shake her head at how this time of year sent people into decorating overdrive. Taylor had nothing against decorations or the holiday. In fact there were parts of it she really enjoyed—namely, the chocolate in her Advent calendar she’d forced herself to ignore this morning. She loved Christmas carols and watching old holiday movies. The rest she’d left behind with her childhood.

  Car horns and screeching tires blared through the chilly air. Taylor pulled the lapels of her beige wool coat closed. It definitely was not window-shopping weather. Besides, she needed to get to the office. Her meeting with Linda Woods, Senior Manager of Architecture & Design, was scheduled for nine-thirty.

  Ogilvy was on the tenth floor of an eighty-five-year-old building with an industrial and contemporary style. It was one of the most iconic buildings in the city. That was one of the things she’d never forgotten about Philly. While the city wasn’t as known for its notable buildings as New York or Chicago, there were plenty that spanned the spectrum of traditional and modern architecture.

  She stepped off the elevator and walked down a short hall before going through a glass door. She’d just stripped off her gloves and was about to head toward her desk when her co-worker and another longtime friend, Josephine Lancaster, approached. Josephine had worked for Ogilvy the same amount of time as Taylor. With her ready smile and dark wavy hair, she was the one who kept Taylor informed of all the office gossip.

  She was also the one who wanted Taylor’s job. Not in a backstabbing type of way, but in the I-really-wish-I-could-move-up-in-this-office way. Taylor understood completely. Moving up was definitely on her mind this morning.

  “Taylor!”

  “Hey, Josephine. It’s nice to see you.”

  “Welcome back. I’d say welcome home, but you spend more time on the road than here.”

  Taylor personally enjoyed her lifestyle but had always been amazed at how differently her friends felt about it. Where Wendy was all “settle down and have a family,” Josephine openly envied Taylor’s life of the single traveling architect.

  “Well, I might be on the road again. I’m supposed to talk to Linda right now, hopefully about the promotion to International Projects Department Head in Paris. How do I look?”

  She’d carefully selected a beige pencil skirt—a classic favorite in her wardrobe—and a festive cranberry-red blouse for today’s meeting. The coat she’d picked up during one of her few off days in L.A. matched perfectly. After a quick survey of said outfit, Josephine leaned in to attach a Christmas tree pin to the lapel.

  Her co-worker stepped back with a proud smile and replied, “Very merry. And speaking of Linda, she’s in a pretty good mood this morning. Not sure why because Del is late on his plans for the Links project. But you don’t need to concern yourself with that. Just go in there and wow her!”

  That’s exactly what Taylor planned to do.

  “Right. Thanks.” She nodded and looked down at the pin. “I don’t really know why you’re carrying around extra Christmas pins, but it’s perfect!” And definitely not something Taylor would have considered adding to her outfit. Not that she even own
ed a holiday pin to consider.

  “I’ve been so busy planning this year’s Christmas party, I’ve had decorating on my mind. But everyone’s whispering about the Paris position. If you get it, then I can possibly slide into your position here. I’m more than ready to actually supervise a project outside of this city. ” Josephine clapped her hands together, barely holding onto her glee.

  Taylor knew Josephine’s happiness was a mixture of promotion possibility and the office party. While Taylor loved her job, she wasn’t a huge fan of office get-togethers, but since her goal was to impress enough to get this promotion she would make an exception.

  “I’m looking forward to the party. But I should really get to this meeting. Don’t want to be late.”

  Josephine nodded. “I hear ya. We’ll catch up later and good luck!”

  She crossed both sets of fingers and wagged them at Taylor.

  “Thanks!” Taylor replied, anticipation giving way to a nervous excitement that followed her around the reception area and back to her desk, where she ditched her coat, briefcase, and purse.

  This floor of the office was full of cubicles before branching off in the back to the conference room where she was scheduled to meet with Linda. She waved and spoke to other co-workers she hadn’t seen for a while. The Christmas decoration explosion had hit this floor as well, and all the red and green cheer caused a dull ache in her chest she wasn’t ready to examine.

  Through the glass doors of the conference room, Taylor saw Linda, wearing a red blazer over a white blouse with black pants, on a phone call. Linda looked up as Taylor approached and waved her in.

  In this spacious room, the walls were crisp white and floor-to-ceiling windows boasted a magnificent view of the city. Of course, there were more Christmas decorations. From a tree standing prominently next to the flat-screen television used for presentations, to the garland decorated with red and gold bulbs around the door and along the window frame, the space was extremely festive. An easy, but not totally genuine, smile touched Taylor’s lips as she took a seat and waited for Linda to finish with her call.

  “No, no, no. Yeah, we’re excited too, and we promise not to disappoint. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Goodbye.” Linda’s smile, however, was beaming as she disconnected the call. She leaned in before folding her hands onto the table.

  One of the things Linda always mentioned loving about Taylor was her willingness to take initiative. True to form, Taylor spoke up without hesitation. “Wow. The mayor. What was that about?”

  “Actually, it was partly about you.” Linda was bursting with excitement.

  And now, Taylor was too.

  “Me?” She struggled to keep a tight rein on her emotions. Jumping up and yelling “Merry Christmas to me!” was probably a little premature and way over the top.

  “Taylor, you’ve got a great eye. Your work is always cutting-edge, and your projects always come in on time and under budget.”

  She gave herself a mental pat on the back. “Thank you.”

  “And that’s why the board is considering you to head up our new Paris office.”

  Yes! Yes! Yes!

  The position in Paris would be a dream come true. One of the only dreams she’d be able to see to fruition. She’d been to the city twice before—once with her parents when she was a teenager, and the second time on a trip right after her college graduation. Even though that visit hadn’t ended the way she’d planned and had put a serious damper on the whole “City of Love” vibe, Taylor still felt like Paris was the place of hope and possibilities for her.

  “Wow. That would be terrific!” Being professional was slowly losing the battle to shouting for joy.

  Linda appeared to like her enthusiastic response, but was very good at keeping her cool as well. “We’ll see what happens,” she said. “But in the meantime, there’s this project I need your help on. A project I know the board will be watching closely because of its potential for more work with the city.”

  Taylor clasped her hands—because yeah, they were shaking just a little. “I’m totally open and excited. What’s the project?”

  “Ok, so you know that we submitted a proposal for the new downtown redevelopment project.”

  “Yes, but I thought Crestford had a lock on City Hall.” Crestford was Ogilvy’s biggest competitor in the city. They’d also recently moved their offices into this building which, she imagined, created a more competitive atmosphere.

  “According to the mayor, we’re currently his top choice.”

  Go Team Ogilvy! Her mood was apparently all about shouting this morning. “Great!”

  “In the meantime, we need to do everything that we can to up our public profile.” Linda’s fingers drummed on the table as she spoke.

  That made sense. Keeping Ogilvy in a positive public light would increase their visibility and gain more trust from the mayor, which would hopefully help the firm land his future projects.

  “How can I help?”

  “Well, the City’s Christmas Marketplace is coming up, and they’re doing a gingerbread house competition to raise money for an after-school program charity fund.”

  Christmas and charity went hand-in-hand, so Taylor could follow that part. She waited to hear the rest.

  “We’ve got a spot in the contest and I need you to represent our firm as our designer.”

  And that’s where Linda lost her. Confusion came like that chilly breeze blowing outside and Taylor stilled.

  “You want me…to design a gingerbread house…as in gumdrops and candy canes?” Saying it out loud sounded just as odd as she thought it did in her mind.

  Linda, on the other hand, was completely feeling this idea. “A life-sized one. I mean, we’re talking big!”

  Taylor was completely serious when she said, “Linda, I’m an architect. Not a baker. And besides, how does building this gingerbread house enhance our public perception and get us the city job?”

  “Christmas is about love and giving. Just by entering this competition Ogilvy is showing how much it cares about the children. If we win, not only have we helped to raise money, but we’ll also impress the mayor with our unlimited skills. In addition, the board will look kindly on the team player who is willing to get in there and help this company pull off a major victory. And yes, I know you’re a very talented architect and not a baker. That’s why I’ve already found you expert help.”

  Helping the mayor was one thing. Making an even better impression on the board was a big whopping thing that Taylor understood would seal the deal on her promotion.

  “Have you ever heard of Annabelle Renard?” Linda asked the question as if she didn’t need a response from Taylor.

  Either that, or she knew what Taylor’s response was going to be. “Ah, yes, doesn’t she have a fancy restaurant downtown?”

  The chic French restaurant sat on the corner across from the florist where she sometimes ordered flowers for her mother. How many times had Taylor thought about going in for dinner? And how often had she been pressed for time while she was between assignments and postponed that dinner?

  “She happens to be the best pastry chef in the city. She’s agreed to meet with you to discuss teaming up.” Linda passed her a business card with the restaurant’s name and address. “Taylor this is important. What do you say?” This was the somber Linda, asking for something she knew Taylor would not be able to decline.

  And she was absolutely right.

  This time Taylor’s smile was genuine as thoughts of living in Paris played in her mind. “You had me at gumdrops. I’m in!”

  “You’re kidding me. A gingerbread house?” Josephine stood by Taylor’s desk a half hour later and frowned while pinning poinsettias to the garland around the wall of Taylor’s cubicle.

  “I know. I thought I was getting Europe, but turns out I’m getting the North Pole.” Taylor sighed. “But Linda wa
nts me to do it, and it might convince the board to give me the Paris job.”

  And in the end, that was all that mattered. If she had to create a life-size gingerbread house to get the job of her dreams, that’s exactly what she was going to do. But first, she had to make it to the meeting with the baker on time. Taylor grabbed her coat off the back of her chair.

  Josephine still looked perplexed. “Hang on, where are you going? The office Christmas party starts in a couple of hours.” The party that Taylor hadn’t wanted to attend in the first place.

  “Oh, well, I’m scheduled to meet the baker Linda paired me with at noon. The competition starts the day after tomorrow. Which means I should have started yesterday. But I will try to be back in time for the party.” Because despite their previous talk about Taylor’s promotion hopefully leading to Josephine’s, Josephine was looking crestfallen at the possibility that Taylor wouldn’t be there for the festivities.

  Josephine immediately perked up. “I’ll save you a plate and some cake.”

  No matter the circumstances, Josephine always managed to make Taylor smile.

  Only a couple of hours after she’d arrived at the office, Taylor was once again on the elevator. She put on her coat, hat, and gloves during the ride down and had just stepped off the elevator and was turning the corner to the lobby when a man on his cell phone bumped into her.

  Their eyes met and they each turned. He slipped his phone into his pocket before saying, “Taylor Scott.”

  “Bradford? What brings you here?”

  “Ah, Crestford just moved our offices here. We’ve got the top two floors now.”

  Josephine had already told her that, but Taylor didn’t want him to think she was paying more attention to their firm than she needed to. Taylor and Bradford Fleming had gone to college together. They’d each landed internships at Ogilvy and worked together for four years before Crestford made Bradford an offer that included more money, travel and the Director of Design title. Bradford accepted the offer. If she were in his shoes, Taylor probably would have done the same.