The Christmas Elf, A Secret-Santa Story

Chapter 32 - Saying no is sometimes easier than you think...

Saturday 24 December

"You are not serious," Michael said, mentally skimming through everything that had gone before. There were certainly intimations that she wanted to get back together. But love? Even affection? He had caught none of it in the way she interacted with him.

"Yes. I am. Daddy says - " A light went on. He could practically see the cartoon-styled lightbulb above his head as things started to make sense. The old man had strong opinions on everything and held the purse strings.

"What did your dad say?" he asked, voice dangerously quiet.

"He said that I made a mistake letting you go," she said.

Michael walked over to the living area and took a seat. "I have a feeling this will not be a short story. Please, join me," he gestured to the seat opposite. He was prepared to be polite for as long as it took to get to the bottom of this.

She slid off the stool in clear reluctance and walked over, to sit primly. "He thinks I could do more with my life and that I am too heavily dependent on the money he gives me. But I have a job!"

"I think we can both agree, that you spend more than you earn," Michael said drily.

She huffed out a breath. "He...err...implied - that he would think differently if I was back with you."

Michael raised an eyebrow at that. He had never gotten the impression that Lisa's father approved of him. To think that the older man expected him to manage Lisa or curb the impulses of a lifetime spent never being told 'no' was a bit more than he could comprehend.

Lisa then launched into a summary of how they could make things work, even with her living in Boston and him having the pub. While she outlined all the things they could do together to make it work and all the ways in which he didn't have to feel like he was obligated to spend time with her, he listened.

It sounded more and more like she was outlining a business arrangement rather than a relationship with someone she had broken up with and whom she been heart-broken without. It was the only reason he didn't feel guilty about having this out in front of Jon and Abby. Lisa certainly seemed to be over her initial reluctance to speak about it in front of them.

"Do you really want to get back together with me?" he finally asked gently, when she had taken a pause for breath.

She lowered her eyes and her shoulders drooped slightly. "Noooo..."

"Exactly," he said, "I had a feeling that was the case."

"When I left Boston, I thought that if I saw you it would all come back and I'd want you again. Then I saw you at the door and you looked really good. But after an entire evening spent together, I just don't feel it," she said.

"Don't get me wrong, you're still handsome." she added, almost apologetically,

Michael made the mistake of looking at Jonathan, whose lips were twitching. Lisa managed to make 'still handsome' sound like he was an over-the-hill old man who used to be better-looking before time had its way.

"...but I don't feel anything."

"And saying you love me?" he asked.

"I can't even comprehend living on my current salary! I wouldn't be able to afford to go skiing for example because he's cancelled the credit cards he gave me," she whined.

Michael looked at the woman sitting across from him, wondering if she realized that she was behaving like a child. There was no maturity in her and she didn't seem to understand that her current lifestyle was frivolous in the extreme. She was still at the stage of blaming her father and trying to claw her way back into his good graces, instead of examining herself to see what she had done to contribute to it.

He took a deep breath. "So, you acknowledge that you have no real feelings for me, yes?" She nodded reluctantly.

"You also came here only because you think it would help you with your father giving you more money?" She nodded again.

"I think you know what has to happen next, don't you?" he asked.

"I can pretend to my father we're back together and he won't know the difference?" she asked brightly. Jonathan and Abigail burst out laughing.

"Lisa!" Michael exclaimed.

"Oh, alright! I need to book a hotel room and get out of your hair. Or, if I'm really lucky I can get a flight out today." She said, contritely. "There goes the skiing trip."

Michael ignored the comment about skiing. He hoped she learned to live within her means soon. "I have a feeling the airlines will need time to regularize flights and deal with the back-logs, but we can certainly get you to a hotel." Michael said.

Lisa nodded and got up to re-pack the few things she had taken out of her suitcase while Abigail went to try and find a hotel the old fashioned way – by calling them for a reservation.

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Author's note: Hi guys! Hope you're liking this story so far. Please let me know what you think in the comments below....