Finding the Holidays

Two

This is a picture of Spruce Peak Lodge Resort.

"Okay, Delaney!  Do you mind clearing the living room?  I need to pack!" I hollered, barging into the apartment.

"What?  Why are you packing?  What is this for?" Delaney asked, springing off the couch, but her eyes still glued to the TV and that stupid Santa Claus Parade.  

"I'm going to Spruce Peak Lodge Resort." I said breathlessly, hauling my suitcase out, "I'm buying the business from there!"

"What's with your company and Spruce Peak?  Why do they want it so badly?" Delaney asked, exasperated, "It's a lovely place which means a lot to so many people!"  I frowned.  Why does she care so much about a resort?  "I hate to break it to you, Delaney," I said, "but this is life.  Businesses go out of business and the powerful companies take over."

"Is that all you care about?  Power?" Delaney snapped, making me jump.  

"Oh no, I never said that!" I began.

"That's what you're implying.  You have no thought about the jobs that will be lost, the good memories people have had there being gone, you just want a promotion!" Delaney seethed.

"Maybe I'm trying to get a life, unlike you, who only fantasizes and daydreams all day long!" I yelled, slamming my suitcase close.  "I'm done, good bye." I said icily, walking quickly out of the apartment, slamming the door behind me.  

"What is Delaney thinking these days?" I muttered, waiting for a taxi to drive me to the train station, "Twenty one years old, no thoughts about the future, just stupid celebrations!"  The taxi arrived and I slid in.  "To the train station, please." I said quickly, hauling my suitcase and overnight bag into the trunk, with the driver's help.  

"Sorry, Miss.  No can do!" The taxi driver said.

"What?  Why not?" I asked, worried.  I have to arrive today!  The taxi driver gave me a sympathetic look, but said warmly, "All the roads near there are closed for the Santa Claus Parade."

"Of course they are!" I groaned.

"Hey, it's a big deal.  My daughter missed school to go see it.  She?" The taxi driver held up his phone with a picture of a happy little girl.  "My cute l'il Sonja!" He gushed.

I don't care, I thought.  I need to get to the resort by today!  Not a moment to lose!  "Okay, well, do you have any suggestions on what I should do?" I questioned intently.

Ten minutes later, I broke through the crowds of people, crammed behind metal gates, attempting to look at the parade.  "Sc'use me, pardon me, coming through!" I called, sticking out my left arm and using it to create a path for me, as I wedged between puffy snowsuits and coats.  It was torture, I almost missed my train.  Is that all these people do?  Stand around and watch parades?  What the heck?  Okay, I'm here, I'm fine, I told myself, settling into my chair on the train, I better begin work.  I opened my laptop and checked my emails.  There was one from Lesedi.  I clicked it and read:

Hey, Lena!

I saw that you rushed out of the building in a hurry after that meeting.  Everything alright?  I hope so!  Oh, and a bunch of work friends and I are doing a Secret Santa, are you in?  Tell me a.s.a.p.!

XX

-Lesedi 

A Secret Santa?  Are you kidding me?  How old are these people?  I responded to Lesedi with.

To Lesedi,

The meeting with Mr. Kingsley went well.  I am actually personally travelling to Spruce Peak Lodge Resort myself, and buying it from there.  So, I will have to decline on your Secret Santa offer as I am too busy with work.  Talk to you later!

-Lena

I rolled my eyes.  I'm glad I avoided that mess.  "Next stop is the town of Spruce Peak.  Next stop Spruce Peak, thank you." the voice over the intercom said.  I immediately began packing my carry on bag and grabbed my overnight bag and suitcase.  The train slowed and stopped to a halt at a train station.  I could tell it was really old fashioned- the ground as gravel around it.  "Great." I muttered, gritting my teeth, "I really don't want to be covered in gravel right now."  I awkwardly walked as fast as I could across the gravel ground platform, down some concrete stairs, to the most old fashioned town I had ever seen in my life.  It was almost something out of Little House on the Prarie, except there was no prarie.  Huge, towering mountains with spruce forests (I guess that's where it got its name from) surrounded the town.  On the inside of the town, I could see small shops and homes, and a town square with frozen over fountains and a huge clocktower.  I was supposed to get to Willflower Lane, however, because that's where my taxi, which would take me to the resort, would be.  But, I obviously had no clue where I was going because I had never been here before.  

I turned slowly in a circle, looking around.  Should I just blindly go one way?  For a town, it was pretty big.  What if my taxi driver left without me?  What would I do?  Mr. Kingsley would have a terrible fit if I arrived late on my first day.  

"Sc'use me?  Are you looking for directions, miss?"  I turned to see a man.  In the city, people would ignore people like me in this scenario (or at least I would), so this was weird.  "Y-yes," I said, "Willflower Lane, please."

"Go straight and to the right of you, miss." the man instructed and I nodded.

"Thank you, thank you sir!"I said happliy and he smiled.  Maybe I wouldn't be late after all.

I found my taxi no problem and we set off towards Spruce Peak Lodge.  Well, I thought, if the time I'm here goes well, I'll be out of this place for good!  Sure, the people are nice, but the economy must be terrible here.  I saw a ton of Christmas decorations, but those can't keep your town's economy stable for a whole year.  "There's more to a year than just holiday after holiday." I breathed to myself, "And I'm the only one who seems to get that around here."

We pulled up to a big lodge in the woods.  The whole thing was made of solid spruce logs, and the front had big glass windows and doors with red framing.  The porch was above ground and you had to go up some stairs to get to it.  There was a stone chimney at the side of the house.  But, we drove right past it.  "Isn't that the lodge?" I asked.

"No, miss.  That's just the private quarters.  For the big family that arrives every year." 

"Oh, okay." I said, nodding.  Private quarters?  How big is this family?  Then, I saw the other buildings, sort of clumped together along with the private quarters, like one big cozy family.  They all had the similar physical features as the private quarters did.  "I believe you should go in building fifteen." The taxi driver told me, pointing to a building labelled '15'.  "That's where you'll get checked in and sorted out."

"Okay, thank you!" I said, hauling out my suitcase and bags.

"You're welcome.  Have a Merry Christmas!" The taxi driver answered with a wink, before hopping in his car and driving away.

"Uh, and a happy new year?" I said in a questioning tone.  I turned to building number fifteen.  Okay, here goes nothing.  All you have to do is buy this entire complex before Christmas and walk out with a big amount of money and a promotion.

No pressure, right?

I sighed, nervous.  What if Mr. Kingsley doesn't like my work?  What if he sends in someone else to do it instead of me?  What if I get fired?  "Okay, it's just a few buildings." I said hesitantly, "And they're probably not in good condition anyways.  Look, the wood's peeling on building number six!  It's just a few buildings!  Bang, bang, boom!  I'll buy them all out, because..."

"How hard can that be?"