The Christmas Elf, A Secret-Santa Story

Chapter 21 - Eileen's technique

Wednesday 21 December

Michael and Jonathan leaned easily against the bar, too tense to sit but too involved to want to leave the room. "I can't believe you knew someone who could help and didn't want to tell her," Jonathan said again.

"I gave you my reasons," Michael turned away from looking at the pair of auditors to the papers he had spread on the bar. The fact that they were being audited didn't mean the everyday business of running a pub went away. Andrew was in the back taking charge of all the deliveries, which freed Michael to be out front. The kitchen staff was already in prep mode.

"But still..."

"Leave it alone Jonathan, she's here now and seems to be taking the entire thing in stride," he tallied numbers and made notes.

"Stride? That's something of an understatement isn't it? He was running this thing out of your office and she has him still sitting out here. He had us running and fetching documents and now he is the one who gets up ever so often and goes to retrieve things," Jonathan's voice was low enough not to carry, but his avid interest in the goings-on at the table they had set up early this morning was unmistakable.

"Did you see his face when she said the office was too small for both of them to spend the entire day together in it? I think the idea of spending an entire day with her scared him."

Michael glanced over his shoulder. He had been trying hard not to stare – at her in his place. It gave him a strange feeling to be able to look over and see here there, the feeling that he wanted to always be able to look up and find that she was there.

The navy-blue pantsuit was executive chic but with her hair clipped back on one side and otherwise left free, she managed to convey approachability at the same time. Her jewelry was understated but whimsical, he swore he had seen fairies and flowers on her necklace and the bracelet that was mostly hidden by her long sleeves.

"Did I tell you she scared me a little when she walked in? For such a petite female, she has quite a presence," Jonathan rambled on.

"So you were there since she walked in?" Michael looked at this cousin fully.

"Hey! Since we're about to open for lunch, do you think I should help them relocate?" Jonathan dodged the question. Michael raised an eyebrow but allowed himself to be diverted. "I'll check."

As he walked over to the table, he noticed the body language. Eileen projected calm and ease, Frank alternately tapped his feet and then the notepad in front of him with his pen. His head was tilted over his notes and Michael heard him say, "Well, I didn't get to that part of it as yet."

"Don't you think it's a fundamental piece of the implications that could save you time?" Eileen asked neutrally. She stopped as she saw Michael.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we're going to start getting the lunch crowd soon. I have two options for you, I can give you a table at the back where there will be the most privacy – as private as it can get here anyway – or we can help you relocate to the office," he said to both of them, careful not to choose a decision-maker.

She wrinkled her nose at him, "I saw your office early this morning when Frank and I went to look at the paper-work he had so far and it's kind of..."

"Small?" Michael prompted with a smile, knowing she was trying not to be rude. "Generations of O'Leary men have believed that all available square footage should be put to good use and an office isn't what any of them would have considered good use."

"Clearly...," her lips twitched. The office was a ten by ten space with a plain writing desk and flanked on both sides by filing cabinets.

"Frank, would you be okay with us taking a table at the back? I think we have most of the paperwork out here already and we could use the space?" she addressed the IRS auditor.

Frank looked at her, as though surprised she would defer to him. "Sure, that makes sense Eileen. I don't want to make you uncomfortable after all."

She smiled at him and he looked like he wanted to float off in a bubble of happiness. Michael hid his surprise that Frank, who was still struggled to call him or Jonathan by their first names, had unbent enough to be addressing Eileen by hers and that he was now so interested in her level of comfort.

He beckoned Jonathan over and they assisted in moving the papers, one pile at a time, such that they kept them in what appeared to be a carefully assembled order.

Michael soon had his hands full as the wait staff arrived and started setting up. Abigail and Jonathan both pitched in, Jonathan in keeping close to Eileen and Frank to make sure that if they needed anything they got it and Abigail in running interference when the volume of demands got too much.

At one point he stopped her long enough to say, "This is my first Christmas season and I may have underestimated the demands."

She patted him on his cheek, "I was here last Christmas and I can tell you it's only this busy because of what you've made it. We were nowhere near this in demand last year. You should be proud." Hearing her say it made him helped him to realize it.

He personally delivered the food that went to the 'tax' table, adding a slice of pie as dessert even though Eileen hadn't ordered it. She looked at it and smiled at him, her lovely eyes distracted. During the lull between lunch and dinner crowds she sought him out in the kitchen. "I may need to call in back-up, is that okay with you?"

"Sure," he said promptly, "whatever you need. Why wouldn't I be ok?" She grinned, "Because I may have to offer them a free meal and you'll be paying for it?"

He laughed, "Have you seen the crowds out there? I'm sure I can afford it."

She made a call. "Hey Kayla. Sorry to be calling you on your holidays...but I kind need help."

~ o ~

"They've multiplied," Jonathan said darkly into his ear.

"What?!" Michael was behind the bar, helping Anthony out by pulling draughts, leaving him free to mix the fancier drinks that were in high demand. He looked to where Jonathan was staring and saw that now there were four people at the 'tax' table. He recognized the new additions as two of Eileen's co-workers from the night she had first come in.

"She did say she was calling in back-up," he observed.

"Do you realize that she's been working all day, on what I assume is her vacation time? Didn't she mention she has her parents are only here visiting as well?" Jonathan said.

"Are you trying to make me feel worse than I do?" Michael asked tersely. "When you decided to tell her we were having audit problems and she volunteered to help I expected she would have spent an hour or two and then left him to it. I've met her parents and I know how close they appear to be. I'm pretty sure they'll be writing me off after this."

"Well, I met her parents last night too and I am not trying to make you feel bad. I'm wondering what kind of woman goes out of her way like that for a man she's only just met. It's either she really, really likes you or..." Jonathan paused.

"Or?" Michael prompted.

"Or she is crazy-stalker-girl? The kind who meets a guy, goes out with him once and then plans their entire life together, complete with a scrapbook that shows their composite kids?" Jonathan finished.

"Flashback to your ex, Jonathan?" Michael asked.

"Yep, Carrie was something else..." Jonathan gave a mock-shudder.