Chapter 3

A week later and three thousand miles away in Boston, Massachusetts. Thirty-two-old career woman Hazel Myers was on an emotional high as she packed her already overfilled briefcase.

She looked around her cluttered office and sighed. One of these days she really had to give some thought to organizing things. She knew it wasn’t going to happen because she loved living in clutter, and loved that she could instantly lay her hands on anything she needed.

Hazel Myers owned a public relations firm in the heart of Dorchester. It employed three full-time staff members; two part-time moms whose schedules she worked around, a receptionist-slash-secretary, and a battle-scarred, bushy-haired orange tabby cat named Roxie she had found half-starved in the basement of the building she rented.

If anyone reigned supreme at the Myers Agency, it was Roxie who greeted clients by purring and strutting her stuff. He had quickly become the favorite of the residents.

Roxie knew how to turn on the computer, and even open the box of Tender Vittles when someone left it sitting on the kitchen counter.

“You're going to miss me, Bethany?” Hazel asked.

“Does Roxie need whipped cream on her catnip? Of course, I’m going to miss you. That was a silly question, Hazel."

Bethany continued, "But things slow down at this time of the year and you’re only a cell phone call away. You said your mom has a fax machine so I think we’re good to go in case something pops up."

"In a way, I envy you. Going home for the holidays is always kind of special and going all out on your mom’s project to help the Society group is the icing on top as far as good feelings go. If anyone can make it work, then it’s you.” Bethany smiled at her friend.

Hazel flopped down on her swivel chair, her long legs stretched out in front of her. “Easy to say, Bethany. Mapping out a PR campaign to sell cosmetics or cornflakes is a lot different from selling Christmas trees. I know nothing about Christmas trees other than you put them in a stand, string lights and ornaments and flick the switch. Instant gratification.”

“You got a plan, boss?"

Hazel laughed, the sound bouncing off the walls. “Sort of, kind of. I’m thinking of three tents. One for the stuff Mom wants to sell. You know, the ornaments, light, gift wrap, the big red velvet bows. I ordered tons of stuff a week ago when Mom told me about this. I jumped right on it. Mom’s got the Society group lined up to work the store, as she calls it. They’re going to be serving gingerbread, chocolate peppermint pretzel and hot mulled cider the way they used to do it at Morrison Farms. I must have told you about that wonderful place from my childhood. I hate it that Mr Morrison let the farm go to ruin. I have such nice memories of going out there with my father. He always made it a special event. One year it actually snowed the day we went to pick up the tree. I was so excited I could hardly sleep the night before. Memories are wonderful, aren’t they?”

Bethany flicked the long braid that hung down to the middle of her back. “Memories are great as long as you don’t dwell too much on them. Maybe you’ll meet Prince Charming while you are over there. I see it now, he appears out of nowhere, asks you to help him pick out the perfect tree. You do, and then he asks you to deliver it and help him set it up. You agree, you fall into his arms in front of the tree and voila, you now have a boyfriend!” she flung her hands in the air.

“In your dreams! I don’t have time for men. I’m trying to build this business and working sixteen hours a day is more than any guy can understand. All in good time.”

Bethany eyed her boss–friend. She would never understand how someone as affable, as pretty, as intelligent as Hazel didn’t have men falling all over her.

“Your clock is ticking, Hazel. There’s more to life than building a business.”

Hazel sniffed as she fiddled with the comb that controlled her long, dark, curly hair. She fixed her green eyes on Bethany and said, “you’re a year older and I don’t see you in any hurry to settle down.”

“Yeah, well, at least I have a prospect. Larry loves me and would marry me in a heartbeat if I said the word. I’m thinking about it. Financially we aren’t there yet, I want us to have enough money saved up to put down payment on a house.

There’s no way I’m going to live in an apartment with kids. I want lots of kids and so does Larry. By next year we’ll have saved enough to get a house. It’s my plan. You don’t even have a prospect, much less a plan, Hazel.” Bethany said, arching a brow.

Bethany was right even though she didn’t want to admit it. She longed for Mr. Right but so far he had eluded her. Maybe Bethany was right and she needed to cut back on the hours she worked and get some kind of personal life. Or she could go to the internet and sign up on those matchmaking sites.

Like that was really going to happen.

Hazel shrugged as she continued to stuff her briefcase. She had to sit on it so she could lock it.

“I don’t know why I’m taking all this. Better to be prepared for anything and everything. "Okay, okay, I’II work on my social skills and try to snag a guy when I get home. You realize single guys do not buy Christmas trees. They buy artificial ones. Families, moms and dads and kids, buy trees. Having said that, I will do my best to find a man who will meet with your approval. If I come back empty-handed, I will do some exploration on one of those dating sites, okay?”

Bethany smiled at her boss, “Yeah. Look, if you need me, give me a call. I can take the train and be there in three hours. I’m going to miss Roxie." Bethany said as she scooped up the tabby to settle her in the carryall.

Hazel took a last look around. “It feels right, Bethany. Going home, I mean. I hate leaving you for two whole months but like you said, I’m just a phone call away. You don’t think I’m making a mistake, do you?” she asked with a worried smile on her face.

"Am I hearing right? Bethany acted shocked.

"The famous Hazel Myers is asking me if she’s making a mistake. The short answer is, no. Look, my mom passed away. I’d drop everything, even Larry, to have her back calling me to help out. You always have to give back, Hazel. If you don’t, you’re just a shell of a person. I expect you to be an authority on Christmas trees when you get back. I can go on the Net and research Christmas tree farms and send out some query letters asking if they want to use our services next year. That’s assuming you pull this off and raise the money you need.” Bethany said.

Hazel whispered, "You don’t know my mother, Bethany."

Continuing, "You know what bothers me the most is the trucking fees. We’re starting out in debt. I don’t like that. If bad weather sets in, the trees might not be cut in time. I’m at growers’ and truckers’ mercies. Mom did all the initial contact. I wish she had let me handle everything instead of going with the first person she contacted. You need to shop around to get the best price."

"Well, I gotta be going. I packed everything up last night. I’ll miss you, Bethany. Two months is a long time,” Hazel said wistfully.

Bethany threw her arm over her boss's shoulder. "I think you’re going to be too busy to miss this place. Go on now before we both start blabbering."

Hazel picked up Roxie’s carrying case and threw it over her shoulder. The briefcase weighed a ton and she probably wouldn’t even open it once she got to Virginia. Her mother always said she was anal retentive, was an overachiever and needed to think inside the box instead of outside. So much for a loving mother.

Getting to her car, Hazel settled Roxie on the passenger seat before she unzipped the carryall.

Roxie poked her head up just long enough to see her surroundings before she curled up to sleep. Hazel slipped a disc into the player and settled down to make the trip to Fairfax, Virginia.