Red Hot Christmas Read Online Free Page B

he thanked her for it.  
    Nicolas looked out again over the spires of New York City. He would have loved his grandmother to see him now. For her to gaze out over this view with him as he pointed out the various buildings he owned. To have one of his cars pick her up, have his chef whip up her favorite meal of spaghetti and meatballs. Although no doubt she would have found fault in anything the Michelin-starred chef created.  
    Kennedy once advised ‘don’t get mad, get even.’ That was something his grandmother would have agreed with. Gabrielle wasn’t going to know what hit her. No, she was going to know exactly what hit her, and she was going to beg him for forgiveness that he would never give. Nicolas smiled for the first time that day. He could hardly wait for tomorrow. Gabrielle Phillips was as good as ruined.

Chapter Three

    Next day he decided to check out his shop floor before meeting with the staff who were in charge of it. Able’s was about more than Gabrielle Philips, and he needed to make sure he was on top of every aspect of it. It was a short walk to the flagship Able’s store from his office and Nicolas pushed through the door less than ten minutes after he’d left his desk. On his left a little boy pulled at his mother’s hand, dragging her towards a display of antique model trains. The child’s face was a picture of wonder. He gazed at the old tin engine while it chugged over a track and through a tunnel. As if transported into the child’s thoughts, Nicolas saw the smoke billowing from the train, watched the felt trees glued to the green matt sprout real tendrils, and a conductor wave his hand, hurrying passengers on board. “How does it work?” the little boy asked his mother.
          “They’re toys,” she said, harried no doubt by trying to fit shopping in around her busy schedule.
          Nicolas waited for her to say something else, to feed the wonder on the kid’s face. Nothing. Maybe it was the atmosphere in the store, maybe it was all the Christmas decorations, but instead of walking on, he bent and whispered to the kid, “There’s a secret robot in each train.”
          The boy’s eyes widened, and Nicolas grew bolder. “The conductor goes around each night checking that the robot is hidden from view. If everyone knew that you could get robots this small they’d freak out. But that’s what makes it go. If you check closely you can see the robot sparkle. See there.” He pointed and the child peered in.  
    When the metal and tin refused to give up their magical secrets the boy’s face creased up. He turned to look up at Nicolas with his eyebrows knotted. “You sure? Why don’t they use them in other things?”
    Nicolas tried not to laugh. “Oh, I’m sure. I’ve seen them at night. They glow in the dark.”
    The child’s mother gave Nicolas a strange look. “Time to go Henry.” His hand held firmly by his mother, little Henry had no choice but to be dragged away, but as he turned to check the trains one last time, Nicolas gave him a big wink.
    Shaking his head at himself, Nicolas scanned the entry floor of his department store before he headed for the lift. Every outlet was jammed with Christmas decorations, gifts and toys all competing for attention with tinsel and faux snow. It was a child’s Christmas paradise.  
      Nicolas sighed, what he would have given for a fraction of the toys on display today when he was growing up. But his grandmother had hardly enough money for food, let alone toys. He changed course and went to gaze more closely in the shop window of an ornate candy store. There were candy canes and lollypops on display, but there were also elfin ears and fake reindeer droppings all made of chocolate. The store owner clearly didn’t just cater for traditionalists.  
    Moving on to the next store, Nicolas realized that he’d never explored Able’s properly. Sure he knew the ins and outs of its balance sheets, knew which outlets held