A Christmas Worth Billions (Countdown to Christmas Book 4) Read Online Free Page A

the plate in front of David, making him jump.
    “Thank you. This looks amazing,” David said. She’d made him the same white and wheat toast that she’d made the day before, and the whipped cream was a good two inches above the mug.
    “I would’ve added more, but it was starting to tip. Oh, I almost forgot.” She reached below the counter, then dropped a cherry on top. “There you go.”
    David popped the cherry in his mouth and enjoyed the burst of flavor. “Do you always keep cherries under the counter?”
    “Only the ones I use for milkshake toppings.” She walked away to take orders from a small family in the corner.
    David shook his head and took a bite of his eggs. They were so much better than anything he could have made at home. The hot chocolate was perfect as well.
    Lily was busy with other customers when he was finished, so he paid the other waitress and left. Going to the diner that morning had been just what he needed.
    The trip to work was a little better than the day before because of the snow plows, but it still took him half an hour longer than he’d wanted. He’d already missed one meeting, and had to rush up the stairs to get to the next one.
    David slipped inside and sat near the back to listen to Erin give her report on the earnings for that month. The ring on her finger sparkled as she brushed some hair behind her ear. She’d not only had a successful campaign, but she’d also walked away with a new fiancé. David hadn’t been at work during that time, but Peter had kept him up-to-date.
    The sales numbers were higher than they’d anticipated, meaning a higher commission for the company. David clapped with the rest of the group when the presentation was over, and then left for his office. He went through the numbers and found that if they had just a few more weeks with this much success, they would be able to take on more projects.
    There was a short knock on the door before Peter walked in. “Hey. The invites for the company Christmas party have been sent out. You sure you’re up for this?”
    No. Not at all. “Our employees have given us a very successful year, and it's time to thank them for it. I may leave early, but I want to do this.” David couldn’t help glancing at the picture of Sarah on his desk.
    “She’d be proud of you.”
    David cleared his throat. “Thanks. It’s just too bad it took this long to figure things out.”
    Peter nodded and put his hand on the doorknob. “Same lunch as yesterday?”
    “I think I’ll just have something small. I ate a big breakfast.” David turned to his laptop.
    “Sounds good. I’ll be back later.” Peter left the office and shut the door behind him.
    David leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face in frustration. His mind kept going between Sarah and Lily, and it was making him dizzy. Was it so bad that he found Lily attractive? That he wanted to anything in his power to make her laugh again?  It was too soon to even think about anyone else.
    It was time to get both off his mind and get back to work. He spent the next few hours setting up meetings with the different clients who had called, and preparing PowerPoints for the appointments he had the next day.
    Later that afternoon, he was still buried in work, and jumped when Peter knocked and opened the door.
    “Here you go.” Peter set a sandwich and chips on David’s desk. “Figured you’d want to eat sometime today, so I grabbed this.”
    “Thanks.” David added the mayonnaise and mustard to his sandwich and took a bite. “Oh, man. I didn’t realize how hungry I am. Thank you.”
    Peter smirked. “This isn’t the first lunch you’ve skipped. Need anything else before I head out?”
    “No, I think I have everything pretty much taken care of. Have a good night.” David took another bite and wiped his hands on a napkin. “Oh, wait. Could you deliver these to Debra? They’re the new assignments.”
    “Sure.” Peter took the files and paused. “You may want to