Elena plops down on the sofa and pulls out her phone.
"Tyler," She smiles when his face appears on the screen.
"How's it going?"
"We just got shown my room but I'm going to go downstairs a little later to see the Christmas Wonderland in the Conservatory."
"That sounds like fun. I know how you love Christmas."
"I do," Elena beams. "How's the convention?"
"I used your opening line for my speech. You were right. It was standing room only. How's the hotel? Does it meet your expectations?" Tyler asks as he reaches for something.
"Well, I think your mother's going to hate it."
"Nothing new there. My mom hates everything," Tyler quips.
"Really?" Elena asks as she leans back into the couch cushions. "And here I thought it was just me."
"Elena..." he pauses at the sounds of some background noise. "Listen, the next speaker is about to start so I need to let you go. Can you text me the schedule?"
"I already did." Elena smiles at him.
"What would I do without you?" Tyler winks at her.
"You'd be lost," Elena boasts.
"You're right. I'll see you tomorrow, future Mrs. Lockwood."
"Bye," Elena sighs as the screen goes blank.
Wanting a little alone time, Elena checks both sides of the hallways as she steps out of her suite before darting into the stairwell. Reaching the bottom floor, she enters the lobby area to look for the conservatory.
Elena gasps as she enters the conservatory where she beholds the benevolent holiday season and the designs of elves, fairies, reindeer, candy canes, giant Christmas snowflakes, toy soldiers, nutcrackers, beautifully wrapped giant gifts, and ornaments, too.
As she wanders through, Elena marvels at the delicate creatures sparkling with joy as they create an array of beautiful display elements in celebration of nature's grandeur and what she imagines Santa's village must look like.
Elena pauses to take some video of the displays and watches the train circle around the base of the gorgeously decorated tall Christmas tree. She hopes there will be time to bring Tyler in here, too. It's like being transported to another realm filled with fantastical Christmas flora and fauna, lavish artistry, and skillfully detailed designs.
More than a place of storybook legend, it's an unforgettable feeling of timeless natural beauty and elegance. When she reaches the Santa throne, she beams as she watches the children take their turn to chat with the legend himself- Santa.
When Santa happens a glance her way, he winks. Elena's mouth drops as she recognizes the man she met in the convenience store. She raises her hand and gives him a subtle wave and a smile.
He acknowledges her with a smile of his own as he helps a little boy down and waits for the next one to crawl onto his lap. The tiny girl wobbles and falls on her padded bottom. Damon laughs when she rolls onto her belly to get up again. Her mother lifts her, her arms reach for him and he stands up to take her. Sitting back down, he smiles for a photo.
He barely maintains his composure when she presses her tiny palms to either side of his face and squeezes. "San.. ta," she squeaks. He listens intently to her baby talk, not understanding much but he nods along. Just before she slides off his legs, she presses a wet sloppy kiss to his cheek.
"Oh, thank you," he tells her then reaches into his bag to give her a candy cane. Her mother smiles appreciatively and walks away, letting the next child take their turn. He gives each child as much attention as time allows.
From the distance, Elena watches how good he is with children. She's lost in thought until her phone vibrates in her pocket.
"Where are you?" comes from her mother.
She texts back that she's going to the lounge, Elena waves at Santa before leaving the magical world behind.
An hour and a half later, Elena's sitting in the hotel coffee shop having a bite to eat when she feels an arm on her shoulder.
"Hey, Santa," she giggles, smiling at him.
"In reality, I'm Damon," he introduces himself.
"Have a seat." Elena gestures at the chair.
Damon nods and sits down. "You here for a wedding?"
"I am. What about you?"
"The owner is an acquaintance of mine. I owed him a favor so I'm playing Santa Claus. I love kids and wearing the beard is fun so it's all good," Damon explains with a smirk.
"From what I could see, you are great with them," Elena remarks as she takes a sip of her mimosa.
"I like most kids. Some are real brats, though...Are you a bridesmaid?" he asks and signals the waiter for a cup of coffee.
"Whoa! Forgot to hit your turn signal for that segue way," Elena teases. "And, no, I'm not a bridesmaid."
"You know what they say about bridesmaids' dresses," Damon laughs, adding, "An old girlfriend was obsessed with 27 Dresses so you dodged a bullet there."
"Actually...I'm the bride."
"You're kidding."
"No, I'm not," Elena tells him truthfully and takes another swallow from her glass.
"You're not kidding. Wow."
"And I believe you're supposed to say congratulations now," Elena counters and smiles slyly.
"Right. I, uh...I'm sorry. I've seen a lot of brides working here and you don't have that thing," Damon contends and stirs some sugar into his coffee.
"That thing?" Elena looks at him perplexed.
"You know, the bridal glow."
"Well, what do I have then?" Elena asks, curious to hear his assessment.
"Don't take this the wrong way but... you have the look of someone going to see the dentist...When's the big day?"
Elena rolls her eyes. "It's the day after tomorrow," she informs him.
"I can't help but notice you're not wearing a ring," Damon points out and asks, "Too loose or too tight?"
"Why?"
"If a ring is too tight, you shouldn't get married. Haven't you ever heard that?"
"Really?" Elena rolls her eyes. "No, I haven't heard that bit of folklore before."
"Elena?" comes from behind and she looks up to see her father. She stands to hug him.
"Dad. Hi. This is..."
"Damon Salvatore," he takes the words out of Elena's mouth and offers his hand to Grayson.
"Grayson Gilbert. Are you with the hotel?"
"Temporarily. I'm Santa Claus," Damon laughs and sits back down.
"I'm sure Elena will make the nice list this year." Grayson winks at his daughter. "Do you know any place to do some fishing around here?"
"Dad, it's winter."
"It's not like the bay freezes over, Elena," he scoffs.
"I live just over the dune from here I'll tell you a great place if you keep it quiet."
"Absolutely," Grayson makes the zipping lips gesture.
"North of the point, left side of the reef if halibut is to your liking," Damon tells him and leans back when the waitress appears to refill his cup.
"I love halibut...Must be nice living here," Grayson remarks.
"It is and isn't. It used to be quieter. Now with the hotel's wedding focus, instead of seagulls and the sounds of the sea, I hear the bridal march," Damon explains, sharing a glance with Elena.
"When you're not Santa Claus, what do you do?"
"I'm an architect by trade. And you?"
"I'm a small-town doctor. Elena manages a luxury real estate office in Norfolk."
"Dad, I'm sure Damon's not interested in what I do," Elena feels the flush of her cheeks.
"No, I'm interested," Damon concurs and waggles his brows at her playfully.
"Watching your daughter getting married... You hope she picks a man who feels like a son," Grayson rambles as he swipes a slice of fruit bread from Elena's plate.
"Dad," Elena chides softly.
"I've intruded long enough and I need to put the suit back on for another hour and a half. It was nice meeting you, Grayson," Damon shakes his hand again.
Grayson shakes vigorously. "Great to meet you, too, Damon."
Damon pauses to look at her. "Elena...Congratulations." He smiles at her and takes his leave.
"I like that guy."
"Dad, you do remember that I'm marrying Tyler the day after tomorrow." Elena looks at her dad pointedly.
"Yes, Elena, I know..."
It's a crisp December morning and Damon can see his breath when he steps outside and takes a swallow from his coffee cup. Yawning, he sits down on one of his Adirondack chairs that overlook the bay. The wind is brisk and the waves are crashing onto the sand.
Seagulls fly around in an uplifting rush, occasionally swooping down to snatch up tiny morsels of food.
Whispers of chilly sea air blow through his hair as it skips over the lulling waves. Hearing the wedding march, Damon glances toward the hotel and is surprised to see Elena waving to him from her balcony.
He smiles as he waves back and after emptying his cup, he goes back inside to get ready for the day.
"Where are they?" Miranda laments as they wait outside the hotel entrance for Tyler and his mother. "You don't think he changed his mind, do you?"
Elena bites back the urge to roll her eyes when her betrothed appears. "Tyler!" She steps into his arms for a kiss.
"I'm so glad you could make it, Tyler," Miranda states and hugs him.
"It's great to be here, Mrs. Gilbert," Tyler acknowledges her.
"You just call me mom," Miranda tells him with a big smile on her face.
"He doesn't even call his mother mom," Elena laughs.
"Tyler?" comes from behind them. They turn to see Carol Lockwood stepping out of a shiny black Mercedes.
"Hi," Elena smiles and moves to embrace her but Carol keeps her distance.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Lockwood. I'm Grayson and my lovely wife, Miranda. This is our oldest daughter Katherine and her husband Matt Donovan," Grayson says and steps back so they can shake hands.
"Did you have a wedding like this, too, Katherine?" Carol asks, curious.
"No, Matty Blue and I eloped," Katherine informs her and sighs happily when Matt wraps his arms around her.
"Banal," Carol whispers to Tyler.
"Mother," Tyler scolds her through gritted teeth.
"Who's hungry?" Miranda asks.
"Yes, please." Tyler takes Elena's hand in his and they follow her parents inside with his mother behind him.
"You're getting quite the catch with Tyler," Carol comments as she takes a swallow from her wine glass.
"Mother," Tyler mutters under his breath.
"Well, my late husband and I were blessed only with Tyler so naturally, I want the very best for him."
"You're getting the best with Elena," Katherine interjects with a cunning smile.
"Which reminds me, I have something for you..." Carol says to Elena and hands her the mysterious box she brought with her. "I know you had plans to wear something else but I was in New York recently on holiday. While Esther and I were shopping, I came across it."
"Okay," Elena drags out the word.
"Open it," Carol demands as she smiles triumphantly at Tyler.
"Oh, wow," Elena says when she lays her eyes on the champagne-hued gown. It has a scoop neckline decorated with sensational beading and embroidery that trails down toward the tulle, ballgown skirt.
Carol looks at Elena smugly. "You can't go wrong with Amaré Couture."
Elena glances at Tyler uneasily. She sucks her lower lip between her teeth as she stares at it. Blowing out a weighted breath, she raises her eyes to Tyler's Mom. "It's incredible...but the thing is, Carol, as exquisite as this is, my mom's counting on me to wear her dress. It was my grandmother's."
"I understand the sentiment. I do. But we need to consider which dress will look better on the society pages and the wedding pictures. That's important in our world," Carol explains haughtily as she nods at Tyler.
Elena can see disappointment written all over her mother's face but she quickly disguises it.
"Carol is right honey. It's stunning." Miranda forces a smile as she nods at her daughter.
"What size is this?" Elena asks as she runs her fingertips over the chiffon fabric.
"It's a size 2."
"Carol, I haven't been a size 2 since I was a toddler."
"I didn't realize you were a little plump in the middle. We'll have to have it altered. There must be a proper tailor in town. If not, I'll have to make an emergency call to New York."
"Your dad wants to try his luck fishing," Miranda interrupts, looking a little dismayed.
"You can all do that and Elena will need to come with me," Carol proclaims as she stands up. "I'm going to freshen up. Meet me in front of the hotel at 1:00 sharp," she says in a tone that leaves no room for argument.
"Sure," Elena agrees reluctantly as Carol nods at her and walks away.
"What if we're married for 40 years?" Elena bursts out in frustration at Tyler as they enter her suite. "That's 40 Christmases, 40 Thanksgivings, and 40 Easters with your mother!"
"I doubt she'll be around for all 40," Tyler states, trying to placate her.
"You underestimate your mother!" Elena blurts out as she slips out of her coat and tosses it on a chair.
"Look, you just don't fit into her plan for my entire life. And that's a good thing. She'll learn to love you," Tyler insists.
"The way you'll learn to love ballgames with my dad," Elena counters as she stares pointedly at him.
"How many games are we talking about?"
"Two or three."
"A year?" Tyler asks.
"More than that, Tyler! My hometown has a triple-A farm team. Dad has season tickets."
Tyler sighs. "Can we stop talking about our parents?"
"I would love to not talk about our parents. Would you like a tour of the suite?"
"Very much so," Tyler winks as he pulls her into his arms for a quick kiss.
"Upstairs is the bedroom with his and hers robes and right here," She points at the fruit and champagne, "Is the nuptial basket...I do like the Christmas decor..."
"It's nice," Tyler pulls a grape off the stem and pops it into his mouth.
"And out here," Elena states, pausing to open the patio door, "There's a lovely view of the wedding garden," she points out when they step outside.
"It is nice with the wreaths and ribbons on the chairs aisles. And the Christmas trees, too. I think your parents picked a nice place."
"You're forgetting the best part, we can watch strangers get married from dawn to dusk," Elena adds with a healthy dose of sarcasm.
"Elena," he starts but it is interrupted by his cell phone. He steps back into the suite to take the call.
Elena stares at the water while silently pining for a blizzard. Sighing she goes back inside to see a vertical wrinkle between Tyler's brows.
"What is it?" She asks, recognizing the look.
"The Drakos mansion- the one I've been trying to sell for almost a year. Some people are interested. I have to go."
"There's no one else that can show the house?" Elena asks, eyes blazing.
"No! This is my house to sell. And besides, it shouldn't take more than a few hours."
"I'll go with you," Elena offers.
"You can't. My mother's expecting you for the dress fitting."
"You owe me big," Elena grits out.
"I'll be back in time for the rehearsal dinner. I promise. Don't be mad. I know chewing on your lip is a sign of displeasure."
"And I'm supposed to be okay with this?" Elena snaps at him.
"I'm sorry. Really." Tyler gives her a quick kiss on the cheek before hurrying out of the room.
"I'll be the girl sitting alone at the table," she yells after him as the door slams shut.
"What's wrong, mom?" Elena asks when she opens her door to find Miranda sniffling and choking back tears.
"I just saw Tyler rush out like the hounds of hell were after him. Is everything alright?" She asks frantically as she walks into Elena's suite.
"Yes, we're fine. He's been trying to sell a multi-million-dollar estate for a long time now and this weekend of all weekends, someone shows interest in it."
"He just got here. How can he leave again when you're getting married? When is he coming back and shouldn't you be meeting Carol?"
"I still have a couple of minutes and yes, he promised he'd be back in time for the rehearsal dinner."
"I could go shopping with you and Carol," Miranda offers.
Elena laughs ruefully. "Why should we both suffer? You go fishing with Dad."
"I do feel kind of sorry for her. We have you and Katherine, she only has Tyler," Miranda remarks as she dabs her eyes with a tissue.
"Tyler, three houses, a private chef, a limo, and a country club membership. Believe me, Mom, she's not wanting for anything."
"You and I both know that none of that other stuff matters, it's family that's important."
"I'm sorry about the dress. She had no right."
"Oh, sweetheart. It's just a dress. Your daughter can wear it to her wedding," Miranda winks at her.
"My imaginary daughter's already getting married," Elena quips as she opens the door for her mom.
"Yes, and I'm working on the guest list right now. I should go. They're waiting for me downstairs."
"I'll walk you down. We can't keep Carol waiting, after all." Elena rolls her eyes and after grabbing her coat, she follows her mom out of the suite.
The shrill sound of the alarm clock startles Damon. He blindly reaches over to silence the annoying noise.
Rolling onto his back, he stares at the ceiling for a few moments. Damon wishes he would have met Elena a lot sooner. From the moment her skin touched his in that convenience store, he knew she was someone special... He wants to get to know her and see where things go.
He's certain they would have something really special. 24 hours from now, she'll be married to someone else and Damon we'll never know what might have been.
Sighing, he crawls out of bed and lumbers to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.
After emptying a cup of coffee, Damon grabs his portfolio before rushing out of the door. The resort owner asked to see his designs for some work that he had in mind.
As he makes his approach, Damon is amazed at the gorgeous design of the building. He's driven past it but never needed to go inside until now. He met Mr. Griffith after one of his shifts as Santa Claus.
Once inside, Damon takes a moment to appreciate the high ceilings and natural light that shines through the building. To his right is a massive Christmas tree beautifully dressed in holiday finery of lights, tinsel, ribbons, poinsettia flowers, and holly berries.
Damon snaps a photo and realizes he has about a minute to get to his appointment and walks briskly to the reception desk where a pretty redhead greets him warmly.
"I have an appointment with Mr. Griffith."
"Take the elevator. His office is on the eighth floor, three doors to your right," the woman instructs. on the third floor, three doors to your right." The woman informs him.
"Thank you," Damon replies as he steps into the elevator and pushes the button marked 8. When the doors slide open, he rushes to the office and enters.
"I'm Andie." The woman introduces herself. "You must be Mr. Salvatore."
"That's me," Damon quips.
"Mr. Griffith is expecting you. Come this way." She smiles and leads him to a large office overlooking the beach.
"Mr. Salvatore, sit." Vincent points to a chair.
"Beautiful view," Damon comments as he takes a seat.
"I enjoy. Thanks for coming. As you know, I'm the new owner of the Tides Inn. It's nice to meet you."
"My pleasure, Mr. Griffith," Damon returns the greeting.
"Can I see your designs?"
Damon hands him the portfolio.
"I look you up. Your work on the Cuesta Verde development. It's exactly what I'm looking for. The bottom line is, I'd like to expand the hotel and I'd like very much for you to be involved."
"How much bigger do plan on getting? The rooftop altar has a bird's-eye view of my bathtub."
"You do realize I'm offering you a job."
"I do. I mean no disrespect, Mr. Griffith, but when I moved here, the hotel had a few rooms and a handful of weddings a month. So, if you're planning on stacking more suites on top of party rooms, I'm not the man for you. I used to be that guy but I'm not anymore."
"You do realize, I'll just hire someone else?"
"Yeah, I know," Damon agrees as he gathers his portfolio to leave.
Thank you, everyone, so much. Thank you, Eva! Hugs!
Chapter title: "Not The Same" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
The wedding gown Carol picked up for Elena is Style C149 Hollace by Amare Couture if you're interested in searching for it. Amarecouture dot com.
The Christmas-themed Conservatory I had in mind is the one at The Bellagio in Las Vegas. The YouTube account "Let's Stroll People" has a short video of this year's display.
I have written many Christmas DE stories and they're in my profile if you're interested. Although I love all my versions of DE, one favorite of mine is 2019's "The Toy Master." DE begins that story as dolls. I believe I'm the only writer who's ever done that.
TQR will update next. Have a wonderful weekend.