A NOT-SO-MERRY CHRISTMAS

Chapter 3: Desperate Measures

Mary sat in her office, staring at the blinking cursor on her computer screen. The blank page reflected her turmoil, as though mocking her inability to find a solution. She leaned back in her chair, her fingers tapping rhythmically against the desk. The words of the board still rang loud in her mind, each syllable striking a nerve. A boyfriend? That was their grand stipulation for her taking over Crawford Corporation?

She let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. A boyfriend. Of all the things they could have asked for, this was their condition. Her thoughts wandered, unbidden, to her personal life—or lack thereof. When had she last even considered dating? Her life had been consumed by work for as long as she could remember. Late nights at the office, weekends reviewing reports, and vacations she barely took—this had been her reality for years.

It wasn’t that she didn’t have options. She knew she wasn’t plain; in fact, she often caught lingering glances at company events or out on the rare evenings she allowed herself to socialize. But her ambition had always been her priority. She wasn’t like those girls with endless free time to hop from one party to the next, hunting for their next relationship. No, Mary Crawford was above all that. She had goals, a vision, and a future to build.

And yet... here she was. At 25, successful beyond most of her peers, but being cornered into hiring a boyfriend. She groaned, brushing the thoughts away. “Focus,” she muttered to herself. She wasn’t going to let this ridiculous obstacle derail her.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. “Come in,” she called, sitting up straighter.

Lily, her assistant, slipped into the office, closing the door behind her. “Hey, you’ve been quieter than usual. Everything alright?”

Mary sighed, waving vaguely toward her screen. “Oh, you know, just trying to wrap my head around the board’s ridiculous demands.”

Lily perched on the edge of the desk, crossing her arms. “Still stuck on the whole boyfriend thing?”

“Wouldn’t you be?” Mary replied dryly, arching an eyebrow.

Lily chuckled. “Well, at least it’s not an impossible task. I mean, you’ve just got to bring him out into the public eye now and then, right? It’s not like they’re demanding a full-on fairy tale romance.”

Mary raised an eyebrow, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “And which boyfriend would that be, Lily?”

The casualness of her tone made Lily pause. “Wait…” Her eyes widened as realization dawned. “You’re telling me you don’t have a boyfriend?”

Mary shook her head, a humorless smile tugging at her lips. “Nope. Not a one. Not even a mildly interested prospect.”

Lily gaped at her. “But you’re Mary Crawford! How is that even possible?”

“Turns out, running a company and having a personal life aren’t as compatible as people think,” Mary quipped. “And, you know, I have standards.”

Lily raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of curiosity and concern. “So, what’s your next move, Mary?”

Mary leaned back in her chair, exhaling slowly as she processed everything. She could feel the weight of the board’s demands pressing down on her, but she wasn’t about to show that. Her voice was steady as she spoke. “I’ve got it covered. I’ll find a way to make this work—just like I always do.”

Lily studied her for a moment, clearly not convinced. “You sure about that? Because this... this seems like a lot more than just another business problem.”

Mary gave a quick, confident smile. “I’m sure. I’ll handle it. Trust me.”

Lily didn’t look entirely convinced, but she nodded. “Alright, just... be careful. You know where I am if you need anything.”

Mary gave her a reassuring look. “I appreciate it, Lily. But I’ve got this.”

You're right! Let’s rework that part so it blends more naturally into the scene:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the time Mary left the office, the idea had solidified in her mind. It was ridiculous, sure, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She would handle this like any other business problem: logically, efficiently, and with clear parameters.

The evening air had turned cool as she walked to her car, the city lights flickering in the distance. Her mind spun with possibilities and risks. Trusting a stranger to play such a personal role in her life—even temporarily—was a gamble. But what choice did she have? The board had spoken, and their demands were clear: a boyfriend, a partner to act as her steady companion in the public eye. She couldn’t let this ridiculous obstacle derail her—her career was on the line.

As she reached her car, the weight of it all sank in. Could she really pull this off without it backfiring? Could a hired boyfriend really convince the board she was more than just a capable CEO? It felt like a dangerous game, but she had no other option. She took a deep breath, trying to push the doubts from her mind. There was no time to second-guess herself now.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice calling out to her. “Hey, Mary!”

She turned to see Jonathan jogging toward her, his coat flapping in the brisk evening breeze. He looked relaxed, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket, but his expression was open, friendly.

“Heading out already?” he asked, his tone light, as though they were just picking up a conversation from where they’d left off earlier.

“Long day,” she replied, mustering a small smile. She didn’t feel like going into details. Not yet. “Just wanted to wrap things up and get out of here for a bit.”

Jonathan studied her for a moment, his gaze steady but curious. He could always read her better than most. Mary had always thought of herself as composed, someone who could mask her feelings and keep her emotions in check, but Jonathan had a way of getting past the walls she carefully built.

“You look like you’ve got a lot on your mind. Need to talk about it?” he asked, his voice softer now, a subtle concern in his eyes.

Mary hesitated for a moment, considering his offer. She could tell him about the board's ridiculous demands, about how they wanted her to hire someone to play the role of a boyfriend just to prove she had a personal life. But what was the point? It was too absurd, too humiliating. She wasn’t going to burden him with her frustrations, especially when there was nothing he could do.

“I’m fine, Jonathan,” she said, shaking her head slightly. “Just the usual chaos.”

Jonathan raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “You know, that line might work on other people, but not me. You’re a lot tougher than that. If you ever want to vent, I’m around.”

Her smile softened at his sincerity, but she didn’t reply. Instead, she gave a slight nod, grateful for his understanding but unwilling to delve into it any further. The conversation felt like a temporary escape, a small comfort she could hold onto as she wrestled with her own choices.

Without another word, Mary slid into her car, her fingers lingering on the door handle for just a moment longer. She caught Jonathan’s gaze through the window as she started the engine, and for a split second, their eyes locked. She gave him a small wave, a silent thank you for his kindness, and drove off into the evening, her mind still buzzing with everything she had to figure out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night, Mary sat at her dining table with a notebook in front of her. The soft glow of a single lamp cast long shadows across the room. On the top of the page, she’d scrawled the words: Potential Candidates. Below it, she began to jot down a list:

•Professional

•Discreet

•Convincing

•Safe

She stared at the last word for a moment, her pen tapping lightly against the page. It felt absurd, this entire situation, but there was no denying what was at stake. The future of Crawford Corporation rested on her ability to play this game—no matter how ridiculous it seemed.

A sigh escaped her lips, and she leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. Her thoughts were a whirl of uncertainty, but the decision was clear. She had no choice. This wasn’t just about appeasing the board—it was about securing everything she’d worked for. She couldn’t afford to fail.

She closed the notebook with a snap, the weight of the decision settling in her chest. Tomorrow, she would begin the search. And, for all its strangeness, she could only hope she wasn’t making the biggest mistake of her life.