The Billionaire’s Boxing Day Bargain

By Ava Hayden

Milo is too nice to say no when the desperate call goes out for more staff to work Boxing Day at Eden Consumer Electronics. It’s just until they sell the door-crasher specials, but it means he can’t see his billionaire boyfriend Lance until later that day.

Lance spends December 25 jetting back from a business trip, eager to see Milo. He calls as soon as his flight lands Boxing Day morning, only to find out that seven hundred and thirty televisions are cock-blocking him.

What’s the point of being a billionaire if you can’t spend your way around obstacles? Milo doesn’t want Lance solving his problems with cash, but he’ll never find out because Lance’s efficient personal assistant, William, is on the case. Unfortunately, even billionaires are subject to the law of unintended consequences—and these aren’t the kind Lance can buy his way out of.

Will Lance and Milo have their Boxing Day date? Or have Lance’s pushy billionaire ways finally gone too far?

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2017 Advent Calendar "Stocking Stuffers."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
• Release date: Dec 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781640803114

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By Ava Hayden

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The Billionaire’s Boxing Day Bargain

By Ava Hayden

Milo is too nice to say no when the desperate call goes out for more staff to work Boxing Day at Eden Consumer Electronics. It’s just until they sell the door-crasher specials, but it means he can’t see his billionaire boyfriend Lance until later that day.

Lance spends December 25 jetting back from a business trip, eager to see Milo. He calls as soon as his flight lands Boxing Day morning, only to find out that seven hundred and thirty televisions are cock-blocking him.

What’s the point of being a billionaire if you can’t spend your way around obstacles? Milo doesn’t want Lance solving his problems with cash, but he’ll never find out because Lance’s efficient personal assistant, William, is on the case. Unfortunately, even billionaires are subject to the law of unintended consequences—and these aren’t the kind Lance can buy his way out of.

Will Lance and Milo have their Boxing Day date? Or have Lance’s pushy billionaire ways finally gone too far?

To my sweetie, who doesn’t like romance but reads my drafts anyway.

WHO LINES up in -13˚C at nowhere near the crack of dawn on Boxing Day?

Milo Souza peered out at the mall parking lot through the darkened store’s glass front entrance. Almost 6:00 a.m. on Boxing Day and only twenty shivering individuals waited in the meandering line that started at the doors of Eden Consumer Electronics. Several hundred people dressed for the cold stood in line at the neighboring business, Futuro. Some of them must have arrived hours ago. In the million-plus resident city of Oilton, Alberta, Boxing Day shopping was a blood sport.

How many? Connor called.

Twenty or so, Milo said. He didn’t mention the hundreds in line at Futuro. No need to make Connor feel any worse than he already did.

Futuro had a 65-inch Ultra HD HDR Curved LED Tizen smart television for $1000 off the already-discounted price, placing the price point well under $1000. Eden Consumer Electronics’ Boxing Day door-crasher special was a 32-inch 720p LED TV for $200.

Connor’s shoulders slumped, and he retreated.

At least they wouldn’t have to worry about someone being trampled American-style when they unlocked the doors. Milo shook his head and then followed Connor to the stockroom.

Doors open in ten, Connor said.

The back-access door slammed and footsteps slap-slapped in their direction. Missy, Connor’s seven-months-pregnant wife, rounded the end of a shelving unit, moving like the Queen Mary at sea.

Good morning. She carried a large pink box, and Milo’s mouth watered instantly in response. I brought Sukey’s Donuts. She continued toward the corner they used for a break space.

Vinh, a high school senior, brightened. Brenna, a university student, leaned against a tall storage locker and smothered a yawn.

Thanks, honey, Connor said. He smiled, his face momentarily free of the worried expression it habitually wore. He turned back to the group. Okay, guys, we’re hoping for a big day today. Since we’re a little short-staffed, Missy will work register two. He walked them through their opening duties and asked if there were questions.

No one spoke, and as the lights came up across the store, they all went to what Connor called their battle stations. Milo hoped it wouldn’t come to battle. Next door at Futuro, it just might.

Connor unlocked the doors, and the waiting line filed in, each shopper courteously holding the door for the person following. Vinh tore off numbered tickets from a roll and handed them over, one per customer, explaining that they could use the ticket to purchase a sale-priced television at the register, where Connor stood beside a trolley stacked with merchandise. By 7:00 a.m. they’d sold twenty of the 750 televisions that Eden Consumer Electronics’ corporate management had shipped for the Boxing Day door-crasher special.

Milo walked up and down the aisles, straightening the shelf stock. The Christmas decorations that had seemed festive on