Introduction
Discover this Winter Romance story about Love, and... more importantly, self-Love!
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About Author

Jenny Fox đŠ
Chapter 1
Everyone experiences bad days.
When things seem to go wrong, your alarm clock doesnât ring, or you miss your bus. Those rare days where many little misadventures happen, and you cannot do anything about it. It is a bit sad, but it does happen, right? Yet today, I didnât get to work late or miss my bus. Everything was going well, I walked there and arrived perfectly on time. Even a bit early, so I could make some nice coffee for everyone and enjoy a delicious cookie.
It was going to be a lovely, happy day of December.
...Until this very moment.
âYou call this a presentation, Ophelia?â
The blue folder slams loudly on my desk, making me jump. I glance down, a bit surprised. I was only given half a day to prepare this, but I did stay up very late last night to finish it. I was pretty sure I had done great, too. I found some excellent materials, compared them to previous projects that had received good responses, and double-checked every single piece of data⊠How come she was so unhappy with it?
I grab the file and stand up from my chair.
âMiss Veronica, there was very little time for me to prepare this presentation,â I say. âBut I can assure you, I found the best materialsâŠâ
âWell, itâs not enough!â She yells. âYou want me to give this to the director? Improve it before the meeting this afternoon, or youâre fired!â
Before I can add a word, she turns around and walks away, her high heels clattering loudly on the floor. I let out a big sigh. I know she doesnât actually have the power to fire me, but I donât think Iâll ever get used to her bad temper and awful yelling⊠If only she was a bit nicer. As I fall down on my chair, I see all the heads of my colleagues popping up from their cubicles, sending me sorry expressions. I smile a bit weakly, Iâm alright, but this is still embarrassingâŠ
My desk neighbor, Kitty, rolls her chair to my side with a frown on.
âHow can she talk to you like that! So mean⊠And sheâs just basically giving you her job!â
âItâs fine, Kitty. Itâs the secretariesâ officeâs job to assist others anyway, right? Donât worry, I can do this!â
I take a deep breath.
Well, thereâs nothing else I can do, I suppose. Come on, Ophie, letâs take another look at this! I open that folder and carefully go over the contents again. Where do I even start? Can I improve this? I glance up at the clock on the wall. Did the presentation get pushed back? She definitely said she needed it by 9 AM this morning when she gave it to me yesterdayâŠ
I look at the calendar on my desk. Only nine days until Christmas Eve! Iâm off to a bad start, but the day can get better, right? I have some time ahead, and Iâm pretty sure Iâll figure out how to improve this presentation after re-reading it a bit! I open up my browser, grab a piece of my cookie, and get to work. Itâs alright. As long as I have this sweet taste in my mouth, nothing can get me down!
Since last year, I have been working at Hansel Corporationâs headquarters, and nothing could make me regret it! Itâs my dream job, and I love it. Of course, office work can be a little bit gloomy sometimes, and I loved working in their shops as a saleswoman, but I was so excited when I got this new job offer! How could I have refused to work at the headquarters, when I love their products so much?
As one of the best gourmet food companies, Hansel Corp has over a hundred shops all across the United States, some in Canada, and a handful in Europe and Asia! All are so pretty inside and smell so good! They are also the creators of one of the top trending cooking magazines, and they sponsor a famous baking competition show and three culinary schools. What I love most are the products, of course. Our current best-selling products, all from our special Winter Selection, include the peppermint chocolate cookie mix, the extra-caramel sauce, and my favorite, the seasonal pumpkin spice latte powder.
And the cherry on top, all employees at the headquarters get to try the new products before they are released, and we get discounts on everything! For a food lover like me, working here is a dream come true!
âOphelia!â Calls Laetitia from across the open space. âDo you have any ideas for the Christmas charity event? They suddenly decided to have thirty-six children from the Hansel Childrenâs Institute come over, and we need an activity for them! Macaron baking is too hard, and I donât want them running all around with fingers covered in flour next to the guests!â
I take a few seconds to think, finger on my chin. These children should be between... six to ten years old, right? A bit too young to be baking indeed, but we canât just have them eat sweets all nightâŠ
âHow about a cookie decorating contest?â I suggest. âOr even making gingerbread houses! They can play with chocolate sprinkles, and the icing is easily washable. Iâm sure Amy can get some, she mentioned an extra order from our new cookie product last Thursday!â
âOphelia, youâre the best!â She says while jumping on the phone.
I canât help but smile. The children are going to have so much fun decorating and eating those cookies! Kitty winks at me.
âOphelia, youâre our ray of sunshine! Come on, let me give you a hand on that damn presentation. What do you need?â
With Kittyâs help, I managed to get that presentation improved quite fast. Is our new CEO planning to open a gourmet macaron shop? All this data and these pictures of sweets make me so hungry!
Iâve always been what I call a food enthusiast, as far back as I remember. As a child, I was fascinated by bakeries and restaurants. Now that Iâm a full-fledged adult, I still go to my favorite ones a lot, and I could certainly watch my favorite cooking show all day long. I even have all the editions of the Hansel Cooking Magazine!
I just canât help it. Cooking is like magic, isnât it? Taking some raw ingredients and a bit of inspiration, you get something pretty and delicious!
Of course, being fond of all those sweets has put me on the heavier side, but itâs okay! Iâve learned to love my body as it is, and my boyfriend Andrew doesnât mind my chubbiness either. We have been dating for almost two years now. He is nice, handsome, and actually works for Hansel too, in the finance department! Arenât I lucky? Sadly, due to that, he often comes home late... Well, at least we get to have lunch together!
Today, he will probably insist that he wants to eat out again. Andrew hates office gossip, so we usually have our lunches outside, far from curious eyes.
âOphelia, are you coming with us? The girls said there is a new menu at the Veggie Galaxy for the holidays!â
âThanks, Kitty, but Iâm eating out with Andrew. I will join you for coffee, as usual?â
âLucky you! My fiancĂ© only takes me out once a month!â She chuckles.
She leaves for the cafeteria with the girls while I grab my bag and head to the bathroom to freshen myself up. With my mid-length brown hair, green eyes, and freckles, Iâm not among the companyâs prettiest girls, though I like to think I may be the cute chubby type? Somehow, when I try on makeup or new hairdos, it never looks right. Hence, I usually settle for just brushing my hair a little bit or tying it, just enough to tame my curls, and a little bit of lipstick! I like my natural appearance; I guess something too sophisticated just isnât for me.
I put some pink on my lips, redo my bun, check for any crumbs on my knitted dress, and get ready to go out.
Just when Iâm about to exit the building, I receive a text from Andrew.
âSorry, love, too much work. Iâll see you at home tonight.â
I sigh, a bit disappointed. The finance department is probably still crumbling under all the work from the end of the yearâŠ
My phone vibrates again.
âIâd love to eat your minced beef again! ;) â
I chuckle, my spiritâs up again. He really loves my cooking! He always eats it so fast. I smile and turn around. Itâs too late to join my coworkers, but I can still grab a sandwich at the companyâs cafeteria and work some more on the presentation.
I get to the tenth floor and get in line, trying to think of what to get. As a food company, of course, we have one of the best cafeterias, with a lot of choices! The Salad Bar, the Grill, the Fishermanâs Selection, the many sandwiches and toasts, and of course, all the yummy desserts! By the time itâs my turn, Iâm starving! I grab one of the last tuna sandwiches, saluting Stan the Chef, and hurry up to pay so I can get back to work. We have a nice view of Boston, but this floor is always so crowded, itâs impossible to get a seat at this time.
The secretariesâ office is empty and unusually quiet. I like our little space, though. Itâs like the companyâs hive, all of us little bees working to help every department in any way we can! We all get along, too, from Alice, our oldest secretary who acts like everyoneâs mom, to Jena, our latest recruit who brought lots of plants to make our space greener.
I smile and sit behind my computer when someone runs in. Itâs Marc, the marketing directorâs assistant, looking panicked. Doesnât the marketing team have a meeting upstairs at that timeâŠ?
âWhere is everyone?â He asks when he spots me, alone at my desk.
âItâs lunch break, everyone went for lunchâŠâ
âOh, right! Damn it, there is no time for lunch now!â
âWhat is it, Marc? Can I help you?â I ask while getting up.
âI need to put my hands on last yearâs plans for the peppermint brownies! The CEO wants to see them now, and no one seems to know where they are!â
Here goes my lunch break⊠I run down to the archives to find out if we have these plans somewhere, but it doesnât seem so. Itâs too early to give up, though. I quickly go back to our office and call two colleagues to get the marketing agencyâs number. Thankfully, someone at the agency still has the file, and they are nice enough to send it right away! Relieved, I quickly print it anew and staple it with a clean, transparent sheet before running up to the eighth floor, where the director should be having his presentation. I hope itâs not too late...
Taking a second to catch my breath, I knock on the door and walk in discreetly. Every director is there, and, at the end of the table, between the marketing and sales directors, our CEO himself, Mr. Hansel⊠I bow politely. It looks like the financial director is the one presenting something at the moment. I canât see Marc, so I quietly walk up to the marketing director. He notices me and seems relieved as soon as he recognizes the document from afar. It looks like I made it in time after all!
Yet, to my surprise, the CEO on his left suddenly grabs the file I was about to hand him.
âThank you, MissâŠ?â
...Eh? Why is he asking for my name? Did I do something wrong? I blink, confused, but he is politely waiting, expressionless. The marketing director looks as surprised as I am.
âMiss Valentine, sir,â I whisper. âFrom the secretariesâ officeâŠâ
âI see. Thanks, Miss Valentine.â
âYou⊠Youâre welcome.â
Gosh, from up close, he is really handsome! I leave quietly, but everyone in the room has their eyes on me. How embarrassing!
I let out a long sigh of relief once Iâm out. What was that? I was so surprised! He is so handsome, really too charming! Of course, I have already seen our CEO multiple times, from the magazines, interviews, and company gatherings, but a little secretary like me has never been so close! Iâm even blushing a bit now...
Mr. Hansel is the typical bachelor every lady in this company has had a crush on! He is tall, with ash brown hair, gorgeous blue eyes behind his glasses, and delicate features. He is known to be very serious, however, and cold to everyone⊠So why did he ask for a simple secretaryâs name?
When my colleagues come back for our usual coffee time, Iâm still a bit flustered. I hesitate a bit and try to relax myself, keeping my hands on my cup, but I canât take it anymore. I briefly tell Kitty and Laetitia, my cubicle neighbors, what happened. They are both as surprised as I am.
âReally? Our CEO asked for your name?â repeats Kitty. âI heard he doesnât even know his own secretaryâs full names!â
I nod.
âVeronica is always acting so mighty because she is one of his secretaries, but really, if she was replaced tomorrow, he wouldnât even blink!â
I nod again. I knew all that already, thatâs why Iâm so stunned!
âHe is too serious,â adds Laetitia, a hand on her hip. âNo one knows anything about his private life. Only that his mother, Mrs. Hansel, comes to visit from time to time, but he only sees her in his office, so no one knows anything more than that!â
So mysterious⊠I keep listening to my colleaguesâ gossip they have heard from all over the company. Mr. Hansel is the leading figure of this company, after all, so of course, everyone would be curious, but... How come we really donât know much about our own CEO?
The girls switch topics to the latest office gossip since there isnât much more to say. Of course, I am still curious, but the afternoon gets too busy for me to think about it again. The week before Christmas Day is one of our most active periods of the year! Although all our campaigns are launched already, the marketing, production, and retail departments are going crazy, and our phones ring nonstop all day until 6 pm.
Thanks to that, however, Veronica has no choice but to take the updated presentation, and before she can say anything, someone else jumps in to ask me for help. My afternoon goes by in a flash, but Iâm used to the pressure; it is quite thrilling! Moreover, I know this is only temporary. Still, I take a little break as soon as I can to distribute hot cocoas to everyone in the office, as we all surely need a small dose of sugar to get through this!
Author Note: A Love Cookie is finally coming to AnyStories, bringing you some Extra-sweet Winter Romance! Don't forget to add to your library, leave a comment, and see you next update! ;)
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#27 Bonus - Muffin
Last Updated: 04/24/2025 03:53#26 Epilogue
Last Updated: 04/24/2025 03:31#25 Love Cookie (2)
Last Updated: 04/24/2025 02:55#24 Love Cookie (1)
Last Updated: 04/24/2025 02:34#23 Macarons (2)
Last Updated: 04/24/2025 02:17#22 Macarons (1)
Last Updated: 04/24/2025 02:02#21 Mulled Wine (2)
Last Updated: 04/24/2025 01:25#20 Mulled Wine (1)
Last Updated: 04/24/2025 01:10#19 Apple Crumble (2)
Last Updated: 04/24/2025 00:29#18 Apple Crumble (1)
Last Updated: 04/23/2025 23:24
Comments
Adeline
another little gem that really speaks to modern women about body acceptance, never to be desperate for a boyfriend and how to be treated by men! cute and a real feel good story
06/06/2025 02:50Maria Cecilia Reyes-Meliton
#HolloweenVibe! Jenny Fox Forever !
10/31/2023 12:59Kyra
This book is fantastic and so funny, I read it in one go! Thank you so much for writing this book, I loved it! đ» Also, now I really need to bake a cake tomorrow...... đ But the best part of this might just be that it's 28°C right now, the middle of June and I cannot wait for Christmas to roll around đ€Ł
09/05/2023 04:03just getting into the book and am a big Jenny Fix fan but is this story before the War Gods Fav , the writing seems disconnected from Jenny Foxs flow?? just curious
09/05/2023 02:50Awurabena Afriyie Asare
x2c5. reading a book that affects the way humans think is very emotional and gives hope that everything works together for the good.
09/05/2023 01:22Jenna Mc Augustine
x2c5 great writer. I love all your books. hope this is no different. giving it a shot
09/05/2023 01:17Sammy
x2c5 A super adorable, sweet and short love story that was perfectly fuzzy-wuzzy and warm for holiday light reading.
09/05/2023 01:10Sammy
x2c5 A super adorable, sweet and short love story that was perfect, fuzzy and warm for holiday light reading.
09/05/2023 01:09John Robinson
x1c5 I have read this book and it's a really good read. It's about how other people's opinions of you can seriously affect your self esteem and it's a simple love story, really worth reading.
09/05/2023 00:55Helen M
x2c5 I enjoy office romance stories and this one sounds good. Iâll be adding it to my reading library for sure.
09/05/2023 00:54
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About Author

Jenny Fox đŠ
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