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SECRET SANTAS
by Diana Laurence
"Okay, so who'd you draw?" Jamie asked Kelly as they bought their morning sodas from the machine in the break room.
"Jeff! I drew Jeff, can you believe it? Who would have thought he'd want to participate in Secret Santa?" Kelly backed out of the way with her Diet Pepsi.
"Weird. I wouldn't peg him for the type either." Jamie dropped her quarters in the slot.
Jeff Morgan was one of the I.T. guys, the one who usually dealt with hardware problems and setting up new systems. He had fewer "people skills" than the other I.T. guy, Doug, so preferred the tinkering and after hours tasks to dealing with help desk problems and training people. Even though Jeff's cubicle was adjacent to Jamie's, she didn't know him well. He'd only been with the company six months, so nobody really did.
"I don't know how I'm going to figure out what to give him," Kelly whined. "You gotta help me out."
"Help you out? How?"
"You sit right by him ...do some scouting for me. Eavesdrop, check out his desk. See if you can get any clue about his interests. Since they made that rule this year about two small gifts and a big one, I can't get by with just giving him a bunch of candy canes or something."
"Yeah, I know. I'm so glad I drew Maggie, she'll be easy." Jamie took a swallow of her Dr. Pepper.
"I'm serious, Jamie! I have absolutely no clue about Jeff. Any hint at all you can give me ..."
Jamie sighed. "Okay, I'll see what I can do."
"You rock! I'm going to Target on the way home, so if you get any ideas today, e-mail me."
It was a good thing Maggie would be so easy, Jamie thought as she headed back to her desk. Now she was going to have to come up with six gifts total in the next three days. Her friend Kelly, although a sweetheart, tended to shirk responsibility. At this point in Kelly's mind, she had checked off "Secret Santa gifts for Jeff" on her to do list. And for some reason, Jamie felt it was important that Jeff's S.S. experience be a decent one; she had always felt like under his bashful exterior, the man was a hardworking and okay guy.
It wasn't really that surprising he had signed up for the Secret Santa thing. Jeff was a pretty good sport about office activities. He'd brought a dish to the Thanksgiving potluck, and Jamie recalled him having a pretty good time playing softball at the office summer picnic. And she'd heard him tell their boss he was coming to the Holiday Party Friday night, so maybe he just figured it would be more fun if he were a part of the big Secret Santa Reveal between dinner and the dancing.
As Jamie passed Jeff's cubicle she found him at his computer, updating a spreadsheet from some notes. They hadn't had a chance to say good morning yet, so as she went by she called, "Hi Jeff, how goes it?"
He glanced up from the screen and replied. "Not bad. And you?"
Normally Jamie would have said back something cursory and moved on, but this time she had better try to make conversation. She paused at the side of Jeff's desk and said, "I'm okay. Although I'm going into a little withdrawal this week since the P.A. is playing this Christmas station all week. I miss my eighties music."
"Bet you do. Have you gotten the new Duran Duran CD yet?" asked Jeff.
The question took Jamie aback. Fact was, she most certainly had been meaning to get it soon. She thought fast, trying to figure out how Jeff might have guessed this, considering they barely knew each other.
Then she remembered talking to her sister on the phone about it the week before, certainly within earshot of Jeff ...and the fact that she had been singing along with the PA like an idiot when the radio played "Hungry Like the Wolf" last Friday afternoon. It wouldn't exactly take ESP to guess she liked Duran Duran. And, after all, she had a bit of a reputation in the office as an 80's music aficionado.
So she answered, "Not yet. I thought I'd wait and see if it goes on sale after Christmas."
"Ah, good idea," said Jeff, softly.
Jamie noticed he was blushing.
Jeff was fair and freckled, so the pink in his cheeks and the edge of his ears was quite apparent. He wore his light brown hair a little on the long side and had the requisite techie goatee, but Jamie had always though he was a good-looking enough guy and the look worked fine on him. When he smiled, which was not often, his eyes lit up in a very becoming way. But why should he be blushing?
It was still her turn to speak, so she thought fast. "You like Duran Duran?"
"Not as much as some other bands of the time, but they're good." A quirky smile formed on his lips. "I thought they were improved by your back-up singing."
Jamie could count on one hand the number of times she had heard Jeff be funny, so this remark also took her by surprise. "Uh-huh. Well, I'm not quitting my day job," she quipped back with a smile.
"I hope not! Where would the seventh floor be without the song stylings of Jamie Reno?"
She laughed, and noted Jeff looked very pleased at her laughter. She was emboldened to go on. "So, who do you like better than the irrepressible Duran Duran, Jeff?"
"Sticking just with 80's bands?"
"Sure."
He rubbed the knuckle of his right thumb down his bearded chin. "Let's see ...The Mighty Lemon Drops, The Alarm, Immaculate Fools, Flesh for Lulu ..."
"You like those bands? My big brother had albums from all those bands! And then he went off and moved to England and took them all with him. I sometimes think he moved just to keep his collection safe from his baby sister."
Thus ensued a twenty minute conversation on music. Jamie died a thousand deaths envying Jeff his CD collection. His knowledge of alternative 80's music even exceeded hers. Why had he never said anything?
But as far as ideas for Kelly, the conversation didn't help much. Unlike herself, clearly Jeff was not in need of any new CDs. In fact, he had combed the internet in typical computer geek fashion and burned collections of all sorts of rare live recordings. Jamie had completely failed in her mission for now.
Nevertheless, the conversation had yielded one interesting piece of information: much to Jamie's surprise, it was pretty clear that Jeff Morgan had a crush on her.
* * *
Jamie had a five block walk from the office to her parking lot. This evening it was snowing lightly and completely windless, so the soft, large flakes drifted straight down in the light of the street lamps. The store windows along her route glinted with gifts: rings and necklaces, sweaters, cell phones, all festooned with the red, green, silver and gold window dressings of the season.
Jamie hated to give credit to the marketing-savvy decorators for her mood, but she felt truly the spirit of giving for some reason. She would be stopping at the candy and nut shop in the next block to get some cashews for Maggie for tomorrow's Secret Santa gift, to go with the little squirrel Beanie Baby she'd found at lunch. Maggie was on the eighth floor near Kelly, so she hoped to get a report of her reaction.
As she came up to the Salvation Army bell ringer in front of Marshall Fields, Jamie pulled a ten dollar bill from her purse. She had passed that red donation kettle a dozen times and never till now thought about putting anything in it. What was up with this mood?
She had to be honest with herself: The day's revelation about Jeff had put her in amazingly good spirits. Of course she absolutely couldn't figure out why; she'd really never given the guy much thought before today. But honestly, there was something so cute about the idea that he had been sitting one desk away from her all these months, all sweet on her, and been too shy to say a word. It was amusing, it was exciting, it was--
It was kind of Christmas-y. After all, it was a surprise, and it was also, in a way, a gift. This news about Jeff was like a Secret Santa present to her, of sorts. Anyway, it really tickled her. She wished she had drawn Jeff's name instead of Kelly getting it, that would have been a lot of fun.
At the candy and nut shop Jamie ordered the half pound of cashews and looked through the glass of the counter while she waited. She spotted a platter of white chocolate concoctions cunningly decorated to look like electronics equipment: little cell phones, computer monitors and mice, and the like. So she bought one of the monitors for Kelly to give to Jeff. It wasn't particularly personal, but it would do.
And even though the gift wasn't technically from her, Jamie felt good getting to pick it out.
* * *
"Maggie had a total cow over the squirrel, she showed it around to the whole floor," Kelly e-mailed to Jamie the next morning. "Thanks again for getting that candy for Jeff--I'll pay you at lunch. Did he like it? And any ideas for tomorrow? ;-)"
Jamie typed back, "No ideas yet, but I'll work on it. Jeff actually called me over to show me the candy. He said it's too cute to eat but when I told him there was probably fudge inside he said there was no way it would last past lunch. LOL"
Jeff had brought the little monitor on its small ruffly paper over to show her. Jamie couldn't resist lifting his hand lightly in hers for a closer look. Of course she paid no attention to the candy, but she took the opportunity to notice Jeff had very nice, slender fingers. When she released his hand and looked up into his face, she caught him blushing again.
As for Jamie's Secret Santa gift for the day, when she got in she had found a piece of paper on her desk imprinted with a photo of John Taylor of Duran Duran, with a speech bubble that said, "Your S.S. is watching you, lovely Jamie! Double treat coming tomorrow."
The illustration had been done on the computer so there was no handwriting to examine. Jamie had to wonder if it might possibly be from Jeff. "Lovely Jamie," she thought, hmmm.
As for Kelly, she reported by e-mail that she had gotten a very cute Irish coffee mug with a leprechaun on the handle. "Since my Irish heritage is so secret," she wrote facetiously, "I can't imagine who would have known about my love of leprechauns."
Jamie couldn't spare the creative energy to ponder the identity of Kelly's Secret Santa; she had to come up with ideas for her own two charges. Jeff's reaction to the candy had only intensified her desire to see him get nice presents from his Santa. She had already figured out Maggie would love a Christmas charm for her Italian charm bracelet, and she could hit the department store at noon for that. But she had better figure out some way to glean a clue from Jeff.
Then she had a brilliant idea.
Jamie popped up out of her desk and walked over to Jeff's cube, where he was at his side table, unpacking some kind of computer drive from its sheath of styrofoam. "Hey Jeff," she called.
He turned and his face burst into a warm grin. "Hi, Jamie."
"I was wondering if you'd like to come with me over to Fields during lunch. I mean, if you need to do some Santa shopping. I have to pick up something for mine."
At first she thought he was going to say no. But then Jamie realized the look on Jeff's face was simply shock. Well, it wasn't surprising, considering they had conversed more in the past two days than the entire previous six months. Jeff made a pretty impressive recovery and said happily, "Sure, I'd like that."
"Can you go at twelve?"
"Yeah, no problem. But we'll have to split up when it comes time to make the purchases. Don't want to give away any secrets."
"Oh, of course. Well, twelve it is then!"
A few minutes later, over the cubicle wall, Jamie heard Jeff humming "Winter Wonderland" along with the radio.
The shopping trip turned out to be great fun. They took a turn around the gourmet food department and used the products for sale as inspiration to concoct a preposterous dinner menu.
"Ah, wouldn't the dinner be divine if we served up this beluga caviar on some of those Belgian cookies?" asked Jamie, feigning a snooty British accent.
"Only if we accompany the meal with some of these tinned white asparagus spears festooned with some of that Bobby Flay hot sauce," replied Jeff with his own fine accent.
"'Festooned,'" she asked him, back in American mode, "is that a cooking term?"
"Oh, I use 'festoon' whenever I can," replied Jeff. "As in, 'I have to festoon all these hard drives before I can go home for the night.'"
Jamie was sorry when their time ran short and it was time to split up. Obviously the perfect gift for Jeff would be to tie up a can of the asparagus with a bottle of the hot sauce in a big red bow, but she could hardly get away with that for his Secret Santa gift. Jamie pondered the problem as she picked out a charm for Maggie.
Jeff had remarked on one of the cotton sweaters in the men's department ...too pricey. He had talked about liking Stephen King, but she wasn't sure which books he'd already read. He had shown particular interest in a fancy penlight, but she couldn't very well get the very object he indicated without it being a dead giveaway. Oh, this was ridiculous, she might as well be shopping for a boyfriend with as picky as she was being!
Then Jamie remembered an offhand comment he made about liking potted plants but always killing them. Maybe she could find some nice silk plant for his desk that wasn't too feminine, but would there be anything like that in this store?
As fate--or divine holiday intervention--would have it, on her way out of the store she passed the clearance area. On one of the little display tables, at 50% off, there was a copper dish with a couple small artificial cacti in it. It was an odd item, but appealing in an offbeat way. Jamie had to be back at her desk in ten minutes; she snatched up the dish and headed for the nearest cashier, hoping that Jeff hadn't noticed the cacti on his own way out of the store.
* * *
Jamie managed to dump off the copper cactus dish quickly at Jeff's desk while he was down the aisle futzing with data lines in another cubicle. He wasn't gone long before she heard through her cubicle wall a soft cry of "Awesome!"
She grinned to herself. And Kelly had thought the idea totally loopy.
Thirty seconds later, Jeff poked his head around the corner of Jamie's cube wall. "Check it out!" he said, and his hand emerged brandishing the cacti.
"That's kind of cool," said Jamie.
"And it seems to be fake, so I won't be able to kill it!" He gave her a big grin before withdrawing head and cacti.
One more gift to go. Jamie was determined to outdo herself.
Her own "double gift" was late in coming, and appeared while she was out to lunch. There was another note from "John Taylor" apologizing for the tardiness. It was a crazy old Duran Duran video and a book about the band. Jamie hadn't previously owned either, and was truly tickled. She also suspected Jeff even more. So when next he walked by, she showed him the items and crowed about how pleased she was.
"Excellent choice by your Santa," said Jeff, with an approving nod.
"I can't wait until tomorrow night when the secrets are revealed," said Jamie, unable to help hopping up and down a little bit.
Jeff laughed at her, but in a quite affectionate way.
"I know, I'm like a little kid about this stuff," she told him.
In a soft voice he said, "You're cute."
In an instant he was crimson again.
Jamie found this blushing more endearing every time. She heard herself say, "You're cute for thinking so, Jeff."
It was while walking to her car that evening that she came up with the perfect plan for Jeff's last gift. During their excursion through the gourmet section, he had mentioned liking Chinese food. There was quite nice new Chinese place a couple blocks south of the office. She'd get him a gift certificate ...and with any luck at all, he might invite Jamie to go to lunch with him there.
All right, so it wasn't the most selfless gift she'd ever thought of, but it wasn't like Jeff wouldn't like it. And if he got up the courage to ask her, it would be really fun.
She detoured to make the purchase, and while she waited at the counter for the clerk to prepare the certificate, she gazed into the dining room and pictured herself at a table with Jeff. He was really a quite good-looking guy, and certainly sweet, and he had figured out quickly how to make her laugh ...
Well, well, thought Jamie as she slipped the gift certificate into her purse. I guess this crush thing might be mutual.
* * *
But even the best-laid Christmas plans can come to naught, as Jamie found out later that night. She checked her e-mail just before going to bed, and a message came through from Kelly's home computer, a reply to her own earlier e-mail about the restaurant certificate.
"Prepare to be shocked, Jamie--I actually found Jeff's big present myself! Sorry we got our wires crossed. If you can't use the gift certificate I'll buy it off you anyway, it's my fault I didn't communicate with you on this. I got him this really cool penlight at Fields, I figured with all the peering into computer cases he does, he could probably use it."
What on earth were the odds that Kelly would pick out that very penlight? This whole situation was turning into a nightmare version of O. Henry's "Gift of the Magi"!
Serves me right for picking out a selfish gift for him, thought Jamie. Now the Chinese restaurant scenario was down the drain, and Jeff would think Jamie had been his Secret Santa, which would be all kinds of awkward.
Oh well, there was nothing for it now. At least she knew Maggie would like the "Carb Counters Cookbook." Jamie tried to think about that, and all the fun that would be had at the party.
But she went to bed dreading the scenario that would happen in the morning when Jeff found that penlight on his desk.
* * *
It unfolded just about as she had feared.
When Jamie got to her desk in the morning, there was a CD-shaped package on it, which she unwrapped to reveal the latest from Duran Duran.
It had to be from Jeff. Anyone else would have figured she had that CD by now and not risked it, but he knew better.
Kelly had beat them both in the office, and Jamie could hear Jeff on the other side of the wall in his cubicle, unwrapping his own gift. She waited for any audible reaction and there was none. She waited for Jeff to come around the wall but he didn't. Maybe he was waiting for her to make a move, knowing she would probably guess his identity and come over there.
Seconds lengthened to minutes and neither of them did anything. Finally enough time went by that Jamie figured they had both decided to let it go until the Reveal. She let out a long sigh of tension but knew it was going to be a little weird until the party that night.
Jeff stopped by her desk at lunch to make small talk, and let on nothing about the suspicions Jamie knew he must have. It was quite unnatural how they both avoided any talk of the evening's festivities, and certainly the word "Santa" was not mentioned.
But before too long the conversation warmed up in spite of the situation. Jamie shared with Jeff her quandary about what to get her brother for Christmas and he launched into all kinds of helpful advice about MP3 players. They decided to run down to the lobby and pick up hot dogs, then ate them in the lunchroom together. Kelly happened to come in while they were eating, and upon discovering them together, adopted a look like the cat that ate the canary.
A long afternoon transpired in which no one in the office seemed in the mood to work. About two o'clock, Jeff started a crazy e-mail exchange with Jamie to help pass the time.
"I'm going mental here. I decided to do a remote defrag of every computer on the network to amuse myself. Should I start with yours?"
"Jeff, you remotely touch my computer and I'll kill your cactus in revenge."
"My cactus is immune to your attacks. It has no natural enemies. You cannot stop my cactus, you can only hope to contain it."
Time passed much more effectively with Jeff's help, and the office closed early so everyone could get ready for the party. Jamie spent a ridiculous amount of time preparing, acknowledging quite consciously that it was because this time she had someone to be preparing for. Silly as it was, she couldn't help but fantasize about Jeff spotting her across the room, catching his breath at the sight of her in dark green satin and heels, all done up in party makeup.
The office holiday party was always held at a local country club, where the company CEO, Roger Standish, was a member. The club had a beautiful room for such functions, big enough for dining tables as well as a bar and dance floor. When Jamie arrived, she took a few moments to admire the atmosphere. The room had a gorgeous stone fireplace flanked by two huge windows overlooking the golf course, which was presently covered with a light blanket of snow illuminated by a nearly full moon and a clear, starry sky. The room itself was warmly lit by two lovely chandeliers and candles on all the tables. The air was scented with candle wax and the fragrance of the fresh pine boughs on the fireplace mantel and windowsills.
Jamie spotted Kelly and her husband Scott having drinks near the bar, and joined them. The two were squabbling cheerfully about Scott's idea of sending their annual Christmas letter out by e-mail. Jamie was in the midst of trying to explain how to do an e-mail in html format when she saw her companions' gaze shift to look over her shoulder.
She turned to find Jeff stepping up to stand at her side. Although Jamie kept her composure, inwardly she most certainly gasped. Having never seen him in anything but khakis and button down shirts, she was unprepared for the elegant figure in a charcoal gray suit, pearl gray shirt and burgundy tie.
"Is this Jeff?" asked Kelly with a raised eyebrow and a smile.
"It is," he replied, with a smile that acknowledge he took Kelly's reaction as a compliment. "Hi Kelly, hi Jamie."
Kelly introduced Jeff to Scott and soon Jeff was providing his input regarding the e-mail Christmas letter question. Jamie took every opportunity to keep her gaze on him. She was beginning to wonder how she had worked next to the man for six months without even suspecting he was this handsome.
It was finally when they were seated for dinner that she got to address the matter. Jeff poured them each a glass of wine from the bottle on the table, then said, "I've been meaning to tell you since I got here, you really look awesome tonight."
Jamie smiled. "Thank you, Jeff. Awesome would certainly describe you as well, you know."
He looked honestly surprised. "Really? Thanks." Jamie realized she could even see Jeff blush by candlelight. Then he added, "Maybe the company should adopt Formal Fridays, since we all clean up so well."
The dinner passed quite pleasantly, and Jamie forgot all about her angst over the Secret Santa Reveal, at least until the meal was cleared out. But when the tinkling of spoons on glasses announced Mr. Standish was about to speak, her heart did a little flip-flop.
Mr. Standish took the D.J.'s microphone and called for everyone's attention. After the requisite welcomes, comments on the success of the year, and so on, it was time for the big moment.
"Well," said Mr. Standish with a grin, "without further ado let's get to my favorite part of the program. As you all know, our company has had the Secret Santa tradition for a long time now, certainly as long as I've had any say about it."
The crowd laughed politely. Their CEO was a well-liked, pleasant man with a quirky sense of humor that he shared with employees on every level.
"To me, I guess this tradition embodies what holiday time is all about," continued Mr. Standish. "Regardless of your faith or your heritage, the season of giving is a chance every year to bring a little magic into our lives. I don't know about the rest of you who signed up, but this was another year when playing Secret Santa taught me to think a little less about myself, to open up my eyes and notice the little things about the people I see every day but don't necessarily fully appreciate. When you have to focus on how to make another person happy, maybe a person you are just getting to know, you look at him or her in a completely new way. I guess that's where the magic comes in. That, and now, in what we are about to do here: find out the details of all the sneakiness, spying and conniving that's been going on all week."
Jamie exchanged glances with Kelly and they both smiled.
"So, enough of my pontificating. Thanks to all who participated. Let's get to it! For those of you who are new this year, here's how it works: We start with me, and I'll reveal the person for whom I was Santa. That person comes up here, and may or may not embrace me with fervent gratitude." Mr. Standish paused for laughter, and got it, enthusiastically. "Then I pass on the mic, and that person tells who was his or her victim, and so on, till all your identities are revealed. Okay, Santas and associates all, here we go! My lucky Santa recipient this year is ...Marty Van Patten!"
Marty, who managed supplies and the file room, stood and went to take the microphone from his boss. "Thanks, Mr. Standish. And thanks to whoever told you I like Johnny Walker Black!" There was laughter and applause. "Okay, here goes. Jennifer Moen, I was your Santa!"
So the Reveal unfolded. Jamie was afraid to even look at Jeff, but when at last Kelly was called up to make her revelation, Jamie couldn't help but watch Jeff's face to see what would happen.
Kelly finished hugging her Santa, then announced, "Okay, I'll confess ...I was Secret Santa for Jeff Morgan!"
Jeff looked at Jamie, clearly astonished. Then his expression quickly dissolved into laughter and he shook his head. He got up and went to Kelly's side, giving her a hug around the shoulders with one arm.
Jamie winced with even more regret. Well, if her suspicions were correct and Jeff was her Santa, she'd make up for it with a hug of her own.
Jeff took the mic from Kelly's hand. "Okay, I just ask everyone here to testify when he goes on trial for murdering me ...I was Santa for my cohort in I.T. crime, Doug Webber."
Doug Webber? Jamie's heart sank. Doug scampered up to his associate's side, feigning his intention to punch Jeff. Then he took the microphone and said, "Actually, I really liked getting coal for three days." Doug paused for the laughter, then said to Jeff, "Just kidding, buddy. But wait till it all shows up stuffed into people's hardware. All right ...my turn. I proclaim myself the wonderful Secret Santa for ...Jamie Reno!"
Jamie stood automatically, her brain processing quickly. Of course, Jeff had been advising Doug, that was the explanation! As she approached the two, they both leaned into the microphone and sang, "I'm on the hunt I'm after you, mouth is alive with juices like wine, and I'm hungry like the wolf ..."
The crowd responded with howls of laughter. Jamie took the microphone from Doug and hugged him. "Yeah, you sound just like Simon LeBon," she told him, and he cracked up laughing.
She cast her eyes past him to Jeff. He lifted his eyebrows at her. She responded with a wink and was rewarded with a shy smile. Jamie turned to the assembly. "These guys are a hard act to follow, so I won't try. I'll just say, Maggie Westerberg, come on down and greet your Santa!"
Thus progressed the Reveal, until all the participants had come forward. There was quite a commotion then, with everyone talking about the surprises they had enjoyed most, the hijinks and plots, the incorrect assumptions and ironies. Jamie felt a hand on her upper arm and turned to find Jeff smiling at her. "So," he asked, "you must have recommended that penlight to Kelly, hey?"
Jamie shook her head. "Honestly, no! I would never have done something so obvious ...it was just a crazy O. Henry-esque coincidence."
"Wow, and I was convinced you were my Santa. I feel pretty silly ..."
"Don't--I was convinced you were my Santa, Jeff."
"Were you really?"
"Yeah, although in retrospect I don't know why I was so convinced of it." Something Jamie saw in Jeff's face made her feel she could be candid, so she continued, "Maybe I wished I were."
Jeff's eyes brightened. "I kind of wished I was yours, too."
Jamie looked down at the floor, then cast her eyes back up to him. "But here we are, not even getting to exchange gifts with each other."
With a mischievous expression, Jeff said, "Well, I confess ...I actually do have something for you. Just a little thing, it's not much."
"Really?" asked Jamie, realizing too late that she had bounced up and down on the toes of her fancy high heeled shoes.
Jeff laughed. "You are like a little kid! Would you like it now? I can get it out of the coat room in a second."
Jamie smiled coyly. "Could you? I can't stand any more suspense tonight."
So she went back and sat at their dinner table and waited for Jeff to come back. This was so sweet of him! If only she had gone ahead and done likewise, Secret Santa or no.
Then suddenly Jamie remembered. She reached for her purse under the table and put it in her lap, concealed under the tablecloth. A moment later Jeff returned and sat down next to her.
In front of her on the table he set a small package, wrapped in blue foil paper with a silver bow.
Jamie just gazed at it for a moment or two, reflecting. There was nothing quite like a present from someone who was really special to you. It didn't even matter what it was. Just the fact that that person had thought of you while selecting it, had pictured how you might look when you opened it, had carefully wrapped it to make the package as pretty as possible ...she almost didn't want to open the gift, just so she could keep looking at it and thinking about how it was from Jeff.
"Aren't you going to open it?" asked Jeff eagerly.
Jamie looked at him, laughing. "Now who's the little kid?"
"Okay, okay ...but put a guy out of his misery, I just want to see if you like it."
Jamie took up the package--which although clearly a CD was probably not Duran Duran--and tore off the ribbon and paper.
The cover of the jewel case read: "Jeff's Top 40 from the 80s."
"What's this?" asked Jamie, turning it over in her hands.
"Just a compilation--some stuff I thought you'd like."
Jamie opened the front of the jewel case and inside found two CDs. Jeff had made a very professional looking playlist, too. She scanned the songs. "Oh Jeff ...this is fantastic! Flesh for Lulu, The Cure, oh my gosh, you have Oingo Boingo's 'Try to Believe' on here! I loved that song! And ...the Replacements, and ...oh, I don't know the Northern Pikes ..."
"I think you'll like them."
"This is so awesome." Jamie looked up at Jeff. "There are forty songs on here, it must have taken you hours to make this."
"If I hadn't struggled so over what to pick, it wouldn't have been so bad. But I had fun. I'll admit, I did stay up till one o'clock last night."
"Oh Jeff ..." Jamie put her hand on his arm. "I love this. I can't believe you did something so nice."
The smile he gave her was like nothing she'd seen on his face before. She wondered in that moment if he weren't the best-looking man she had ever laid eyes on. "The pleasure is all mine," he said warmly.
"Oh, but you know what ...I have something for you, too." She pulled out her purse and dug in it, drawing out the envelope that was still inside from the evening before. "It's not much," she said, handing it to him, "but I hope you can use it."
Jeff opened the flap and pulled out the gift certificate. "Oh cool! I've been wanting to try this place. It looks great from the street." He looked up at her. "You really got me a present, Jamie."
She sighed. "In fact, I did. It's a long, funny story I'll have to tell you sometime. Of course, it's nothing compared to these CDs."
Jeff cocked his head and gave her a quirky smile. "You could make it at least as good as the CDs if you would agree to share the dinner with me."
Jamie smiled.
Jeff leaned a little closer. "Was that the general idea?" he asked with a grin.
She nodded.
"Okay, this is definitely a great present."
They laughed, then beamed at each other, then laughed again. What else could one do at such a corny, sentimental, and totally Christmas-y moment?
During their gift exchange, the D.J. had been playing the requisite blend of pop music / holiday songs, and quite a few people were dancing. At that moment a slow one came on, Harry Connick, Jr.'s version of "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"
"Would you like to dance?" asked Jeff. "We could launch a huge wave of office gossip and have fun at the same time."
"It's the perfect plan," agreed Jamie.
Meanwhile, over at the bar, Kelly and her husband Scott were getting refills. Mr. Standish, in line behind them, spotted Jamie and Jeff on the dance floor. He nudged Kelly. "Say, Kelly--is that new? Jeff and Jamie?"
Kelly turned to see where he was looking.
Her friend was in the arms of that surprisingly handsome I.T. guy, who likewise seemed surprisingly graceful. The way Jamie looked up at him spoke volumes. And while they danced tactfully, her hand on his shoulder and his at her waist, they were pressed as close together as possible without actually touching. Close enough together that you could tell it was all they could do not to close the space between them.
"Well, well," Kelly said. "Look at what Secret Santa hath wrought."
"Indeed," said Mr. Standish with a satisfied smile. "You gotta love Christmas, Kelly...it works every time."
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Soulful
Sex: Publication
Date: February 2006 |
 |
Soulful
Sex: Publication
Date: March 2006 |
 |
Soulful Sex: The Paranormal, Publication Date: March 2007 |
 |
Publication Date: September 2007 |
 |
Publication
Date: February 2006 |
