Magic in the Snow

Kayla Green turned up the volume on her favorite playlist, blocking out the sound of festive music and laughter seeping through the crack at the bottom of her office door. Was she the only one who hated this time of year? There had to be someone who felt the same way. Someone who didn't expect Christmas to be merry and bright. Someone who knew mistletoe was poisonous. She stared out the window, sadly watching the snowflakes fall on the other side of the large glass window that filled two-thirds of the corner of her spacious office from floor to ceiling. She wasn't looking forward to a white Christmas, but it looked like she was going to have one anyway. Far below, the streets of Manhattan were crowded with tourists excited to enjoy the New York atmosphere at this time of year. In front of Rockefeller Center, a huge fir tree was decorated with colored lights, and the Hudson River shimmered softly in the distance, like a silvery ribbon in the winter light. Kayla turned her back on the snow, the tree, and the city skyscrapers and focused on her computer screen. A moment later, the door opened and Tony, her Entertainment and Sports counterpart, entered the office with two glasses of champagne. She took off her headphones. –Who's choosing the music out there? "Don't you like music?" he asked. He had the top button of his shirt undone, and from the sparkle in his eyes, it was clear this wasn't his first glass of champagne. "Is that why you're hiding here?" –I'm looking for inner peace, but I'm happy with outer peace, so if you can close the door when you leave, that would be perfect. "Come on, Kayla. We're celebrating our best year in the company's history. It's a British tradition to get drunk, sing karaoke terribly, and flirt with your coworkers." –Who told you that? –I've seen Bridget Jones's Diary . "Oh, sure," she said. The music gave her a headache. She always had that feeling this time of year. A knot of panic formed in her stomach, and a pain gripped her chest until December 26. "Tony, was there something you wanted? Because I'd like to keep working." –It's the company holiday. You can't stay working too late tonight. In his opinion, it was the perfect night to stay up working very late. –Have you seen or read A Christmas Carol ? In front of her, on the desk, appeared a glass of champagne. –I imagine that, in this situation, you are not Little Tim, so you can only be Scrooge or one of the ghosts. "I'm Scrooge, but without the tacky nightgown," Kayla replied. She ignored the champagne and peered out through the crack in the door. "Do you know if Melinda's around?" "The last time I saw you, you had the CEO of Adventure Travel entranced. He was looking for you all night so he could personally thank you for the incredible results his company has had this year. Bookings have increased by 200 percent since you took over the account. And not only that, but you also got her picture on the cover of Time magazine ," Tony said. He raised his glass in a toast and smiled. "Until you came to New York, I was the darling. Brett gave me advice on how to reach the top. I was destined to be the youngest vice president this company had ever had." She became alarmed. –Tony… –Now, that honor will most likely go to you. "You're still the spoiled brat. We work in different departments. Couldn't we leave this conversation for tomorrow?" Kayla asked, reaching into her bag for a report. She wished she could just slide it in and close it until January. "I'm so busy." –Too busy to indulge my ego a little? She glanced at the champagne. –I've always thought that people should take responsibility for their own ego. He laughed softly.