The Mistletoe Accident

The two of them had just exchanged gifts out in the seated lobby with everyone else when Saqueesha decided she'd put all her things at her desk to get them out of the way of the party. She had gotten him a new watch band since his old one broke on his favorite watch. He had gotten her York peppermint patties and a Yoohoo because he thought he overheard her mention one time that those were part of a core memory for her. She turned the corner, walked down the overly-decorated-for-an-office hall, wondering how often he must be really listening if he remembered that one comment, and once her office chair was in view she realized she forgot her coat in the lobby. She quickly pivoted on her sparkly heels to turn around, unaware she was stepping on spilled eggnog. Her footing went out from under her completely, and Kristopor, who was trying to catch up with her to bring her coat, managed to catch her, but not before her head hit the doorframe. He asked her if she was alright and she responded saying she was embarrassed more than anything, just as she raised a hand to the back of her head and realized it was actually throbbing. As she stood upright he saw her wince and he assured her that they were alone so no one else saw, but suggested they go to the first aid station for an ice pack.

"Since when did you care?" she asked warily as they walked towards the first aid station. 

"I'd rather not feel liable for your possible concussion" he teased. They both reached for the ice pack but he got to it first and told her to sit on the stool that was next to her. She complied, but asked him "What, do you think you can boss me around because you don't think I can do it? I'd like to remind you that I'm your equal here now and-"

He cut her off with "I know. And that's not what I'm trying to do, I just..." he sighed, shook his head and stopped himself to hold the ice pack against the back of her head. Just then she noticed under his furrowed brows his dark eyes were reflecting the glittering of the Christmas lights that were strung on the cabinets behind her. For a few moments she felt lost in them and thought surely that's proof of her having a concussion.

"Uh.. why are you looking at me like that?" His question snapped her out of it and she stood, grabbing the ice pack from his hand as she turned around to return to the party. He grabbed her wrist to stop her and held up her coat that she kept forgetting.

"Oh. Right. Um. ...Thank you" she said, feeling guilty of her unwarranted coldness toward him.  He glanced up at the mistletoe that hung above them. "Do you uh... know where we're standing?" She didn't have to look as she helped decorate the office in the days prior so it instantly occured to her what he was referring to. Her heart began to race as she let out a small breath and whispered "Just do it you coward." Unsure if she was talking to him or to herself, he chuckled to himself and stepped towards her. She froze and studied his face, not sure what to expect. He smirked as he placed both his hands on the sides of her head and gently kissed her on the forehead, then said "you should take it easy the rest of the night- I don't know how long we'll be stuck here." She nodded, feeling both relieved and disappointed that's all it was as she watched him walk past her to return to the party.

too late

As they both separated they individually wondered what each other were thinking.  Because each of them were roiling with embarrassment and completely mortified on the inside while trying desperately to set an outward appearance of utter calm and poise.  Was that disappointment simmering underneath it all as well?  The next couple of hours passed by in half glances and missed chances that boiled over into frustration.  So much so that it began to turn into a ridiculous competition centered around mistletoe.  As each subconsciously waited for the other to pass by them conveniently stalking around one of the many installments of the berry bearing foliage.  However, this ended up having the unintended consequence that each of them managed to kiss roughly half of the entire employee base except each other whilst the other happened to watch.   Even Eugene from accounting managed to worm his way into an overly long kiss with Saqueesha that he enjoyed far too much.  When she looked sidelong at Kristopor panic painted on her face while Eugene was furiously latched on, she saw that he couldn’t contain his laughter around the drink he was holding.  But his mirth was short lived she saw, as Becky the plump woman from the front desk sidled up to Kristopor.  She was obviously a few drinks too far in, tugging on his sleeve, pointing up, and licking her lips.  After what seemed a lifetime, Becky was walking away and smoothing her dress while Kristopor was catching his breath.  He didn’t have long though because of all people Eugene had somehow replaced Becky and was straightening his glasses expectantly eyeing Kristopor.  Kristopor looked pleadingly to Saqueesha until finally resigning, shrugging his shoulders with a defeated smirk and gave in to Eugene. 

“Now this is fun.” Saqueesha openly laughed to herself.  Somewhere in all of this their guards had dropped and it became a joke more than anything as lines began to form at each of their respective door frame impromptu kissing booths.  They laughed at each other, they laughed at themselves.  And at some point early in the morning after essentially every employee at the firm had their chance, in the case of Eugene multiple chances, the festiveness died down. 

After a while Kristopor lost track of Saqueesha in the crowd and decided to take a moment outside to wind down.  He reveled in the serene peaceful beauty of the snow on the green outside the office, far enough away from the rest of the city to not feel busy but close enough that the Christmas lights of the buildings were a sight to behold at this hour.   And now that he was outside and it wasn’t drowned out by the constant din of noise inside he could tell someone had put on Death Cab For Cutie over the speakers.  There was only one thing that could make this moment even better, he thought to himself.  As though the thought had summoned something, he saw the glint of something sparkly reflecting the hanging lights peeking out from behind one of the trees on the green.  He walked up to the tree with the snow softly crunching under his steps.  As he rounded the tree to face who he knew had to be Saqueesha he fired off with. “How the hell did you get out here in tho…” but trailed off as he took her face in to see she’d been softly crying, the tears reflecting the glow around them.  When she saw him it all came out in a rushed flood with barely enough time for breaths between words.

“When I got here tonight they pulled me into a meeting they didn’t just promote me they tried… they tried… they tried to give me all of your accounts all of them.  How can I do that to you?  Why’d you have to make it so hard? A month ago it wouldn’t have been a thought but now I don’t know what to do.  How can you be smiling right now!?”

“Damn that smile.” she thought to herself.

“You sure you don’t have a concussion?” he replied seeing the lights that wrapped the tree they were under dancing in her eyes.  And now he knew he’d made the right choice.  “I know.  They told me I’ve been distracted.  That my focus seems somewhere else.  I’ve been let go.  And they asked me who I thought would be the best to take my place.  At least until I’m back to my ‘old’ self.  It’s you Saqueesha, all of it.  It’s you I told them to give the accounts to because I know you’re the best for it.  It’s you that’s stolen my focus.”  He finished with a smile. “I didn’t tell them that part though. I’ve got a lot of investments already, So I was thinking I’d open a diner.  I’ve always thought about it but was never brave enough to do it.  I don’t think I want to be my ‘old’ self anymore.  Or come back really.”  Hours passed by in heartbeats, and in the stillness neither of them could act.  But the reverie was shattered when a snow plow screamed passed and blasted them with ice and slush.  Neither of them knew who let out the first gasp of a laugh but it was contagious at that point and they were lost in laughter.  Until she looked up and saw bundled in the boughs of the tree above them, wrapped in lights, a knot of live mistletoe.  She pulled his chin up and his laughter stopped immediately as he recognized it.  When their eyes met again, hers shone with mischief.

Both of them covered in snow and beginning to shiver, he held her head in his hands.

“Just do it you coward.” he whispered and smirked.

Fade to black and increase emo music volume.