The Company Christmas Party

 

Photo by: A R (@zimbarus) | Unsplash Photo Community

Everyone was tired and just wanted to go home but in the corporate world they were all vying for the next promotion, the next big job assignment and the next raise so it was important to their careers to be seen at the annual Staff Christmas Party. 

“And I need the bonus,” thought Kathy from Human Resources “Besides, the more experiences I have under my belt the stronger my resume becomes.” She wandered down the hall until she was standing in the doorway of her employer's rather large Board room. She looked around in amazement. Someone had taken the time and effort to decorate the place to the nines. It looked magnificent, as a company of this size should for their employee Christmas party. The Bacharach Group liked to treat their employees the right way. Rumours circulated like wildfire about other companies and how much they were lacking in this area.

Kathy gazed across the room and noticed the mistletoe that someone had put up. 

“What are you looking at?” inquired Giselle, from IT, who had entered the room.

“First time at a company Christmas party?” inquired Kathy as she watched Jay from sales walk in a straight line and then detour in an arc around the mistletoe.

“Yes,” Gisele replied. “It all looks so wonderful.” she paused. “What just happened there?” she asked as they both noticed another person detouring around the mistletoe. “What’s with the space? Is it marked? Plague infected?”

Kathy chuckled. “Something like that. Every year someone comes up with the bright idea of hanging mistletoe. And every year everyone makes a detour around the mistletoe. There are a few people who cherish the thought of standing under the mistletoe but even they avoid it. If you get anywhere near the mistletoe, Dan, from Accounting, will walk up and drop a kiss on you. After a couple of drinks he is an indiscriminate kisser. He'd kiss a polar bear if it stood under the mistletoe,” Kathy replied with a laugh. “He likes the idea of dropping an unexpected kiss on someone.” 

“Thanks for the warning,” Gisele said. “I’ve noticed that he has a weird sense of humour,” she commented over her shoulder as she headed for the bar.

Gertrude, from shipping, walked up to the door with a rather large box in tow. “I wonder where I should put this?” she inquired. 

“If it’s a gift, maybe beside the tree,” suggested June, one of the permanent temps who worked in the office, as she walked in..

Kathy eyed it carefully. “It’s kinda big for an office gift. What’s in it? 

Gertrude smiled. “State secrets,” she whispered with a laugh.

The party was going swimmingly for a Christmas party no one really wanted to be at. Alcohol had loosened the atmosphere. A few couples had even made it to the mistletoe without being accosted. JIm Brown, president of the Bacharach Group, stood near the mistletoe to give a speech when the door to the Board room crashed open.

“Where is he?” a tiny, but determined voice spoke up.

All eyes turned from the elfin woman to the copier room and back. Fiercely she marched over and threw the door open. “Aha!” she yelled furiously before turning and marching back towards the elevators.

Quickly a stunned Dan from accounting followed in what could only be described as a comical scene. He was attempting to refasten various parts of his clothing, while in hot pursuit of his wife. 

All eyes returned to the copier room to find a disheveled Gertrude from shipping had appeared, adjusting her dress. “You forgot your gift,” she lamented. 

Quickly she picked up the awkward box of state secrets and wandered off towards shipping.

“I think he got an unexpected gift,” snickered a temp in response. 

Jim Brown wandered over to the bar where he could be heard discussing if they had openings in Zurich and Santa Fe before downing his drink and announcing Merry Christmas to everyone. 

Before he could finish uttering the words the stampede had begun.

“Was it something I said?” he asked. The Christmas tree lights blinked in response before being shut down for another year.