More Christmas decorations came yesterday, but I was too tired after the board meeting yesterday to unpack. Thank goodness it was a Saturday! I usually dreaded the weekends, I live alone and my best friend Danny owns his own construction company. Since his business grew he's been working out of town more often than his home. Which leaves me alone with my work at least there was decorating to do. I wanted this year to be bigger than last year because my sister Hayley was coming down for the holidays. It was our first Christmas together ever.
I shook the cane of artificial snow. I walked to the massive Christmas tree I got last week. It was fake, but I planned on decorating the real one outside with Hayley. I sprayed the vibrant green until it was covered with white snow.
‘Great!' I beamed.
I picked the box of old decorations from last year off of the white L shaped lounge chair. White chairs were a luxury in a house without kids, but with a best friend like mine who didn't think showering was a necessity these chairs went for cleaning often.
After dressing half of the tree I discovered snow globes I got last year. One had a picture of my Mom and I. One of the few Christmases we spent together. She passed on a couple years ago, still I wished things were different between us and she lived to see my success. I often wondered how it would have helped her.
I set the globe of Mom and I on the mantle by the fireplace. Couldn't wait to light that bad boy up. It needed stockings too. The other globe didn't have a sender. It was beautiful and I loved it but I didn't know who bought it.
It was last year's secret Santa gift. The little angel in a globe was left in a blue box on my desk at work. All it said was from your secret Santa. I wasn't assigned a person to give a president to oddly enough, but I received one. When the secret Santas revealed themselves no one came forward. I got another present on Christmas Day. I thought it was Ben, but he'd never go to that much trouble.
I set the globe from the anonymous sender on the mantle next to other one. Whoever he was I hoped he'd reveal himself some day until I eventually forgot. My Christmas tree had balls, angels, Santa's, snow flakes and lights! Bright golden lights.
The sun went down and my living room was fully transformed. I got carried away at the store the other day and bought a Christmas rug. Danny would think it was hideous, but I really thought it blended with the theme.
‘Oh, it's wonderful!' I squealed.
I hadn't even gotten to the kitchen yet. I wanted someone to hang more lights on the ceiling on Monday. I tightened the robe around myself and pulled off the towel keeping my wet hair up. A bundle of thick dark blonde curls dropped down my shoulders.
The scent of my own natural olive and lavender body wash filled my nostrils. It was one of the products my company was launching this festive season. The company I started with Ben produced skin care products and ceramics. The ceramics had been selling fast this season, we're getting deals from a lot of companies wanting to collaborate and investors. It was great it meant higher bonuses for my employees. Most of them had stuck around since it started nearly six years ago. I was especially grateful to my assistant Marsha who made sure I didn't cut my head off and hurl it at the wall.
The door bell rang and jolted out of my day dreams. I wasn't expecting anyone, especially at eight in the evening. Maybe it was Donna my neighbor.
I opened the door, forgetting I was in a bathrobe. The delivery man blinked a couple times. I bit my lip. I should have checked who it was first.
‘Uh… sign here please.' He said.
I took the pen and scribbled my signature. He handed me a medium box.
‘No sender?' I asked.
He nodded, ‘It was just dropped off.'
‘Thanks anyway.' I closed the door behind me.
‘Weird still.'
I set the brown box on the glass coffee table. I shouldn't have brought it in what if it was a bomb? Still who'd want to murder me? I went to the kitchen and grabbed a knife. Nothing inside shook or moved at least.
‘Let's see what I got.'
I sliced where the tape held the box together. I opened the top and discovered bubble wrap. I sighed.
I pulled out the bubble wrapped object, a card slipped out.
‘Early to be getting Christmas presents, but who says no to gifts?'
Then I unwrapped it. A little black box was my gift. I gasped when it popped open. I picked up the card, staring at the golden necklace with an emerald rock that matched my eyes.
‘Unlike the beloved scarves your grace your chest with I hope you like it. Yours Truly.'
I sent the box and scrutinized the card. It was a piece of white paper folded in half. It was written by hand too, yet I didn't know the handwriting. I never paid that much attention to people's hand writing anyway. Such an expensive gift didn't have a name attached to it. Evangelical Jewelry was a high class jewelry parlor people didn't just buy from there willy-nilly.
‘It would be a shame not to wear it. Still I'd like to know who to thank.'
My thoughts travelled back to last year's secret Santa. It couldn't be. I made a note to call the delivery service tomorrow. They had to know something.
***
Monday morning the sun refused to come out from under the sky. I wasn't complaining. I wore a grey cotton scarf around my neck, black leather boots and a cream fitted dress. I stared at the expensive jewelry box sat on the dresser in my room. The delivery company said they couldn't get the person's identity. It was bought from Evangelical and dropped off personally at the company with my address on it. Paid in cash. They wouldn't search the cameras either. I didn't know what to do with it. I chucked it in my bad hoping someone would come forward.
I stopped Donna my neighbor, walk out of her house carrying a garbage bag, clutching a blanket to her chest.
‘Good morning Donna.' I called.
She turned her red nose to me. ‘Hey sweetie. Your kind of weather, huh?'
I smiled, ‘Yeah. You feeling okay?'
‘Yeah, just a fever nothing serious.'
‘You need me to get you anything from the pharmacy?'
Donna waved me away with her free hand. ‘You know I don't like those stuff. Some honey and ginger and I'll be fine.'
‘Chicken noodle soup when I'm back from work.' I opened the car door.
Donna smiled, ‘You're too much of an angel Jenna.'
I waved and jumped into my brown SUV. It was deep shinny brown. Wasn't a color I saw often in my little town of Stable County, but it was unique.
I parked in the underground parking of the building we moved into early last year. Moving here was a sign my business was flourishing.
‘Hey Jenna.' Roy said, pressing the button on his car keys to lock the car.
‘Hey Roy,' I smiled.
Roy was the head of marketing. He'd been with us for three years, but thanks to his expertise my products we seen all over the country. He had bright ideas but he was a shy one. He only broadcasted his ideas when he was alone with me or his team. If anyone else was around he'd sit and observe.
We took the elevator together, chatting about simple things like gifts and plans for the holidays. We found everyone convened in the break room. Marsha held a clip board to her chest and spoke to my small group of employees.
‘So the Christmas party is in two weeks. It'll mark the end of a successful year!' She said.
I clapped along with everyone else. Ben leaned against the counter, he spotted me and winked.
‘To add to that we will not have secret Santa this year.' She added.
My face fell. No secret Santa. The person sent me the necklace didn't know that. He got ahead of himself. Maybe he'd come forward. My shoulders relaxed a little.
‘No, that's not fair.' Someone whined.
‘I got a hundred dollar gift card last year.' Another one added.
Marsha dismissed the crowd and everyone went back to work. Ben disappeared to his office and I sighed. It had been three months since well the epic end to our relationship. I found out about his new girlfriend a month later.
I strolled into my office, the pale brown made the room feel cozy. I dropped my handbag on the table. Marsha strolled in seconds later.
‘Remember you have an appointment with a potential ceramics supplier this afternoon.' She said.
‘Wasn't Ben supposed to take that?' I asked.
She dipped her head to the side then snapped it back up right.
‘Yeah, but I thought you should be in on it too.'
I nodded, ‘Why aren't we doing secret Santa this year?'
‘I wanted to switch things up, you know keep them fresh. This will be our first office party since we moved.'
‘Yeah you're right.'
‘Were you looking forward to it this year? I forgot you didn't get paired with anyone last year. I don't know how it happened really.'
‘No, no. I'm totally okay with it. I did get a gift remember? I… got another one today.'
She raised her brows. ‘From who? Ben?'
I shook my head, he was with someone else she knew this.
‘It didn't have a sender.'
‘What was it?'
I pulled out the black box and showed it to her. Her eyes turned to saucers.
‘Damn! The secret Santas here are serious. I got coffee last year.'
I laughed, ‘That's your fault for drinking too much. Anyway, I think this person just got ahead of themselves.'
She nodded, it seemed like the likely explanation. We read me my hectic schedule and left. I couldn't help think about my new necklace. It was one hell of an expensive gift. I couldn't just let it sit in a box. Whoever bought it put a lot of thought into it. Whoever he was.
