The Man I Met On Christmas

Caleb Winters's Point Of View. I stepped out of the courthouse into the cold air, but I barely felt it. It was Christmas season, there were lights, red ribbons, and snow everywhere. The Rodero verdict still echoed behind me. Twenty three years of tax fraud, money laundering, and my client, walked out a free man with a fine he would pay from the loose cash buried in his Bentley’s console. “Caleb, you bastard!” Vittorio Rodero’s voice boomed across the room as he walked towards me with two bottles of Dom Perignon in his hands. “Son, you kept your word." “Did what you pay me for, Vittorio.” I grinned, and let him pull me into a bear hug. After a few minutes, I excused myself from the celebration and stepped out, to leave. My driver hurried toward me, and took the bag off my shoulder. “To where, Sir?” He asked. “To the firm,” I replied, in a simple tone. He nodded, then paused for a second before opening the back door for me. I settled down on the seat while he walked around to the driver's seat. The ride to my firm was quiet, except for the Christmas songs, which felt completely out of sync with my exterior. As the city moved past my window, I leaned my head back and watched the Christmas lights blur. I hated this season. The car rolled to a stop after twenty minutes, and I stepped out. The lobby was warm, bright, and decorated with a giant Christmas tree I did not ask for, but who cares? As I walked in, the guard straightened up in an alert position and greeted, “Good evening, Mr. Winters,” I gave them a small nod in return. My footsteps echoed across the marble floor as I headed toward the elevators. The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime. I stepped inside, pressed the button for the 33rd floor, and leaned back as the doors closed again. After a few seconds, the doors opened and Lauren, the receptionist, was already halfway across before I had taken a step out. She was wearing a tight red sweater dress that hugged her body paired with long red boots. “Mr. Winters! Congratulations!” She voiced out in a low voice, bit her lips to the side while her eyes flickered down, too close to my crotch for it to be accidental. "Thanks, Lauren.” I said, with a half smile and stepped past her, ready to head to my office. Before I could, her fingers brushed my forearm and reached up to straighten my already perfect tie. “If there’s anything, anything at all, I can do to help you celebrate tonight, Mr. Winters." She whispered, looked in my eyes with a smile. I let my gaze drift down, slow and deliberate, over the sweater dress, the boots, and back up to those wide blue eyes, practically begging to be f****d. Three years ago, I might have taken her up on it, pinned her against the reception desk, hiked that dress up, and given her a celebration she would never forget, but I learned the hard way that the second you cross the line between, the professional and personal, respect evaporates. They might not jump, the moment you snap your fingers at them and start expecting you to remember their birthday. The whole power dynamic collapses like a house of cards. I let out a soft, pitying laugh and said, “Lord, is that what you are wearing to try and get f****d by me? You look like a discount store elf who got lost on the way to a stripper pole.” “Caleb,” Her mouth parted in shock, cheeks redder than the dress in embarrassment. "It’s Mr. Winters,” I said in a cold tone, stepped around her and walked off. Behind me, I heard the tiniest sound, half gasp, half sob, and then the frantic click of her heels as she fled back to her desk. Merry f*****g Christmas, Lauren. My office was at the end of the hall, with a floor to ceiling windows, and view of the lake frozen halfway into ice. I pushed open the door, exhaled and I sank into my chair, loosening my tie slightly. "King of the courtroom returns." Elaine said, standing by the sitting area, and arms crossed in front of her chest. "Tell me you saved me some decent coffee.” I said with a chuckle, letting my coat slip off my shoulders. "Pot’s fresh, but first,” She tilted her head toward the stack of resumes on my desk, “take a look over them, since apparently I am abandoning you for holy matrimony.” "Some people have no loyalty,” I said dryly, and laughed. "Not funny." She said and rolled her eyes. "There were many candidates who look impressive on paper. Degrees everywhere, fancy job profiles, and one even brought cupcakes . I have narrowed it down to two. They are all smart, organized, and won’t cry when you, you know what I mean.” I raised a brow, narrowed my eyes towards her and asked, "W -what?" “I saw what you did to Lauren,” She said, while her voice was flat. Only she, who’s known you for seven years can pull off. “Half the floor heard it. The poor girl’s in the ladies’ room crying her mascara into the sink, right now.” “She deserved it,” I said, in a nonchalant tone and shrugged my shoulders. “I just gave her the honesty she’s been begging for.” Elaine shut the door behind her with a soft click. “You called her a discount store elf," She said, and stared at me for a long second, then shook her head. Elaine exhaled through her nose, and said, “You are an exquisite piece of ass, you know that?” “Part of my charm,” I muttered, and let out a short laugh while flipping through the résumés she had left on my desk, barely listening. I trusted Elaine’s judgment, she had been with me since I made partners at thirty-two. She knew what I needed. “Right. Anyway, candidate one : Northwestern, top of her class, references from two federal judges. Candidate two : ten years at Kirkland, ran the desk for a name partner. Candidate three—” Elaine's voice blurred in the background, as soon as my eyes locked on a name. Serene Dawson. For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating, but there it was, written with black ink on a cream paper and clipped to the top right corner, a passport-sized photo. Heart-shaped face, wide hazel eyes and blonde hair. I felt a twist in my chest, I blinked my eyes repeatedly, until Elaine’s voice began to be heard through the noise in my head. "-candidate three is a little green, to be honest. A fresher but her references are solid, referred to by Mr. Sterling - ” “Hire her,” I said. The room went dead quiet. “I am sorry?” Elaine blinked, unsure of what she heard. I leaned back in my chair, while staring at her passport photo. “Serene Dawson. Offer her the job, starting tomorrow." “You respect Mr. Sterling, I get it, but Caleb, she is the least qualified of all the candidates I interviewed today." Elaine said in disbelief, as she stepped closer. “I am aware,” I said, while my jaw tightened a little while twisting the résumé in my hand. “She can type ninety words a minute and makes a decent latte, but she is not ready for you. You will eat her alive in a week,” Elaine said, while crossing her arms and raising one eyebrow, her voice was firm but not unkind. A slow smile spread across my face, as somewhat darker sensations were pulled at the corners of my heart. “Maybe,” I said, while my voice was low enough to be heard. “..but there are scores to settle, Elaine.” She stared at me for a long second, her eyes narrowed as she tried to read the look on my face. She glanced down at the résumé in my hand and saw my futile attempt to leave a dent by pressing my thumb down, hard. “You know her, don't you?” She muttered. “Intimately,” I answered, while my eyes were set on the photograph, the word rolling slowly off my tongue. Elaine exhaled through her nose, “You sure about this?” she asked, while tilting her head slightly, studying me. “Never been more sure of anything,” I replied, while my tone was calm and unshaken. She looked at me for another beat, then shook her head with a small, defeated laugh. “Fine, but when she quits in tears two weeks in, I am putting ‘I told you so’ on my wedding invitations,” She said, while pointing a finger at me in mock warning. “Noted,” I said, giving her a small, amused nod. She started gathering the other résumés, flipping through them with quick, efficient movements. “I’ll call her first thing tomorrow. You want me to lowball the offer? See if she bites?” She asked, while glancing up through her lashes. “No,” I said sharply, still staring at the photo, my voice was steady but cold. “Give her whatever she asks. Tell her it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.” Elaine nodded, started to walk but paused in the doorway. She lifted her hand on the frame and looked back at me, while her eyes had been softened. “Caleb, what the hell happened between you two?” She asked quietly, almost careful. My expression did not change, but something in my eyes definitely did. “Let’s just say,” I murmured, as I finally looked up, her voice was low and edged, “Christmas came early this year.” Serene Dawson was about to find out that some ghosts don’t stay buried, especially when you are the one who buried them alive.