Holiday Guests

1 Leah Working on Christmas Eve is the actual worst. I mean, at least give us a half day off. A few hours. Something! But no, the managers at the Chesterton Plastic Bag Company are serious Scrooges who don’t care about letting us go home to spend time with our family, or to sit on our couches alone wishing we had family, or whatever. I mean sure, some of us don’t have anyone to go home to, but we still deserve a break from the daily grind. Don’t we? Apparently not. Most people were smart and requested the day off, but not me. Which is why I’m sitting at my desk, chin in hand, watching the clock tick by while holiday music plays softly in the background and snow falls outside. I can only get a glimpse of the snow from my cubicle, bit I’m sure it’s beautiful. A white Christmas Eve, and I’m stuck inside under fluorescent lights, chained to my desk, unable to enjoy it. My one solace is that I’m not alone. And if I had to pick three people to spend a lonely afternoon with, it would definitely be the guys here with me now. Josh sits a few cubicles over, tossing a mini basketball up in the air and catching it. All I can see over the cubicle dividers are his long fingers and masculine wrists as he throws the ball, just a little tease to remind me how appealing the rest of him is. I can’t see Mark, but I know he’s in the cubicle next to Josh, probably glowering at him with his ice blue eyes. They both work in Sales and have a little friendly rivalry going on to see who can get the most new accounts every quarter. So far Josh is up but only by a hair, which just makes Mark more determined. Mark’s identical twin brother, Finn, works in the IT department on the other end of the room. The door’s open, giving me the slightest glimpse of his dark blond hair as he moves inside. All the other IT guys are gone, but he’s here to make sure the servers stay up and none of us have computer problems. I’m tempted to try and make my computer freeze just to have an excuse to call him over. Other than the four of us, the office is empty. I sigh and glance at the phone, which hasn’t rung even once this entire day. I work in Customer Support, and it seems there are no plastic bag complaints on Christmas Eve, thankfully. Only problem is I’m bored out of my mind. I glance at the clock again. Two more hours. Oh, come on! There’s only one thing that will make this last stretch bearable: a cup of tea. I grab my mug and stand, stretching the stiffness from my limbs, and when I look over, both Mark and Josh are eyeing me. I flash them a smile before heading into the employee lounge, hoping the guys are watching as I go. I made sure to wear one of my favorite dresses today, a short, tight red one that is perfect for Christmas Eve while showing off all my curves. At my old job I didn’t put too much effort into what I wore. After I started working here—and met the three guys who began to star in my fantasies every night—I made sure to always look hot. High heels. Short skirts. Low cut tops. Not sexy enough to get me fired or anything, but just enough to make me feel feminine and confident. Of course, none of the guys have taken the hint, so it’s been all for naught anyway. Sure, they’re always friendly with me, and I’ve caught them checking me out from time to time, but not a single one of them has asked me out, much to my dismay. Once in the employee lounge, I grab a package of my favorite tea—a special lavender one that is hard to find—and pour myself some hot water to brew it in. Josh walks in and my heart does a little excited flutter. He’s handsome, tall, and broad shouldered, with devilish hazel eyes and silky hair that always looks slightly messy, along with dark stubble across his jaw. Sometimes I sit at my desk and have fantasies of running my fingers through that beautiful hair or along his sexy scruff. He’s muscular too, from what I can tell under his white button-up shirt, which gives me a tantalizing tease of skin at his neck. “Hey, Leah,” he says, as he walks over to the coffee machine. He pours himself a cup, then leans against the counter and gazes at me, his eyes lingering on my bare legs. “Nice dress.” “Thanks.” Finally one of them notices. Josh takes a sip of coffee. “You look way too pretty to be stuck working behind a desk all day. Especially on Christmas Eve.” My cheeks flush with pleasure at his compliment. “I can’t believe we have to work today.” “Tell me about it,” Finn says, as he walks into the employee lounge. He’s wearing a festive green polo shirt that skims across his muscles over dark slacks that hug his nice ass. Even though he’s a total geek, Finn works out at the gym and has the body to prove it. Not to mention, he’s gorgeous, with bright blue eyes, a chiseled jaw, and dark blond hair. “They should have given everyone the day off. It’s not like there’s anything to do here.” “I haven’t had a single call all day,” I say, with a dramatic sigh. Josh grins at me. “I can call the hotline with a fake complaint if it will make you happy. ‘Help, my cat is wearing a plastic bag like a dress, what do I do?’“ I laugh and put on a fake voice. “‘Well, sir, in that case, I suggest taking a photo and posting it on Instagram.’”