"Ho ho ho, you naughty heathens!" Ben bellowed as he entered the conference room. Maria, about to take a bite out of a cocktail meatball on the end of a toothpick, was glad she didn't have a mouthful because surely she would have choked on it. The goof said he had a surprise for the office's big Christmas in July potluck, and he hadn't been lying.
Instead of the traditional Santa outfit, Ben wore red basketball shorts. In place of Santa's coat was a red muscle shirt with white cotton balls sewed or glued on so poorly one fell off as he preened. He did have a big plastic Santa belt, a white beard, and a Santa cap, but the best part of the outfit, the part that would send Maria into giggling fits for a week after whenever she thought about it, was the black cowboy boots with little gold-foil wrapped chocolates carefully glued on to look like buckles.
"Well, we know Maria loves it," Ben's girlfriend Catrin said from behind him. When she managed to push her boyfriend inside to the party, Maria's laughter redoubled. Catrin had duplicated Ben's outfit, only in green, like an elf, complete with cheap plastic ears poking up through her fair red hair. Much like Ben, the best part was what was on her feet, a pair of fluffy reindeer slippers.
Laughing harder and harder, Maria had to get up and walk out for fear of peeing herself at the sight of the pair of them. Her coworkers laughed too, more due to Maria's reaction than the pair of goofy lovers. She didn't mind. Though she had only worked with Mata Mata Entertainment the last six months, from the first day, they made her feel welcome and she knew their laughter came from a good place.
To calm herself, she took a quick cruise through the spacious office and came back to a smiling Catrin outside the door. "You all right, hon?" she asked.
Catrin was a stunning woman with an almost otherworldly etherealness to her finely featured face. It was her body most guys looked at, her curves all natural and her hard work at the gym leaving her with a mouthwatering figure. But Maria was always entranced by Catrin's face, the intelligent dark eyes, the wide easy smile that always seemed like she had a secret and she was so amused by it. She and Ben were the most beautiful couple Maria had ever met, without question, and the fact that they wanted to be her friends never ceased to astonish her.
"I'm fine. Those outfits... oh my God."
Catrin's smile widened. "My idea. Don't let Ben tell you otherwise."
"The boots were my idea!" Ben called from the conference room.
"Well, you did perfect. Both of you," Maria said.
They rejoined the party. Mata Mata's owner and lead creative guru Jeff Prosser came up with the idea to throw the company's annual Christmas party in July when half the staff had to beg off a similar party in December due to personal obligations. He paid for booze, great gifts, and Uber rides, so the staff was more than agreeable, especially since there were two professional chefs in their lineup who ensured at least some of the potluck-styled meal was divine.
Everyone in the room save for Maria was part of Mata Mata's talented experts on a variety of topics, namely cooking, movies, gaming, and culture. Prosser -- everyone referred to him that way -- himself was a legend in the movie critiquing field, having once been the editor-in-chief of a popular movie magazine and website before he decided he wanted to branch off on his own. His best friend was a chef for a legendary D.C. restaurant who took a massive pay cut to move and hang out with Prosser all day. The group slowly grew from there as they both had contacts in the media world who were interested in something small and fun. Thus, Mata Mata was born, and grew into a happy, hearty crew of online miscreants.
Maria herself was a video editor and far too painfully shy to stand on the other side of a camera, despite encouragement from half the staff. Besides, she didn't know as much about any of the topics as the other crew, her own interests leaning more towards reading and music, and even those she'd never attempted any critical thought over. However, she was a fantastic video editor, even to her own self-critical eye, and her demo reel had impressed Prosser into hiring her.
Big staff lunches -- parties, really -- were a near-monthly thing, a way to blow off some steam for the crew. There was one for Valentine's Day, one for Easter, one for even May Day. This was the silliest yet, and the most delicious. Everyone brought something good to eat, from Christmas cookies to a buffalo chicken dip that Maria loved.
"I love this garlic bread," Ben said next to her, loading half a slice up with cheese from someone's platter.
"It's just crescent rolls and butter and stuff, basically," Maria said.
"Doesn't mean they're not amazing," Ben said. "Take the compliment."
"I will then," Maria said.
Ben was seated beside her at the big table, and it was hard not to stare at his muscular arms. He was really fit, and had once done some modeling before transitioning into a role as a gaming personality. Some of his pictures were very racy, with him only in his underwear. One of them featured Ben with a thumb to his lips like he was tasting something on them and his other hand tugging down a pair of white briefs to reveal the vee of muscle over his groin. Maria fingered herself to that one once or twice a month, usually followed by a silent internal plea for Catrin to forgive her. She had a hell of a guilty conscience.
Catrin wasn't part of the company. Significant others were always invited to the monthly-ish parties and she always tried to attend. She managed an indoor playpark where Ben and another member of the Mata Mata crew went to do research on "alternative means of fun." All in the name of YouTube science, of course. Ben and Catrin hit it off and now she was a regular around the building, even taking part in a few videos now and then. A DIY makeup playlist she did with one of the staff was a huge hit among the tween demographic.
Once the initial flurry over the food was finished, Prosser broke out into a cheerful and blessedly short speech about how he appreciated everyone and really felt like they were coming together like a family. He singled out Maria and two of the other new hires that year and told them he hoped they enjoyed themselves. After that, he passed out gifts, handpicked for each person. There would be Christmas bonuses later in the year, but the company was doing well and he liked to spoil his employees, as strange as that sounded to Maria, who came from a long line of jobs where the employers felt more like hostile entities.
She opened up her gift, a pair of cat-ear headphones she mentioned she was eyeballing one day. That Prosser had remembered was astonishing. "I didn't realize you even overheard me," she said, holding the box to her breasts and wiggling back and forth.
"I didn't," he said. "I wish I could take the credit but that idea was all Ben."
"Aw, Ben!" Maria said, and reached across to rub his back in thanks. To Catrin, "You snatched up the best one, you know that?"
"I really did," Catrin said.
"Yes she did," Ben agreed, and his girlfriend elbowed him.
Talk shifted towards Christmas traditions and plans for that holiday season. Being that early in the year, few people knew what they were going to be doing. Doug and Darcy, the two chefs, were taking a vacation to Spain, where they had a taste-testing whirlwind planned for content and for pleasure. Prosser would be flying down to California to see family and get in some sun before the inevitable New Bainbridge subzero temperatures of January or February.
Maria, a Florida native, asked, "It really gets that cold here?"
A chorus of affirmatives rang out, most everyone looking sour at the prospect. "What about you?" Catrin asked Maria. "Going home for the holidays?"
Maria thought of the previous Christmas, about her father's drunken tirade at their annual family gathering, about her brothers getting up and walking out with their families. About his non-stop attack on her decision to try to move to New Bainbridge and her choice in career, about his political and religious opinions and her lack of morals, about the plane ride when she shook from trying not to cry the entire time they were in the air. Even now, the sting seven months gone, she still cringed, and Catrin must have noticed it.
"I'm sorry. If it's a sensitive subject..."
"No, it's okay," Maria said, uncomfortably aware of everyone's eyes on her. "I'm, uh, probably going home."
Catrin let it go. The party went on for another hour. Drinks flowed freely, laughter rang out, and a few party games were played. It was a good time but the ghost of Maria's father haunted her throughout it. Catrin and Ben eventually got her alone out in the main office, away from everyone else.
