Carol's Christmas
The following was inspired in part, by an email from a reader, and is offered with all due respect to Charles Dickens.
I would like to thank those who took the time to give this a beta read, and those who have offered comments and constructive criticism on my previous stories.
And now, the disclaimers:
For those who want to say this or that would never happen, remember this is my universe, a place where nearly anything can, and often does, happen. At least on paper... In addition:
Characters in this story may participate in one or more of the following: Smoking, consumption of adult (meaning, alcoholic) beverages, utterance of profanities.
All sexual activity is between consenting adults 18 years of age or older.
Statements or views uttered by the fictional characters in this story do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the author.
Please refer to my profile for more on my personal policy regarding comments, feedback, follows, etc. (Yes, I DO moderate comments) And please remember, this is a work of fiction, not a docu-drama...
...
Monday, December 20, 2021:
Carol Beck sat back in her large comfortable office chair and turned her head to the speaker in the ceiling above her. As she listened, the strains of yet another Christmas song assaulted her ears.
"Dammit, if I have to hear another fucking Christmas song, I'm going to scream," she said softly. Closing the door to her office, she turned on a portable radio on the credenza behind her and tuned it to a classic rock station. She turned the volume up, hoping it would drown out the racket coming from above.
She sat back into her chair and kept working on the spreadsheet displayed on her large monitor. Some time later, she heard a knock on her door.
"Enter," she barked. The door opened and she saw the face of Jake Callahan, the current CEO of Callahan and Son Manufacturing. He was the "son" in the company's name and took over as CEO from his father about seven years ago. Prior to that, he was the company CFO and was the one who hired her into the Accounting Department after she graduated from college.
He was about sixteen years older than her, but at 51, was in great shape and still sported a full head of dark hair with just a bit of gray at the temples. The two of them had developed a strong platonic friendship over the years but after his wife died in a freak car accident eight years ago, they had gotten somewhat closer.
Over the years, he developed strong feelings for her and wanted something more than a platonic friendship, but he wasn't willing to risk a sexual harassment claim or a lawsuit for alienation of affection. So, he took it slow and easy.
Carol wasn't stupid and knew he wanted something more from her than a sympathetic ear and a sisterly shoulder to cry on. Even though she liked Jake a lot, she wasn't about to risk her marriage for a bit of strange dick, no matter how substantial it was. And yes, she noticed the bulge in his trousers but never said or did anything that wouldn't pass the husband test.
The truth was that she loved Raymond, her husband of 12 years, and she dearly loved their 9-year-old son, Tim. Even though they were going through a rough patch at the moment, there was no way she was going to jeopardize that relationship. But, she admitted to herself, she had fantasized about her boss more than once over the years. And she had been fantasizing about him a lot more in the last few months.
"Is it safe?" he asked. She smiled and nodded her head.
"Of course, Jake, come on in, please. I just can't stand listening to that crap being piped through the offices," she said. He entered the office and closed the door behind him. "Please, have a seat. What can I do for you today?"
"I was wondering if you were going to the company Christmas party this year, or if you were going to blow it off like you did last year?" he asked. She remembered the annual party was coming up on the 23
rd
and everyone would be off work until Monday, January 3. That meant she only had a few short days to get everything finished.
"I don't know, Jake," she said. "You know how I am with Christmas."
"That's right, you and Christmas are like oil and water," he said.
"Yeah, and I still have all these reports to get finished," she told him.
"That's what you have employees for," he said. "Delegate this out to them. Let them do their jobs."
"I guess you're right," she said.
"Of course I'm right," he said with a smile. "That's why I'm the CEO. I delegate stuff to you, and you're supposed to delegate to them. See how that works? Why don't you shut down, take off your leash and join me for lunch. We can talk there if you want."
"The usual?" she asked.
"Of course," he said. The usual was a quaint little sandwich shop and diner not too far from the plant. This time of day it wasn't too busy and they could eat in peace. It was something they had done three times a week for the last several years.
"What the hell," she said. "Let me just task some of this stuff out and I'll meet you there in, say, 20 or 30 minutes?"
"Sounds like a plan," he said. "See you there."
A little less than a half hour later, Carol parked her BMW and entered the diner. Jake sat at a table, waiting for her. He smiled and waved her over.
"I hope you don't mind, but I ordered your usual," he said.
"Pastrami on rye?" she asked.
"Of course," he said, feeling proud of himself for placing her order. Of course, she had eaten the same thing at this diner for months, so it was a pretty safe guess.
"Thank you," she said. The waitress brought their drinks and scurried off to her station. Jake considered her as she took a sip of her coke.
"Okay. Out with it, little sister," he said, using his pet name for her. She smiled and set her drink down. She didn't mind him calling her that. She was an only child and the idea of being someone's "little sister" appealed to her.
"Whatever do you mean?" she asked.
"Don't give me that," he said. "I've known you for too long. This isn't just your normal Christmas time 'bah humbug' attitude. What's wrong? Is it the nerd?" That was Jake's nickname for Raymond, his way of showing disrespect for Carol's husband, and she hated it.
"Please, I've asked you not to call him that," she said with a hint of irritation in her voice.
"You're right," Jake said. "I shouldn't have said it and I'm sorry for that. But let's face it. He's a computer repair guy while you're a top executive. You deserve a lot better than that."
"Actually, Jake, Ray is a senior supervisory field engineer. He designs multi-million dollar network infrastructures all over the world. He's damn good at what he does, he's highly sought after and he's held in high regard," Carol said.
"All right. But still, you make what, three or four times what he does?" Jake asked.
"Something like that, yes," she said.
"Doesn't that bother the two of you?"
"No, not really," she said. "I know what you're thinking -- that I'm the main breadwinner stuck at home with a child while he's running around the country doing what he does."
"Exactly," Jake said. "Hell, it would bother me if my wife made three times more than I do."
"Ray pulls his weight," she said. "And he adores little Timmy. He's a great husband and father."
"Who's gone all the time," Jake said. "Look, little sister, I'm just concerned about you. You were there for me when my wife passed away, and I want to do the same for you. I worry about you."
"Thanks but I'll be fine, Jake, really," she said.
"But there's something else eating at you, isn't there?" he asked. She swallowed her food, then thought for a moment before speaking.
"This Christmas Eve, it will be 15 years since my mother died of a heart attack working herself to the bone to take care of us," she said quietly, tears coming to her eyes at the memory of her mother. "And it will be 25 years since my father died. He died on Christmas Day when the plane he was on crashed. He was on a trip back east and was rushing to get home to us. I was maybe nine years old at the time."
"After all these years working together, this is the first time you've told me all that. No wonder you hate Christmas so much," he said.
"Every time Raymond gets on an airplane to go to a job site, I keep thinking that maybe that's the last time I'll ever see him alive," she said. "I don't know if I'm strong enough to handle that kind of loss and I don't want to end up like my mother. To be honest, I don't know how much more I can take of him being gone like this."
"You don't think he's having an affair, do you?" Jake asked.
"Ray? Have an affair? Get real. No, Raymond may have his faults, but infidelity certainly isn't one of them," she said.
"Well, little sister, just know that I'm here for you, okay? You and little Timmy are always welcome in my home if it ever comes to that," he said. She smiled as she looked at him.
"Thank you, Jake, that means a lot to me," she said, putting a hand on his arm. Inside, she wished that it was Ray sitting here instead of Jake, but she would take what she could get. If only Ray understood how she felt...
"It's my pleasure, Carol," he said with a smile. They finished their meal and Carol looked at her watch.
"Oh my, I'd better get back to the office before they send out the National Guard," she joked.
"It's alright," he said. "No one's going to dock your pay for being out to lunch with the CEO."
"I know," she said. "It's just that I have a lot to get done. Hopefully, my people made some good progress. I'll see you later. Thanks for lunch and for letting me vent."
"Of course, Carol. Any time. And I'm serious. If there's anything you need... Anything at all. Let me know, okay?"
"I will, Jake, thanks," she said. He watched her walk out of the diner and to her car. Ray is an absolute idiot for leaving her here alone like this, he thought. But, he added, Ray's loss could very well be my gain. He smiled at the prospect of getting between Carol's shapely legs.
Carol got to her car and looked to see a dirty, raggedy-looking homeless man with tattered clothes and unkempt hair begging for change and cigarettes by the street. Everyone who walked by gave the man a wide berth, avoiding him like the plague.
She shook her head in disgust. Why can't these people just go get a job like my mother did, she asked herself. She got in her car and headed out, not giving the man another glance.
She got to her department and got caught up on the progress everyone made on the reports. Pleased, she took what she needed and went into her office. Hearing the Christmas music from the speaker overhead, she called the IT department and asked if someone could PLEASE come and do something about it.
