My boss throws a Christmas party every year at his house.
When I was a simple intern, learning the ropes under Ms. Woods, I wasn't invited.
Now that I have her job, my boss can't very well exclude me, can he? Even after what we did, or should I say, I did, in his office a few weeks back? Wouldn't it look insane for his secretary not to be there?
The invite came a couple days ago and I immediately RSVP'd. I wasn't going to miss this for the world.
More than anything, I wanted to see what my boss had run off to, what the other woman looked like, acted like, what she was. What she had that I didn't.
I reach out and ring the doorbell as I stand in front of the rather large door on this rather large estate house. When I pulled up just a couple minutes ago, the first words out of my mouth were, "Holy Fucking Shit!"
The door is answered by a butler. I'm wondering how the fuck my boss can afford this place as I hand him my coat and take my purse back from him. I've chosen my red sequined gown for tonight's occasion. I like to think that it's stunning on me. I've yet to get a complaint. Men seem to go crazy about the plunging back and the slit up the side.
I step into what I guess passes for a living room and take in the sight. There have to be at least fifty people here already, with fifty more probably still to come.
And I spot them over by the wine cabinet, shaking hands and smiling and waving to other people. I try to catch my boss's eye but he's too busy with everyone else, gladhanding and what-not.
But it's not so for his wife. She's a blonde, just like me. In fact, she almost looks like me for a half-second and maybe it's just me imaging myself in her place but I don't think so. She turns away from her husband and starts toward me and I see she's not exactly like me. She's pretty as hell, though.
And then she's standing in front of me. "Anna Kellogg," she says. It's not a question.
"Yes?"
"Dan has told me so much about you," she says. "I didn't think I'd be able to pick you out of a crowd like this but, like I said, Dan's told me so much about you, I feel like I know you."
"Good things, I hope," I say and then laugh a little. A man with a tray of champagne comes over and Dan's wife and I take a flute each.