She looked at the three outfits she'd laid on her bed as options.
Option 1 was the generic "ugly Christmas sweater" with flattering jeans. Too boring, she thought. Option 2 was a sultry dress, the Christmas equivalent of a little black dress. Too bold, she wanted to seduce but not be a slut about it. Option 3 it is. A little holiday shirt that draped off the shoulders, a red and green plaid miniskirt, and black stockings with little black booties. She pulled out the accessories, elf ears and little sprig of mistletoe. Unsure if she had the nerve to wear them, she tucked them in her clutch and texted her coworker.
"Ready when you are. Let's get this party started!" she texted, though she was not nearly as excited as her text let on. She didn't even like the people she'd agreed to go with, not really. She didn't dislike them, but they definitely weren't her chosen crowd, just the work crowd. Her desk-mate and group "DD" for the night was alright. They at least had some legitimate common ground, even if it were just appreciating dark humor posts on Reddit. The other two may as well have been Tweedledee and Tweedle-dumber. They rarely completed work on time, they were constantly gossiping though very little was ever true, they were probably the most ugly souls in the whole office but they thought they were hot shit because they could (would) sleep with anyone that wasn't their husbands.
She simply couldn't believe life had landed her with this band of companions but she was determined to make the most of it. She waited for them to arrive as she thought again over her plan. It was simple. She'd seen time and time again, girls bolder than her, could walk into his office, spend some time, and walk out with a promotion. Easy. She had the power to move up. It wouldn't have been her chosen way. She always completed her work on time, kept her head down, and was a model employee. But she knew, the only way up in this company was through him. And she wanted to move up!
He wasn't the worst boss in the world, a bit misogynistic, but what man isn't in a position of power in the bible belt? That was perhaps the worst part in her mind. How he could be so outwardly "Christian" while one of his favorite tasks was taking out the "young republicans" girls for free dinners to discuss their future. Did everyone truly think that was all that was going on? But tonight she'd have to be one of those girls. The thought turned her stomach. "At least he's not ugly" she tried to reassure herself but it didn't help.
*Ding dong* the doorbell chimed. It was Ashley, her desk-mate, dressed as a snowman with her pregnant belly as a very proud middle portion and baby stick hands stitched on.
"Oh good, at least someone else went with cutesy" she thought as she slipped her elf ears on and tucked the sprig of mistletoe into her hair.
Getting into the minivan, it was obvious, that Tweedledee and Tweedledum had already been drinking. The music was already blaring, hair already falling down, and the van smelled like a Phish concert. They did, once again, solidify her decision to go with the cutesy elf outfit. The two of them had chosen sultry and given that they couldn't even sit without showing their snatch, she thought a flirty miniskirt would be just right for seducing. Then, she would have to choose what and when she wanted to show herself. Bold and hungry for a rise, that's how he liked them. Plus, if her actual crush spotted her at the party, she wanted to wear something that'd leave him wanting a little more. "I think I've done well" she smirked to herself.
"Looks like you three have already been having some fun. Are yall sure a staff Christmas party wouldn't be too lame on a Saturday night?" she asked while strapping herself in.
"Girl! You know I've gotta at least go sit on Santa's lap" she responded with a wink, not realizing she also spread her legs.
Santa, because of course her crush, the only actually viable man in the office, and one of Alyssa's "sneaky links", would be there with plenty of the office women fighting for a seat in his lap. She tried to put him out of her mind, to not picture the day she'd walked in on them in the copying room, but it was proving difficult. She had another target tonight. The boss.
Arriving at the party, it looked exactly as expected. The office was decorated with some lame lights that'd been obviously taken out from last year and barely de-tangled, a Christmas tree stood in the corner half decorated while the other half sat bare against the wall, the main course table was pitiful at best while the staff-brought desserts and drinks towered in comparison. She looked once again at her desserts, homemade cherry cordials and peppermint bark to go with either whisky or a holiday drink, and tried to set them off to the side so she could reserve some.
Riding with the three troublemakers, they made a fashionably late entrance and in the main office Mrs Wynter could be seen scrambling to figure out which party game to do first. None of the staff seemed interested in helping or playing. They simply wanted to drink and mingle and do all the things they are not supposed to on the clock. Speaking of, it was time to mingle. She looked around to see Mark (the bossman) and find out what he was drinking. She spotted him chatting up the new office girls with an old fashioned in hand, going on about his lake cabin.
"If you wanted to show off your cabin, we could have had the party out there. The lake isn't THAT far of a drive and it would have made tonight a lot easier." she thought to herself while taking a sip of her own old fashioned.
Determined to not be forgotten, she walked right up to Mark and the two office girls. She had her competition cut out for her. The new office girls, of just 18, were practically living in his lap.
"I think Mrs Wynter was looking for help setting up the games" she said, knowing they'd be the first recruits anyway.
The girls giggled their way away and she gave a sly glance to Mark.
"They're babies" she said, while waiting to take in his response before boldly adding, "besides, wouldn't you like to get with someone who knows what they're doing but doesn't brag about their body count?"
They'd always had a knowing and slightly flirtatious relationship but this was a bit further than she'd ever pushed it before, giving him an actual in. It would be a cards on the table kind of night.
He fumbled a bit with his drink and dropped his napkin at the shock of the innocent little, keeps-to-herself, girl so openly flirting with him. She bent to pick up his napkin, letting her shirt fall off her shoulder so he had a full cleavage shot as she paused halfway back up to give him a devilish look.
"Here" she said wrapping it back around his cocktail.
"Dinner and gift exchange in 5!" Mrs Wynter cut in loudly.
