Chapter 3
brINKER
Iclyn’s laughter rings out from the breakroom, a sound that bounces off the walls and finds its way straight to my ears like a persistent mosquito. I adjust the stack of reports in front of me, trying to block out the festive chaos.
“Brinker, I was thinking—” Iclyn pops her head around the corner, her trademark smile soaking up all the light in the room. “What if we did something fun this week? You know, to get everyone into the holiday spirit?”
I look up, my brows knitted tightly together. “Fun? This isn’t summer camp, Iclyn. We’ve got deadlines, clients who are demanding, and real work to focus on.”
She steps in fully, sitting in the chair across from me, leaning on my desk with an exaggerated pout that’s almost endearing if I’m being honest. “But Brinker, what if we could combine fun with productivity? A happy workplace is a productive workplace, right?”
I can’t help but smirk at her enthusiasm, but I shove the response down, pushing my reading glasses up on my nose like an old man scolding a child for running in the hall. “Right. And who’s going to be spreading holiday cheer while I’m trying to finish these reports?”
My sarcastic tone only sends her into a fit of giggles. “Well, definitely not you. You’re more like the Grinch with a heart three sizes too small.”
I wish she didn’t see me like that, but if that’s the truth, then I’ll own it.
It’s definitely the truth.
“Funny,” I say dryly. I lean back in my chair, crossing my arms. “What’s your plan, then? A party? Baked goods? I’d prefer silence over holiday music, thank you very much. Hell, I’d prefer silence over anything.”
But Iclyn never gives up easily. Her blue eyes narrow in on me, and I can practically see the gears turning in her head.
“I was thinking more along the lines of holiday pranks. Light-hearted ones, of course. Imagine the reaction if we filled the breakroom with snowflake balloons! Or put glitter in the office supplies?”
Glitter. How dare you! Definitely my mortal enemy.
I shudder at the thought. “That sounds like a nightmare, Iclyn.”
“Oh, come on. Just think about how much fun it could be. I mean, you’re a tough nut to crack, but maybe it’s your turn to experience a little holiday magic?”
Maybe it’s a little of Iclyn’s plain-out joy, but my walls begin to weaken.
I quickly brace myself to not come off too happy about it all.
Playing devil’s advocate is built into my DNA.
Captain of the Debate squad, law degree at Harvard, Executive MBA at Oxford, and now owning my own business. I’m professional from head to my toes.
“And what makes you think I’d be okay with you and the rest of the team turning my workplace into some kind of holiday circus?”
“We’ll make it a team effort! Everyone's in on it. Tom from IT, Sarah in sales…” She leans in closer, her enthusiasm infectious. “All I need is your blessing to set the stage. What do you say? Let’s flip the script on grumpiness!”
I look into her determined eyes, watching her infectious spirit bubble over. Right now, she seems impossibly bright against my dreary office backdrop, and I momentarily find myself being drawn to that energy.
Not that I’ll ever admit it.
Plus, my grandmother’s request —demand— is still looming out there.
I sigh. “I’ll give it to you. You make it sound like fun,” I find myself muttering, my resolve already beginning to crumble.
With a triumphant grin, Iclyn claps her hands together and spins around as if she’s just won a victory. “Yes! Operation Holiday Cheer is a go!”
“Wait, wait. Did I actually agree to that?!”
But we both know I have.
She’s already darting off to round up the troops, plotting her pranks for maximum impact, and I’m left staring after her, grumbling to myself about how against my better judgment I just let my entire office into a chaotic endeavor.
The woman is a force. And an adorable one at that.
As the day wears on, I can’t shake the absurdity of it all. I’m getting pulled into a holiday frenzy. With every giggle and every glimmer of Iclyn’s laughter carrying through the air, something inside me flickers back to life.
There might be a hint of cheer creeping in.
Might be, I’m not saying there is.
And perhaps a little of that enchantment could teach me that the holiday doesn’t always have to be a nuisance, even if my heart still prefers a cozy solitude over the clamor of festivities.
But now, there’s no stopping what Iclyn has set into motion and honestly there’s a little warmth somewhere inside of me that I’m not familiar with.
My fate rests in her hands, and for now, I resolve to keep my mind open.
Is that my heart warming to the idea of the season?
Nah, it can’t be.