Stolen Truth

The Christmas Party

I put on the last of my lipstick as I look in the mirror. I smile. Tonight, my dad's work is having a large company Christmas party. They are merging the party with other nearby companies. I have met some of the other employers only a handful of times, so I know what to expect. I do a quick spin in my Christmas-red colored dress. I have on black leggings underneath, as it is cold outside tonight. I am also wearing black booties along with a Christmas scarf. I leave my long brown hair curled in cascading waves down my back.

My phone dings and I see Tom's name appear. I see a text letting me know that my boyfriend, Tom, is here. I lock my door then head outside to meet Tom.

"Hey. You look beautiful!" he says as he embraces me in a hug.

"Thank you. You look good yourself," I say with a smile as I feel his strong arms wrap around me.

He lets go and opens my car door for me. I slide into the seat and patiently wait for him to get in the driver's seat so we can leave. I turn up the music as he begins to drive us to the hotel ballroom where the party is being hosted.

Although the parking lot is crowded, Tom manages to find us a decent parting spot. As we get out of the car, I run my hands through my curls to make sure they are still fluffy and curly. I confidently walk through the hotel entrance, smiling at the bellhop as I pass by. Tom holds out his arm for me to grab as we step on the escalator. We head upstairs and look down the elegant hallway. The tall, arched ceilings are eye-catching. I look at the framed artwork, especially the piece above the grand piano. I smile. It's nice to see local art here at the hotel.

We walk to the end of the hallway, and towards the grand entrance to the ballroom. I see a staircase and walk up the ten stairs to the elevated floor. This ballroom here is the largest in the hotel, but will barely be large enough to host the party tonight.

As we enter the ballroom, I look around to see all the tables covered with white tablecloths layered with plates. I see waiters and waitresses carrying appetizers around on silver platters. My mouth begins to water when I see the sausage bites. I mosey myself towards the closet waiter so I can snag one of them.

"Good evening, ma'am. Would you like an appetizer?" the waiter offers.

"Yes please! This is my favorite part of the meal, other than the dessert," I say with a chuckle.

The waiter replies with a smile as he hands me the appetizer then disappears into the sea of people. I look around for any familiar faces before gobbling down the appetizer. I walk around and spot my parents. I head towards them and smile when I see them talking to Michael, my dad's boss.

"Hello, Adrianne. How does it feel to be a college alumni?" Michael asks as I approach the three of them.

"It feels great," I say with a smile. "Wow, there are a lot of people here. It surprised me at how many people are already here."

"Oh, I know," my mom says as she looks around the room.

As the adults begin a conversation, I find the opportunity to slide away. I'm not sure why I always come to these parties. I think I do it so my dad's boss will see how great my parents are, especially my dad. My dad has worked for Michael ever since Michael started the company. My dad helped him build the company from the ground up, but he never gets the respect he deserves from Michael. It always makes my blood boil at how much better Michael and his family think they are than other people. Michael has two sons, Asher and Colton. Colton is in Germany following his dreams along with getting work experience. From what I hear, he may never move back to America. Asher, on the other hand, is here and plans on taking over the business one day. But, my dad also informs me that Asher sits around on his phone all day instead of working. Asher is not a hard worker.