A Naughty Christmas/ A steamy Christmas short story/ A Jordan Knight FanFic

01

01

Why was I going through with this?

I gave myself a final once over in the mirror before heading out to the taxi that was waiting for me. Who on earth decides on a Masquerade Party for a company Christmas party? Surely office parties were supposed to be held in a crappy side street pub, where the alcohol's watered down and cheap, ensuring everyone is completely rat-arsed before midnight. Then, they don't care who they kiss under the mistletoe that's either fake or has been squashed in pockets or bags. The past three years, there was always someone caught having a naked fumble in the loos giving the rest of us something to talk about in the New Year.

Not my company; oh no. We were getting a new branch Vice President, so we had to pull out all the stops to show off and make him feel welcome; make him want to work with us all. I thought it was a complete waste of money; money that could have been put into staff bonus cheques, and there still would have been enough left over for a decent night out if people wanted one.

Now, not only were we being housed in some swanky hotel for the evening, but we had to dress up and wear ridiculous masks; like those of us who had worked together for years wouldn't recognise each other regardless. I swear upper management had no idea about us 'minions'. It was compulsory to attend, and there was nothing anyone could do to get out of it; we'd all tried.

I gave myself another once over as my taxi tooted for me to hurry up, just as it started to rain, naturally. Fucking fabulous. Rain and a white outfit did not mix, at all. It was a close call whether I made the driver leave without me, but I was wrapped up in my coat, with a shawl pulled tight around me, and under an umbrella, I made it inside the stale smelling vehicle without an issue.

I'd decided on getting ready at home and a late check-in at the hotel so I wouldn't have to spend too much time around my work colleagues before the event started, well the majority of them at least. Some of them I was able to tolerate and a select few I even liked. I was known for my 'prickly disposition' in the office and did little to dissuade people from getting too close. Didn't go to work to make friends. I went to do my job; the fact I'd made a few friends was a bonus I hadn't realised I'd wanted.

Sitting in my hotel room on the huge bed, I couldn't help but think about the 'encounter' I'd had the evening before. The man I'd hooked up with the ladies' room of the bar we were in had made my body sing and my mouth scream. Just thinking about it turned me on and I had to shake my head to dispel the memories. I'd save them for when I was bored out of my brain, at least the smile on my face would be genuine.

I grabbed my purse and shawl and made my way down to the party. Before I was able to bring myself to enter the room that had been hired, I ducked into the ladies' room to check my hair after all my rushing around. It looked okay, good even; it wasn't my usual plain style of straightened and hanging loose around my shoulders, but as I was spending most of the night behind a mask, I guessed I could afford to branch out a bit on my appearance and had spent a small fortune in having it curled and pinned into a fancy updo at a local salon. When I pulled on the white and silver mask that matched my dress perfectly, I couldn't help but give a little smile. It only covered my eyes, but I still felt like something out of Phantom of the Opera. It was as light as a feather, and it did go so perfectly with my dress; not bad for ordering online from a site I'd never heard of. Maybe I would be able duck out after dinner and a couple of drinks, after all, it wasn't like anyone would miss me and my slightly acidic personality – as I had been described more than once by my colleagues. As I took a deep breath and entered the dining room, I nearly burst out laughing. Middle-aged women dolled up to the nines in taffeta of varying colours assaulted my eyes, while the men were a sea of black tuxedoes. Masks of varying colours and sizes did little to hide faces. It was like small children playing hide and seek; if they couldn't see you, they believed you couldn't see them. Trying to stave off a potential migraine from the myriad of colours, most of which I've never seen before, I made my way towards the bar narrowly avoiding the office octopus. Bobby from accounts was bad enough during the day but judging by the red blotches on his face below his plain, black mask, he'd been here quite a while, propping up the bar. He was swaying slightly as he moved on from trying to touch me up to his next, easily accessible victim. Maybe now, HR would actually believe us about Bobby and his unwanted grabby hands and finally, get rid of him.

As much as I appreciated the slight anonymity my mask gave me, not being able to see everyone else's faces fully was pissing me off. How in the hell was I supposed to know who to avoid until they were right in front of me? A masquerade party was not conducive to me sitting in the corner, scowling at people the way I did at the office. I didn't mix well with large groups, and this was the largest I'd been in for a long time, and I was beginning to feel overwhelmed by it all.

"Hi, Lacey." A familiar voice spoke in my ear. I spun round to hug Gabby tightly. Although I didn't go to work to make friends, Gabby had managed to worm her way into my life and affections. She was the sweetest person I'd ever known, and I'd never known anyone to say a bad word about her.

"Oh, Thank God. I was starting to go insane surrounded by people I wasn't sure I could speak to or not." I told her as we linked arms and walked to the bar. "Gabby, you look stunning by the way." I leaned back to take in the soft pink dress she wore. It showed off the curves she usually hid underneath sensible work clothes. "Is Todd here yet?" As I spoke, I saw a hint of a blush on my best friend's throat. Gabby had the biggest crush on Todd Adams, the head of our IT department, had done ever since he'd joined the company earlier in the year.

They were the talk of the office; their banter and friendship had sparked many rumours, but they weren't a couple despite what everyone believed. It was only a matter of time as they both clearly crazy about one another; they just needed to act upon their feelings, yet neither of them had the courage to make the first move.

"Hush your gums and get me a drink, pretty lady." She indicated my own outfit. Ignoring her compliment and smiling, I tucked away the fact that she hadn't answered my question for later use. Turning to the bar, I ordered two large glasses of white wine. I was determined to fully make use of the free bar this evening, however long I decided to stay.

"So, any sign of the new guy?" I asked as we looked at the seating plan to find our seats, my eyes darting around the room for a sign of him.

"Nope; looks like he's going for fashionably late to his own party. Have you managed to find anything else out about him? Considering you're going to be PA to the new Vice President?"

I groaned. I'd been dying to become a PA to one of the 'bigwigs' for at least two years, but I'd hoped to get one into Rose's Wetherall's office. She was ruthless, yet fair, and stood for no-nonsense. If you worked for Rose, you were expected to work hard, but the rewards were just as great, yet that wasn't my main draw; I wanted to work for a woman who had fought to get where she was in her career, and I wanted to be one of those women eventually. I never expected to be given the job as PA to the VP of the UK branch of the company. One hell of a jump up the corporate ladder.

Gabby kicked my chair, reminding me I wasn't a high-flyer, but at a company Christmas party and my heart dropped; I didn't want to be here. "You still with us?" She teased with a sly smile, knowing exactly where my mind had been.

"Sorry. Nothing new about him. Just that he's coming from the New York branch, where he's been a company whizz out in the States and wanted to come to Europe, just as the new Vice President job here opened up." I reeled off the same information we'd been hearing ever since we'd been told he was coming to our office. Everyone was excited about his arrival, whereas I was worried about my own career stalling somewhat. It was selfish of me, but I needed to look after number one. I knew from day one at this company that you didn't get anywhere easily, and you had to fight for each position.

"I wonder if the New York branch has prepared him to handle you, Little Miss Prickly." I couldn't help but glare at her as she nudged me with her elbow. Someone who could only be our office manager wearing a gold mask over his eyes running across the dining room towards the entrance. "Well. I guess he's arrived." Everyone else must have come to the same conclusion as heads soon swivelled in the same direction as they tried to catch a glimpse of the hotshot new boy.

"I need another drink." I groaned, with a sigh.