That Christmas was the first of many.
Not for all, but to her.
The one who had no life beyond those office walls.
A complete workaholic, with no such thing as fun in her life.
It was snowing heavily and parties were on the minds.
She too was invited to one of a party hosted by her boss,
But she got no time to stop for a while and buy a gift or to have fun.

In the nick of the time, she remembered about the party.
She stood up from her office desk, wore her fur coat, took the keys and ran to the car. Without wasting a minute she drove off to buy a gift.

It was the holiday season.
A season of love.
A season of joys.
A season to buy gifts and drink hot chocolate near a fireplace.
It was her bad luck or should we say good,
As all the shops were closed but one was still open.

Parking her car she ran inside.
The cold wind blew through her brown hairs letting them flow over her face.
She tucked a strand of hair behind the ear letting the full moonlight fall on her face making it glow even more with those hazel eyes.

As she entered the shop, a bell rang which was hung near a wall.
It was around eleven so there were no people around, except her and that Christmas tree covered in lights.
The shop was a three-storeyed one with a game zone and a food counter inside.
She climbs up the stairs and went to the first floor and started looking for a gift when suddenly lights went off leaving her in fear as a chill ran down her spine.

She took out her phone, switched on the torch and continued looking when she heard the voice of someone shout.
Tiptoeing without making a sound she moved toward the place from where she heard that voice.
She felt something rather someone standing behind.
She turned around and shouted in fear as a man was standing there laughing so hard.

She felt so embarrassed and decided to walk down.
When she was descending the stairs that man followed her.
He was young but was looking like a lounger.
Wearing that jacket with a sweater inside he was doing a fashion crime.
She was getting frustrated as he was laughing still, letting his blue eyes half-closed which were enough for someone to fall for him.

She reached the door with that man marching behind.
She tried hard to open the door but it seems as if someone locked it from outside.
She shouted in anger, "ugghh" she wants to go outside.
When that man explained to her "it's a timeout, for now, the clock is showing twelve so the shopkeeper went to his house, to celebrate Christmas with his family locking us inside". 

She was angry, but she calmed herself down and went to a couch to sit when that man tried scaring her, she gave him a slap.
" This isn't funny. Stop acting like a child."
She shouted as her voice echoed in that hall.
Keeping a hand on his cheek which is now red due to that slap, he nodded his head and went to sit beside her.

A few minutes had passed with complete silence between them when he turned around her and extended his hand,
"hi! I'm James and you?"
With his behaviour change, she got confused.
Rather than shaking his hand, she ignored him.

"I guess you are.....Mrs...."
He was speaking when he got cut off
"don't you dare call me Mrs I'm not anyone's wife"
these were the words that left her mouth which made him laugh again, this time even hard.
"What's with you? Why are you so strange?"
She asked him thinking he might be a mental patient.
"What's with me? You are asking when I should be the one to ask you this. I tried to lend a hand of friendship and you ignored it, but when I told you Mrs, you got your arms ready to fight with me"

With abashed feeling, she replied
"Sorry about that. I'm a little tense. I had a party to attend but I'm stuck with you here. By the way, I'm Lilly. Nice to meet you."
As soon as she said her name, his lips curved into a smile.
Shaking her hand he said,
"Nice to meet you too miss Lilly lime" 
with a dazed look, she asks,
"I'm only Lilly, who is this lime?"
Chuckling a little he answered her,
"as you were sour to me a while ago, so this is a nickname I give to you."

Rolling her eyes she gets off the couch.
Her foot got crooked and she fell on his top.
Their eyes got pinned on each other for a while when she faked her cough.
He helped her to get up and looked in the distance.
Putting a hand on his hairs he shoved them off.
A tension lingered in the atmosphere as they both were looking at the opposite sides with nothing left to talk about.

To loosen the tension, he asked
"are you hungry? Because I'm."
Shaking her head she replied,
"yes, I'm but there is nothing to eat here."

"Who told you that? Just follow me and we'll have something to eat."
With this, he started to walk up the stairs until they reached the second floor where the food counter was situated.
"What is this? We can't eat here. It's a bad thing to steal"
as she started that he nodded his head in agreement but what he did later was unthinkable.

He went behind the counter and started making sandwich.
Unwrapping all the packets and creating a mess.
"Please just stop! It's bad. You can't do this. It's not right!!"
stuffing his mouth with the sandwich he replied,
" Shut your mouth and let me eat. I'm so hungry. I'm a monster now you can't stop me."

She got frustrated but calm herself down.
She started to move when he held her arm.
"I know you are hungry too. I made this sandwich for you. Please eat this. We'll talk to that shopkeeper early tomorrow."
She agreed with a nod as she can't take her hunger any longer.
Taking a bite she smiled and told,
"Thanks a lot."

"No need to thank me. I'm a chef by profession. And feeding people is my duty." Saying this he bowed a little which made her chuckle.
"So you know how to laugh?"
"Yes, I know you don't have to doubt"
listening to this he started laughing and this way the atmosphere seem relaxing.

They sat under the Christmas tree chitchatting.
Who would say now, that sometimes ago they were ready for bashing?
The night passed by and it was morning.
The sunlight came through the windows and birds were out flying.
It snowed heavily last night but this morning was even bright.

The Shopkeeper opened the shop and that bell rang again.
There they were sleeping in each other arms under that Christmas tree from last night.
A mistletoe was hanging above them.
Rather than stealing a kiss under it, they stole a bond of friendship there.

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Hello! Hope you enjoyed it.
I wish everyone a merry Christmas.
Thanks for reading. :)
linalaurine