His Office Party

Ok, in 3, 2, 1.”   “ Oh hell, wait, wait!” 

“Ok I’m waiting,"said Suzanne. “Again" she added under her breath.  Checking her watch, “We’ll be late!”

His employees gifts were packed in a Santa sack found at Big Lots, where she also found the matching sweaters, he insisted upon. “It’s an Ugly Christmas Sweater party,” he explained “There will be prizes."

“How Bridget Jones,” she thought. “Forget the dress at Macys!” Last year she underdressed, thanks to Jack. This year she wanted to get it right.

The door opened and he stepped out. “How do I look?" He was wearing a gray cashmere sweater and a Santa hat. 

“What’s that?  You’re not wearing the sweater, the ugly one?” she snapped.



 “It didn’t look right, Mom gave me this last Christmas, so it is a Christmas sweater,” he chuckled.

“Jack, please, take me home to change. I’ll be embarrassed again! “
“You look fine! There’s no time, we’ll be late.” Picking up the Santa Bag on his way out the door.

She argued all the way to the party,” It’s rude, you’re changing  the dress code at the last  minute, you’ll  look great, while everyone else looks slightly silly.”   

He kept repeating “We look fine, I don’t have time to go home and change either.”                 

She relented and to her dismay, on their arrival, the men were wearing festive sweaters, the women all in beautiful party dresses; again!   
 
“Can I come up?” He asked when he took her home.

“No!” she smiled sweetly, slamming the door in his face.

She leaned against the door defeated, looking down at the lovely crystal vase in her hand, she read again the attached envelope, THE UGLIEST CHRISTMAS SWEATER, it proclaimed. Without thinking she smashed the vase against the wall!  Leaning over, she picked up the offending envelope, in it, was a gift certificate to Macys. She smiled, walked to the kitchen and poured a drink. "Merry Christmas to me!"

The countdown. We’ve all done it, whether it’s disciplining our kids, gathering up nerve, blasting off into space, or getting ready to pop champagne and scream “Happy New Year!”

This week, we’d like you to write a post – fiction or creative non-fiction – which begins with a countdown. “Three, two, one.” You pick what the countdown is for. The ideas above are just suggestions. Use your imagination and have fun with it