Decorated with Love

1

Just a short, semi-fast paced story we (emmanurse ) came up with. Merry Christmas!

"Don't you have a bit of shopping to do or something?" Blair leaned back in the chair across from her best friend and coworker. The girl was buried in her work, as per usual, which was okay to an extent, but she never seemed to loosen up, "The decorations downtown are gorgeous!"

"I have a meeting in.... Twenty minutes," Ivy didn't glance up once but scrunched her nose in disgust, "Besides, you know I avoid stores at all cost after Thanksgiving. And decorations are even worse. Why would I go downtown and associate with the likes of those who actually enjoy those overdone Christmas bells and lights?"

"You're such a Scrooge," Blair rolled her eyes as she stood, "Atlanta is gorgeous, and most NORMAL girls enjoy going out on Black Friday but nope, not my best friend."

Ivy glanced up, peeking over her reading glasses as she met her friend's judgmental gaze, "Then why are you here? You don't have to be. As I recall, you wrapped up the Davis account Monday..."

"I only came by to see if I could talk you into some fun," She shrugged as Ivy's phone rang, "But that's clearly NOT happening. Good thing you don't have a man...."

"Don't start," Ivy groaned. It wasn't enough that Blair pressured her into the whole Christmas thing every year, now she had to mention a man almost daily, "Give it up. I'm married to my work and we're perfectly content."

"Suit yourself," Blair shrugged as she heard her best friend answer the phone. She stuck her nose up and turned to leave the room.

Ivy rolled her eyes at the attitude as she answered her phone and promptly agreed to meet her boss in the next room a little earlier than scheduled. Anything to divert her attention from the mention of Christmas. And a boyfriend.

_____

"I'm sorry, you want me to... what?" Ivy stared at her boss in horror, "I can't- I mean... I shouldn't-"

"You can't? You shouldn't?" Michelle raised an eyebrow as she glanced over at her employee, "Please explain."

"I mean... it's just, I think Blair is better suited, you know? She um.. She is more into Christmas decor-"

"Ivy Noel Winter, the girl with a name practically from the North Pole, can't decorate for Christmas? So what you're telling me is that you have to be into something before you can decorate it?" Michelle glanced down at her desk, "I see."

"I take no responsibility for my name. Look, I'm sorry, I just... I've never enjoyed the holidays and well, I'm just being honest. This is a big deal and I don't want to let you down."

"Yeah, I wouldn't want that either. You're right, if I'm going to have a partner, they'd need to be willing to work with any client, for any reason, so I'm glad I know this now-"

"Partner?" Ivy's interest was peaked as she sat straight up in her seat, "Me? You want me to be... partner? I--- I don't know what to say."

"Wanted you to be," Michelle corrected as she lost interest and focused on her laptop screen, "I guess I will call Blair after all."

"No, no-" Ivy waved her hand. Being partner would be like a dream come true. Of course, her dream was to own her own event planning business one day, but this was the absolute next best thing, since her pipe dream was slightly out of reach, "I can do this. I'll decorate the football stadium. How hard can it be..."