Deck The Halls With Brand New Stories: Ho Ho Holiday Anthology

Holiday Fantasy

This story was contributed by dollygrand

I wasn't surprised to see the empty parking lot when I arrived at work around half past five in the morning. I normally didn't start my day so early, but with the holidays right around the corner, I had to make sure to complete my current project in order to enjoy Christmas without leaving people in trouble during my vacation. We were in the middle of upgrading our servers – I worked for the IT department – and a screw-up had delayed our process by two whole weeks.

I got out of the car, pulling my winter coat tighter around me when the chilly winter wind tried to sweep me away in the open area, and hurried to the door. I fished my key card out of my pocket and pressed it against the sensor, but the light on it stayed red. The door didn't budge.

"No... don't do this to me..." I whined when I realized no one had gotten my memo about arriving early today – the building was still on lockdown like it always was during the nights. I yanked the handle a couple of times, pressing my card harder on the sensor as if that could've helped me somehow.

Welp, there goes my plan to get a head start...

"Tom? You do know it's not even six yet, right?"

I jerked my head towards the security camera that was watching me on the corner.

"Jake! Please come to let me in! I'm freezing!" I yelled over the wind.

"You're a werewolf – how can you be cold?"

"Do you see fur anywhere?!" I yelled back and started laughing in relief. "Come on! I need to get started with the servers or I'll have to say goodbye to Christmas!"

"Fine, I'm coming," Jake replied.

It took him only a few minutes to come down to the front door. I hurried in the second he stepped out of my way, trying to shake the cold off.

"Why are you here so early?" Jake asked while locking the door again.

I explained my plan to him as we started walking past the reception. He then told me that no one had informed him I was coming and apologized for it.

"It's fine – at least I did get in," I smiled at him, hoping that my heartbeat wasn't spilling my secrets.

It always started racing whenever he was nearby.

"Your tie is crooked," I said when I managed to rip my eyes off his handsome face.

"Not again..." he sighed, looking down at his uniform.

"Let me fix that for you," I said and stepped in front of him. "It must suck to not have a reflection."

"I've been meaning to get one of those mirrors that are meant for vampires," he explained quietly. "But it always seems to be sunny when I have free time to go shopping..."

"I think I've heard of them," I said and backed a little once I was done with his tie. "Don't they last like six months?"

"Well, I heard the best ones can last up to three years until the magic wears off."

"Oh, interesting," I said as we continued walking. "I didn't see you at the Christmas party last week."

"I don't do Christmas anymore," he muttered. "You get tired of it after two hundred years."

Yes, the guy was drastically older than me – one hundred and seventy-three years to be exact – but age was just a number. Besides, he looked thirty, maybe thirty-five. And extremely hot, especially in his security uniform...