A couple of hours later, Jenna lets out a groan.
“Alright, it’s been dead. Do you mind if I head out a bit early?”
“I think most of the office has already left,” I say, glancing at the request log. “You should go! I’ll stay until 5:00.”
“Thank you, Ophie, you’re the best! Have a merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas!” I sing as she bundles up and heads out.
Jenna was right, it really is dead quiet now! I only get a couple of emails in the next hour, which gives me plenty of time to do our online check-ins for tomorrow, double-check my packing list, and even scribble some notes for a new cake idea I had earlier: spiced orange and cranberry, maybe with a cinnamon glaze? Linda pops by to get the last slice of my bûche and wishes me a merry Christmas before she leaves, making me wonder if my boyfriend is done packing and on his way to my flat yet.
I am both nervous and excited to spend Christmas with Nicolas! It’s not like we haven’t met each other’s families before, but there’s just something so special about spending Christmas together! I cannot wait for him to see the gorgeous dress I got for the restaurant. Oh, we’re going to look amazing in our matching green velvet outfits. This holiday is going to be marvelous. I daydream about us waking up in a fancy bedroom, in our matching Christmas pajamas, wishing each other a merry Christmas, opening our gifts for each other, eating cookies…
“Ophelia.”
I glance up from my screen. Nicolas! As if my daydreaming just manifested him, my boyfriend is standing right there in the doorway, smiling at me.
I immediately spring up and run straight into his open arms, and he hugs me tight, just the way I like it.
“What are you doing here?” I squeal, squeezing him like I haven’t seen him in a month.
“I wanted to drive you home,” he says, hugging me back. “I missed you.”
Aw, my heart feels like the fluffiest whipped cream!
“I missed you too,” I beam, already feeling ten degrees warmer. “Thank you for coming to get me! You must be so tired from your day!”
“I am,” he admits, as blunt as ever, “but I wanted to see you more. Did you have a nice day? It smells good in here… but why is it so cold?”
“Heater broke overnight,” I grimace. “We’ve been running on hot cocoa and Christmas spirit… but building management is on it, they promised it’ll be fixed before everyone comes back!”
“That’s good,” he nods, “but we should get you home and warm. We can’t have you getting sick.”
“Give me one second!”
I quickly save my work, shut everything down, gather my things, and double-check my desk to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything. It always feels a bit surreal on the last day before the holidays. It’s so quiet and sleepy, like even the office is ready to curl up with a blanket and nap until January!
When I’m done, Nicolas is already waiting by the door with my tote bag of clean dishes slung over his shoulder, because, of course, my boyfriend is a perfect gentleman. And, as always, he laces our fingers together as we head down the corridor.
“How did they like your bûche?” he asks.
“They loved it! People kept coming nonstop after lunch. I’m glad I doubled the quantity! I even had to save a slice for Linda, or she would have missed it!”
“It was delicious indeed,” he nodded.
Of course, Nicolas was the first one to try it. We tested the recipe together last weekend, during one of our lazy afternoons baking side by side. Honestly, it feels like I haven’t seen my boyfriend in so long, I’m so ready to spend the holidays together!
We leave the office, greeting the few colleagues we see, but there’s hardly anyone left around. Thankfully, it allows us to shamelessly hold hands in the office; we’re usually careful not to show off our relationship too much, but I guess today’s a bit special!
“How was your flight?” I ask Nicolas.
“It was alright,” he nods. “No delays. The boarding process was efficient too; we left and landed right on time.”
Even if Nicolas has to fly all the time for work, he really doesn’t love being crammed into a noisy plane with a bunch of strangers, so I’m quietly relieved for him that this one went smoothly.
We reach his car, and as usual, he opens the passenger door for me. I thought he would have gotten tired of this after a few weeks of dating, but nope! It’s been months, and Nicolas always makes a point to open doors for me. It’s so much warmer in here! I settle in and connect my phone to play a cheerful Christmas playlist. My favorite song fills the air as we pull out of the parking lot, and for the first time all day, I feel fully relaxed.
“How was your day?” he asks, turning up the heater.
