Carol's Christmas

Carol's Christmas

The following was inspired in part, by an email from a reader, and is offered with all due respect to Charles Dickens.

I would like to thank those who took the time to give this a beta read, and those who have offered comments and constructive criticism on my previous stories.

And now, the disclaimers:

For those who want to say this or that would never happen, remember this is my universe, a place where nearly anything can, and often does, happen. At least on paper... In addition:

1. Characters in this story may participate in one or more of the following: Smoking, consumption of adult (meaning, alcoholic) beverages, utterance of profanities.
2. All sexual activity is between consenting adults 18 years of age or older.
3. Statements or views uttered by the fictional characters in this story do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the author.

Please refer to my profile for more on my personal policy regarding comments, feedback, follows, etc. (Yes, I DO moderate comments) And please remember, this is a work of fiction, not a docu-drama...

...

Monday, December 20, 2021:

Carol Beck sat back in her large comfortable office chair and turned her head to the speaker in the ceiling above her. As she listened, the strains of yet another Christmas song assaulted her ears.

"Dammit, if I have to hear another fucking Christmas song, I'm going to scream," she said softly. Closing the door to her office, she turned on a portable radio on the credenza behind her and tuned it to a classic rock station. She turned the volume up, hoping it would drown out the racket coming from above.

She sat back into her chair and kept working on the spreadsheet displayed on her large monitor. Some time later, she heard a knock on her door.

"Enter," she barked. The door opened and she saw the face of Jake Callahan, the current CEO of Callahan and Son Manufacturing. He was the "son" in the company's name and took over as CEO from his father about seven years ago. Prior to that, he was the company CFO and was the one who hired her into the Accounting Department after she graduated from college.

He was about sixteen years older than her, but at 51, was in great shape and still sported a full head of dark hair with just a bit of gray at the temples. The two of them had developed a strong platonic friendship over the years but after his wife died in a freak car accident eight years ago, they had gotten somewhat closer.

Over the years, he developed strong feelings for her and wanted something more than a platonic friendship, but he wasn't willing to risk a sexual harassment claim or a lawsuit for alienation of affection. So, he took it slow and easy.

Carol wasn't stupid and knew he wanted something more from her than a sympathetic ear and a sisterly shoulder to cry on. Even though she liked Jake a lot, she wasn't about to risk her marriage for a bit of strange dick, no matter how substantial it was. And yes, she noticed the bulge in his trousers but never said or did anything that wouldn't pass the husband test.

The truth was that she loved Raymond, her husband of 12 years, and she dearly loved their 9-year-old son, Tim. Even though they were going through a rough patch at the moment, there was no way she was going to jeopardize that relationship. But, she admitted to herself, she had fantasized about her boss more than once over the years. And she had been fantasizing about him a lot more in the last few months.

"Is it safe?" he asked. She smiled and nodded her head.

"Of course, Jake, come on in, please. I just can't stand listening to that crap being piped through the offices," she said. He entered the office and closed the door behind him. "Please, have a seat. What can I do for you today?"

"I was wondering if you were going to the company Christmas party this year, or if you were going to blow it off like you did last year?" he asked. She remembered the annual party was coming up on the 23^rd and everyone would be off work until Monday, January 3. That meant she only had a few short days to get everything finished.

"I don't know, Jake," she said. "You know how I am with Christmas."

"That's right, you and Christmas are like oil and water," he said.

"Yeah, and I still have all these reports to get finished," she told him.

"That's what you have employees for," he said. "Delegate this out to them. Let them do their jobs."

"I guess you're right," she said.

"Of course I'm right," he said with a smile. "That's why I'm the CEO. I delegate stuff to you, and you're supposed to delegate to them. See how that works? Why don't you shut down, take off your leash and join me for lunch. We can talk there if you want."

"The usual?" she asked.

"Of course," he said. The usual was a quaint little sandwich shop and diner not too far from the plant. This time of day it wasn't too busy and they could eat in peace. It was something they had done three times a week for the last several years.

"What the hell," she said. "Let me just task some of this stuff out and I'll meet you there in, say, 20 or 30 minutes?"

"Sounds like a plan," he said. "See you there."

A little less than a half hour later, Carol parked her BMW and entered the diner. Jake sat at a table, waiting for her. He smiled and waved her over.

"I hope you don't mind, but I ordered your usual," he said.

"Pastrami on rye?" she asked.

"Of course," he said, feeling proud of himself for placing her order. Of course, she had eaten the same thing at this diner for months, so it was a pretty safe guess.

"Thank you," she said. The waitress brought their drinks and scurried off to her station. Jake considered her as she took a sip of her coke.

"Okay. Out with it, little sister," he said, using his pet name for her. She smiled and set her drink down. She didn't mind him calling her that. She was an only child and the idea of being someone's "little sister" appealed to her.

"Whatever do you mean?" she asked.

"Don't give me that," he said. "I've known you for too long. This isn't just your normal Christmas time 'bah humbug' attitude. What's wrong? Is it the nerd?" That was Jake's nickname for Raymond, his way of showing disrespect for Carol's husband, and she hated it.

"Please, I've asked you not to call him that," she said with a hint of irritation in her voice.

"You're right," Jake said. "I shouldn't have said it and I'm sorry for that. But let's face it. He's a computer repair guy while you're a top executive. You deserve a lot better than that."

"Actually, Jake, Ray is a senior supervisory field engineer. He designs multi-million dollar network infrastructures all over the world. He's damn good at what he does, he's highly sought after and he's held in high regard," Carol said.

"All right. But still, you make what, three or four times what he does?" Jake asked.

"Something like that, yes," she said.

"Doesn't that bother the two of you?"

"No, not really," she said. "I know what you're thinking -- that I'm the main breadwinner stuck at home with a child while he's running around the country doing what he does."

"Exactly," Jake said. "Hell, it would bother me if my wife made three times more than I do."

"Ray pulls his weight," she said. "And he adores little Timmy. He's a great husband and father."

"Who's gone all the time," Jake said. "Look, little sister, I'm just concerned about you. You were there for me when my wife passed away, and I want to do the same for you. I worry about you."

"Thanks but I'll be fine, Jake, really," she said.

"But there's something else eating at you, isn't there?" he asked. She swallowed her food, then thought for a moment before speaking.

"This Christmas Eve, it will be 15 years since my mother died of a heart attack working herself to the bone to take care of us," she said quietly, tears coming to her eyes at the memory of her mother. "And it will be 25 years since my father died. He died on Christmas Day when the plane he was on crashed. He was on a trip back east and was rushing to get home to us. I was maybe nine years old at the time."

"After all these years working together, this is the first time you've told me all that. No wonder you hate Christmas so much," he said.

"Every time Raymond gets on an airplane to go to a job site, I keep thinking that maybe that's the last time I'll ever see him alive," she said. "I don't know if I'm strong enough to handle that kind of loss and I don't want to end up like my mother. To be honest, I don't know how much more I can take of him being gone like this."

"You don't think he's having an affair, do you?" Jake asked.

"Ray? Have an affair? Get real. No, Raymond may have his faults, but infidelity certainly isn't one of them," she said.

"Well, little sister, just know that I'm here for you, okay? You and little Timmy are always welcome in my home if it ever comes to that," he said. She smiled as she looked at him.

"Thank you, Jake, that means a lot to me," she said, putting a hand on his arm. Inside, she wished that it was Ray sitting here instead of Jake, but she would take what she could get. If only Ray understood how she felt...

"It's my pleasure, Carol," he said with a smile. They finished their meal and Carol looked at her watch.

"Oh my, I'd better get back to the office before they send out the National Guard," she joked.

"It's alright," he said. "No one's going to dock your pay for being out to lunch with the CEO."

"I know," she said. "It's just that I have a lot to get done. Hopefully, my people made some good progress. I'll see you later. Thanks for lunch and for letting me vent."

"Of course, Carol. Any time. And I'm serious. If there's anything you need... Anything at all. Let me know, okay?"

"I will, Jake, thanks," she said. He watched her walk out of the diner and to her car. Ray is an absolute idiot for leaving her here alone like this, he thought. But, he added, Ray's loss could very well be my gain. He smiled at the prospect of getting between Carol's shapely legs.

Carol got to her car and looked to see a dirty, raggedy-looking homeless man with tattered clothes and unkempt hair begging for change and cigarettes by the street. Everyone who walked by gave the man a wide berth, avoiding him like the plague.

She shook her head in disgust. Why can't these people just go get a job like my mother did, she asked herself. She got in her car and headed out, not giving the man another glance.

She got to her department and got caught up on the progress everyone made on the reports. Pleased, she took what she needed and went into her office. Hearing the Christmas music from the speaker overhead, she called the IT department and asked if someone could PLEASE come and do something about it.

As she sat, one of the IT guys showed up with a small ladder and turned the volume knob until the speaker was silent. Silence, she thought. Blessed silence.

"Thank you," she told the young man.

"You're welcome," he said with a smile. "And Merry Christmas," he added, causing her to grit her teeth.

"And you as well," she said politely as he left. Why can't people just treat December 25th like any other day, she wondered. Why can't they say, "Merry April 17^th," or something? She closed her door and turned to her work.

Before she knew it, her employees were waving goodbye. She looked and saw it was already 5:00 pm -- time to leave work. She took a deep breath and let it out. There was no way she could go home with all this on her plate. She waved back and watched as they put their coats on and headed out. Soon, she was the only one left in the department.

She picked up her phone and called Ray's parents, since they were watching Timmy. She hated leaving the young boy with them, but they loved having him over and he enjoyed spending time with his grandparents. Ray's mother, Alice, answered the phone.

"Hi, Mom," Carol said. She always got along well with Ray's parents and had taken to calling them "Mom" and "Dad" shortly after she and Ray got married.

"Well, hello there, Carol," Alice said. "Still at the office?"

"I'm afraid so," she said. "End of the year stuff. You know how it goes."

"Yes, unfortunately, I do," she said.

"How's my boy doing?" Carol asked.

"He's being a little angel," Alice said. "He's in the other room with his grandfather right now. He really misses his dad."

"I know," Carol said. "So do I."

"Here, I'll let you talk to him," Alice said. A few moments later, she heard the sweet voice of her little boy on the phone.

"Hi, Mommy," Tim said.

"Hi, Timmy," Carol said. "Are you having a good time with your grandparents?"

"Oh yeah! Grandpa's reading a book to me right now."

"That's nice, sweetheart. How was school today?"

"It was okay," Timmy said.

"Did you get your homework done?" Carol asked.

"Yes, I did and Grandma even checked it over for me like you do," Timmy said.

"That's good," Carol said.

"I miss my dad," Timmy said. "Do you think he'll call me tonight?"

"I'm sure he will, sweetheart," Carol said.

"I hope so. Will he be home for Christmas?"

"I believe he will. You know how much your dad likes spending Christmas with you," she said sadly.

"I like spending Christmas with him, too," Timmy said. "Well, I know you're probably busy, so I'll let you go. I love you, Mommy!" She couldn't help but smile. Even at such a tender age, Timmy was becoming so much like his father, so sweet and considerate.

"I love you too, sweetheart," she said. "Give Grandma and Grandpa a kiss goodnight for me, okay?"

"I will. Bye!" She heard him pass the phone back to Alice.

"Are you gonna be working late again tonight?" Alice asked.

"I'm afraid so, Mom," Carol said. "In fact, I'll be working late every night this week. I've got to get all this done before the party on the 23^rd. That's just in a couple days. Would you mind watching over Timmy unless Ray gets home first? I really hate to ask, but I'm under the gun here and with Ray gone..."

"Say no more, Carol, I understand," Alice said.

"Thanks, Mom, I appreciate it more than you know," Carol said.

"Not a problem. We love having little Timmy here with us. He's so much like Ray and George just loves having him around," Alice said.

"Thanks again." They ended the call and Carol felt sad. She was grateful that her in-laws were kind enough to look after Timmy, but she felt somewhat ashamed that she couldn't work and take care of her son at the same time. If only Ray were home... She shook the thought out of her head and turned to her work.

When her phone rang, she looked and saw it was Ray calling her. Why was he calling so late? It was 7:20 pm, but then she remembered the two-hour time difference between Dallas and Seattle. She answered the call.

"Hey, sweetie," she said. "How are things up in Seattle?"

"Crazy," he said. "I just took a break for dinner and tried calling the house. I figured you were still at work when I got the answering machine."

"Yeah, end of the year stuff. You know how it goes," she said.

"I know. Timmy over at Mom and Dad's, I take it?" he asked.

"Yeah, your folks have been a Godsend," she said. "Little Timmy really misses you."

"I miss him, too," Ray said.

"He's not the only one," she said. "I miss you so much, Ray. How much longer is this going to go on?" This was an old argument, and one Ray hated. But he didn't want to argue with his wife. Not tonight. Not this close to Christmas.

"I miss you terribly as well. I honestly don't know. Hopefully not too much longer, but we've talked this to death. It's part of my job. I can't help it," he said.

"I know, I know," Carol said. "I just don't know how much more of this I can handle."

"Join the club," he said.

"Are you going to be home soon? Will you be here for Christmas, at least?" she asked.

"Oh, you've developed a love for Christmas, have you?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Of course, I want you home right now, but it's Timmy I'm worried about. You know how much he loves spending Christmas with you," she said.

"And I love spending Christmas with the two of you as well, even if you hate Christmas," he said. "I'm doing everything I can to get this wrapped up soon so I can get out of here and get home for good."

"So, you're burning the midnight oil as well?" she asked.

"Yeah, I've been working 16 hours a day to get this finished. It's a really big project and I'd like to get it done ahead of schedule."

"I understand," Carol said. "Just do me a favor and call your son. He really misses you."

"I will," Ray said. "And Carol?"

"Yes?"

"I love you, more than you know," he said.

"I love you too, sweetheart," she said. They ended the call after exchanging sweet nothings and Carol turned back to her work. She kept at it for a little more than an hour before realizing just how tired and hungry she was. She shut down her computer, looked around her spartan office devoid of decorations, put her coat on, then turned out the lights and headed out.

"Goodnight, Mrs. Beck," the night security man said when she checked out of the building.

"Goodnight, Charlie," she said, grateful that he didn't tell her to have a Merry Christmas. Most of the employees here knew how she hated the holiday. She got into her car and headed home.

Her house was easy to spot -- it was the only one on the block without any Christmas lights or decorations. Ray liked to decorate the place every year, and if she turned him loose, it could probably be seen from orbit. He would tell her it was for Timmy's benefit, but the truth was, it was also for his. He loved Christmas and Timmy got that love for the holiday from him.

But Ray had been in Seattle for much of the last six weeks, coming home only on weekends to catch up with her and Timmy. Except for last weekend, that is. He ran into a snag and his entire team worked through the weekend to get it ironed out. At least he called every night to say hello and talk to them for a bit. But it just wasn't enough.

She pulled into the garage and closed the door. She went into the house and turned off the security alarm. The place was dark and quiet. Too quiet, actually. She walked into the living room and was grateful that Ray hadn't had time to put up any decorations or trim a tree. That was something he loved to do with Timmy, but he just didn't have the time this year.

She saw the note on the kitchen table with the day's mail. It was from Alice, letting her know that she had put a lasagna in the oven since it was too hot to put in the refrigerator. She smiled at that. Alice was such a good woman and she reminded Carol a lot of her own mother. She looked through the small pile of mail -- bills, ads for credit cards, and Christmas cards from Ray's family.

Of course all the cards came from his family, now hers. She was an only child, as were her parents. Her grandparents had died before her mother, so she was left with no one to call "family." No aunts, uncles or cousins. Just... her. So, Ray's family became hers by extension. He came from a large family and they were all so close. She envied him for that.

She found the lasagna in the oven where Alice had left it. It was still fairly warm, so she cut herself a small chunk and sat in the living room to watch a bit of television as she ate. She ate her lasagna, enjoyed a glass of wine, locked the house up, then headed upstairs for bed.

On the way up, she stopped at a photo on the wall. It was taken when she was about seven years old, and showed her with her parents. They all smiled in the photo and seemed so happy, so full of love. She wiped a tear from her eye as she looked at the picture.

If there was any justice in the world, they would still be alive, she thought. "Just a little justice. Is that too much to ask for?" she said quietly before going into the master bedroom. She removed her clothes, put them in the dirty clothes hamper and slid under the covers, naked, the way she had done every night for the last 12 years.