As Yvonne pulled into the garage attached to her building, she found a parking spot reasonably close to the elevator and sat for a moment. She had managed to eat two large feasts and have a snowball fight with a handsome man, which had her feeling beyond exhausted. Her sweatpants were calling her name.

Stepping out into the heated interior, she reached the elevator and rode up to the tenth floor. She had often mused that her hallway looked more like a hotel than an apartment building. Muted sconces lined the walls, which were painted with red and cream-colored stripes.

As she reached her door, she made quick work of shoving her key into the lock before stepping inside, the warm scent of home wrapping around her like a comforting hug.

There were two things that had led Yvonne to pick the apartment she had. One was the red brick fireplace in the corner, which was currently festively set up with a garland of pine and a solitary stocking with her name on it. The other was the stunning view of the city, the National Monument glowing in the distance. A small balcony opened up toward that view, and Yvonne pulled the glass door open, stepping outside and wrapping her arms around herself.

Her mind drifted to the thought of Zadid at her door the next day for dinner, and her heart fluttered at the thought. He was everything in the world a man ought to be. He was a strong leader, a good friend, and a kind person. Yvonne had been there through every discussion when he had negotiated benefits for his team, and when he had pushed for more corporate charity work—through it all, he had others in his mind, and he was a very generous man.

Yvonne released a puff of air, breathing in the scent of snow not far off. As she stood alone on her balcony on Christmas Eve, she felt the emptiness that she had, for so long, been able to ignore. She remembered her two wishes, and idly wondered if there would be any chance of them coming true in the New Year. There was always hope, wasn’t there?

She shivered, stepping back inside her cozy little home and making her way to her bedroom, where she made quick work of changing into a pair of college sweatpants and a white T-shirt. Brushing her teeth, she plopped into bed, exhausted after a day of food, driving, and repressed emotions.

As she nestled into her pillow, she imagined Zadid wrapping his arms around her, the heat from his body enveloping her as they lay together, cozy and warm.

She was out within minutes.

* * *

It wasn’t until the sun was high in the sky that Yvonne cracked open an eyelid, peeking over at her bedside clock. It was nearly noon, and Zadid would be over in just a few hours!

Jumping out of bed, she padded over to a closet filled with boxes. She sifted through them, finding every scrap of Christmas décor she could. She wanted, more than anything, for Zadid to experience a true American Christmas, and she wanted to have all the bells and whistles ready.

She carried the box out of her bedroom and into the living room, where her sad little Christmas tree stood undecorated in a corner. She frowned at it, just now realizing that she had bought it with the best of intentions, only to never have time to actually decorate it. Kneeling down, she opened her large box and located her ornaments, setting them down next to the tree so that she and Zadid could decorate it together.

After putting up the rest of the decorations in her house, she found a pile of old Christmas movies that she loved, and squealed with delight.

“Ah! I haven’t watched this in so long! You, my friend, are going in right now,” she said, giddily talking to the DVD in her hand.

She plopped down on the couch, fully intending to have the movie on in the background while she got her apartment ready. She streaked her finger along the coffee table in her living room, only to find it coated with dust. She crossed her arms and looked around.

“First things first. Let’s get this place cleaned up.”

She picked up the remote, turning on her favorite festive movie, and spent the next hour scrubbing and tidying her apartment. She cleaned the kitchen and bathroom from top to bottom, all while singing along to the film’s score as songs came up.

Yvonne even managed to begin the turkey, launching its long journey toward completion at the end of the day.

When the first movie came to an end, she found a black-and-white classic, and plopped it in, really feeling the Christmas spirit as her apartment sparkled. Deciding she needed a break after so much cleaning, she opened the fridge and poured herself a glass of cool cider, plopping a cinnamon stick in for good measure.

Curled up under a soft blanket, Yvonne was engrossed in her film as she sipped at her drink, convinced that she had plenty of time to get ready before Zadid arrived. As the movie approached its final scene, there was a knock at her door.

Yvonne’s heart leapt out of her chest. What time was it? Glancing over at her microwave clock she realized it was time for Zadid to be there, and she hadn’t prepared any other food at all! Not only that, but she looked a fright!

“Uh, who is it?” she called out, desperately hoping it might be anyone else so she had a minute or two to get ready.

“Zadid. This is the right place, isn’t it?”

She laughed, trying to keep the sound musical, like a gentle tinkle. She was pretty sure it came out more like a desperate croak.

“Is it six o’clock already? My how time flies!”

“Is this open?” Zadid asked, turning the knob.

To her horror, it absolutely was. The door pressed inward and in walked Zadid, looking clean-cut and handsome as ever in a cashmere black sweater and dark jeans. When he saw her, the corner of his lip turned up slightly.

“I didn’t think to ask about the dress code. Did you mention it was pajama casual?”

Blushing to the roots of her hair, Yvonne fought the urge to dive behind the couch to hide her mortification. Finally, she shrugged, her hands in the air.

“I lost track of time. I’m so sorry, Zadid. I don’t even have the meal prepared yet!”

Zadid closed the door behind him, glancing past her shoulder to see the movie playing.

“That’s a good one. I’ve seen it once or twice,” he said.

She peeked back, then looked at Zadid. He was already standing directly before her, his cologne teasing her senses. He was holding a stunning poinsettia in one hand and an immaculately wrapped gift in the other. Lifting both in her direction, he waited for her to take them.

“I believe this is the customary plant to bring to such a gathering as this. Also, a gift.”

Yvonne awkwardly accepted his gifts, convinced that she might turn into a tomato at any moment. Not only was he the star of her daydreams, he was also her boss! How could she let him see her like this?

Seeing her distress, Zadid placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look up at him.

“It’s no big deal, Yvonne. Why don’t you go get dressed, if it will make you feel more comfortable, and we can cook dinner together? I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty in the kitchen.”

His kindness melted her heart, as it always did. She grinned up at him from beneath shy lashes, setting his gifts on the (thankfully clean) coffee table.

“All right. I promise I won’t be long, and I will make it up to you. Here, we’ll start with this.”

She walked over to the kitchen and opened the fridge, deftly popping open a bottle of champagne and pouring it into flutes with little holly berries painted on the sides. She handed one to Zadid, but he held out a hand.

“I couldn’t possibly drink the first champagne of Christmas alone. Please, I’ll keep guard over these and you go change. Then, we can share the toast together.”

“Fair enough,” she agreed.

She left the movie on for him to watch while she closed her bedroom door. How could she have been so foolish? She was usually so good about time management, but the seasonal cheer must have relaxed her a little too much. Reaching for a Christmas tree-colored cowl-neck dress, she made quick work of changing, doing her best to brush last night’s curls into soft waves.

Minutes later, she made peace with what she was able to do in such a short period of time and stepped back out into the living room. Zadid was comfortably seated on her couch, enjoying the film. When he heard her door open, he stood, walking to meet her in the kitchen.

When he did, his eyes ate her up.

“Yvonne…” he began, and she looked up at him, wondering what he would say.

Did he ever think of her as more than an assistant? Sometimes, when they were together, it was as if the room was on fire, but no one could see it but the two of them. Then, a moment later, he would turn and the feeling would be lost—the world turned cold.

She lifted their flutes and handed him one, looking back up into his eyes, which continued to search her own.

“Your eyes are the most unique shade of green I’ve ever seen. It’s as though they are tiny lakes, reflecting a summer forest.”

“Thank you?” she replied, her voice questioning, unsure if he meant that as a compliment or not.

“You’re welcome. To beauty, and a wonderful holiday season,” he toasted, confirming that it was, in fact, a compliment.

She clinked her glass against his and took a sip, grateful for the alcohol in that moment. Setting their glasses down, Zadid clapped his hands together.

“So, what are we doing first?” he asked, gazing in the direction of the oven.

Yvonne stepped further into the kitchen, opening the fridge and pulling out a series of ingredients.

“Fortunately for us, I had the presence of mind this morning to get the turkey cooking, so that should be done in about an hour. Until then, we’re going to need to boil and mash these potatoes, cook up some veggies, and bake a loaf of bread. It couldn’t hurt to finish everything off with a pie, either, could it?”

“You’re the expert. I’m afraid I must defer to you in this situation.”

She nodded, handing him a knife and piling up green beans and carrots in front of him on a cutting board.

“You get to be on chopping duty, then. Can’t be giving my new sous chef any big responsibilities since he’s so inexperienced with the menu.” She winked at him teasingly. “I’m going to baste this turkey so that it doesn’t turn into jerky.”

“You’re quite the poet, Yvonne.”

She smirked up at him as she knelt to spread liquid on the bird in the oven.

“You didn’t know I was a poet?”

“Really?” he asked, actually sounding convinced.

Yvonne laughed, closing the oven.

“No.”

“You’re much funnier when we’re not at work,” he observed.

Yvonne felt pleased at that comment, smiling at him as she picked up a knife and helped him chop. Together, they made quick work of the preparations, and as Yvonne placed the potatoes into boiling water, she grinned.

“Ready for the real fun?” she asked, and Zadid lifted an eyebrow.

“I’m always ready,” he said, crossing his arms as he looked at her with a smug expression.

She nodded in the direction of the Christmas tree, still barren with the ornament box sitting beside it.

“Well then, let’s do some tree decorating! You’re getting the whole run of the Christmas experience, today.”

She picked up the champagne bottle, pouring them two fresh glasses as she led the way to the Christmas tree. Zadid looked at her fireplace.

“Does that work?” he asked.

“Sure does. Feeling in the mood for a cozy fire?” she asked.

He nodded toward the balcony.

“Have you been outside today? It’s freezing!”

“Believe it or not, I haven’t. The firewood is on the porch, anyway. Would you like a small tour of my view?”

Zadid nodded, following close behind her as she opened the balcony door and shivered.

“You weren’t kidding,” she said, her breath steaming as she spoke.

Tiny snowflakes were falling, leaving little frozen dots on their faces.

Zadid insisted on carrying in the few pieces of firewood she had for just such an occasion. Having never had a man there for a quiet Christmas dinner, there was a reason the wood had gone wholly unused. Zadid rolled up his sweater sleeves and knelt down by the fire, stacking the logs like an expert.

“I take it you have your own fireplace?” she asked with her hands on her hips as she watched him at work. To say the view was sexy was a gross understatement. He was positively gorgeous and it took everything in her not to jump on him and kiss him until he kissed her back.

“I do. My home country is extremely hot compared to here, so I made sure to have a nice fireplace in my apartment to stay warm during the winter months. Now, I need some kindling and a lighter. Where do you keep those?”

“Uh…” Yvonne said, rustling through the bottom kitchen drawer and pulling out a fire-starter block and a box of matches. “Will these work?”

He reached up for them, his fingers brushing against hers as he took the supplies. Her fingertips felt as though the nerve endings were on the outside, his touch affecting her in the best, intense way.

“That will work fine, thank you. Okay, here we go,” he said, deftly starting the fire, poking it until it grew to a comfortable crackle.

“Ah, that’s better, don’t you think?” he asked, wiping his hands on his jeans as he stood, standing next to Yvonne as they admired the dancing flames.

Yvonne hummed her agreement, very aware of and distracted by his arm brushing against hers. Then, he stepped to the side, to her disappointment, and knelt down by the box of decorations.

“Now we can decorate your tree. Let’s see what we have here.”

He pulled out red, gold, and sparkly white bulbs, handing them to Yvonne to hang where she wanted on the tree. There were some small glass candy canes that they placed next, and a little string of white lights. They passed the string between them as they wrapped it around the little tree together, standing back to admire their handiwork when they’d finished.

The walls around them danced with the flames, complemented perfectly by the glow of the tree’s lights. It was the most pleasant feeling in the world to have Zadid sharing that moment with her.

“I think it looks great,” Yvonne declared, picking her glass up off the coffee table and lifting it to salute Zadid.

He grabbed his own and returned her salutation. They headed into the kitchen to quickly prep an apple pie while finishing their second round of drinks. When they’d finished, a playful flour-flicking fight ensued for a few moments until the oven went off, indicating that it was time to take the turkey out and put the pie in.

Yvonne was thankful for the interruption, as it had been taking everything in her to resist kissing the dusting of flour off Zadid’s nose.

Together, Yvonne and Zadid prepared a delicious meal, Yvonne setting the table as Zadid did the honor of cutting the small turkey into slices. They loaded their plates and sat together at her kitchen table, a warm glow cast over them by the firelight.

“I like American Christmas,” Zadid said. “It’s very relaxing.”

Yvonne laughed, and he gave her a curious glance.

“While I agree with you that this is quite peaceful, usually, Christmas is a pretty boisterous affair—especially when there are children around. It’s all running around, playing games, begging for presents and more candy and pie and cake than you can eat.”

“Is that what it’s like for you, normally?”

Yvonne shrugged.

“Not exactly. I mean, I definitely had that, but my parents split up when I was thirteen, so my Christmases were always just a little bit…less.”

“One would think, with two separate ones, that they would be a little bit more,” Zadid observed, and Yvonne nodded.

“Oh, I certainly got more presents, that’s for sure, but by the time I was a teenager, the magic had pretty much dissolved, anyway. Christmas when I was a kid, before the divorce, was one of the best things in life. I would wake up ridiculously early and jump on my parents’ bed until they were forced to get up to open presents together.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Zadid said, and his hand twitched as though he wanted to reach out and grab hers.

She half-hoped that he would, but she had never wanted pity over her family situation.

“In a lot of ways, I’m very lucky. My parents’ divorce was amiable, and they’re still friends today—in a general way. They don’t really talk except through me, but it’s never hostile.”

She took a bite of the moist turkey, pairing it with mashed potatoes and gravy. Wanting to change the subject, she altered the direction of the conversation.

“What about you? What’s Christmas like in Abu Algar?”

Zadid’s expression clouded over a bit at her question, and she wondered why. Was he homesick, perhaps, or was it the opposite?

“We don’t necessarily celebrate Christmas, but since it’s one of the few times a year my family can all get together, we do partake in some festivities,” he said, setting down his fork as he leaned back in his chair. “My family is large and boisterous—like you said is usual for Christmas—and we all get together in the palace’s main ballroom for a massive feast and plenty of fun games.”

“What kinds of games? What food do you eat?”

She leaned in as Zadid lit up, regaling her with tales of his family’s celebrations. As he talked about his family, it was clear that they meant the world to him, leaving her to assume that her original guess was correct: Zadid was homesick, and he was used to being with his family this time of year.

“I’d love to experience it sometime. I’ve never been to Abu Algar,” she said.

“It’s likely I’ll have to take a business trip there in the future. Perhaps I’ll drag you along,” he said, his words softened by the smile in his eyes.

“Perhaps you will. I’m due for a business trip soon, anyway. You can’t get anything done without me.”

“Oh, cocky are we, now that we’re on your home turf?”

“Hey, I got you cooking in my kitchen. I think I can make anything happen.”

“What about presents? Can you make that happen?”

“Are you asking me whether I got you a present or not?” she asked, leaning back in her seat.

She was pleasantly full, a sleepy feeling overtaking her as she settled into full relaxation. Somehow, conversation with Zadid always managed to flow so easily, but his more casual demeanor outside of work made his appeal even greater.

“Well, that doesn’t really matter as much as the fact that I would like you to open mine.”

“Lucky for you, I got you a gift, too. I was going to bring it to you at work in the new year, but now is much more fitting.”

She stood and walked over towards the couch, pulling out a wrapped gift from the coffee table’s drawer. Zadid followed, and they handed each other their respective gifts. Once again, just the brush of his fingers sent tingles down her spine.

“Shall we open them at the same time?” he suggested.

She nodded.

“Let’s.”

The sound of crinkled paper filled the room as they tore into their gifts, the shiny paper falling to the floor.

Inside Yvonne’s box was a stunning crystal angel tree topper, glistening in its wooden box. She looked up at Zadid, who was staring in wonder at his own gift.

“Is this a first edition?” he asked, nearly breathless.

Yvonne repressed a smug grin. It had taken her ages to find the original copy of his favorite book, searching through dozens of bookstores across D.C.

“It is. I found it in a bookstore uptown.”

“This is amazing. How did you know this is my favorite book?”

“You have six other copies on your office shelf, and that’s three more than you had when I first started.”

“You noticed that?”

“I notice everything. Except for keeping time when I’m supposed to be hosting an important dinner. That, apparently, I am not stellar at.” She glanced down at her crystal angel. “Now, you need to tell me how you knew I didn’t have a tree topper,” she said, grinning.

He shrugged, meeting her grin with one of his own, his dimple outlined in the golden light of the fire. He was like a modern Adonis, the perfect specimen of man. Yvonne struggled to keep from staring at him as though she wanted to devour him, which she very much did.

“Lucky guess,” he answered, setting the book on the table. “Yvonne, this was a perfect Christmas. Thank you. What a wonderful way to spend the holiday. I will have to bring some of these traditions to my own table next time I am at home.”

“I’m glad to hear it. There’s one more tradition we always do that you have to try out—follow me,” she said.

Yvonne led him into the kitchen, quickly taking the pie out of the oven and putting it on the counter to cool. Then, she reached into the turkey and pulled out the wishbone, holding it out to him.

“Whoever gets the largest part of the bone gets their wish. So far, I’ve won the wishbone twice this year. Let’s see if third time’s the charm.”

Zadid grinned as he pinched the end of the wishbone with his fingers.

“Make a wish then, Yvonne,” he said.

She closed her eyes, deciding to stick with the theme she’d already established.

I wish I had a family of my own.

She took a breath and opened her eyes to find Zadid staring at her. With a competitive smile, she pulled, and he tugged his own side. When the bone broke, Yvonne found herself the winner once again.

“Ha!” she exclaimed, bouncing on her toes with glee. “Three times in a row! I can’t believe it!”

Zadid’s smile was good-natured as he set his bone back on the counter.

“You must have a wish that absolutely needs to be fulfilled. Are you going to share it with me?”

She crossed her arms.

“I will when it comes true. Until then, that’s bad luck.”

“Ah, I understand. Your wish didn’t by chance happen to be for an angel for your tree, was it?”

She chuckled, pulling the angel from its box.

“Come to think of it, that’s what I wished for last year!” she joked. “Shall we put it on?”

“Of course,” he replied.

The duo walked over to the little tree, Yvonne placing the angel delicately on the top. It was the perfect finishing touch.

As they stared at the tree, Yvonne could feel the evening stretching, and she knew he’d be calling for a cab soon. The thought of him not being there pulled at her heartstrings, though of course, he would have to go.

Both of their phones dinged in that moment, catching their attention.

“What’s going on?” Yvonne asked, thinking it was something work-related.

As they looked at their phones, both of their gazes turned toward the windows. Quite without their knowledge, a blizzard had blown right in.