It was the office Christmas party, the kind with lukewarm punch and awkward small talk. This year, we\u2019d agreed to a strict twenty-dollar limit for our Secret Santa exchange. Everyone grumbled about the constraint, but it was meant to keep things fair and fun. I certainly hadn\u2019t put too much thought into the gift I bought for Brenda in accounting\u2014a nice, but predictable, gourmet coffee set.When it was my turn, I pulled the slip of paper from the bowl. It was Connor, the quiet graphic designer from the third floor. I didn\u2019t know him well; he mostly kept to himself, headphones permanently attached. His packages were always beautifully wrapped, though, which I found kind of endearing. This year, his box was heavier than the others, wrapped in midnight blue paper with a silver ribbon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I tore the paper away, a collective gasp went around the small circle of colleagues. Resting on a bed of velvet was a silver ring. Not a cheap trinket, but a truly beautiful piece. It was set with a small, yet vibrant, emerald stone that caught the twinkle of the Christmas lights. It looked expensive. Way, way beyond the twenty-dollar limit we\u2019d all agreed upon.\u201cWow, Connor,\u201d someone whistled. \u201cThat\u2019s, uh, something.\u201dConnor just gave a shy shrug, his cheeks flushing crimson under his messy brown hair. \u201cI know it\u2019s over the limit,\u201d he mumbled, barely making eye contact. \u201cBut I saw it, and I just\u2026 I thought of you.\u201d He said it so sincerely, so earnestly, that it didn\u2019t come across as bragging, just a little bit clumsy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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