"Hey Abby. I got your message. What's up?"
"Hi Ellie. I know you're heading home for Christmas and I wanted to give you this before you left." She picks an envelope off her desk and passes it over to her colleague.
Bishop smiles. "Should I open it now?"
"Of course! I want to see your reaction. I really, really, really hope you like it."
Ellie opens the envelope, takes out the card within and begins to read it. Her smile widens.
"This is so generous. A whole weekend at the Serenity Retreat Spa. I love it but you know I can't accept. It's too much. It must have cost..."
"Shh." Abby holds a finger to her lips. "You've had a rough year with Parsa, changing agencies and don't get me started on that loser Jake..." Her tone is becoming increasingly angry.
"It's okay Abs."
"No, it's not. I thought you deserved a special treat and now I'll have some company next time I need a break. I adore a spa weekend. The massages are divine. I used to go all the time with Ka...a good friend. Then Ziva came along and her idea of a relaxing time was hanging out at the firing range so I stopped for awhile."
"But the cost...Abby it really is.."
"Oh, don't worry about that. It's also been an expensive year for you with the divorce, getting a new apartment etc. so this is totally my treat. I got a great return on my tax. I also work long hours and don't have that much personal time to spend money on myself. This will be fun."
"Well, if you're sure. We could ask Delilah to come too."
"Great idea. Merry Christmas Ellie." She stands up from her desk and walks over to Bishop.
"Merry Christmas Abby." The two friends hug.