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Six years earlier…
Mac tapped her foot impatiently against the table as Tiner eagerly reeled off yet another long-winded and outlandish idea.
"So that way," he concluded, "the person dressed as the most exotic flower gets the grand prize, but all the flowers – I mean, the people dressed as flowers – they all win something too."
Mac resisted the urge to roll her eyes. They were sitting in the cafeteria, having a lunch meeting to discuss ideas for the office Christmas party. With her crazy schedule, she hadn't found time to come up with party themes, so she'd asked Tiner before the meeting to come up with five ideas for discussion. So far, every idea Tiner had come up with was either wacky, or loony, or both.
"What do you think, ma'am?" Tiner asked, looking at Mac expectantly.
What can I say? Mac wondered. "Jason, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but that wouldn't really work. A lot of people in this office will have a big problem with the concept of dressing up as flowers."
"To be honest," Tiner said, "I have a problem with it too, ma'am… I know that was the weakest idea I've presented, but I was just trying to think outside the box."
Outside the box? Mac thought. For you, Tiner, there is no box. Out loud, she said, "I appreciate that, but I'm going to have to nix that idea. Do you have any others?"
"No ma'am, that's it."
"So," Mac looked down at her notepad, "we have the high-school reunion idea, the 'Cats' party theme, the 'Gone With The Wind' theme, the one where everyone comes dressed as Santa, and the one where everyone comes dressed as flowers."
"Yes, that sums it up nicely, ma'am,' Tiner said proudly.
Well, this wasn't a waste of time at all, Mac thought to herself. "Thanks for taking the time to come up with these ideas. I'll, uh, get back to you. Listen, it's not urgent, but I'd like to see the Admiral sometime this afternoon."
"Sure, ma'am."
Two hours later, Mac sat across from a visibly irked Admiral AJ Chegwidden. "Colonel, am I to understand that you are refusing to do this?" he asked, leaning forward.
"No sir," Mac replied quickly, shaking her head. "Not at all, it's just that, I really think that having an informal drink at McMurphy's at the end of the year has become something of an institution around here over the years, sir. A party isn't really our style, sir – I think most people would actually prefer having a drink or two in a more relaxed setting, and - ."
"Well, that's just the problem! We've grown too used to doing things our own way around here. We need to evolve, to adapt to change – and something as simple as having a small Christmas party this year, instead of just going down to McMurphy's for a drink, might be a good place to start."
"I understand sir, but everyone is so busy at the end of the year, especially this year. We're all swamped. A party will take time to plan –"
"That's exactly why I asked Tiner to assist you," Chegwidden interrupted. "I don't expect you to do the legwork; I know how busy you are with much more important assignments. I expect you to play a purely supervisory and coordinative role. Feel free to assign the actual organizing to Tiner and anyone else you feel would be appropriate. Just supervise – or do you have a problem with that too?"
"I can definitely handle that, sir – I just wanted you to be aware of the, uh, other considerations –"
Chegwidden sat back in his chair. "Thank you, I now consider myself fully informed. Perhaps I now need to inform you of why I consider this to be important – so important that I'm even willing to foot the bill. These are difficult days for us all, Colonel, and everyone here has gone above and beyond the call of duty this year. In these trying times, it's important to remind ourselves of what's truly important. We need a little Christmas cheer, perhaps more than ever before. Just for one night, it would be nice for everyone to bond, relax and let their hair down in an informal atmosphere. I'm not asking for an elaborate event, just something small and tasteful. Is that understood?"
"Aye, sir," Mac nodded.
"And if you encounter any challenges that appear too difficult for you to deal with on your own – although I struggle to imagine what those could be in this context – then of course I am available to assist you. Now go on and plan an entertaining, memorable event. Dismissed."
Mac rose and snapped to attention. "Aye, sir."
As she reached the door, Chegwidden's voice rose again from behind her. "And keep your eye on my budget! Keep it low!"
She turned around and nodded, smothering a sigh. "Yes, sir."
