"What do you want for Christmas then?" Jo dangled her legs off her desk, chewing thoughtfully on a pasta salad.
"Oh, off the top of my head, the-"
"And something other than the new Nissan Skyline," Jo cut him off. Zaf rolled his eyes, adjusting his Santa hat and putting his feet up on the desk. "I thought we were doing Secret Santa?" he mused.
Jo nodded nonchalantly. "Oh yes, that's right." She was all too aware, having finalised the list last night with Adam over a glass or two of mulled wine.
Zaf wiggled his eyebrows. "I'm still expecting a present, seeing as we're flatmates."
"Only if you've been good this year, which I'm not convinced you have been. It was your turn to do the washing up last night." Jo walked away before Zaf could protest.
...
"Ros!" Adam ran down the corridor to catch up with her fast, slender form. "Are you getting something for Harry for Christmas?"
"Oh, I couldn't possibly say," she said smoothly.
"And why not?" asked Adam.
"Because you could be a mole, reporting back my every word, telling Harry my present ideas," Ros said seriously, never breaking eye contact. Then a small smirk appeared on her features.
"For the record, I'm not getting him anything. I don't believe in all this Christmas commercialism nonsense."
"Well, you'd better change your ideology as you'll receive your Secret Santa this afternoon," Adam informed her.
Ros heaved a sigh. "I'd forgotten about that. Is a satsuma a suitable gift to give?" She swept away with a demure smile.
...
The list had been given out:
Harry – buying for Adam
Ruth – buying for Jo
Adam – buying for Malcolm
Ros – buying for Zaf
Zaf – buying for Harry
Jo – buying for Ros
Malcolm – buying for Ruth
"For goodness sake, Zaf, I'm not telling you!" Jo slapped down some files on her desk and tried to bat Zaf away.
"It is you, isn't it? What are you getting me? It better be good," he pestered at her shoulder. She was about to shoo him away when an idea fell upon her. She turned round slowly, a sly smile twisting her lips.
"I'm going to get you something very good," she said, reaching out and brushing his jaw with her fingertips. Zaf raised his eyebrows, thrilled with the situation he was finding himself in.
"And, what might that be?" he asked seductively, leaning closer.
Jo's expression turned to one of seriousness as she dropped her hand from his face abruptly.
"Nothing." She walked away, smiling at Zaf's exasperated expression in the reflection of the pods.
...
"Ros, I know it's supposed to be secret, but erm, I don't know what for buy for my Secret Santa," confessed Ruth worriedly. Ros turned to face her.
"You haven't been undercover much, have you, Ruth?" Ros said cynically, before smiling with a hint of reassurance. "Only joking; I hate secrets too. I've got Zaf, the devil to buy for – who have you got?"
"Jo," said Ruth. "I'm not really sure what direction to go in; she's considerably younger than us-" Ros raised an eyebrow at this- "perhaps you have an idea?"
"Perfume, jewellery, chocolate." Ros reeled off the regular present options. "Maybe a scarf?"
Ruth nodded, evaluating her options carefully. "Hmm yes, a scarf. Well, it's practical, and apparently rather stylish... but I don't know if it something she really needs... and the colour would be quite tricky to choose-"
"Ruth," Ros cut her off. "Anything will be fine. I know you're an analyst, but really, this doesn't need so much thought." Ruth smiled tentatively, feeling a bit easier in Ros' presence. "Thank you."
...
It was only the 6th day of December and Adam had found himself in luck. Firstly, he had won the advent raffle, revealing a thrilling picture of a donkey amongst some straw. And he had managed to find a great gift for Malcolm – a sleek, simple storage box with different compartments, perfect for storing wires and odd pieces for inventions.
Malcolm, however, was having difficulty. He had no idea what sort of present a woman would like to receive, let alone someone like Ruth. She was rather bumbling in a sweet sort of way but with sophisticated tastes. Malcolm pondered whilst twiddling a pen, staring idly at one of the screens.
Harry watched his workers, eyeing Adam curiously from his office. He had worked with the man for a while now, but that did not qualify as experience enough for buying a good present that he would appreciate. He was very... debonair. Harry cringed, trying to find a different word to describe his colleague that sounded a little less admiring.
Zaf didn't even glance up from his desk. Harry was old: there were endless possibilities for a present. A nice cosy hat, a tub of Horlicks, some comfortable slippers - Zaf had, however, ruled out the retirement home brochure as a bit too tongue in cheek.
Ros looked over at Zaf. An annual subscription to Top Gear magazine was the only idea she had conjured up, and yet she suspected he was already signed up for a lifetime supply. Cologne, a smart jacket or jumper, and other suitably male gifts didn't seem to be particularly fitting of Zaf's impish charms. Perhaps it would encourage him to grow up though, she thought scathingly, watching him flick a ball of paper at the back of Jo's head. Ros clicked her pen and got back to work.
Jo spun round and shot an un-amused look at Zaf, slyly glancing over at Ros as she did so. Ros was probably the person who shared the least about her personality, and she seemed to dislike most things rather than a wide range of likes that would make gift buying simple. She was quite... classy, Jo mused, but still: perhaps a more light-hearted gift would encourage a different side to her. Jo stood up and headed to the archives.
Ruth smiled as Jo walked past her desk, secretly scanning her clothing and jewellery. She seemed to frequently wear blue, so perhaps a scarf in that colour? Ruth shook her head. It was official: Christmas was driving her crazy.