“Christmas is a magical time of year. Ma-gi-cal. I don’t know if it’s the lights, or the television specials….maybe the homemade Nagasakes? Back in Stamford, around this time of year I’d go to the mall and prowl the escalators. You know, women with too many bags, I’d help them. Yup, work the charm on ‘um while we escalated…or, uh, descalated. Let’s just say I didn’t spend too many New Years alone. Kinda like this year.

As Chairwoman of the Party Planning Committee, Andy knew that Angela would have to stay late to pick up after the Christmas party. He watched as the couples of the office left, arms wrapped around each other, followed by the single people of the office, who sort of stumbled and zig-zagged out.

Soon enough they were alone, and he was ready to put his plan into action. It hadn’t worked before, but he hoped now that he had bought her a kitten poster, gone to her Church, and saved her life in the parking lot, that she might think differently about him.

Angela, trash bag in hand, stooped to pick up another discarded cup off the floor in the Conference Room, and didn’t notice Andy going around the office, turning on all the desk lamps.

He looked at her nervously through the doorframe as she squatted to reach under the table to pick up a napkin that had fallen on the floor. He took a breath, and walked quickly over to the entrance to Dunder-Mifflin. As he did, he glanced over at Pam’s desk where his iPod and speaker dock sat. With a slap of his hand he turned off all the switches, and the office lights flickered and went out. Now only the soft glow of the desk lamps illuminated the office. The mood was set.

“What happened to the lights?” Angela had emerged from the Conference Room, and now stood near his desk, hands on hips. He reached into his coat pocket and took out the remote to the dock and held it out in front of him.

“This is for you Angela.”

In the dimness of the office he saw her eyebrows rise, as he pressed down on the play button, and the song started.

He heard the strum of the guitar emanate from the dock, and he took a step forward towards Angela.

“Girl, you’ll be a woman soon….” He air-guitared in sync with his iPod.

She dropped her arms to her side and looked confusedly behind him at Pam’s desk before she returned her glance to him.

“Love you so much, can’t count all the ways…I’ve died for you girl and all they can say is, ‘he’s not your kind’.”

He walked slowly towards her, a small grin on his face, as he continued to sing.

“They never get tired of putting me down, and I never know when I come around…what I’m going to find…Don’t let them make up your mind.”

He was standing almost directly in front of her, singing softly and watching her face intently. She stared down at the carpet, watching the end of her shoe make quick circles in the carpet of the office.

“Girl…you’ll be a woman soon. Please, come take my hand…” He reached out his hand to her, like he had done in the car. She looked up at him, into his eyes, and softly placed her hand in his. He started to sing a little more softly now.

“Girl…you’ll be a woman soon. Soon, you’ll need a man…” He didn’t break eye contact with her as he said the last part, and led her over to his desk. She followed him the few steps it took, and he reached back into his pocket quickly for the remote and hit the pause button. The office was silent again.

They stood next to each other by his desk, and he knew this was it. This was his chance, and he couldn’t blow it.

“I got something for you for Christmas.”

She didn’t say anything at first, only continued to look at him. But after a few seconds she said softly, “oh?”

“Yeah, I saw it and thought of you.” He reached down into the top drawer of his desk, and took out a small white box with a white bow on the top of it.

“Merry Christmas, Angela.” He held the box out in front of him, and she reached out gingerly and took it from him.

“Thank you Andy, that was...thoughtful of you.” She took the top off and looked inside. A smile, the kind that Andy had never seen before, but had desperately hoped to see tonight, slowly grew across her face.

She reached in and pulled out his present, a sterling silver pin. It was a cat sitting, and looking behind herself at a yellow butterfly on her tail. Angela’s eyes carefully examined it, and then looked up at him,

“This….is very nice, Andy. Thank you. I, uh, did not get you anything.”

He shrugged. “That’s okay, Angela….though, actually, I was wondering, um, if you’re not busy….if you’d like to go caroling with me tonight? I know how much you love Christmas songs.”

Angela didn’t say anything for several seconds. But finally, under her breath, she managed, “with Kevin?”

Andy shook his head. “No, just the two of us, nobody else.”

Her eyes went back to the pin, and she stroked it slowly with her thumb. “Yes. I…would like that Andy.”

Andy smiled widely. He couldn’t help it.

“I would too, Angela.”

“What? I don’t discuss personal matters with you. No. Andy…invited me to go caroling with him. We had a very nice time, and he was a complete gentlemen. He is very good with ‘Carol of the Bells.’ Are we together? How dare you ask that! Andy and I….No, I do not discuss personal matters. They are nobody’s business.”