“Why is the angel above the star on this tree?”

Pam turned around from where she and Jim were decorated the office Christmas tree in the conference room. The two of them were finishing up with the decorations when Angela walked in holding a plate of cookies.

“Also why is the table not set up yet?” Angela continued to fume. “There’s no place to set out the food!”

“Hey, relax,” Jim started.

“No Jim,” Angela turned her frosty glare on him. “The party starts in ten minutes. There has to be time to properly set out everything prior to the start of the party. Otherwise people will get hungry after Secret Santa waiting for food to be set out.”

“I can handle the rest of this,” Pam said softly to her boyfriend indicating the tree. “Could you grab Kevin and Oscar and get the table set up please?”

“Sure,” Jim’s face lost its momentary look of annoyance. He gave her shoulder a slight squeeze as he left the room. “Oscar! Kev! Could you guys help with the table?” Pam heard him calling across the office as he left the conference room.

“What kind of cookies did you bring this year?” Pam tried to keep her voice pleasant, it was Christmas time after all.

Angela just scoffed at her co-worker. “Don’t change the subject. Why is the angel above the star?”

“Oh, um,” Pam turned back to the tree. “Jim and I were just getting ornaments on the three. I guess we didn’t really pay attention to what was going where.”

“Typical,” Angela looked off to the side.

She was interpreted by the arrival of Jim, Oscar, and Kevin who were hauling in the parts of the conference room table from the storage closet. With the experience of years of having to set up the piece of furniture, the three men soon had it assembled and pushed against the wall of windows. The tree was in the back corner with chairs along the exterior and back walls. Angela set down her plate of cookies and swiftly left the room to head to the kitchen to bring out more food.

“Could you switch the angel and the star please?” Pam asked after Kevin and Oscar left.

“Of course,” Jim replied. He walked over the tree and swiftly changed the ornaments in question.

Pam put the last snowflake ornament she was holding on a branch and stepped back as Jim finished his task. She wrapped her right arm around his waist as his left arm draped across her shoulders. They tilted their heads together to admire their handiwork.

At three ‘o clock precisely Michael emerged from his office in his Santa suit and dashed about, telling everyone to stop their work for the day. Dwight donned his elf hat and ears and instructed everyone to join him in the conference room for the Secret Santa gifts. Jim and Pam chose chairs next to each other and sat down as everyone else filed in. The gift giving started up as soon as everyone was seated.

Pam was the first to get her present. It came in a large but lightweight present bag with tissue paper covering the top. Tossing out the tissue paper, Pam pulled out a light green cable knit blanket.

“That’s from me,” Phyllis told her. She was sitting on Pam’s other side.

“Thank you,” Pam smiled at the older woman. “I love it. It’s so soft and warm.” She brought a swath up to her cheek to fully experience the feel of the wool.

“Big enough for two. Bobby has had nothing but compliments, let me assure you.” Phyllis leaned over and whispered in Pam’s ear since Dwight had tossed Kevin his present.  Phyllis had a gleam in her eye and glanced towards Jim.

Pam immediately felt he face grow warm, but not from the blanket. “Yeah, thanks,” she whispered back.

“Micheal!” Dwight blurted out and held out a box wrapped in silver paper.

“Ohhh, what could it be, what could it be?” Michael was quivering in excitement as he tore off the paper and opened the box. His face lit up in excitement as he pulled four DVD’s from the box. Good Morning Vietnam, Mrs. Doubtfire, Dead Poets Society, and Robin Williams: Live on Broadway. “Oh, captain my captain!” Michael exclaimed as he held up the movies.

“Our fearful trip is done,” Jim spoke up. “The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won.”

Michael looked over at Jim with a slight frown. “It’s a quote from the movie Jim. Besides it’s Christmas time, not sailing time.”

“You’re right Michael,” Jim nodded. “Merry Christmas. I know Robin Williams is your favorite comedian and I heard you’d finally bought a DVD player so I thought you’d like those.”

“These are from you?” Michaels expression changed instantly back to joy. Jim just nodded with a grin on his face. “Thank you.”

While Michael continued to look over his gifts Pam leaned over to Jim. “That was really sweet.”

He looked down on her fondly. “And it prevents him from changing Secret Santa to Yankee Swap.”

“Still not going to let him live that down?” Pam had a grin on her face.

“Never,” he grinned back.

Pam’s smiled widened to show her teeth. A motion caught her eye though. “Oh Jim! Your turn.”

He looked over to see Dwight was holding out a present for him. “Thanks Dwight.”

“Took you long enough,” Dwight muttered under his breath.

It was a small box with green, white, and red striped paper wrapped around it. When he opened the box, the first thing Jim saw was a note with some very familiar handwriting.

So we’ll always get the timing right.

Setting the note aside, Jim pulled a small velvet drawstring bag out of the box. Inside the bag was a gold colored pocket watch. Pushing the button on the clasp, the front lid flipped open to reveal a simple watch face. On the interior of the lid was a small picture of Jim leaning over Pam’s desk. In the picture they were both looking up and smiling at the camera.

“Merry Christmas,” Pam grinned up at him.

“Pam, wow,” Jim’s face darted between the watch and her. Joy and wonder danced across his face. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Pam draped her new blanket over their laps as the gift swap went on. Jim closed the watch and put it in his right hand. Gently he took Pam’s left hand and bought it over so they held onto the watch together. The rest of the Secret Santa exchange happened uneventfully. After the last gift was given, people picked up their trash and started mingling around the office.

Jim and Pam held back at her desk to watch the antics as they sipped cups of cider. Michael had commandeered the TV in the conference room and had Mrs. Doubtfire plugged in. Several people had gathered around him to watch the movie. Darryl showed up from the warehouse and helped Dwight set up the karaoke machine. Kelly was the first to grab the microphone and started in on an enthusiastic rendition of Maria Carry’s All I Want for Christmas is You complete with impromptu dance number.

“How many times do you think she’ll sing that” Pam asked with a slight nod of her head.

Jim tilted his head back and forth a couple times. “I’d say at least nine times.”

“Nine?” Pam looked up at him quizzically. “Why nine?”

“Because of this,” Jim kept watching Kelly but pulled a white envelope from his back pocket and held it in front of Pam.

On the Ninth day of Christmas my office gave to me

Pam’s expression turned to one of expectation as she opened her newest card. Multi-colored spotlights and a disco ball shining down on a stage provided the background. Across the stage were nine images of Kelly singing or dancing. Pam recognized them all as from previous office parties or trips to Poor Richards. She flipped over the card to read the days note.

Nine Kellys dancing
Eight Moses milking
Seven swans a-melting
Six geese a-flopping
Five teal teapots
Four calling phones
Three pointless meetings
Two Olympic doves
And a Dundie in a paper tree.

“Very fun,” Pam beamed. She looked up at Jim and was about say thank you. Her words died in her mouth with a grin of bemusement.

Jim had donned a Santa hat and was holding a sprig of mistletoe over their heads. Pam couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of her. She leaned forwards and kissed him with a hand on his cheek.

“Merry office Christmas party Jim.”

“Merry office Christmas party Pam.”