Page 2 of Sugarplum

Stan lifted his hands to quiet us. As rambunctious and out of control as the huddles could get, Stan still had the ability to grab our attention in seconds. "Because of this great news, I've decided to cut short the work day so you all can go home and pack for a ski trip at Swanson's Ski Lodge."

Another round of cheers followed.

Tanya leaned closer. "That's cool. Maybe we can share a room."

"Oh, and I left out the good part—" Stan continued. "I've rented the entire lodge and ski facilities for the whole weekend. We will be the only people on the mountain."

"Holy shit." Even though she was sitting right next to me, Tanya had to raise her voice higher to be heard over the exuberance in the room. "That must have cost him a fortune," she said directly in my ear.

I turned my face to her ear to respond. "We just made him a fortune, remember? Ten million preorders. This weekend will be like pocket change to the man."

"So, all of you finish up your work so you can get on the road by noon. There's a snow storm rolling in later tonight. Not a bad one. In fact, the opposite. It'll be gone by morning, and the slopes will be covered with fresh powder. I've sent an email to everyone with the address for the lodge. See you up there." With that, he walked out with his head held high like the king of the world.