Page 43 of Love Letters to Christmas

“This is manipulation,” she states, voice hard. “Grossmanipulation.”

Brian pouts. “Well, you can’t see how terribly sad I look, so I have to resort to other means in order to be inclusive. I am, after all, nothing if not an equal-opportunity manipulator. The terms are simple, Mrs. Ruby Vann… Nearly an entire month of bribing your coworkers into focusing on work in exchange for not bothering our dear boss when he’s asked for me to do this while he’s gone. Furthermore, I’ve made you the sole benefactor of your department, which means you are free to tank your husband’s points and rob him of the party prize should he fail to adhere to your standards of work ethic. For one. entire. month.”

Horrified, Will grips the dress shirt over his heart. “How could you?”

“Easily,” Brian says, merry. “A month of bribery, and five minutes at a party. Everything else you’re free to skip…unless the feeling of joy compels you to enjoy yourself or something.I dunno. It’s really all up to you if you participate in anything beyond the work motivation I spent hours setting up with specifically you in mind.”

Looking positivelyunhappy about it, Ruby sets down her phone. “Willhasto work?”

Brian locks his hands behind his back and rocks on his heels. “Yep. Invested individuals are curious to see if it’s possible.”

“Hey,” Will protests. “I work all the time. Very hard.”

“Organizing your photos of Ruby doesn’t count asworking hard.” Frank rubs her eyes and fixes her dark-rimmed glasses back on her nose. “What’s the prize for making it to the nice list?”

Brian’s smile is either angelic…or positively wicked.

Whichever it is, I am in love with the way he says, “I suppose everyone will find out…just like everyone will find out what happens if they’re naughty by Christmas.” He presses the next-slide button. “Here’s a breakdown of the calendar, which will be in everyone’s inboxes by the time you return to your offices. I could go on and on about all the fun I have planned, but I can tell everyone is raring to return to their offices and log in on Love Letters to Christmas, AKA the charming name I gave to the site. On your way, do remember: we must work very, very hard in Santa’s absence, lest he be grumpy upon his return.” Beaming, Brian locks his hands behind his back. “Since I’m never asking for questions at the end of a meeting again…”

“But I have a ton of questions,” Micheal begins.

Brian wisely refuses him the opportunity to continue as he proceeds to the final slide, and Christmas music plays, drowning out the man’s dissent.

Procuring a box covered in red and green from behind an inflatable snowman in the corner, Brian declares, “Please leave any complaints or concerns in this complaints and concerns box, which will absolutely not be shredded and recycled byEOD. For notable and esteemed members who may find this method tedious, my email is open for your convenience. Verbal discussion has thus ended. Good luck getting on the nice list, everyone!Meeting adjourned.” Giggling somewhat maniacally—er, I mean, wholesomely and adorably—Brian pulls a page from Liam’s book and says, “Now get back to work.”

So, we all do.

I love working here. This is incredible. I can’t imagine what the Countdown to Valentine event looked like with activities every day. This Christmas in July list is already bursting with excitement, and it’s not even daily events since everyone will be busy on Love Letters to Christmas as Santa’s little elves.

The ability to establish ourselves on the nice list through completing tasks based on our department or assisting other departments with entry-level requests once we’ve finished all our own work each day is the best idea since self-adhesive stamps. It’s the perfect way to usher in the true meaning of Christmas and cultivate a loving, kind environment.

I don’t know how long Brian’s been working on this in order to manage putting together such a beautiful website, but it sure is effective, sleek, and fun, full of emojis and the ability to personalize the user interface. Checking boxes and getting points is a system that results in many happy brain chemicals for sure.

I’m obsessed with the genius, the commitment, the sincere faithfulness to spreading joy among his coworkers.

It’s just so…Brian.

Finishing up my task of cleaning out all the mail sorting boxes, I find my way back to my computer and check a box that gives me points and plays a Christmas-themed fireworkanimation.

Giggling, I check the other available tasks in my department, only to discover that Brian and I run a very economical mailroom. We’re caught up. Substantially so.

But of course we are.

We pride ourselves in a prompt, tidy process, as mail deserves.

Unfortunately, we have no more points to get until after lunch when today’s mail comes.

“Hm…” I click on the list of tasks available in other departments to see what I can help with. Something appears at the top. Urgent. All caps. All red.

FRANK NEEDS A COFFEE. PLEASE. SOMEONE. ANYONE. BRING FRANK A COFFEE.

Giggling, I contemplate whether or not it was a good idea for Brian to let department heads add tasks…but…well…at least he knew better than to allow them to give any added task more than a single point. I have a feeling without that limitation, Frank would have accredited a million points to coffee and rocketed anyone who fulfilled it onto the nice list forever.

I accept the task and stand, heading toward the elevator.

“A-mail-ia?” Brian calls from his office.

I straighten, turning to find him looking past his computer at me. “Yes?”

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