‘Not Just at Christmas’ can now be read as an e-book from Kobo!
‘All I want for Christmas’ Doesn’t work here anymore. This is how the story of Jade Vening, winner of the Elegance x Kobo writing competition, begins.
Office
‘Nena, my office. Now.’ Ferdinand runs a hand through his too-long flaxen hair, briefly revealing two gigantic inlets, and turns around again before I can answer that I don’t have time right now. Sighing, I log out. Something that almost no one at our web design and online marketing agency does. Although you would think that if anywhere people were hyper-aware of the dangers of unsecured computers, it would be here. On the other hand, this is also the place run by Ferdinand, a fifty-something who spends his days flirting with project manager Claudia.
And the place where colleagues spend hours spamming the business group app with idiotic animal videos and absurd people. And the place where we have been obliged to play Secret Santa since this year – Claudia’s idea – and the majority of my colleagues prefer to invest time in speculating who drew who with lots rather than, I call it a crazy thing, and making a balanced budget. Or meeting the thousand deadlines before Christmas. If we make a profit here at all this year, it might be the biggest Christmas miracle ever.
Accident
‘Hop go.’ Claudia grins at me from the desk opposite me. Her cleavage is so deep today that I can almost see her belly button. “Fer doesn’t like waiting.” Fer doesn’t like to wait, I mime silently after her, huddled behind my screen. I angrily push my office chair back and accidentally hit the chair of my neighbor at the back: Caspar. “Phew,” he groans. Damn, I should have pushed harder. “Sorry,” I mutter gruffly under my breath, because my mother may be dead, but she raised me properly. I feel the blood rushing to my cheeks and I know that spots appear on my neck as Claudia and Ties sigh in unison and roll their eyes.
Would you like to read the whole story of winner Jade Vening? You can read ‘Not only at Christmas’ in the new Elegance. Now in store!
Text & image: Jade Vening
