Present!

“What’s this?” Adam asked, having muted his phone when I waved and walked in his office.

“A present,” I answered coyly before grinning and handing him the small box. He grinned and took it, opening the end to peek inside before withdrawing a booklet. He raised his eyebrows at me when seeing the name of the spa and I smiled.

“I was driving to work,” I explained, “and thought morale seemed rather low. We’re tired and stressed and just not doing well. So I was thinking about how I was going to demand you fix it and decided that wasn’t fair.”

“Of course not,” he interrupted and I sighed dramatically before he motioned that I should continue.

“I was thinking that sometimes it’s just hard – there’s too much work and too little time and people never seem to appreciate us as much as we deserve. I had just decided that I deserved a massage when I realized the whole team deserved massages. So I went to fetch gift certificates on my way in. You should all go relax. My treat.”

“Katie,” he said, shaking his head and looking down at the booklet of spa services again and pulling out the small certificate. I nodded happily and went to distribute the rest of my gift cards.

“It's such a surprise,” Best said before asking what they would do to him when he went. “I take off all my clothes?” he clarified and I nodded, telling him they’d let him shower afterward.

“It doesn’t say that in the book,” Adam noted, having joined our conversation. “How do you know they do that?” I rolled my eyes when Best went to get his book so they could frown over the massage descriptions.

“What’s the difference between a full bikini wax and a Brazilian?” he asked after we finished a conference call later in the day. I blushed before rolling my eyes.

“We’re not discussing it,” I told him. “You can Google it. From home!” I reminded him in case he turned to do it before I left his office.

“I’ve never had a massage!” TinyFriend enthused and Sibling was too busy to offer more than a distracted smile in my direction. But I felt remarkably good about myself. I’m lucky to work with an exceptional group of individuals and I enjoy spending time with them – even if it is often stressful and intense and argumentative. They challenge and support me. We go for meals and drinks and travel together.

And if a tiny part of it was a desperate attempt to buy affection so they’ll think I’m lovely and valuable, then nobody needs to know that but us.