Timing is everything

Margo hated Christmas parties. Well not really Christmas parties - the memories that came with one particular one. That's because a year earlier her then steady Beau decided that was the perfect time to break it off with her. At the Christmas party in front of everyone she worked with. In fact, before that fateful night, she not only went to them she helped plan them.

Now to her it was just another day she would leave work and go home as she did every other night. But that was a year earlier, and she was slowly beginning to let the memory fade. And even though everyone she worked with never brought it up, they were secretly hoping this year she would come back and celebrate with everyone.

To those who didn’t know the story she became Ms. Scrooge and no matter how much others tried to get her to change her mind she flatly refused. Until Christopher James Winger joined the company just before Thanksgiving. Since he was new in the community, over the last few weeks he had found himself looking at the notices on the bulletin boards to see just what was happening within the company and community. Then he saw the Christmas company party, and while he wasn’t a holiday guy or went to them in the past, he might not turn down the invitation from a beautiful woman either.

He also didn’t think one needed to wait until there was a holiday to throw a party or gathering.

When he joined the team at Rutherford Dental, he had met everyone except Margo Cartwheel because she had been on vacation. But today he had that chance as she said as she sat across from him at the small table in the break room.

“You must be the new guy I am hearing so much about. Nice to finally meet you.” Margo smiled as she walked into the room heading to grab her lunch from the fridge. After she sat down she extended her hand, “I’m Margo.”

“Hello. Nice to meet you as well.” Christopher smiled back. “So are you going to the Christmas Party?” He asked, thumbing to a flier that had been pinned to the bulletin board.

She just shook her head no “I don’t go to those anymore,”

“Oh, why not?” he asked, unaware of the event that had occurred during the last one she had attended.

“A bad experience turned me off of them. Instead. I’d rather sit at home with a good movie, a glass of wine and a book.” Margo said as she was just starting to eat her lunch.

“Oh, what happened?” He asked with genuine concern.

After she thought for a moment she took a deep breath, “you might as well know- everyone else here does. She began “I was dating a guy a year ago and he chose that party to break up with me. In front of the whole staff. I was humiliated.”

“How long had you two been seeing each other before this happened?

“It would have been a year that New Year's Eve.”

“Ouch,” he said under his breath.

“And what’s funny,” she said with air quotes, “he never gave me an inkling that he was not happy, " she said, as if he were her best friend.

“Oh man, I am so sorry. Men can be such pigs” Christopher said looking at her now opening his bag he brought from home with his lunch in it.

“You sound like you know what I’m talking about.” She began as she started eating.

“No, I mean yes, I mean while I’ve never broken up with a woman. I’ve seen it way too many times.”

“Then Mr. Winger, have you ever been dumped?” she asked, biting into her sandwich.

“Once, when I was in high school. And it hurt so much I thought my heart was going to rip from my chest.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” she said after swallowing.

“Thank you, since then I have never dated seriously because I never let myself fall in love again. It hurt too much. I just went out socially with a group of friends. If there were one on one ‘dates’ it was stated at the beginning that the dates were strictly a friends only date, we were …” he said taking a deep breath as he tried to explain how he lived his life.

“Believe me I get it. You didn’t want to risk being in love and getting hurt again, and at such a young age it hurt.”

“Exactly.” He said between bites. “So have there been others since … him?”

Laughing, she shook her head, “nope. I’ve just found ways to stay busy and avoid that sticky emotion.”

“Ahhh.”

“Do you ever get lonely? He asked.

“Nah, after the breakup, I have surrounded myself with fur babies and became a pet parent. They keep me plenty company… and plenty busy. They are my priorities now.”

“I can believe that. I’ve thought of getting a pet. But because I’ve moved around so much it wouldn’t be fair to them.”

“The shelter where my little ones came from has even asked if I’d be willing to foster a few, I’m thinking about it. But the only problem is not having someone to care for them during the day, especially if they are newborn animals needing feeding every few hours during the day.”

“Ahhh, Yea that would be an issue, you don’t have family or a neighbor to do that for you, while you are away?”

“To watch my house while on vacation, yes. To take care of an animal several times a day while I’m at work, no.”

“Ahh.” he said as he nodded.

Suddenly not being able to hold it in anymore she burst out laughing.

“What's so funny?”

“You, well your responses. “

“What about them?

“You have said ahh three times, and you work in a dentist office.”

“Year, I still don’t get why that makes you smile?”

“What does the dentist say when you sit in the chair?

“You have a cavity?”

“Before that?”

Perplexed he just shook his head

So, she gave him a hint…” Open your mouth say…?

“Ahhh” he finally said, not yet putting two and two together. Then he got the connection, .”Ahhh, oh you are very clever." he was now laughing as well.

“Yeah, I just find odd things funny.” But you have to admit it was the perfect response in a dentist office. “

“Very true.”

Suddenly one of the other workers who had entered during our conversation began laughing as she covered her mouth and tried not to reveal the contents of her lunch. After swallowing she spoke. “Thank you, it's just what I wanted.”

AS Chris and Margo looked at each other they looked at her. “Huh?”

“Your conversation, it was just what I wanted, well needed, because I was having such a busy morning and thinking of a career change. But you two made me laugh and remind me life isn’t so bad as long as I remember to laugh.’ the other worker said.

“I’m glad we could help,” Christopher said, smiling at her. Then as he looked at the clock, he began gathering his things to toss in the trash on his way back to work. Margo soon followed.

Chapter 2

That evening at home Margo had the television on as she busied herself fixing dinner for her and her fur babies when she heard a commercial for a comedy club. As she listened it was a show about comedians that were of generations ago. One of the voices she recognized. It was Christopher she thought.

“No, it can’t be…” she said, now said coming into the living room to look at the screen to see who it was. “Albee it sure looks like Mr. Winger.” she said, still watching the show. Then the MC spoke. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen please help me welcome to the stage our newest member to the comedy world Mr. Christopher Winger.”

“Oh, my word it's him!” She said excitedly Not wanting to miss the act, she pressed the record button and started it from beginning on her remote. This way she would watch it in its entirety when her food was done.” He never mentioned he was a comedian,” she said to her feline as she brushed against her leg. “But then I didn’t tell him everything about me either.” she finished saying.

‘Meow.” came her cat's reply.

“Yes, I know everyone was entitled to a few secrets.” she said again as she placed a full bowl of food on the floor for her babies. But this was no secret, she thought. It was public knowledge now. And something she would enjoy over and over. With her food now fixed she headed to the living room and sat down before pressing play.

~~~~~~

The next morning, when she walked in the dentist office, she did not see him. But that didn’t mean anything, he could be late. Soon Sharon, the dental hygienist, came in and saw her. “Margo, did you see him?”

“See who?”

“Christopher, that's who!” Sharon said, talking with her hands.

“Oh him, yea saw him, and recorded him as well. I want to be able to watch his routine over and over when I am feeling blue.”

Just then the office door opened and in walked the now famous Christopher. Clearly, he was unaware of the comedy club airing because he did not mention it.

“Morning ladies,”

“Morning Chris,” both women said in unison now awe struck.

~~~~~~~

Looking at them with eyebrows scrunched “Are you two alright?” he asked as he now shook out of his jacket and hung it up.

“Yes, quite, why?” Margo said as the two ladies separated and went in different directions.

“Oh, I don’t know. Seeing both of you like that made me feel like I had something growing out of my head or something.

“Sorry.” Margo said as she looked at the other woman “So um Chris, you never said you did comedy.” She said not wanting to sound accusatory.

“Hmm what?”

“You, comedy, I caught an old comedy club show last night and you were one of the acts.” She paused for a moment. “You were quite good, why did you stop?”

“Oh that, that was a one-time thing, I was seeing where my skills were and while I was funny and got a few laughs, I learned I can't be funny all the time. “

“Oh, I don’t know you were good then and then yesterday in the break room with the Ahhh’s.”

“Those were spontaneous events not planned. And that's what I learned after that first show you saw, because when they asked me to do a second show the next day, I bombed big time. It was then I learned I wasn’t a stand-up comedian and should look for another profession. Besides that, one night helped pay part of the tuition for dental school. And if I hadn’t done that, I never would have met you two lovely ladies now, would I?” He said flattering them both.

“Oh, that was good and smooth.” The other woman said as she and Margo laughed.

“You like that?”

“Yea very well played.”

“Thank you. So um, not to change the subject,what do we have going today?”

The End