Differences

Every year Tolstoy Publishing House has their annual Christmas party to bring together all employees for a night of festivities. There’s food, karaoke, decorations, presents, music, and most importantly, an open bar. Tonight is the evening of the annual party, and everything so far was going as planned. The tree was up and decorated, the karaoke machine was running, the Christmas cookies were baked, and Myra Kimmel was stressing out. Myra planned the event every year for Tolstoy, and every year she found a new reason to drive herself crazy. Her mousy brown hair and fast words only added to the anxiety of her appearance, but the anxiety she felt on the inside far exceeded any way she looked on the outside.

Enter Jessica Stone: she’s worked at Tolstoy almost seven years and has managed to maintain the expectation that she shows up to every event drunk. Tonight is no exception – Jessica already can barely manage walking in her heels and is screaming about being first in karaoke. Myra’s face turns pale as she sees Jessica, and runs after her to do some damage control.

Enter Jeff, Ken, Jason, and Matt: the office studs. Whatever they did, they traveled in packs, and that’s exactly how they showed up tonight. All in expensive suits, slicked back hair, and those cocky grins that seem to always accompany the face of overpaid yuppies. They’ll sip expensive imported beer and hit on secretaries, but nonetheless are a minimal worry to Myra.

All the others arrive – the CEO, the Head of Publishing, the janitor. Myra entertains all of them, while trying to keep Jessica under control. The office studs make their rounds, and it begins to snow outside. It can be observed that Tolstoy is composed of many different kinds of people, and the one thing they have in common is they all love Christmas and an open bar. These people, as anyone can see, have their stresses, their ways to relive their stresses, and their times with smooth runnings and no stresses. And every year, they almost make up a damn good party.