Fate and Her Sense of Humor

Invitation to Company Holiday Party = 4 Years Continuous Employment

Black & White Lane Bryant Cocktail Dress = $70 + Shipping, Handling, and Tax

Accessories and Foundation Garments =$80

Black Nine West Dress Pumps =$55

Salon Services, Tip, and Make-up =$100

Hotel Room at JW Marriott = $139 + Taxes and additional charges

Food and Drink for Hotel Room “After Party” = $50-$75

Hours of Preparation for 4-Hour Party = At least 12-15 hours of my Saturday

The Look on My Face When Discovering Winning One of the Company’s Highest Honors = You know where this is going!

I should have known something was up when I started mildly stressing out about this year’s company party the moment I RSVP’d back in mid-November. When my sister mentioned that my nephew’s baptism might be that week or on Christmas Eve, I was pushing for Christmas Eve. Usually Lenny and I just go to the party and drive home. But this year I insisted on getting booking from the company block of rooms.

It's company party. It’s drunken merriment and embarrassing stories on Monday.

But Fate is funny that way, I guess. Well, the story is even funnier, LOL.

Like I said – I couldn’t explain why I was stressing that everything needed to be absolutely perfect. Lenny actually had to tell me to chill the @#$% out before we left for the resort Saturday morning. I had a schedule, I double-checked everything, and I insisted on being in control. After taking a deep breath and looked in the mirror, I didn’t know why I was worried. I looked good, I had my Man, and we were going to have a blast.

So Lenny and I sat down at a table with Sunny Treasures, her husband, and another one of our teammates and her spouse. We chose something that was pretty far from the stage, because who really needs the speakers blasting over your gourmet dinner? Also – it was nearest to the exit without being obvious. We’d been there about 15-minutes when the Managing Director of our division and his wife came along and asked if we had a couple spaces at our table open. We all like working this man and we all figured it would be career suicide if we said, “Um. Sorry, we’re saving those for other people.” (Which we weren’t…but we all knew the score.)

Anyway, dinner progressed nicely. Whoever planned the party did a great job this year with the decorating and food selections. And, as we knew, Uber-Boss #1 (We have 3) was a really cool guy. So, right before dessert, Sunny and I make a Powder Room run. We weren’t in a hurry, all we had left before the band started playing was our company’s equivalent to Employees of the Year.

We weren’t in a hurry, because no one we know or believe actually deserves this awards wins. We were really more in a hurry for our dessert and coffee.

Unbeknownst to us, my Uber-Boss #1 was talking at our table with Uber-Boss #2 when #2 turned to #1 and said, “Where’s Lily?”

Lenny was finishing off a glass of wine when U-B#1 calmly, but with a tinge of panic said, “Where’s your wife?”

“Um…she and Sunny went to the Ladies Room.”

“She’s coming back…RIGHT?”

“Uh…I would assume so.”

That seemed to placate U-B #1 and #2 and everyone went back to their seat. Meanwhile, Sunny and I had an exchange coming out of the stalls.

“Hold up, Sunny. I want to touch up my lipstick.”

She laughed, “I don’t care about mine.”

“Yeah, well I’m being anal retentive and I just spent a butt load of money on this lipstick.”

Another joking laugh, “Whatever.”

We got back into the ballroom and slipped back into our seats just as the MC started to talk about the awards that were about to be given out. I leaned over and whispered to Sunny, “Remember how we bitched that no one we know ever wins this stuff?” We all gave the MC our attention and tried to hold our applause until the end as requested.

Alright…yours truly was only half listening. I mean really – I love my job – but this is the part of the party that most people dread. Don’t tell me you don’t sit at your holiday party wanting to roll your eyes because there’s at least one person you believe kissed some major ass to be recognized.

Anyway, we’re sitting there three names in and the MC announces my name (real name, not pseudonym).

Only we didn’t know it because he butchered it. And since I was only half listening, I didn’t catch the part where he announced my job title and division. A good 30-seconds Everyone else at the table kind of went, “Wait a minute…we don’t know anyone by that last name…”

“Lily,” Uber-Boss #1 catches my attention from across the table. I look up, “Lily…that’s YOU.”

“No way.”

“Yeah…congratulations!”

“OH. MY. GOD!” Everyone at the table started cheering. Another minute of congratulations, a kiss from Lenny and I settled back into my seat. That’s so cool! I won something!

“Un, Lily?” U-B #1, kind of laughing now.

“Yes?”

“I think you have to go up there.”

“WHAT?!”

So I went up there…shaking and laughing the whole way up. My walk up there was filled with hoots and hollers from other teammates and people I’ve worked with since arriving in my current position. U-B #2 was sitting up close to the stage and being a very loud and boisterous kind of guy called out my name and gave me the thumbs up.

I now can tell you I have an idea of what being a celebrity is like. I got my photo taken with the President of the mortgage division (and I guess part of the committee who hands out this stuff) and a really nifty and heavy award. The whole time I stood there asking myself What the hell just happened?

I got the picture and start making my way back to my seat. U-B #2 stood up and gave me a big bear hug. And everything just kind of snowballed from there. Hugs and kisses from Lenny. Congratulations from friends and other colleagues. My teammates and I squealed and jumped around. It’s like they won the award with me. More than a few times was “OMG!” was mentioned. Even as the party rolled along, people would stop me and congratulate me.

Found out in bits and pieces that Uber-Boss #3 had nominated me and all of them knew about it. U-B #1 admitted that he was having trouble keeping a straight face. I could understand the giddy feeling I was feeling. But it seemed that these guys were just as happy as I was. Getting all these pats on the back, hugs, and “There’s our star!” being called after me was getting a bit embarrassing. But after thinking about it, I grabbed Sunny’s hand.

“No one from our division has ever won this thing. Am I right, Sunny?”

“No.”

So that was it. It WAS like they had won. I’ve known these gentlemen since I was an entry level peon who opened mail and did data entry. They, as well as my direct manager, have given me opportunity after opportunity to sell myself. And of course – being the Type-A that I am – did it because it was part of my job and it would help our business grow. We get bitched slapped as a division for being successful…so this was a feather in their cap as well as mine.

And how did it really feel? ABSOLUTELY HUMBLING.

Hopefully – I’ll always feel that way.