Daphne drove her car into the lot of the Ross Park Mall. She had been coming here since she was a child, shopping with her mother. Her frequent trips started out in high school.  While she wore a uniform to school, no sane high schooler wanted to be caught dead wearing their school clothes outside of school hours. Therefore, she had convinced her mother to purchase a separate wardrobe for after school and weekend wear. She had bought her prom dress at Macy's and now she purchased most of her work wardrobe at places like Ann Taylor, Nordstroms, and Macys.  

When she was in high school, she and her BFF Justin would spend hours at the mall.  It was not uncommon for them to meet for coffee or lunch, people watch and solve all the problems in their little world.  Justin had helped her shop for her prom dress and they had gone together, although they were not a couple, in the traditional sense.  Justin was gay, but he wanted to go to prom and had asked Daphne to join him. They both knew there would be no weirdness afterward as they had attended several dances together while in high school.  

After high school, Justin had attended the Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts while Daphne had attended Penn State.  Daphne could have gone away to college but decided she wanted to help out Justin. When Justin came out, his father did not accept his sexuality and made it very uncomfortable for him to date and seek a possible relationship.  Justin desperately wanted to move out but couldn't afford to do so on his own. They decided to join forces and move into an apartment close to PIFA. They had loved their college years, moving into adulthood, enjoying their friendship and each other's support.  Now they were in their late 20's, living in their own apartments, and established in their respective careers.

They had planned on meeting at Panera Bread for lunch and then some shopping.  As Daphne opened the familiar glass doors, she glanced around to see if Justin was already there.  When she didn't see her friend, she walked to the counter, ordering her favorite Cinnamon Spice Cold Brew and one for Justin as well. While she waited for their drinks, she stood at the side of the line watching for her best friend.  Just as they were calling her name, Justin came into the restaurant. She waved at him, pointed to a nearby table, and grabbed the drinks, bringing them to the table.  

"Cinnamon Spice Cold Brew, our favorites,"  she said as she placed the drink in front of him. "I knew you'd be late, so I took the liberty of ordering you one."  She put her drink down as well, taking off her coat and draping it over her chair. "I can't wait for spring to get here. Winter is a bitch on my hair."

Justin laughed as he took off his coat and scarf, draping them over his chair as well.  "You are never happy with the weather. It's either too hot or too cold. Thanks for the drink," he said as he took a sip.  "Wonderful as ever."

"So, tell me how is work?  Are you still loving your latest gig as a graphic artist?" Daphne asked.  

"It's great.  There is a Secret Santa thing they do and everybody is encouraged to participate.  I've asked around and usually, people give either generic presents, like gift cards or liquor or a gag gift.  I have to buy my present today since the party is Monday. I'm working on a few pieces for my show next month so I don't have a lot of time during the week."

"Nothing like waiting till the last minute.  Oh well, at least we have the afternoon to shop," she said.  She took a drink of her coffee and closed her eyes in enjoyment. 

"I'm so excited about your show. I know it will be successful.  I know that your goal in life is not to work as a graphic artist for some ad agency your whole life,"  Daphne said She drank some more of her beverage and then asked, "Do you know what you want to get?"

"Well, I chose the hottest guy in the office.  I really want to be his present. You know, a date with me," Justin said with a huge grin on his face.

"That should be easy. You could give him little gifts during the week that would prepare for a date.  You know, a card with a reservation time for a restaurant, a placard with tickets to a movie drawn on it, or a coupon for a walk in the park.  It shouldn't be that hard," Daphne said

"You make it sound easy, but I don't think this guy is the dating type.  He talks about going to Babylon all the time. He's a player."

"And you want to date him?  Why?"

"He's actually very nice.  We talk all the time at work and he's the first guy that I'm really interested in dating."

"Okay, where did you hide Justin Taylor?  You are actually interested in a guy, not just getting him into bed?"  Daphne asked, a little incredulous at Justin's statement.

"Sure.  I'm almost 30.  I've been thinking that I'd like to have a boyfriend. That sounds so high schoolish.  I'd like to have a partner. Wouldn't you?"

"Maybe.  But a girl's best friend is her vibrator.  So less complicated than a man. A vibrator doesn't ask you where you want to go eat or to cook, or clean the house, or even run errands.  I don't have to wait until the end of the football game or go to their family's home for some lame birthday party."

"Ouch.  I guess Miguel is no longer in the picture?"

"Bingo.  The last straw was when he called me up at 10:00 the other night after being with his buddies at the bar and wanted to come over for a booty call.  I told him I had a headache earlier in the night and had canceled our date. He had the audacity to call a few hours later to get his rocks off. I'm so done with men." Daphne held up both hands, rubbing them together and then sliding the right one off to the side.  "If he wants a booty call, he can use his right hand, probably like he did when he was in high school."

"Okay, this is a new twist.  Usually, you're the one who is pushing me to date and I'm the one who is typically skeptical about your latest "love","  Justin said as he tilted his cup up, trying to get the last of his coffee.

"So are we shopping for a vibrator and movie tickets?" Justin asked innocently.  "Usually, I'm the one in the sex store and I'm dragging you along for the fun.

"Nah.  I think I can find my own vibrator.  Let's go hunting for the perfect nondate Santa gift."

They trolled the mall for several hours, finally picking out a few items for Justin to include in his gift package.  While he wanted to be ridiculously romantic, he knew the office Secret Santa was not the place. It was close to 4:00 when they were ready to leave the mall.  They hugged each other and agreed to catch up later in the week.

While Daphne had declined Justin's offer to buy a vibrator, he decided to stop at his favorite store on Liberty Avenue to pick one up.  When he got to the store, he perused the aisles until he found what he wanted. He bought a 9-inch lifelike vibrator as well as several bottles of lube. He wasn't really sure if women used lube but figured it couldn't hurt if he included them in his gift. 

After getting home, he placed both bags; one for Daphne and one for the secret Santa gift, on the table to be wrapped later tonight.  He was supposed to go to his mother's for dinner; therefore he took a shower and left for his visit.  

His relationship with his mom had gotten better in the last few years, mostly when she'd stopped trying to fix him up.  She'd finally accepted his sexuality and had stopped thinking that he and Daphne had any romantic involvement. She'd finally realized that asking him about his love life was counterproductive to their relationship.  

Driving to his mom's he thought about his life and hoped that the upcoming show would finally open up his opportunity for a career as an artist. While he liked his job as a graphic artist, it was not his dream job.  He'd often dreamed of attending openings at various galleries where the patrons would enjoy his talent. He could see himself dressed in a nice jacket with a sky blue button-down shirt underneath, his jeans and tennis shoes completing the ensemble.  He was an artist and artists could be eccentric. He hated dressing up and his mother was always on his case for his lack of professional clothing. He decided to just enjoy the evening with his mom and sister and think about his dreams later. He couldn't wait for the holiday as he had a long week free to paint.  

It was after 10:00 when he got home and he needed to wrap both of his presents.  The office holiday party was tomorrow and he wanted to give Daphne her present too.  Justin went to retrieve his wrapping paper and realized that he only had one roll left.  He shrugged and wrapped both presents with the same paper, Since the office present was a secret Santa, he decided to wrap it in a large box to disguise the contents.  He also wrapped Daphne's present in a large box for the same reason.

In the morning, he planned on leaving a little early so he could drop Daphne's present off.  He knew she'd be gone and that was perfect for his plan. He knew she'd laugh and then most likely be indignant with the gift, but he was fine with that reaction.  After all, what were best friends for?  

Justin worked all morning, finishing up his latest project.  He was well respected in the office and many of the account executives wanted his talent on their projects.  He was pleased that his work was sought after on a regular basis. He grabbed a quick lunch and then went out to the car to grab the Secret Santa present.  He reached into the car and grabbed the remaining box.

Going up to the party, he placed the package with all the other packages on the gift table.  He'd forgotten to label the package. Luckily, there were name tags on the table just for that purpose.  He had a few hors d'oeuvres and enjoyed talking to his colleagues.  The party had been going on for several hours when his department chair stated it was time for the Secret Santa exchange.  Everyone had a seat and eagerly awaited the presents. Luckily, with a secret Santa, no one knew who gave the present unless the Santa spoke up.  The first present went to a 35-year-old woman with twin daughters. The girls were 7 and just starting soccer. Lisa, the woman, had stated that she always wanted to play soccer but never had the time or money.  Her present from Santa was a set of shin guards, a soccer ball and a jersey that said ‘soccer player in training'. Everyone had a good laugh and Lisa appeared pleased at the thoughtfulness of the present. It was obvious that whoever her Santa was, knew of her ambition. 

The next present was for Karen, a recent college grad who just moved into her first apartment. Santa had gifted her with a gift card to Bed, Bath and Beyond.  Peter was next and he received a gift card for Uber as he was frequently complaining about car difficulties. Santa told him that this would get him to work in case his car broke down.  Everyone laughed when he read the card. Elijah, another new college graduate, received a gift certificate for a cooking class as he always stated that he didn't know how to cook. Santa brought Justin a set of paintbrushes and a ticket to a new exhibit at the Warhol museum.  He beamed when he opened the present and thanked Santa.  

Then it was Brian's turn.  The boss handed Brian the wrapped box and he opened it, looking inside.  He laughed but didn't take anything out of the box.  

"Brian, aren't you going to show us what Santa brought you.  We all have inquiring minds and want to know," Sally said, teasing him.  Sally was another ad executive and there was a friendly rivalry between them.  

"Come on, Brian. Everybody else has shared, even Tom who got a lump of coal since he's been grouchy lately," said Cynthia, his assistant.  Of all the people at work, she knew him the best. He wondered if she was his Santa, but she appeared to be too eager to know what it was. 

Brian grinned, enjoying the idea of shocking his co-workers.  Secret Santa presents were supposed to be gag gifts so he decided there was no harm in playing along.  So with a flourish of his hand, he pulled out the large bottle of lube. "It appears that Santa knows me well.  I'm sure I can make good use of this," he said, smiling at the thought of using it with the large dildo that was also in the box.  

All of his co-workers laughed.  They knew Brian's reputation and thought his gift appropriate.  Justin however, turned beet red as he realized that he'd given Brian Daphne's present.  As Brian looked around the room, he noticed Justin and looked at him, his eyes boring into him.  Brian smiled and licked his lips, while Justin tried to look away but couldn't help but make eye contact.  

There were a few more presents from Santa, including a blanket for Tara, who always complained that she was cold, a pound of mints for Jeremy as he was always eating the mints in the breakroom, and a fake window scene for Vickie as she always talked about sitting in the sun.  After the gift exchange, someone turned on the music and several people got up to dance.  

Justin wanted to disappear as quickly as possible, embarrassed by the mix-up and also wondering about Brian.  He grabbed his brushes and left the room. Brian had been watching him ever since he'd opened his present and followed him.  

"Justin,"  Brian called out as he watched the young man quickly leave the party.

Justin turned around and turned beet red again.  He didn't know what to say. He wanted to apologize for the gift and explain it was a gag gift for his friend, but on the other hand, he really wanted to let Brian know he would love to go on a date.

"Hi Brian," Justin said, choosing to attempt to remain neutral.  

"Clever present," Brian said, the Cheshire cat grin taking over his face.  "Want to help me celebrate the holidays? I bet we could try out the other part of the present too."

Justin blushed again.  "Umm, Sure." Justin was relieved that Brian didn't appear angry about the gift.  

"Give me your address.  I'll pick you up at 8:00 tomorrow.  We can hit Woody's and then come back to my place."

Justin gave him the information and said, "I'll see you tomorrow."  Justin realized he'd probably see Brian in his dreams tonight. Maybe his dreams would come true.  

The end