Who Gets the Friends? by Tim Smith

going blind from staring at my computer all day. How was yours?”
    “Same as the others—busy.” She grinned at him. “But thinking about seeing you tonight somehow made it tolerable.”
    “It did for me, too.” He settled into his seat. “What do you have planned for Christmas?”
    “I volunteered to work for one of the other nurses.” She glanced at him. “But that was before we got together and I didn’t think I’d be doing anything else.”
    “I wasn’t fishing, just curious.”
    “What will you do?”
    “Probably visit my folks. They don’t live too far away and there are no more kids at home.”
    “That’s nice of you to do that.”
    Jessica took a detour down a side street, then slowed in front of a couple of houses with light displays.
    “People really put a lot of effort into these, don’t they?” she asked.
    “Yeah, and it really puts you in a festive mood.”
    They continued on their way until they found space in a public parking lot. They walked a few blocks to join the throng of families looking at the window display depicting Santa’s workshop. Tom glanced at some kids watching the animated figures in awe, their faces pressed against the glass.
    He nudged Jessica, then gestured at the kids. “Remember doing that when we were kids?”
    She laughed. “Yeah. This was an annual family tradition for us when we were growing up.”
    He linked his arm with hers, then they strolled along the street. They crossed to Courthouse Square, where a tall tree was illuminated from top to bottom with white lights.
    “Don’t get me wrong,” Tom began, “but I never cared for all white Christmas lights. I like the colors.”
    “Me, too. Seems to make it more festive.”
    Tom guided her to a spot near the courthouse steps where a brass quintet was playing Christmas carols to a small crowd. The musicians were decked out in seasonal stocking caps of red trimmed with white. They stopped and listened to the music for a few minutes.
    Tom wrapped his arm around Jessica’s waist and pulled her close. She snuggled against him, put her arm around his waist and rested her head against his arm. When the song was over they applauded.
    “Getting a little chilly out here,” Tom observed. “Would you like some hot chocolate?”
    “I’d love it.”
    He got them two cups from a vendor, then they moved off to the side, out of the mainstream. They found an empty bench and sat.
    Jessica looked at the crowd. “It’s nice to see so many families taking advantage of something like this. Kind of renews your spirit.”
    “Yeah, it does.” Tom took a sip, then reached into his coat pocket. “That reminds me. I have something for you.”
    He handed her an envelope. She opened it, withdrew the Christmas card it contained and smiled. When she opened it her eyes widened. There she was, under Tom’s Christmas tree in her red teddy, exposing her breasts. She gasped and clutched the card to her chest.
    “You said those pictures were private stock!” she said in a low, shocked voice.
    Tom grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “I didn’t show that to anyone else and I thought you’d be flattered.”
    “Flattered? Why?”
    “Because how many other women do you know that were chosen for their very own Christmas card?”
    She smiled slightly. “Okay, you got me. Just don’t pass this around.”
    He placed his hand over his heart. “You have my word.”
    She tucked the card into her purse, then leaned against him. “This is really nice. I’m glad you thought of this.”
    “I didn’t—you did.”
    “Yeah, but you gave me the idea.” She sipped her hot chocolate. “I was really dreading this whole season, but now it doesn’t look so bleak.”
    He turned her face to his, then kissed her. “It’s looking brighter for me, too.” They settled back on the bench and Tom placed his arm around Jessica’s shoulder. I hope it isn’t too soon to be asking this next question . “You said you were working on Christmas,