Steal A Kiss In The Moment

The cold winter air was like a slap in the face.

Danika hurried over to her car, heels slipping on the ice. She got into her silver Toyota Prius, and shoved the keys in the ignition.

The started the car and carefully pulled out of the driveway. In about 30 minutes, she arrived in front of her office building.

Epitaph Records... her 9 to 5...

Okay, 11 to 6, but that's not the point. Danika stepped out of the car and walked up to the building with as much dignity as she could manage while wearing heels on the ice.

She walked into the building, which was nearly empty because... well, today was Christmas.

She stepped into the elevator and pressed 6. When the elevator indicated they had reached level 3, the doors opened to reveal a shirtless man covered in tattoos, and a scantily clad woman clinging to his side.

They stepped in and pressed 17.

Dani raised her eyebrows at him, and he grinned, showing way-too-white teeth. "Hey, beautiful, how goes it?"

Dani just smiled and pulled her phone out of her pocket. She then heard a rather disturbing noise and turned back to the lovely couple.

The elevator dinged level 6. "Get a room," Dani mumbled as she stepped off.

As soon as the door shut behind her, her boss' voice came booming out of his office.

"DANIKA MILANKICH! I NEED DANIKA NOW!" he screamed.

"Um, Mr.Banks?" Danika called from down the hall.

He poked his head out of his office and grinned, before his black hat fell off. "MERRY CHRISTMAS DANI!" he yelled.

"You too, Mr. Banks," Dani replied, laughing.

"For the last time, Danika, it's Tom!" he shrieked, spinning into his office. "Now come here!"

Danika never took a liking to calling her boss by his first name, even though he was only a year and a half her senior...

"Coming," Dani said, quickly walking down the hall.

She arrived in his office to fine a huge pile of gifts, and the entire room festively decorated.

"And I repeat: MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Mr. Banks bellowed. "Pick a gift, they're all quite special! Only for the people that showed up today though... Somebody has to give you guys a Christmas!"

"Wow, thank you so much Mr. Banks," Dani said, beaming at the enormous pile of presents, and trying to determine which one to select.

"Danika, PLEASE call me Tom." Mr.Banks said, reclining in his chair.

"Thank you, Tom," Danika said, smirking at him. He laughed.

She selected a small box wrapped in silver from the top. She opened it and a slinky popped out. She laughed. "Why thank you Tom! This will provide me with hours of endless entertainment!"

"Oh, there's more! Read the slinky!" Tom demanded.

Dani pushed the slinky so it closed, and it read 'Merry Christmas, GO HOME'.

Danika smiled at the slinky and then at her boss. "Mr. Banks..."

"TOM! Now go get yourself a real Christmas Dani, you're here almost every day of your life, GO HOME." He commanded, laughing.

"If you insist," she replied, smiling. She ran over and hugged her boss before turning and walking back to the elevator.

Thankfully, the couple had vacated it. She stepped in pressing 1, and was soon in her car. She first went to the store, bought a cooked chicken, some mashed potatoes, and some lettuce for a salad. She bought herself a magazine and a pint of ben & jerry's ice cream, and she bought James a pack of cookies.

She was about to go to the checkout line when she recalled her mother's comment.

She went into the personal care isle, and bought 3 pregnancy tests.

She headed to to the one open checkout line, and bought her items, and headed home. She walked into the house, and James was nowhere to be seen. She could hear the water on in the shower upstairs. She put the chicken on the counter, and the lettuce and mashed potatoes in the fridge, and the ice cream in the freezer.

She sat the magazine on the table and along with James's cookies. She looked at the tests, scooped them up and headed into the powder bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, she was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at her first two tests in disbelief.

One mocking her with a little pink plus sign. And as if that wasn't bad enough, the other one just stared at her. With one word: PREGNANT.

She sat there, her palms on her forehead, just staring at them.

She heard someone coming down the stairs. She saw James in a black t-shirt and jeans, coming towards her.

"DANI! You're home!" he beamed.

The tears threatened to spill over, but she forced on a smile. "Yeah, I got to come back." she said, voice cracking at the end.

"Danika, baby, are you okay?" James asked, smile fading, coming toward her with open arms.

Dani shook her head no, and a few tears fell from her eyes. She let James squeeze her tight.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

He loosened his grasp as she moved backwards. She picked up the tests and showed them to James. He studied them for a moment, his hands wandering to her hips.

"Danika... are these... you're..." James stuttered. Quite a few more tears spilled out of Dani's eyes as she just vigorously nodded yes.

"Oh..." James said. He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face so he could look at her. He kissed her, hard. And for a few moments, everything was okay.

But as soon as he pulled back, Dani began to cry again. "Do you want me to keep it?" she asked him. He looked at her with wide eyes.

"Danika... this is our baby... OUR baby... Of course I want you to keep it." James replied, holding her tight. He kissed the top of her head. "This is probably the best Christmas present I could have asked for," he said, chuckling. She let out a small laugh and buried her head in his chest.