The Christmas Ornament

MORNING, KATHY.

MORNING, GRAHAM.

HOW WAS THE RIDE IN?

GREAT.

I LOVE CYCLING IN WEATHER LIKE THIS.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX?

AND PLEASE TELL ME IT'S WHAT I HOPE IT IS.

I MADE MY FIRST BATCH OF CHRISTMAS COOKIES LAST NIGHT.

YES!

SO, ONCE YOU GET FUELED UP,

LET'S GET SQUARED AWAY ON YESTERDAY'S DELIVERIES,

BEFORE THE CUSTOMER STAMPEDE.

THINGS WILL PICK UP.

THE SHOPPING SEASON'S JUST GETTING STARTED.

CHRISTMAS IS TWO WEEKS AWAY.

THE SEASON IS HALF OVER.

ROADIES ARE NOTORIOUS LAST-MINUTE SHOPPERS.

UH-HUH.

THIS IS YOUR FIRST CHRISTMAS AT THIS.

YOU'LL SEE.

THIS IS YOUR FIRST CHRISTMAS AT THIS, TOO.

ON THE SELLING SIDE.

BUYING-WISE, I'M TOTALLY LAST-MINUTE.

MM.

MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THE TENSION

ON THAT DERAILER.

DREAM CYCLE.

HEY. WHATCHA DOIN' FOR LUNCH?

NO PLANS.

PERFECT. YOU'RE ALL MINE.

I'M GOING TO PICK YOU UP AT NOON, OKAY?

GRAHAM, CAN YOU COVER LUNCH?

SURE THING, BOSS.

IT'S A DATE.

TERRIFIC.

I'LL SEE YOU THEN. BYE.

MORNING.

GOOD MORNING.

SO...

YOU TALK HER INTO IT?

NOT YET.

HEY, MARIO.

HEY!

DARN, I THOUGHT WE HAD A CUSTOMER.

WHO SAYS I'M NOT A CUSTOMER?

WHEN DID YOU LAST RIDE A BIKE?

BE NICE. I BEAR GIFTS.

CANDY CANES,

AND THE WIFE MADE FRUITCAKES.

PEOPLE ACTUALLY MAKE THOSE?

THANK YOU, MARIO.

HAVE A COOKIE.

OOH, I LOVE YOUR COOKIES.

YEAH.

THESE ARE PRETTY AWESOME, KATHY.

MM...

SO, UM, BUSINESS IS STILL SLOW?

UP AND DOWN.

SO MAYBE YOU'VE RECONSIDERED...

I AM NOT SELLING YOU MY LEASE, MARIO.

OKAY.

DOESN'T HURT TO ASK.

THANKS FOR THE COOKIE.

ENJOY THE FRUITCAKE.

THANKS, MARIO.

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

HI.

HEY.

WHY ARE YOU DRIVING BEN'S TRUCK?

UH, I HAVE AN ERRAND TO RUN.

I CAN'T BELIEVE THE HOLIDAY BLITZ

FROM QUEEN CARLA'S THIS YEAR.

I KNOW, RIGHT?

IF IT'S NOT ANOTHER CATALOGUE,

IT'S AN E-MAIL BLAST.

YEAH, I MEAN, WHY WOULD THEY BUY THEIR COOKIES

WHEN THEY CAN HAVE YOURS?

YOU ARE BAKING COOKIES THIS YEAR, RIGHT?

I'VE ALREADY STARTED.

YOU'RE NEXT ON THE LIST.

SWEET.

HEY...

YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT A CHRISTMAS TREE.

IT'LL ONLY TAKE A MINUTE.

NOT THIS YEAR.

MAYBE YOU'LL FIND SOMETHING YOU LIKE.

I'M NOT PUTTING UP A CHRISTMAS TREE.

I'M SORRY.

BUT I STILL NEED ONE.

THERE'S YOUR FRASER FIR AND YOUR DOUGLAS FIR.

THE FRASER HAS AMAZING NEEDLE RETENTION,

THE DOUGLAS A MORE PLEASING AROMA.

THEN THERE'S YOUR BLUE SPRUCE.

IT HAS A DYNAMIC PYRAMID SHAPE AND A BONUS FEATURE,

YOU CAN REPLANT IT AFTER CHRISTMAS.

OKAY, SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

NEEDLES, AROMA, REPLANT?

I THINK I'M GOING TO CHECK OUT THE GIFT SHOP.

COME ON, I CAN'T MAKE THIS DECISION ALONE!

I'LL HELP YOU DECIDE.

HELLO?

COULD I GET YOUR OPINION?

I'M SORRY. DID I SCARE YOU?

NO, I WAS JUST...

THAT'S MY BEST-SELLER.

"CINNAMON STICK."

IT'S NICE, HUH?

IT'S WONDERFUL.

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS ONE.

AWFUL, RIGHT?

NOT IF IT COMES WITH A GAS MASK.

THEY CALL IT "WINTER BONFIRE."

WHAT THEY DON'T TELL YOU

IS THAT WHAT THEY'RE BURNING IS OLD TIRES AND DOLL HAIR.

TRUST ME.

MY SISTER AND HER BARBIES DID NOT GET ALONG.

TIM PIERCE. I OWN THE JOINT.

KATHY HOWARD.

SO, THE GIFT SHOP'S NEW.

THE PROFIT MARGIN ON TREES

IS GETTING WAY TIGHT FOR LITTLE GUYS LIKE ME,

SO I'M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS TO TURN A BUCK.

YEAH, I KNOW.

IT'S SO HARD TO COMPETE WITH THE BIG BOX STORES.

THEY'RE KILLING US.

WHY? WHAT BUSINESS ARE YOU IN?

DREAM CYCLE, ON ELM?

SURE!

YEAH, I WAS AT THE GRAND OPENING LAST JANUARY,

ALONG WITH TONS OF OTHER PEOPLE.

I HAD A NICE CHAT WITH THE OWNER,

SEEMED LIKE A REALLY GREAT GUY.

SCOTT. HE WAS MY HUSBAND.

OH.

YOU TWO...

HE PASSED AWAY, A MONTH AFTER WE OPENED.

I'M SO SORRY.

UM, SO...

CONTENT ASIDE,

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE FORM?

CUTE AND QUAINT, OR HOLIDAY HOARDER?

I LIKE IT, ACTUALLY.

IT'S, UM, NONCONFORMIST,

OUTSIDE THE LINES.

WAY TOO BUSY.

I SHOULD HAVE STUCK WITH TREES.

TREES I KNOW.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A TREE, KATHY HOWARD?

NOT THIS YEAR, BUT MY FRIEND IS.

IS SHE OUT THERE WITH CONNOR?

IS HE THE KID

WHO'S MEMORIZED THE WIKIPEDIA CHRISTMAS TREE PAGE?

AFFIRMATIVE.

WE SHOULD PROBABLY GO RESCUE HER.

YOU ALL RIGHT UP THERE?

YUP.

IN HERE?

THERE WE GO.

NICE.

NOW, YOU'RE SURE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET THAT IN THE HOUSE

AND UPRIGHT?

UH, YEAH.

KATHY HERE IS GONNA HELP ME.

WELL, CALL IF YOU CAN'T.

DELIVERY AND SET-UP ARE FREE.

AND, KATHY, THANK YOU FOR THE ADVICE.

MAKE SURE YOU COME BACK

IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT A TREE.

TAKE CARE.

"ADVICE"?

HE ASKED FOR YOUR ADVICE?

COME ON, TELL ME EVERYTHING.

JENNA... LET'S GO.

HI, BEN!

LOOK WHAT WE GOT.

OH, HEY, LADIES, GREAT-LOOKING TREE.

UH, YEAH.

WOULD YOU, UM,

MIND RUNNING THAT UP WHEN YOU HAVE A SECOND, PLEASE?

THANKS.

LOOKING GOOD.

THANKS.

DEFINE "FLIRTING."

OH, COME ON, YOU KNOW WHAT FLIRTING LOOKS LIKE.

HE DIDN'T FLIRT.

WE TALKED ABOUT THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE RETAIL BUSINESS...