More than that, I was sure her idea for the party was crazy even without having heard it yet. I knew exactly how such things were supposed to go. It was important that the guests see how classy and upscale Clavis Wine was. Serving it couldn’t help but make their restaurants and bars classier just by the association. I pictured black-tie waiters, shining silver and a string quartet. It would be just like every upscale party I’d been to, which were so similar they all tended to blur into each other. But I remembered having a good time. Kind of.
At exactly one minute to noon, Krystal’s car pulled into the lot outside the tasting room and she hustled up to the door. She was dressed in a warm overcoat of some vintage design, with a dress underneath from what I could tell. Her legs were bare. Part of me hoped it was the same dress she had been wearing at the restaurant.
Krystal wasted no time in going to the middle of the room to start her presentation. Again, I had to admire her gumption. With a few quick moves, she had the coat unbuttoned and on the floor, along with all three of our jaws.
She was scorching hot, in a very sexy little elf’s outfit completely with full corset. She was so unbelievably hot that it actually made my dick hurt as it stood at full attention in my suddenly too-tight suit pants. It was all I could do not to literally drool.
“Costume balls,” she started, “are usually associated with Halloween. But why? Is October 31st really the only time adults can dress up and have fun? No, I say! There are places in this big wide world that don’t have Halloween at all. As a result, they are much more open to costume balls. Fun, ornate and overall classy affairs, where guests can really let loose. I propose to you that a Christmas Costume Ball is just the thing to impress your buyers. The novelty is a strength rather than a weakness, and they will remember you, if nothing else, and in this fast paced world of mind-share, is that not the most important factor in building a successful brand?”
It sounded odd to me, but that could have been because I’d never heard of such a thing before. She certainly had a point about originality and standing out in buyers’ minds. Besides, she looked so drop-dead gorgeous in her sexy little elf outfit, I found myself really coming around to the idea.
“I see,” I said, feigning neutrality, “and where would we get the costumes for such an original and unique event?”
“I’m glad you asked, sir. The thing is, I make them. It is kind of my side job along with the steakhouse. I made this little number, and can outfit the waitresses similarly. I still intend to do that, of course. We made a deal, and I will honor it. Perhaps Emma could be outfitted as an angel, and you two fine gents could be reindeer.”
I can’t help but make a face. “I think I would prefer something a bit more distinguished. For me at least. Emma as an angel makes perfect sense.”
I didn’t have to look to know my baby sister was blushing, but it didn’t make my statement any less true. She was honestly one of the kindest people I’d ever known, without a cruel or devious bone in her body. It still amazed me that she and Clarence were twins.
“Okay, how about Santa? He is the boss of everything, much like you.”
I was a bit surprised, partly by the suggestion, but more so by how much I actually liked it. Santa really was the ultimate micromanager, after all. Not exactly distinguished in the usual sense, but still a lot better than a reindeer.
“Perhaps. But Santa would look a bit silly with only one reindeer.”
“Clarence could be an angel, too,” she offered, “They do look pretty similar.”
“Makes sense. I like it. What do you guys think?”
“A bit weird but, like you say, that’s not really a bad thing,” Clarence said.
“I think it’s wonderful,” Emma said, making me stained to hear her from the other end of the table.
“So you’re still going to waitress for us?” I asked, testing her.
“Oh, of course,” she grinned. “I have to pay off the damage to the truck either out of the bank or my butt. We made a deal, and I’m not going to go back on it.”
“Come take a seat,” I said.
Leaving the coat on the floor, Krystal came over to the table and took Clarence’s seat as he went back to work on the fruit wine mixes. Emma was not far behind him, going back to the counter at the tasting rooms. It felt strange to have her so close to me, especially considering what she was wearing. Or, more to the point, what she wasn’t wearing.