Then it’s late. After midnight. Mila steps up to the microphone to make her annual holiday speech. It’s filled with gratitude. She can be humble when she wants to, and this is her humble speech.
All faces go solemn as she begins to express our collective thanks. Then everyone is smiling and clapping when she calls people out by name, expressly thanking them for their Bright Berry Beach contributions.
And then Hannah takes over and invites everyone to visit the Santa Machine on their way out.
Everyone gets a cash bonus that will be automatically deposited into their bank accounts once they scan their lanyard. But everyone gets a personal present too. Sometimes they are just earrings, if that employee is an earring lover. Or a nice pair of cashmere gloves. But sometimes they are scholarships to the college their kid wants to go to next year. Or a new car, if theirs came to a sudden demise recently and they are now forced to take the bus to work.
When everyone gets back from the holiday break in the new year a new page on the employee website will pop up and there will be a form you can fill out. A form asking for a gift for a friend. You’re not allowed to ask for your own gift. Someone has to do that for you. And if you’re crazy and say, ‘I’d like Bright Berry Beach to pay off my co-worker’s house,’ we look very closely at the reason why before we do something that extravagant.
But we don’t ever say no outright to anything. Not if someone needs help.
Do we buy their loyalty? Or do we earn it?
It’s actually not that hard to know. If someone is here just to get the gift from the Santa Machine, they are in for a sad reality check. All gifts are based on need.
Some years you get earrings or gloves, but when you need it—when you really, really need it—we’re there to send that kid to college or pay that mortgage off.
The party begins to wind down as people pass their lanyards under the Santa Machine laser and say their goodbyes and well-wishes.
Mila, Hannah, Natalie, and I always meet in the executive conference room while this is all happening so we can take a moment to appreciate each other and revel in the success of the past year.
Sometimes there are more failures than successes, but we always try to concentrate on the positives. Some years we pay for this extravagant party out of our own pockets.
But not this year. This was a great year.
“Whew!” Hanna practically slides into one of the oversized leather conference table chairs, scooting backwards so she can kick her alien-elf feet up onto the brushed metal table. “Those edibles were the best idea ever!”
“They so were,” Mila exclaims, slumping down into her own chair. “I had three.” She wobbles a little and the chair rocks backwards a little too far, so she has to lean forward and catch herself. But she’s smiling like a Cheshire cat in a Santa suit. Her beard is gone and so is the stuffing that made her look like a plump apple, so her suit is loose and the belt is missing. She toes off her black boots and puts her candy-cane-socked feet up on the table too.
Natalie is still drinking, a full flute of bubbly Dom in her hand as she leans against the wall with a sigh. “Well,” she says, looking at me. “Tell us, Ems. How did we do this year?”
I’m in charge of our bonuses. That’s why we meet after the party.
“Exceptionally.” I beam. “I’m not sure what was so different about this year, but… ladies. We killed it.”
“What’s the number?” Hannah asks. “I need to hear it out loud!”
I take a breath. Because it’s a big number. “Twenty-four point three million.”
There’s silence as that number sinks in. It’s almost double the bonus of our best year ever.
“Wow,” Mila exclaims. “Just… like… wow. I had no idea.”
“Me either,” Natalie says.
“OK. So that means we have a lot of work to do right now.” I turn to the laptop on the conference table and bring up the list. “Who will it be?”
Everyone scans the list. And then the room becomes thoughtful.
“I think the lion’s share should go to the Children’s Hospital,” Mila says.
“Agreed,” we all chant in response.
“And then I’d like a big chunk to go to the inner-city arts and music program,” Natalie says.
“And don’t forget the new science and technology charter school,” Hannah adds.
I take notes as we divvy up our annual bonuses. We have seventy-three candidates on our giving list this year. All of them needy. All of them deserving. And it will take time to make sure they all get their share of the money.
The Boston brothers are matching our charitable gifts this year. So there’s actually almost fifty million dollars to divvy up tonight and that’s gonna take a while.