A Little White Lie For Christmas

By Ann Gallagher

A Short Story by Ann Gallagher

Steve hates Christmas, and he's pretty sure everyone else is just faking it. After all, his family can't be the only one who seasons their get-togethers with fighting, judgment, and guilt.

Eric—his coworker and secret crush—has tried to convince him not to go for another round of family drama this year, but to no avail. It's Christmas. Steve can't just not go home.

But when Eric tells a little white lie, Steve's Christmases may never be the same again.

This holiday short story is 8,500 words.

• Language: English
• Publisher: GallagherWitt
• Release date: Nov 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781943426430

Ann Gallagher

Ann Gallagher is the slightly more civilized alter ego of L.A. Witt, Lauren Gallagher, and Lori A. Witt. So she tells herself, anyway. When she isn't wreaking havoc on Spain with her husband and trusty two-headed Brahma bull, she writes romances just like her wilder counterparts, but without all the heat. She is also far too mature to get involved in the petty battle between L.A. and Lauren, but she's seriously going to get even with Lori for a certain incident that shall not be discussed publicly.

Book preview

A Little White Lie for Christmas:

A Short Story

by

Ann Gallagher

Copyright Information

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

A Little White Lie For Christmas

Copyright © 2016 Ann Gallagher

First edition

Cover Art by Lori Witt

Edited by Jules Robin

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher, and where permitted by law. Reviewers may quote brief passages in a review. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Ann Gallagher at [e-mail]

ISBN: 978-1-943426-43-0

A Little White Lie For Christmas

A Short Story by Ann Gallagher

Steve hates Christmas, and he’s pretty sure everyone else is just faking it. After all, his family can’t be the only one who seasons their get-togethers with fighting, judgment, and guilt.

Eric—his coworker and secret crush—has tried to convince him not to go for another round of family drama this year, but to no avail. It’s Christmas. Steve can’t just not go home.

But when Eric tells a little white lie, Steve’s Christmases may never be the same again.

This holiday short story is 8,500 words.

Contents

A Little White Lie For Christmas

About the Author

A Little White Lie For Christmas

IT WAS DECEMBER 22nd, and the mood around the office was festive and relaxed. Half the staff had taken today and even yesterday off so they could travel to visit family out of state, so the whole place seemed deserted. And things had been pretty quiet all week—most of our clients and vendors were shut down for the holiday. Things were pretty much at a standstill.

Most of my coworkers passed the time chatting about plans for Christmas, what they’d gotten for their kids, and who was going where or had how many people coming to visit. Cubicles were decked out with stockings, garlands, mini trees, wreaths, and ornaments, not to mention strands of tinsel and scattered glitter snowflakes that we’d be finding everywhere until June. On top of the usual notes of toner and coffee, the whole place smelled like pine, the mingling remnants of our lunch potluck, and whatever holiday-themed scented candle Judy the receptionist was burning.

I kept my head down and my attention on my work, but that wasn’t helping much. Mostly because, well, I was running out of stuff to do. There wasn’t