Excerpt from Men's Mag, written by freelance writer, Vanessa Waverly:

Christmas, while a highly commercialized holiday, can also be one of the best times of the year. When else does it slow down at the office? When else can you see that crazy uncle who swears he can outdrink you?

This holiday is also a time for couples. So if any of you men out there need some help on how to make her feel special this year, here are a few things to keep in mind...

1) Be prepared to spend it with her. Christmas can be a very sentimental time for your sweetie. So even if you're on opposite sides of the world, she's going to want to celebrate it with you in some form or fashion - by phone, webcam, or IM chat. And some of you lucky dogs might have her all to yourself. It's safe to assume that your sweetie will want some contact with you during this particular day, so make yourself available as long as you can.
 
 

"So now that I've updated you...anything interesting going on over on your side?"

Locke frowned slightly as he entered an order into the computer at his desk. After checking that everything was correct, and glancing quickly through the window of his office that gave him a clear view of his flower shop, he adjusted his head set before answering his girlfriend's question. "Not really. Just work. Company parties...apparently when Mei Wu got married she and her husband passed the word along to their business associates that Xia and I make good decorations."

"There's nothing wrong with word-of-mouth business."

"We're tired of poinsettia and mistletoe," Locke pointed out.

"Don't be a Scrooge," Meliza chided teasingly. "Consider yourself lucky to have happy customers. Besides...she married one of New York's notoriously wealthy and famous bachelors. It's no surprise you're busy right now."

He lifted a brow. "You know him?" His girlfriend's network of social friends was so vast he didn't know how she kept track of them all.

"He stayed in my Paris hotel a few times. Usually with a different girl. Before he met Mei. Nice guy." A pause. "And no, we never dated. He wasn't my type."

It was also fairly well-known in Atlantic City, where his girlfriend currently lived, that she was the social butterfly. Whether it was going to the club with friends or dating six men in a month, his girlfriend kept a busy lifestyle. When they started dating two years ago, her outings with the opposite sex stopped, and when she became CEO of the Rinaldo Hotel Corporation, her nights out at the club were reduced from several times a week to one - and only with her closest friends. Her change in behavior hadn't gone unnoticed by Atlantic City's local gossip columnists, and while they speculated in the beginning that a new man in her life had been the influence...he and Meliza usually would spend their time together away from Atlantic City. Eventually the gossipers assumed that her new role as head of the hotels caused her to calm her partying ways, and they were perfectly fine with letting them believe that.

"She could have asked the florist down the street from the hotel where she got married," Locke said.

"I heard she was picky about who she did business with. Any idea why she asked you?" Meliza inquired. "You aren't exactly a fan of weddings."

"Brides and their mothers. I have no problem with weddings," he corrected.

"Really?"

"Are you fishing?" he asked with a wry smile.

"No. So why did she ask you?"

"I don't know."

Silence. "You're lying."

Locke sighed. "I ran into her sister at Macy's."

"And?"

"Her sister needed a male reference for a gift she was buying for her boyfriend," Locke explained.

"And she asked for your help?"

"Yes."

"And you believed her?" Meliza asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"Locke, I swear that's the oldest approach for hitting on someone," Meliza exclaimed. "You claim you're unavailable so that anything you ask is really innocent when you're really giving off body language that says 'I'm interested'. I've done it so many times you wouldn't believe-"

"Really."

She cleared her throat. "She was hitting on you."

"No, she wasn't."

"Yes, she was."

"She mentioned her boyfriend likes Marc Jacobs clothing," Locke continued, ignoring her argument and simultaneously thinking of a way to get back to the topic of Meliza's oldest approach for hitting on someone. He found it amusing how flustered she'd get when she'd slip up about her past experiences, and he definitely didn't have as much dating experience as her. So hearing about how things worked was a learning experience and provided some entertainment, because honestly...she had some funny stories. "And I told her that I bought my girlfriend a Marc Jacobs bag once. She showed me a picture of them, I showed her a picture of us-"

"Has the world fallen off its axis?" Meliza interrupted.

"What?"

"Since when do you carry a picture of us in your wallet?"

"Can I finish the story?" He wasn't planning on telling her that he just added one in two weeks ago. He'd come across the folder on his PC at home that contained pictures of them over the last 2 years from her digital camera, printed out the best one on glossy paper, cut it out and stuck it in his wallet.

"Right. Sorry."

"My business card fell out. She picked it up, read the information and that's how I became the florist for her sister's wedding."

"Wow. Lucky you. And here you thought December would be slow."

"No kidding."

"So what are you doing for Christmas?" Meliza quickly changed topics.

"Nothing."

"Good," she said cheerfully. "Because I'm going to New York."

He blinked. "What?"

"I'm spending the holidays in New York," she repeated.

"What about your family?" he asked, genuinely puzzled. It wasn't like Meliza to be without her family around Christmas and New Year's.

"Well...a lot of the cousins are spending it with their girlfriends or boyfriends somewhere else. And the uncles and aunties are going out of town doing their own thing," she explained nonchalantly. "So I thought I'd spend this year with you."

"Oh."

"Please try to keep your enthusiasm down," she said dryly.

"I'm...surprised, that's all," Locke replied quickly. He cleared his throat. "I don't normally celebrate Christmas."

"Not everyone does," she said sincerely. "Some go all out, others don't. Anyway, I have to go, but I'll call you in a couple days. I'm going to try to be there the twenty-second but I'll let you know as I get closer to the date. 'Bye." She hung up before he could say anything else.
 
 

"You're drinking beer?" Tanaka stared at the bottle of Asahi perched on top of the sushi bar in front of Locke. "What happened? Are you...okay?"

It was all pretty funny. If you were the laughing type. Was he that predictable? He apparently had made it enough of a habit to not drink too much on a weeknight that even his friend noticed his unusual order this night. Then again, he wasn't giving Tanaka enough credit. The guy knew him pretty well. Tanaka was, as Xia, his assistant in the flower shop aptly labelled, his undeclared best friend.

"Just...felt like it tonight."

Tanaka continued to study him. "Right. Any reason?"

Locke was quiet for a long time.

"Dev. Wake up."

Locke blinked, easily responding to the nickname his friends had given him since he moved out to New York. When he first introduced himself to the crew at Tanaka's sushi restaurant, he went by the name Devlin Cai, for that was the identity he now used since he retired as an assassin. Meliza, however, knew him from his life before, so he responded just as easily when she called him Locke. She usually reserved that name when they were alone. The rest of the time she used his alias, and she could switch between the two names and not get confused.

"Meliza called," Locke spoke up, figuring Tanaka would be able to advise him on how to handle his difficult situation. He was married. His wife was one of Meliza's oldest and closest friends. "She's coming here for Christmas."

Tanaka frowned. "You've been together how long?"

"Two years. You know that," Locke frowned.

"And spending holidays together is bad why?" Tanaka inquired. "I know you haven't been living in America for very long, but boyfriends and girlfriends do spend Christmas together."

Locke drummed his fingers on the bar. "First of all, I don't have her present."

Tanaka gawked at him. "You didn't get her a gift?"

"Of course I did," Locke snapped. "It just...it's supposed to arrive after New Year's."

Tanaka glared at him. "Are you trying to win an award for bad boyfriend of the year?"

Locke set his jaw. As if Tanaka should talk. Before Tanaka got married, he wasn't exactly husband material. Tina had said that Tanaka had been an inconsiderate doofus. Physically attracted to her, he'd basically stonewalled his way into her life. She'd been so caught up in her new surroundings that she pushed that aside and continued to date him, not realizing that he'd only been after one thing. They'd spent one night together and he had left before she'd woken up. She'd successfully avoided his phone calls and visits for a month before he realized that he was miserable without her around. When he'd told her that he wanted to try for a serious relationship, she agreed, surprised at his change in behavior. And a few months later, when she was set to go back to the United States after finishing her study abroad program, he quit his job in Japan and left everything behind to follow her. Locke didn't consider himself the expert on all things romantic, but he understood that it took a lot for someone to leave everything they'd ever known for an unfamiliar life. In Tanaka's eyes, Tina had been worth every effort. And they had been happily married for two and a half years.

"Meliza usually spends the holidays with her family in Hawaii or Las Vegas," Locke explained, getting back to the subject. "There's no point in sending a gift when she's gone."

"How about before she goes away?"

Locke stiffened. "She's never complained."

"You really are trying to win that award, aren't you?"

"Besides, that was last year," Locke argued. "That's only once. This year is different."

"I hope so," Tanaka grumbled. "So you can get a gift. Is that the only problem?"

"My place isn't decorated for Christmas," Locke confessed.

"You're a guy. That's normal."

"Her family...They decorate for Christmas," Locke replied. "She sent me pictures last year of her uncle's house in Maui. Christmas threw up in that house. I don't do Christmas decor."

"Wait a minute...You don't want to decorate for Christmas, but you're concerned that your girlfriend is going to be disappointed that you didn't decorate?" Tanaka didn't wait for Locke to answer. "Did you ever think that maybe she doesn't need any of that and that all she really wants is to be with you?"

Locke stared at him like he had an extra eye. "You're joking."

"What?"

"Are you serious?" Locke's eyes widened. "Are you listening to yourself?"

"Okay, so it's a little corny."

"Little?"

"A lot."

"Christmas is one of Meliza's favorite holidays. Her extended family throws an all day party. They go to church in the morning, they sing songs, they open gifts when they get back from church, then they have lunch, then everyone plays cards or mah-jong, then they eat dinner...it doesn't stop until close to eleven at night," Locke informed.

"Damn."

"Yeah."

"You know what, screw it...buy one of those already lit up fake trees. You both can make Christmas lunch and dinner. Even if you don't like it, the point is that your girlfriend likes this holiday, and the least you can give her is some form of a Christmas party." He studied him carefully. "You seem really nervous for something so...Wait...are you thinking of proposing?"

"No." Locke drew back in his seat, shocked at the change in subjects.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Why not?"

Locke shrugged. "She has a career to focus on."

"That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard," Tanaka exclaimed.

Locke smiled wryly. "I'd like to see you say that to her."

"She's already at the top of the ladder. What does she need to 'focus' on, anyway?"

"Her career would be hard on a marriage," Locke responded. "Her husband would have to be willing to deal with the traveling and have enough self-esteem to be with a woman who makes her salary and is in charge of her own company. And he'd have to be loyal throughout all of that."

"And this doesn't fit you how?" Tanaka demanded.

Considering he was a man who thought out a lot of things, this was one aspect of his life that he didn't have two or three plans for. Besides...it was...liberating being with someone who enjoyed being around him. There were no pressures, no high expectations. They were happy with the status quo and if he wanted more, he knew that he just had to tell her. And same with her. "It's complicated."

"Bull-"

Locke cut in, "I never understood why married people think their friends should get married."

Tanaka sighed. "Fine...I'll let it go." He looked up as Tina entered the restaurant, smiling at them in greeting. "Hey."

"Hi, honey. Hi, Dev."

Tanaka eyed the brown paper bag in her hand, watching as she removed her hat and scarf, smoothing back her long brown hair. "Christmas shopping at Bloomingdale's?"

"Actually, I got this for me." Tina produced a black bag made of fine material. The logo above the clasp was easily distinguishable, identifying it as a designer bag. "I found it on sale during their eight to eleven special tonight."

Tanaka's jaw dropped slightly. "Oh. Um...that's great." But his expression revealed everything wasn't.

His wife didn't notice, because she took her new purchase to the back office, simultaneously making a phone call to her mother to tell her about the purse.

Locke sent a curious look to his friend, wondering the significance of the horrified expression when Tanaka saw the bag. Although he already had his suspicions.

"Dammit." Tanaka shook his head. "I got that as a Christmas gift for her. Looks like I have to return it." Well. Locke's suspicions were right. "I guess we can go shopping for gifts at the same time. You doing anything tomorrow?"

"Not really."

"Okay. You've got a week before Meliza comes here. We should probably get you a tree and some decorations," Tanaka announced.

Locke could feel a headache coming on. Mostly because he had no idea what kind of present to give. What did you get for the woman who could have anything? It was always excruciatingly painful to buy things for her. Birthday, anniversaries, Valentine's Day and Christmas. Four occasions when he'd spend close to two weeks scouring online stores just for a gift. He'd even asked her for a list once, much to Tanaka's horror, because apparently, women never gave lists to their men, their men should know what to buy. But Meliza had merely shrugged it off and said, 'I can't make a list because I don't really know what I want.'

And the thought of being around all those last-minute shoppers...he much preferred to shop online, but there was no way he was going to have her gift delivered in time. He took another drink of beer.

He really hated crowds. Christmas crowds in New York even more so.