Jean Girardi sat alone in his spacious office, surrounded by the silence of Christmas night. The large villa felt empty without the presence of family. His two sons, Alaric and Nathaniel, were caught up in their own lives, and no one had come to visit. Jean felt the weight of loneliness, despite his attempts to distract himself with a glass of wine. What should have been a warm Christmas night left only emptiness.
A knock at the main door broke his thoughts. Jean walked to the door and found a large box with a gold ribbon. On top was an envelope, which he opened carefully. The message was brief: "Jean, I know you hate admitting it, but loneliness is our greatest enemy at this age. I don’t want you to be alone. Enjoy the gift. Adrien."
Jean stared at the box, confused. "What is this, Adrien?" he murmured. He opened the box and was startled to see a young woman dressed in a provocative Santa costume with a Christmas hat. The girl appeared awkward, saying nothing, only standing still.
Jean looked at the girl, then took out his phone and called Adrien. "What were you thinking, sending this?" he asked coldly. Adrien, on the other end, replied, "I know you need someone, Jean. She’ll make your night more... colorful."
Jean sighed deeply. "I don’t need this, Adrien." But he glanced at the girl again, feeling a slight tug of something inside him. "Alright," he muttered. "Let’s see what happens."
Jean motioned for the girl to step out of the box. She slowly walked toward him. Jean sat back down and looked at her. "Come here, sit with me," Jean said, patting his lap, he watching the girl as she made her decision.