John Parnassus is not a fan of the holidays. In fact, he'd punch Rudolph in the nose if he could. He doesn't believe in love, men, or the 'holiday spirit' -- he's still bitter after his ex left him two years ago on Christmas morning. To him, the holidays are all a sham. Take a chance on love? Never again.<br><br>John's friend Sally gives him a gentle kick in the ass to get out of his rut and try something new, starting at the office New Year’s party. He expects the same thing as last year: drunken mistletoe antics and a sore head the next morning.<br><br>Then he meets Tim Hinton, a coworker from the IT department. Surprised to find they have common ground, John is drawn to someone for the first time in years. Should he make a move, or endure another ho hum New Year?

Ho Hum New Year

“This may not be the right time to ask this, but, how long have you known I was gay? I mean, I don’t advertise, but I’m out.”


“Sally. She found out I was gay and wanted me to feel comfortable about the work environment when I first started. She mentioned your name and pointed you out to me. I saw you and felt an immediate response, but didn’t want to pursue anything right then. And my boyfriend had just left me, so I wasn’t really interested in starting anything new right then, especially with a colleague in the workplace.”


Looking a little uncomfortable, Tim confesses, “Well, Sally didn’t want me to say anything, but…since you just saved me from the drunken groper, it’s the least I can do.”


Chapter 5