Casper Silverbell is a grumpity elf, and with good reason. As an accountant at the North Pole, he gets no respect from most of the creative elves who don't see his job as important. The only joys in his life are his pet polar bears, his love of fine tailoring, and his monthly spats with the head of Gift Development.

Did he say joy? He meant to say annoyance. Dmitri Hollyberry is everything Casper resents about creative elves, wrapped up in one green-haired, tattooed package. Dmitri never gets his expense reports in on time, and seems to delight in making Casper lose his temper. He's also smart, talented, and just different enough from the other elves that Casper had once wished Dmitri would be the one to ease his loneliness. But obviously, that's impossible. No matter how good Casper is, that is one Christmas wish he doesn't expect to come true.