I haven’t really spoken to Kenzie much since last Friday night when we were at the Rockettes. We’ve texted a few times regarding her task of calling what felt like every caterer in the city to see if they had availability for December 17th, but that’s it. No mention of last Friday night, no mention of setting up our next get-together in her effort to make me like Christmas. I shouldn’t be so eager to find out what she’ll have us do next.

Maybe she needed a little distance in the same way I did. I know it wasn’t a date, but tell that to my libido. I’ve had Kenzie on the brain ever since.

The way her eyes sparkled as she watched the show, the youthful energy pouring out of her when she talked about coming to see them every year… the way her hair drapes over her breasts when she leaves it down and the way her tongue pokes out of her mouth a tiny bit when we’re in close proximity like she either wants to lick them or draw in another breath.

I’ve never had a problem concentrating at work before, but all week my mind has floated to thoughts of her like a raft stuck in a current, unable to control the direction.

It’s irritating as fuck.

Especially because of who it is. I mean, Kenzie and I could not be more different or ill-suited for one another, not to mention the issue of her being the baby sister of my best mate.

I stand from my desk and grab my suit jacket off the hook near the door, then make my way to the boardroom. When I arrive, Bethaney and Kenzie are seated in the same places as before and both turn in my direction.

“Hi, Andrew. Thanks for joining us.” Bethaney smiles at me like a dog waiting for a treat from its master.

“No problem.” I manage to keep the irritation from my voice. Once I’ve taken a seat across from her, I glance at Kenzie and nod in way of greeting.

I am wholly unprepared for the sight of her. She’s seated, but I can see that she’s wearing red, and it matches the exact shade of her lipstick. The arresting color makes her hair seem even more blonde than normal and makes her already blue eyes look the exact color of the sky on a clear day.

She smiles and gets started with the meeting, tackling her list of priorities and doing her best to put Bethaney in her place with her outrageous ideas, but in a way that seems to do good rather than harm.