Page 11 of The Kissing Part
“I told her it was best if her bodyguard took the extra bedroom for her safety.” I feel like an ass recommending something I have no intention of doing. But how the hell can I resist temptation living in the same hotel suite for two weeks?
“Then I suppose that’s on your conscience,” Mackenzie says. “I know it’s not easy for you, but look at it this way, after all these years, you can finally move on.”
I bristle. “I have moved on. In fact, it’s no problem at all to take the extra bedroom.”
“Big words, man,” Nathan says. “Sure you can handle it?”
“I’m a professional,” I snarl.
Mackenzie nods once. “Right. Anything else on the agenda for today?”
If I’m going to do a job, I’m going to do it right. Obviously I’m over her. I’ve had girlfriends. Plenty. And I’ve seen Shayla with plenty of actors, models, and rock stars in pictures plastered everywhere. I’m not looking for them, believe me.
Nathan leans back in his chair. “We should have an office party to celebrate three years of being in business together.”
“It was three years in January,” Mackenzie says.
“Yeah, but I just thought about it now,” Nathan says. “Besides, the weather’s better in May. We could have it at my place.”
“Does this have anything to do with Harper being back in town?” I ask. My younger sister has a love-hate relationship with Nathan. As in, she loves to hate him, and he’s baffled by it. I don’t understand it either. They were close when we were kids.
“No,” Nathan says defensively. “Can’t a guy celebrate his company’s success? What’s she got against me anyhow?” He takes a casual sip of coffee, but his eyes are glued to mine.
“I don’t know. Ask her,” I say like I always do.
He frowns. “She always says it’s nothing, but she’s still prickly around me.”
Mackenzie types away on her laptop, working again. “We’re in the black for now, but we’re still in the growing stages. I wouldn’t say we’re a success yet, Nathan.”
“In the black is a success,” I say.
Our phones alert us to new emails.
Mackenzie keeps typing as she speaks. “Just emailed you both a summary of the DC job. Let me know if we need to tweak anything. If you want to have an office party, I could ask Dad to reserve the back room for us at Happy Endings. It’s more centrally located than Nathan’s place high up the mountain in Eastman. Plus, no cleanup for us.”
Nathan considers this. “But we always meet at Happy Endings.”
“Because it’s awesome,” she says, clicking on her laptop. “There. Just gave Sutton a raise. I have a feeling she’ll be a vital member of our team. You know, next meeting we should have her call in. We’re so used to doing things ourselves that we forget we have this great resource.” She looks up from the laptop and sips her coffee for the first time. “Too bad she lives so far away. She’d be fun to hang with.”
“Mackenzie’s making friends,” Nathan singsongs.
“I like her,” she says. “Are we good to book Happy Endings over the long Memorial day weekend, Saturday night? Dad and Cooper have been talking about a special summer menu. I’ll invite our friends and clients with a plus one. We could make some good contacts for future business. You never know where you’ll meet the next big client.”
“Yeah, let’s do it,” Nathan says. “Let me see the RSVP list when you get it.”
“Shayla,” Mackenzie says to me, shooing me out the door.
I hold two fingers up.Two weeks. That’s it.
I stand and grab my coffee.
She turns to Nathan. “Why do you need to see the RSVP list? Hoping for a certain someone?”
“No.”
Mackenzie takes pity on him. “You’ll see her at the double graduation slash anniversary party this weekend.”
“See who?” Nathan asks innocently.
