Dirty Distractions (Afternoon Delight 1)

Just one more day to get through.

CHAPTER 2

“Just one more day. One more party.” I’d been saying that same phrase since last night. I swapped out my battered sneakers for my suede ankle boots. One more party and I could curl into my bed and sleep for eighteen blissful hours.

“Kay!”

I fluffed the cowl neck of my sweater, ignoring the crazy person calling my name.

Nothing was going to ruin today.

I pulled out my lipstick and glossed the candy cane red across my lips.

“Kandy Noel Kane, you answer me right now!”

I w

inced. Yeah, that wasn’t good. Was there still time for me to duck out the fire escape?

Mel pounded on the heavy door. “Kan—”

I swung open the door. “Go down a few decibels maybe?”

She pushed me aside, then peeked back into the hallway before slamming the doors. “I can’t. I’m going to hyperventilate.” She plastered herself against the door.

I twisted a fat curl from my ponytail around my finger. Mel was prone to histrionics, but there was a whole lot of panic going on in her big brown eyes.

“The ice sculpture is here, the presents for the charity raffle are under the tree, I finished the place settings myself not even an hour ago. I watched the chef make his specialty.” For the entire two hours. This was my biggest party of the season. “Nothing is going to go wrong.”

“Yeah well, we don’t have a Santa.”

I blinked at her. The room sort of fuzzed out of focus and a soundtrack of waves and screams crashed in my head. “I’m sorry?”

“No—capital N, capital O—there is no Santa in the building.”

“But Jason said he was going to be here.” It was a two-fer. I was going to make sure we had a super sweet, super jolly Santa for the party and maybe let Jason ask me out one more time.

I was pretty sure I was going to say yes.

Sort of.

Maybe.

I slumped into the black leather U-shaped chair across from the massive mahogany desk. The simple glass name plaque said Lincoln Murdock, CEO. I focused in on the name. The same man who had sent me the terse email four weeks ago.

The email that had changed my life.

I’d worked with his assistant after that email, but I’d never forgotten the name. Especially after a little research had me kicking up my heels yabba-dabba-doo-style.

My tunnel vision slowly widened and Mel’s babbling came into focus.

I held up my hand. Mel pressed her cherry red lips together, the bow at the top of her lips becoming more pronounced as she tried to contain her crazy. It was difficult, I knew. “What happened to Jason?”

“I just told you.” She gave an exasperated growl.

“I’m sorry. I went deaf and dumb there for a moment, because I’m sure you couldn’t have said my most reliable Santa was not showing up for the last freaking party of the year. You know, two days before Christmas. And the party where I’m paying said Santa double time.” Because we’d had two parties a day for most of the week. I pushed a shaky hand through my hair. “So please tell me why he’s not here?”

“He eloped with the elf, Michelle.”