Page 3 (1/2)

Chapter One

“The Z-Box Five is thesystem on the market, and I sound just like the instruction pa her pen back to her desk Reaching up, she pulled her hair out of its ponytail and shook it loose, hoping that it would soet ainst my desk”

“I wouldn’t advise it,” Rose said, even as her secretary set a Frappuccino on Jennifer’s desk “Maybe a sugar and caffeine jolt will do the trick”

Jennifer snorted and, despite her better judght to hs” Of course, what hadn’t these days? The stress of working on the account for Zed to her She’d always been a bit curvier than she’d wished, but in the last three months, she’d jumped to a fourteen dress size It wasn’t optimum for her at least, but she proyured out how to sell the coao She just hadn’t been sure what she presented really hit theto couys all over the country to open up their wallets It was just hard She’d grown up with a single auy’s view on soht, it wouldn’t be a proble They would just replace her

So, yes, if she had a five-hundred-calorie coffee that was ar and whipped cream than actual java, at least she had her reasons

“Have you ever played a Z-Box?” Rose asked “Maybe just digging into soames would help inspire you?”

She looked back at the brunette and sighed “I tried, but I kept dying during one of their alien invasion gaus rele toI’ll find it”

“And a java explosion should help,” Rose replied, winking back at her

“Or…” a cheery and fa out It only took a few more seconds for her sister, Sydney, to round the corner Her baby sibling was dressed in a cute athered back with a feell-placed faux-diamond-crusted barrettes “You could keep your proo out with me”

Jennifer ed her teroaned It was close to 10 pht her caffeine It inter so the sun set by four forty-five here in New York She knew she’d been here for hours, running things over in her brain, but Jennifer had been clueless about how late it truly had gotten It was more than ti baby sister

“You’reat the tight ive herself this Christmas was less fourteen-hour days “But I did make a promise, and it would be crappy of me to invite you from Kentucky and trap you in my apartment”

“Well, there was the spare key I saw Chinatown today, but I want to see that cool club you took me to last time The Wild Orchid It eso with enthusiasm

“I don’t know if I can go in a business suit,” Jennifer said, biting her lower lip “Oh, and Rose, do you want to cootten so late!”

“Nah, and you didn’tivesmemories”

“Then maybe you can coh black dress on, just take off the jacket and you’ll be Wild Orchid ready, you know?”

“I could definitely use the booze,” Rose said, s at both of them

“And you did try to save me with that java infusion,” Jennifer said “I think that means I owe you your first drink”

“Believe me, after this breakup week from hell, I could use it,” Rose said

“But,” Jennifer said, “that stillto wear”