Red Velvet Kisses. Sherelle Green

to plan their anniversary sometime next month before New Years, or after if that’s too soon. Like I said, I’d already talked to him.”

      “That soon?” Lex exclaimed. “Why did we agree to plan this party? It’s already November!”

      “We’ve planned plenty of parties with way less time,” Imani responded. “Besides, you still have another two weeks left in this month.”

      “And let’s not forget that last year, I planned the formal for the Peter Vallant Company with way less time than you have,” Cyd added. “I had about two weeks to plan that entire event. If I can make that work, you can definitely make this work.”

      Lex crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance. Her body language was a clear indication that she was pouting, but she didn’t care. She felt as if she was the focal point of the joke, and being the main focus of any joke was not a good feeling.

      Mya’s smartphone vibrated. “Lex, I’d love to continue this conversation but I have to meet with a client to discuss the grand opening event for their new clothing store.”

      “Of course you do,” Lex said sarcastically. Imani and Cyd had their phones in their hands as well, and if Lex was a betting woman, she’d bet any dollar amount that one of them had texted Mya to give her an excuse to leave the conference room.

      “I have to go, too,” Imani stated. “I have to tweet about a couple upcoming events and I have to update our page on Facebook.”

      “I should probably call the florist for my wedding to confirm my appointment next week,” Cyd interjected. “Besides, I’m sure you have to start working on a game plan for the anniversary party.”

      “Ugh,” Lex responded in annoyance. “I know what you guys are doing and it won’t work.”

      “Sweetie, that childlike pout doesn’t look good on you,” Cyd said with a laugh.

      “Besides, we don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mya added.

      “Oh, really,” Lex said sitting upright in her chair while uncrossing her arms and bracing both hands on the conference table.

      “Look, I’m not blind. I know Micah has a thing for me. But y’all know I’m not going there with a man like him.”

      “Lex, listen to yourself,” Cyd said. “Micah is educated, successful and sexy. Plus he’s a bit of a bad boy. Trust me, women in Chicago have been drooling all over him ever since he moved here this past summer.”

      “But he’s only interested in you,” Imani added.

      Rubbing her hands over her face, Lex tried to ignore what they were saying. She couldn’t date a man like him. He was too easy to fall for and after everything she’d been through, she wasn’t willing to risk her heart again.

      “You guys know what I went through with Evan.”

      Imani reached over and softly touched Lex’s hand. “Lex, we all know that Evan’s craziness made you swear off men. But you can’t let him define your future. You need to move on from that situation.”

      “I know,” Lex replied. “But it’s not that easy. He controlled every part of me in high school and college. If I hadn’t seen the light after Gamine’s death, I would have never realized the type of man he was.” When her grandmother, Faith Gamine Burrstone died a few years ago, a light switch had finally been turned on in Lex’s head.

      “Sweetie, Evan Gilmore was the ultimate a-hole!” Cyd exclaimed. “We all blame ourselves for not always speaking up when it came to our true thoughts about him. But Micah Madden is not Evan Gilmore.”

      “Not even close,” Mya added. “You’re twenty-eight. You need to date a real man.”

      “I have dated real men,” Lex said, defending herself. “Remember Reginald Collins?”

      “Right, how can we forget nerdy Reginald,” Cyd cynically replied. “I still don’t understand why you wasted your time on someone who didn’t even like to kiss in public...or private I presume.”

      “That’s not true,” Lex responded. “He was just very selective on how and when he showed his feelings.” She wouldn’t dare tell them that even though they’d dated for over seven months, they hadn’t had sex and had barely even kissed.

      “A peck on the cheek is not a kiss,” Imani stated. “And that’s all we ever saw him give you...a light peck on the cheek. Even with that peck, he did it sloppily.”

      “He sure did,” Mya agreed. “It made us gag just watching it. Like he wanted to open his mouth and French kiss your cheek, but decided against it. Awkward.”

      “Okay,” Lex said drawling out the word. “Enough about my last boyfriend.”

      “If you can even call him that,” Cyd mumbled beneath her breath.

      “Anyway,” Lex continued, “since I don’t have a choice, I will plan the anniversary party. But I want to make it clear that I will continue to look at Micah in a completely professional manner.”

      “Hmm, and how is that working out for you so far?” Mya said, laughing. Imani and Cyd followed suit and joined in the laughter.

      “Oh, you guys didn’t see them in the hall earlier,” Cyd said, ready to spill all the juicy details.

      “Oh, do tell,” Imani said, rubbing her hands together.

      “My work can wait,” Mya said, making no attempts to leave the room as she’d previously been prepared to do.

      “Well I don’t think I need to stay around for this,” Lex said as she gathered her stuff and walked out of the conference room. Before the door fully closed, she heard the women giggle as Cyd explained how she’d made the situation even more awkward for her and Micah when she had suggested that they take it to the bedroom.

Chapter 2

      When Lex got to her office, she quickly shut and locked the door. Slipping off her winter boots and replacing them with her ballerina flats, she took a seat in her cozy chair behind her large mahogany desk. She then twirled in the seat until she was facing her window with a partial view of Lake Michigan.

      “I knew I should have called in sick today,” Lex said to herself. It probably wouldn’t have even mattered. Micah Madden had been a constant distraction to her stable psyche since she’d met him in the lingerie shop.

      “Lord, give me strength,” she said as she shook her head and softly closed her eyes. She needed to avoid his advances and treat him like any other client. Otherwise, she had no doubt that she’d lose herself in him.

      A soft knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. “Coming,” Lex said loudly for the person on the other side of the door to hear. As soon as she opened the door, she wished she’d first asked who was behind the closed door before crossing the room.

      “Yes, Micah?” she asked with more disdain in her voice than she’d intended.

      “Well, I’m happy to see you, too, Lex,” he said, his filled with laughter.

      She stood back to let him enter her office. “I thought you left,” she said, making sure her behind swayed when she walked back to her desk.

      “I was almost out the building when I remembered that I needed to give you a few notes I had about my parents. You know, their likes, dislikes...that sort of thing. That way, you can start planning now if you’d like.” He reached out his hand to give her a typed sheet of paper.

      As Lex took the paper, she made sure their hands didn’t touch. The last thing she needed was any close contact. She glanced up at him again. Their chemistry was undeniable and it seemed the more she saw him the harder it was to ignore how badly her body wanted him. Her mind was saying, Heck no, you better