Ask Me Something (The Something Series Book 2) by Aubrey Bondurant

maybe after lunch?”
    “Uh, sure.” I
didn’t know how I could say no.
    “Kenzie, she may
not want to—”
    I gave Brian a
pointed look. “No, I do, really. I love fashion, and I’d be happy to go with
you.” I might not know Kenzie very well, but I did love shopping. And it would
be an opportunity to get to know her better.
    She smiled.
“Cool. Does that mean I get to drive your car today, big brother?”
    He walked by and
mussed her hair on his way to the stairs. “Sure. No problem.”
    I was thankful
for the Keurig machine and made myself a cup of coffee. Meanwhile, I thought
about how many guys would’ve freaked at the thought of their baby sister
driving their brand new Lexus. But he hadn’t batted an eye. He was laid-back
that way. So how could he be dominant in the bedroom? Maybe he only thought he
was. It could be that nice, easy-going Brian merely didn’t say please or thank
you during sex.
    Kenzie’s voice
brought me out of my thoughts. “I suck at clothes big time. I brought a dress
that I wore in high school, but it’s kind of juvenile. I’d like something, I
don’t know, a little more grown-up.”
    I was still
thinking about Brian’s defined stomach. “Of course. It’ll be fun.”

CHAPTER
SEVEN
    After spending
the first couple hours in the office wading through email and catching up on
some correspondence, I felt back to normal. Work is where I found my
equilibrium and sense of purpose. It’s where I was in control and could feel
confident, but by mid-morning I’d run out of things to do. Most of my clients
were on vacation, and I was supposed to have spent the day in a Disney marathon
with my nieces and nephews. I wondered if Brian was busy. Aside from a couple
other people, we were the only ones in the office today.
    I headed toward
his side of the building where I heard the unmistakable voice of Juliette and
the sounds of a toddler before I saw them outside of Brian’s office. Smiling, I
walked toward them. She’d had this week off, and I’d been afraid I would miss
seeing her.
    Juliette Walker
had started in the Charlotte office over eight years ago as the receptionist,
then began working for Brian directly. She was now officially the office
manager, but she continued to perform multiple tasks specifically for Brian on
a daily basis. She was the glue that held the corporate office together and had
endless energy as well as sass. She was the type of person who talked enough
for the both of us. In time, she’d eased me into a friendship whether I’d
wanted it or not. You pretty much didn’t have a choice but to like her. She’d
wear you down otherwise.
    I missed hearing
her chat about everything from office gossip to what she’d seen on television
on a daily basis.
    “Hey, Sasha,”
she greeted, spotting me coming toward her and giving me a big hug.
    “Hi. I thought
you were off this week?”
    Brian stood to
the side, holding Tristan, her eighteen-month-old son, on his hip. The adorable
little boy looked completely at home in his arms.
    “I am,” Juliette
answered. “But Brian said you were in today, and I haven’t seen you in months.
Wow, you look skinnier. Turn around.”
    Ironic,
considering my sister’s friend had said the opposite about my weight. I turned,
bracing myself for what she’d say next.
    “Your ass looks
fantastic in those black pants. Yep, you lost weight. Must be that New York
living. No down-home cooking or real food.”
    Leave it to
Juliette to both flatter and embarrass me with a compliment.
    “Don’t you
think, Brian?” she teased, turning toward him. Only she could manage to make
him uncomfortable and seemed to enjoy doing it as often as possible.
    He blushed and
then shook his head. “I’m not looking at any female’s butt in this office, let
alone that of Sasha-B-Fierce.”
    Juliette’s eyes
got large, and she quickly glanced at me to gauge my reaction. Ah, obviously
she had known about the nickname, too. I shouldn’t have been surprised;