Page 50 of A Conflict of Interest

“Unlicensed editions, Kelcey and Veronica style.”

“We’d be so popular.”

“With my dulcet howling tones… I’m sure we could do anything.”

She gave me the most brilliant smile that humanity had ever imagined—radiantly perfect in every way—before she said, “I mean, what can’t you do?”

“Dodge a Christmas tree.”

“Hm. We all have our weaknesses,” she said, and speaking of my weaknesses, my entire mind shut down permanently, because—moving swiftly, like one instant she wasn’t and the next instant she was, Kelcey kissed me.

It was a quick thing, just a peck on the lips, but it was enough to shatter everything I’d ever thought I’d known about the universe, because I was—I was in love with her. And if she did that, then—

“Whoops,” she said, halfway between chagrin and a nervous kind of excitement. “Sorry. Let’s, uh, pretend that didn’t happen.”

How? How exactly? What was her game plan with this? Was I also going to pretend up was down and day was night? I’d do it for Kelcey. “You can always take back anything,” I said warmly, trying not to let my voice quiver with the nerves I had. “Don’t worry about it.”

She studied me for a while longer, a soft smile on her lips, before she turned with a flush in her cheeks back to her cocoa. “You’re allowed to haveyourfeelings too, you know.”

I looked away. “You know what they are… I’m just happy I get to be here with you.” And I was going to spend the rest of my life reeling from that kiss. Even if Kelcey never saw me again after today, I’d be going over and over and over that moment in my head, my heart aching at the memory.

She cupped her cocoa closer to her chest, and she said, “I’m… enjoying having you here. Don’t get too carried away with that, though! I just like seeing you reunited with the nutcracker you stole.”

“Ah, yes. Does he have a name?”

“Mister Henry George Philip Prince Lord David Constantinople Hector III.”

“I’m gonna just stick withthe nutcracker.”

She elbowed me playfully. “Okay, grumpy-pants. Um… Veronica?”

Ah—my name. I was never going to hear it anywhere in the world in the way I heard it in Kelcey’s voice. “Yeah?” I said, trying to play it cool.

“I meant to talk about serious things…”

My stomach tangled nervously. “So, now we’re finally settled in enough for it?”

She shrugged. “Maybe I’ve… forgotten what it was supposed to be. And maybe I just… like this. But you know you don’t have to work to try to get me my position back…”

“Kelcey—”

“I mean it. I’ve kind of made my peace with it, you know? It’s not a big deal. And… I mean, it’s basically just a big free vacation. Why complain about it?”

I pursed my lips. “If that’s actually how you feel, then I’ll support you, but… it’s more than just the work itself, it’s your pride on the line, you know? Your… dignity in the work. There was a lot you wanted to prove with this job. And I want you to be able to.”

She looked down, swirling the last dregs of her cocoa in her mug. “I just don’t want to get there by being helped all the time…”

“If I could work with a person who does everything without help or a person who makes everyone want to help, I’d take the second person every single time.”

She was quiet for a while, just staring into her mug, until finally she whispered, “I don’t know what to do to thank you.”

I laughed, settling back in the couch. “You already did, Kelce. I enjoy just getting to hang out with you.”

She pouted at me. “That doesn’t count. I enjoy that too.”

I grinned. “Still counts. Just means it’s a win for both of us. But if you want to do more, then that just means we can hang out another day, too?”

She laughed, eyes crinkling in the corners as she gave me a playful shove. “I’ll findsomethingI can actually do for you, Vee. But for now… that sounds like fun.”

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