SINGLE & READY TO JINGLE

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

ANDREW

It’s already been a s**t day.

First, my sole competitor for partnership at the law firm won his case and is being lauded as the next Johnnie Cochran, regardless of the fact that the case was a slam dunk from the beginning. The defense’s staggering ineptitude practically handed him the victory.

Second, my daft assistant entered the wrong time in my calendar, so when my biggest client showed up, I was unprepared.

And third, my blind date just arrived… dressed like an elf. I’m not clear on if she actually thinks of herself as an elf or maybe there’s a weird Christmas role-playing underbelly within the city that I’m unaware of.

Doesn’t matter. This is definitely not a match.

The only question is, how soon can I get this date to end?

“Hi, I’m RAINBOWRIDER.” She smiles as though nothing is amiss.

I suppose there’s not much to be done now, except suffer through dinner and get out of here as soon as humanly possible.

“Good to meet you.” I nod and take my seat.

She pulls out her chair and sits, sounding like a goddamn chorus of bells. The diners nearby all glance over, and my hand clenches the armrest of the chair. Lord, please, if you’re taking requests, please do not let anyone I know see me with an absolute barmy woman.

“Oh, you’re Scottish,” she says with a big smile.

“English, actually.”

She chuckles. “Sorry. Where in England are you from?”

A tight smile forms on my lips as I decide whether I should take the time to educate her that English and Scottish people sound nothing alike. I figure that will only prolong our time together. “I’m from London.”

“Oh, very posh,” she says in a terrible version of my accent.

I draw a breath. Luckily, the server arrives to take our drink order. I, however, decide to order my meal at the same time to shorten this complete waste of my evening. There are a million more beneficial things I could be doing with my time than dining with an elf.

“I’ll have two fingers of your best scotch please, and the salmon dish for my entrée.”

“Absolutely, sir. And for you?” The waitress turns to my date, and it’s clear she’s doing her best to keep her gaze focused on my date’s face and not let it drift down to her ridiculous outfit.

“Oh, I didn’t realize we were ordering right away. Okay…” She peruses the menu quickly and looks back at the waitress with a bright smile. “I’ll have a glass of your house white with the filet mignon.”

“And how would you like it cooked?”

“Medium well, please.”

The waitress nods and takes our menus. “I’ll be back in a minute with your drinks.”

I nod and turn my attention back across the table. “Why did you order white wine?”

She appears perplexed, so I help her out.

“Red wine pairs with red meat, not white.”

Her bright smile finally falters. “Oh well, I don’t really like red, so white it is.”

“But wouldn’t you prefer a drink that enhances the flavor of your meal, not tarnishes it?”

She looks at me as though she doesn’t know how to answer, so I shake my head.

“Never mind. Care to explain the outfit?”

I have to know whether I am in fact dealing with a crazy person or not.

Her cheeks pinken and she bites her plump bottom lip. “I’m an event planner and I had a gig today for holiday photos and I thought it would be fun to dress as an elf. The kids loved it! But I forgot my change of clothes at home, so I didn’t have time to get all the way back there, change, and then be on time for our date.”

“So, you thought it best to show up wearing that?” I motion with my hand across the table.

“Hey, I’m single and ready to jingle.” She wiggles in her seat, making the bells ring. Once again, the majority of the diners look in our direction.

Lord, what have I done to deserve such torture?

When I don’t laugh with her, her face falls and a foreign feeling of guilt worms its way through my veins.

“I didn’t want to be late or make you wait.” The sincerity in her voice surprises me.

Still, I cannot sit here and suffer through a date with a woman who shows up, presumably to attract a grown man, dressed as a fictional character. If anyone I know sees me, I’ll never live it down. God knows I’ve been embarrassed enough for one lifetime.

I open my mouth to politely tell her that while it’s been nice meeting her, I don’t think we’re a match and I’m going to leave, but she speaks first.

“We haven’t even properly introduced ourselves yet. I’m Kenzie Montgomery.” She holds her hand out across the table.

I roll the familiar name over in my head a few times, trying to sort out where I’ve heard it before but come up empty. I take her small hand in mine and shake it. “Andrew Wainwright.”

Her hand stills in mine. “Wait. Andrew? Wainwright? Did you by chance go to Columbia Law School?”

I drop her hand, and my forehead wrinkles.

The waitress returns and sets our drinks on the table. “Your meal shouldn’t be too long.”

I thank her before returning my attention to Kenzie, who is staring at me with wide eyes.

“I attended Columbia Law School, yes.”

I’m almost positive we can’t share any acquaintances or friends. I’m sure I’d remember hooking up with her. There’s no elf makeup blocking her face. After Moira, there were certainly some drunken nights, but none in which I partook in losing myself in another woman. Besides, this woman would have had to be in London at the time and she doesn’t exactly strike me as a worldly person. By the time I came to New York, I had my sights set on excelling in my career, so I know for certain I haven’t been with her in the decade plus since.

“You know my brother, Finn Montgomery.”

My stomach sinks. I don’t only know her brother. He’s my best mate.

“You’re Finn’s little sister?” My mouth is agape as I try to make sense of this. “I thought his sister’s name was—”

She grins. “He’s the only one who calls me Mac. Everyone else calls me Kenzie, but my given name is MacKenzie.”

Kenzie looks as if it’s a delightful situation we’ve found ourselves in.

I, however, realize two things.

First, ditching dinner is no longer an option and I’ll be forced to endure the shame of dining with a full-grown elf woman. Second, the fact she’s Finn’s sister gives me the perfect out without having to make an excuse for why we’re not a match.

Because if anything ever happened between Kenzie and me, Finn would murder me.