CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY SIX – QUEST TO WIN HIS LOVE

The piece de resistance, of course, came only a few days after the mug incident when Kayla and Lance arrived at the office one morning to find a makeshift candlelit dinner arrayed across the desk in Jessie's workspace nook. The harsh overhead fluorescents were dimmed, giving the area an almost romantic ambiance...if you overlooked the outdated copies of Cosmo and paperwork strewn about as decorations. "What in the..." Kayla stared, dumbfounded, as Jessie came flitting out of the kitchenette in a frilly apron, lighting the last few candles with a beatific smile on her glossed lips. "Surprise!" She sang out, somehow managing to sound both breathless with anticipation and calculatingly smug. "I wanted to prepare an intimate home-cooked dinner for the two of us, Mr. Storm. You know, as a gesture of my appreciation for being such an incredible mentor to me." That last part was directed pointedly at Kayla as the bubbly blonde executed an exaggerated wink. Clutching Lance's arm possessiv