She maneuvers the black Honda through the gap created between the metal chain link fence and starts to worry about their safety. This place looks exactly like one of those scary abandoned warehouses where serial killers took their victims to mutilate their bodies.

A large brick building with two oversized metal doors, overgrown and under cared for shrubs and grass scattered all over the ground. That is once you get past the rock scattered parking lot. At least none of the windows were broken. None that she could see at least.

"Do you know what we're doing here?" Grace whispers from the passenger seat, eyes wide in wonderment.

Mackenzie shakes her head, eyes never leaving the car in front of her. "Hoping we aren't about to be killed."

A giggle escapes from Grace as Justin exits his black BMW. "At least he's nice to look at."

Rolling her eyes, "Until he opens his mouth."

The two women climb out of the car, their heels getting dirty with the simple act of stepping onto the makeshift parking lot.

"This is it!" Justin calls, motioning to the building behind him. "What'd you think?"

"This?  You are aware I'm a party planner. Not a miracle worker." Mackenzie gives him a dubious look. "I'm not even God."

"I know that Mack." Justin grins but rolls his eyes. "But you da best. You can make this happen."

"Justin, you've brought us out to what I can only assume is a drug house for bums and you expect me to make it the venue for your New Year Eve party." She stands, hands on her hips, Grace looking back and forth between the two of them, mildly amused at their interaction. "No one can do this."

"Yeah, well, you're going to put your thinking cap on and make it happen." He smirks at her. "Because I bought the place and this is where we're having it."

Both women open their mouths in shock and stare at him.

"Come on." He turns and walks towards the building. "Let me show you want we need to do."

Grace looks at Mackenzie. "Is he serious?"

Blinking, she turns to her counterpart, "It would appear so." She straightens. "He is an utter moron."

"How many days until this needs to be ready to go?" Grace asks in hushed tones as they trail behind Justin.

Doing the quick math in her head, "We have 28 days to make the impossible happen."

"It's not impossible Mack." Justin calls over his shoulder as he pulls both doors toward him. A cloud of sand falls from the top of the doors and both girls step back quickly to avoid getting it on their clothes. "You just need to have a little faith." He brushes the sand off his clothes and looks at her over his shoulder. "And imagination."

She shakes her head but keeps her mouth shut. There is no way that she can make this happen for him. It's not just him that she concerned with. Her name is going to be on the press release for the party and she has a reputation to uphold. When this party comes tumbling down around her, she knows that she is going to be the blame. It's part of her job.

She steps cautiously into the building and surveys the space in front of her. The room opens up into a large area that could easily hold both a proper dance floor and enough tables for the guests. Beyond that there's a landing that would fit a five-piece band or two DJ's with room to spare. The ceiling was contrasted of iron beams that could be disguised with draping cloth and lights.

"See? I told you." Justin smarts off. "I can see it on your face."

"Just because there's a look on my face does not equate to my approval." She snaps and she can see Grace grin out of the corner of her eye. "You'd have to pass a health inspection, get a liquor license, get a cleaning crew to come in, a lighting crew, a plummer-" She cranes her head around the room. "Does this place even have restrooms?"

"In the back." He rocks on his heels, hands shoved in the pockets of his leather jacket. "The health inspector will be here next week. I've got the liquor on speed dial. And the plummer was already here, got a clean bill of health."

"You've done your homework." Grace comments and walks across the room. "You know, once you get this place cleaned up, I really think this could work."

Mackenzie narrows her eyes at her. "It's not enough time."

"You're just a regular Debbie Downer today aren't you?" Justin huffs. He turns to Grace, "She's not usually like this. Maybe she needs to get laid."

"Shut up." She snaps and crosses her arms over her chest, annoyed as both of them laugh at her.

"Speaking of, is that why dad bailed on me for our meeting tomorrow night?" Justin turns back to her. "You got a hot date? Did he pick his girlfriend over his own son?"

She opens her mouth to speak but never gets to say anything.

"Hold it right there!" Grace burst out and hurries back toward them where she stops next to Justin.  "She's dating your dad? You're dating his dad?!?"

"I don't see how that is any of your business. What I do-"

"She's practically my stepmom." Justin gives her a cheeky grin. "Right mom?"

"This is ridiculous." She turns on her heels and stumbles over the rock covered path towards her car. "Let's go Grace."

"Mackenzie, wait!' Grace calls after her and she can head Justin's laughter over the clicking of Grace's heels on the concrete floor.

Mashing the button on her keychain the lights of the car flash and she yanks the drivers' side door open and waiting for Grace to get in. Behind the pretty blonde Justin is still laughing as he locks the metal doors up.

"Sorry." Grace mutters from the inside of the car.

She turns to climb into the car but Justin's voice stops her.

"So I'll stop by tomorrow and we can hash this out."

She slams the door shut and marches over to where he's standing next to his car, "Listen to me, you are going to stop mocking and ridiculing me." She points at finger at him and he's unable to keep a small grin for pulling at his lips. "I'm going to make this happen for you not because of your father but because you're right. I am the best. And because you're my client. So you better start treating me with the professionalism you treat all your business partners. Because that's what we are. And when this is done, you pay me and leave me alone."

Her face flushed from anger she steps back from him and then feels another flush of embarrassment for having gone off the handle at him like that.

Completely delighted at her sudden lashing and the just sudden look of resentment of the outburst, he simply nods his head.

"Good." She retorts and hurries back to her car, her heel turning on a rock and she grabs the hood of her car to steady herself.

A laugh escapes him and turn snaps her head to him, eyes full of anger and he shuts up quickly but brings a hand up to give a little wave with his fingers.

"See you tomorrow princess." He calls as she slams her door shut and throws her car in reverse, sending gravel and rocks flying everywhere.

Twenty minutes into the silent car ride, Grace glances at Mackenzie. Finding her eyes fixated on the road in front of her, she begins to chew on her lip.

"What?"

Grace looks at her, surprised at the harshness in her voice. "Nothing."

"What?" Mackenzie asks again. "You obviously have something to say, so say it."

She licks her lips, "So is that true? About Justin's dad being your boyfriend?"

"Not that it's any of your concern, we are dating. Yes."

"But he's old! He's old enough to be your dad."

"A mouth filter would make an excellent Christmas gift for you."

Grace snaps her mouth close and ducks her head. "Sorry."

Heaving a sigh, "It's fine. I'm sorry."

A quiet moment passes between them. They're nearing closer to downtown at will soon be reaching the office. She's still unsure if Mackenzie was going to offer her a job and as badly as she wanted to keep questioning the Preston thing she knew better.

"I'm going to offer this job as a trail run. Clearly Justin is going to make this an infeasible event so I'm going to need as much help as I can get." Mackenzie starts. "We get through this, see how you do. Evaluate your performance and proceed from there. Can you handle that?"

"Yes. Of course." She nods. "Thank you so much."

Holding up a hand, "It's nothing. I can't stomach him alone and you two seem to not want to kill each other so I'm going to make you second in command for this. You will answer to me and report to me. Every single detail or decision needs to go through me before you do anything. Understood?"

"Of course." She nods again.

She whips the car into her parking spot in the deck and turns the car off. "Be here tomorrow morning at 8 am and we'll go over pay."

"Yes ma'am."

They get out of the car and Mackenzie gathers her stuff from the backseat, stacking it on the hood of the car, "Don't call me ma'am. I'm not that old." She cracks a smile and which Grace returns. "Go home, I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Ok. Thank you again." She backs away from the car. "Good night."

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Mack." Justin enters the office, coffee cup in hand.

"Justin." She nods at him as he pads across the room and takes a seat in the chair in front of her desk. "Thank you for coming."

"As if you'd let me miss this." He slouches down in the chair. "Alright, let's do this. I gotta be somewhere later."

She closes her eyes a second before reaching for a pen and flipping open the planner for the party. "So the health inspector is coming next week. That's great. I'll need to be there when he is."

"Tuesday at ten." He brings the cup to his lips. "He'll be expecting you."

"You'll need to be there as well." She's jotting down notes. "I'll need the phone number to your liquor guy so I can contact him in regards to that."

"He's a she." He leers at her.

"Of course she is." She looks up at him. "I'll need her name and number then. Now since we're waiting to the last minute to book everything, I'll have to contact everyone today. So let's have at it."

"Have at what?" He looks up at her confused.

She lets out a breath, "Cater? DJ or band? Guest list? Florist? Party favors? Sponsor?"

"Oh, I've got the sponsor thing under control."

She curved an eyebrow at him, thinking it was some stupid ‘Girls Gone Wild' magazine. "I'd like to meet with them."

He nods and takes another pull from the coffee cup, grimacing as it goes down. "I'm going this afternoon to tie the loose ends up. You can come with." He pauses. "I'll even buy you dinner if it runs late. But don't tell Preston. I hate to cause a rift in the relationship."

She clenches her jaw but continues, "Have you given any thought to anything else?"

"You're the party planner." He states and rolls his head back. "You're supposed to take care of this."

"I know that." She slams the pen down a little harder than intended. "But please remember this is your party. I'll make this easy for you. Just give me one word answers and I'll go off that."

"Shoot." He sits up in the chair. "I was always good with tests."

Shaking her head, she picks the pen back up. "Food?"

"Light. Heavy hor' dourves at the most."

"DJ or band?"

"Two DJs."

"Florists?"

"You pick. That's a chick thing."

"Any type of party favor?"

"Being invited is enough right?" He asks and she stops writing and looks up at him. "Kidding Mack. God, you need to get laid."

"I thought we agreed that you lay off the lewd remarks."

"No." He shook his head. "You demanded then left. I never agreed to anything."

Knowing she was fighting a losing battle she presses on. "I'll come up with something. Nevermind."

"Nothing too expensive. I've got to pay for this."

"How many guests are you planning?"

"You mean how many have I told?"

She looks up at him, "Excuse me?"

He furrows his eyes, "Huh?"

"You've told people instead of sending out invitations?"

"Yeah." He shrugs. "What's big deal?"

"Oh God." She sits back in her seat and he can see her start to panic. Her chest his rising and falling quickly as she tries to compose her breathing. There's a small twitch in her left eyebrow that he finds slightly endearing.

"I'm kidding!" He leans forward and puts the cup down on her desk. "Relax. I'll email you the list tonight. There's about 200 people on it."

It takes her several long seconds to get her heart rate and breathing back to normal. Fearing this man is going to be the death of her she leans forward, "Not funny."

He chuckles and tilts the chair back on the back two legs, "It kinda was."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The car rolls to a stop and Mackenzie looks up from the Blackberry and her planner. "Where are we?"

"The sponsor." Justin says and turns the car off and getting out. "Let's go. We've got a meeting."

She quickly follow suit, planner clutched tightly against her chest.

They walk into the building and there's a distant smell of clean and copy paper that fills her nose. She looks around the room unable to place where they are. The pale beige walls and standard waiting room furniture giving nothing away.

"Hey there." Justin leans against the desk. A cute red head flashes him a bright smile. "Justin Timberlake for Bonnie Meeks."

"One second." She continues to smile. She types something into the computer and looks back up at them. "If you want to take a seat, she'll be one moment."

"Thanks doll." Justin returns her smile before sitting down in on one of the couches.

"Where are we?" Mackenzie asks, still looking around the room trying to pick up a clue as to where they are.

"Shhh." He puts a finger over his lips. "Just sit back and look cute."

She huffs at his comment and sits back in the seat.

"That was not a come on." He leans in close to her. "Dad taught me better than to make a move on a taken woman."

"You-"

"Justin! So nice to see you again."

They both stand when Bonnie walks into the room.

Mackenzie watches the two embrace warmly and chat a few minutes quietly before Justin turns to her. "Bonnie, this is Mack. My party planner."

She raises an eyebrow at him. "Party planner this year? That's an improvement."

"Last year was so good that I needed an expert this go ‘round."

"Hi, Bonnie Meeks." She reaches out and shakes Mackenzie's hand.

"Mackenzie Jefferson."

"Nice to meet you." She turns to Justin. "Let's head on back."

The three of them settle in around a conference table and Mackenzie pulls out her planner and pen ready to take notes but it seems that the other two would much rather make small talk. She sits there and listens to them for several minutes before Bonnie clears her throat.

"Looks like your party planner is ready to get this show on the road." She motions towards Mackenzie.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Mackenzie shakes her head. "I didn't mean anything."

"She's adorable." Bonnie sneaks a look at Justin.

"Yeah, well she's spoken for." He winks at Mackenzie.

Bonnie lets out a quick laugh. "Good thing. You're a heartbreaker."

"You listen to too much gossip." He shakes a finger at her.

"Maybe so." She straightens up in the chair and opens the folder in front of her. "Alright, let's go over these details, you sign, I sign and we're done."

"Go." Justin nods.

"I...I'm sorry but can I interrupt for a second?" Mackenzie leans forward and they both turn to her. "I don't mean to be rude but I don't even know who you are."

"Sure you do Mack. This is Bonnie." He turns to the older woman. "Short term memory. I should have gone with another party planner."

"You haven't told her?" Bonnie glares at him. "You are the devil."

"You hush your mouth." Justin sasses at her but both women can see the teasing in his eyes.

"I'm the public relations director for St Jude's here in Atlanta." Bonnie tells her. "We work with Justin every year as a sponsor and fundraiser of sorts. He sells dinner plates and there's a cover charge or purchase price for the ticket where all proceeds to directly to St Jude. A vast majority of that going to research and funding. The remainder usually towards toys and trips, mainly the Make a Wish Foundation."

Mackenzie turns to Justin, in complete and total shock. She never would have expected this to be Justin's party sponsor. And even more shocked to find out that they've hosted his party every year. If she remembers correctly this will be his sixth year hosting this party.

She stares at Justin, unable to really process a complete sentence.

"He's a big part of the hospital and the kids love him." Bonnie goes on. "They really light up when he comes in."

She continues to look at him as he sits there, his head bowed towards Bonnie as they finalize the details for the party. This is a side of Justin that she never knew existed, much less find him so open about it. She watches as he interacts with Bonnie, both of them nodding their heads and gesturing with their hands.

She'd never admit it but she can't help but be touched by this other side of him.