Justin watches her from across the crowded room and can't help but appreciate that it's New Years Eve and that means most women shorten the hem lines of dresses. The long legs sticking out of the bottom of the blue dress are only more enticing to him as they stand perched atop a pair of towering black heels that he's sure cannot feel good to her feet. He licks his lips as he watches the woman's hips sway when she walks towards the back of the large and completely lavish warehouse.

Maybe if he plays his cards right, he'll have a companion in his car for the drive home. Unlike his silent and lonely ride here earlier this evening.

"Stare much?" Grace grins as she slides up beside him.

He turns and smiles at her. "I'm just enjoying the view."

With a shake of her head, she laughs. "Well you better not let her catching you staring at her like that."

"Her who?"

"Mackenzie."

His mouth drops open in surprise before he turns to look at the same mystery woman he's been eyeing for the last twenty minutes. Slowly she starts to turn towards the front of the building and he almost swallows his own tongue. The slightly snobby party planner has been replaced by this sexy woman who he had no idea even existed.  

"I told you there was a secret side to her." Grace bumps her shoulder with his. "Need anything?"

He shakes his head, eyes unable to pull away from the brunette who has infiltrated his mind more than a few times in the last several days. He's blaming it on the fact that he's lonely and hasn't been on a date in weeks. Completely out of the norm for him.

And if he's honest with himself, that kiss she pressed on his cheek last week did more than unsettle his nerves.

"You look like a dog in heat." Grace says snapping a finger in front of his face. "What is the deal?"

"Nothing. She just looks....different." He shrugs and forces his eyes to look at the blonde in front of him.

"Different how?" She teases.

He scoffs and pushes himself off the wall he had been occupying for the last half hour. "She's got that stick outta her ass."

He leaves Grace standing there but her laughter rings in his ears.

Making his way through the crowd, it's like his feet have a mind of their own, leading him directly towards Mackenzie. He nods his head and gives a little wave to his guests but doesn't stop until he reaches his target.

"Justin." She says without looking at him.

"Mack." He responds in the same flat, monotone she greeted him with.

"What'd you want?" She rounds the bar and hands the bartender a piece of paper with a list of her large, bubbly handwriting on it.

He watches her speak in hushed tones with the bartender before she sighs and turns back to him. He gives her a winning smile in hopes of making her smile.

"What?" She snaps brushing past him and towards the back of the building where he knows is a room they had converted into a storage room.

"Just checkin' in with my party planner." He trails after her, eyes dipping down to long legs.

She glances over her shoulder and he quickly looks up at her. "What do you want?"

"Damn Mack, relax." She turns the corner to the hallways and he's still following her. "I'm just checking to see how things are going. Do you need anything? Can I help with anything?"

She pushes open the door to the storage room and he steps into the room as the door closes. "The party is fine. Everything is moving well, except we seem to be running low on booze." She side steps a stack of beer cases. "Surprise, surprise."

"Is that a dig at me?" He crosses his arms over his check, watching her head moving behind one of the shelves. "Because I don't take kindly to mocking on a holiday."

"It's not mocking if it's the truth." She mutters, doing a quick tally of the remaining cases of alcohol in front of her. "Shit, I'm going to have to send someone for a restock."

"Ooooh, I love it when you talk dirty." He smirks at her and she rolls her eyes. "Why don't you just calm down. It's not like we're going to actually run out."

"I need to be prepared for whatever might happen." She moves to stand in front of him. "You hired a party planner for a reason, let me do my job."

He can see her quickly losing her patience and it only excites him more.  He loves to push her buttons and get her all riled up and if this conversation continues he knows she's going to lose it. They've found some sort of balance in the last week and have been working together smoothly with no issues but he's missing the spunk she shows when angry.

"I am!" He snaps back. "But calm the fuck down. It's a party and it's almost midnight and everyone will be leaving soon."

She throws her hands up in frustration. "My reputation is at stake here! I cannot just calm down and see what happens."

"You need to pop a Xanax or some shit." He steps towards her and her breath catches in her throat as he reaches a hand out towards her head. "Or take a shot." He waves the bottle of tequila he just grabbed in her face.

She bats the bottle out of his hand, catching him off guard and the bottle shatters on the floor, splashing both of them. "Damn it Justin!"

"Fuck you!" He snaps as they both drops to the knees to pick up the pieces of glass. "You're the one who hit the bottle."

"Because you're such an asshole." She stands and drops the glass into the trash can.  "Why do you have to keep acting like such a child."

"Me?!" He stands and practically throws the glass into the metal can. "You know what, get off your high horse. You are not some fuckin' princess."

"Then stop calling me that!" The anger coursing through her is taking over and she can't seem to get it under control. Before she can stop herself, she reaches out and pushes at his chest. "I cannot stand you!"

He stumbles back, shock settling in. Clenching his jaw, he stares at her. Her eyes wild and flashing with anger, her mouth parted as she's breathing heavily. Before he can take a breath he's pressing his mouth roughly to hers. Moving his lips in an unheeding manner, not noticing her struggling against him until she pushes him away.

"What is wrong with you?" She demands wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Have you lost your damn mind?"

He blinks and licks his lips, the taste of her mouth still lingering.

"Guys?" The door opens behind him opens and Mackenzie snaps her head towards Grace. "Sorry, Justin but Bonnie is looking for you to make the speech." Her eyes move slowly between the both of them, confusing marring her features.

Justin swallows hard, giving Grace a curt nod before leaving the small room, not even giving a second glance to Mackenzie.

"Mackenzie?" Grace questions.

Shaking her head, she takes a deep breath before answering. "Nothing. Send one of the waiters to the liquor store for a quick restock, we're running low."

Grace watches her shake her head, as if to clear her thoughts. "Are you ok?"

"Fine." She retorts, annoyance lacing her voice. "Just do it."

"Of course." Grace mutters before leaving her alone in the room.

With a shaky breath, Mackenzie brings a hand to her lips. That was completely unexpected.

And alarming because she knows if she hadn't pushed him away, she'd soon be kissing him back.