Tilting her head slightly, she nodded. "You remembered. Yeah, Kenny is my twin. He's special needs and can't live alone. We've been best friends since birth. He helps me just as much, though. Keeps me on my toes and touching grass."
Bette's stomach fluttered with admiration. The proud look on Kerrie's face was heartwarming. Maybe Kerrie wasn't so bad after all? "That's really sweet of you to care for him so much and not reduce him down to a burden like some would."
"Kenny isn't even close to a burden. It's a gift to call him my brother," exclaimed Kerrie with a large smile that Bette was quickly warming up to. "Now, how about we talk about this office? This is the one you want to take, correct?"
"Yeah, I like this one better. The other one felt like a closet."
Kerrie nodded, sipping her Sun Drop, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Yeah, it is pretty tiny."
"Do you know how I can get the chair replaced? I don't think I can work a full day balancing on that thing."
Chuckling, Kerrie looked down at the nub of a rolling chair she was sitting on. "Yeah, things don't really get replaced around here. You could take the chair in the other office—well, wait, we may have more choices. Hold on a sec."
She stood and left the office. Kerrie's footsteps echoed lightly down the hall, and then she was back with the silver key ring loaded with keys. "Come downstairs with me," she instructed.
Standing, Bette followed, pulling her door partially shut as she exited.
Bette had yet to be in the basement, and she wasn't sure what she was expecting, but the walls of random colors, gray-painted concrete floors, and a mix of different chairs weren't it. The ceiling was low, making the room feel compressed. She walked over to a spot where a makeshift coffee station was. "I thought they were only given one cup at breakfast? Coffee is expensive, according to Elaine, and she doesn't have the budget for more than that."
Kerrie smirked. "Yeah, the coffee thing is sorta a Church secret. We're small enough that we can get away with it. There's no way The Main could. They have too many clients. The clients pitch in, and I grab it for them when I'm out."
"Is that something I'll need to do?"
Kerrie paused, looking uncertain. "Uh, I mean, I don't mind doing it. It's not like it's on the list of things you're supposed to do."
Kerrie turned toward the short row of doors that presumably led to extra office space. Bette reached out, placing her hand on Kerrie's forearm, feeling heated skin underneath. Kerrie stopped, looking a little startled by the touch, and then relaxed her face. Bette pulled back. "Is this one of those things where you have a hard time asking for help?"
Kerrie's back stiffened, causing Bette to second-guess her words. She walked over to one of the doors, which was painted a dull orange, and began shifting the keys. "It's not that big of a deal," she said.
Bette rolled her eyes at Kerrie's back but repressed the snarky retort on the tip of her tongue. She'd have to learn how to talk to this woman, apparently.
With the correct key selected, Kerrie gave the door a little push. "You're more than welcome to anything in here."
Casting a cautious look Kerrie's way, Bette poked her head into the room, her body close enough to Kerrie that she could feel her body heat. The room was about the size of her office but had lots of office furniture stacked in it. "What is all this?"
"Just leftovers that they didn't have anywhere to put it. I'm sure maintenance doesn't even remember it's down here."
Bette stepped further into the room, spying an office chair in the corner wedged between some filing cabinets. "That's exactly what I need."
She tried to scoot the filing cabinet over to reach the chair, but it didn't budge. A large hand cupped her shoulder and gently tugged her back. "I got it. Longer arms."
The spot on Bette's shoulder where Kerrie touched her tingled pleasantly. She stepped back to allow Kerrie room. She easily plucked it up, bringing it to sit before her. "Give it a try."
Bette tentatively sat on the blue cushioned chair, still acutely aware of the one that fell apart on her upstairs. She leaned back cautiously, finding it sound, and bounced a little. She smiled up at Kerrie. "I think it's good."
"No, no, no, you didn't test it fully," declared Kerrie. Before Bette could register what she had said, Kerrie grabbed the back, turned her around, and took off, pushing her in circles.
"Ah!" Bette squealed, clutching the sides of the chair. She pulled her legs up as they raced through the door and around the basement. They were laughing loudly, Kerrie zigzagging her around until they turned and came face to face with a smirking Luke at the bottom of the basement steps. "Are you two having fun?"
Bette flushed and stood up, fussing with her hair, while Kerrie just raised an eyebrow at the young man. "Just redecorating."
"Uh-huh."
Kerrie stood straighter and pointed to the room. "Is there anything else you want from the room, Bette?"
"Let me look." Her face was hot, but she wasn't sure why. For some reason, she felt like they had been caught doing something naughty.
The room wasn't the most organized. It looked as if someone just tucked things wherever they could. Tables, chairs, filing cabinets, aged or broken lamps, and even a large fake tree. "Hmm, why do I like the tree?"
