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my own. Unfortunately, I'll need your help since my purse and the key to Mrs.
Galloway's apartment are locked inside together."
The connection that had been forged between them, the one he'd thought
nothing could break, was gone. "Stay. I'm calling Joanna "
"No. She'd want an explanation and & it's just better that I go."
Afterward, when Sara had dressed and he'd walked with her down to the
parking garage, he said, "I'll call you later after they're asleep."
She shook her head. "Don't bother."
"I know you're angry, Sara, but try to understand."
"I do understand. And I'm not angry. I'm realistic." She gave him a quick
kiss. "Enjoy the slumber party with your sister."
HAYDEN AND MISSY didn't even wait until lunch the next day. They appeared
at the door of Sara's cubicle at eight-thirty in the morning.
"Thank God you're all right! You scared me. I would have called 9-1-1 if I'd
known where you were."
"I'm sorry, Hayden." Sara felt guilty for ignoring her answering machine.
She'd been afraid she'd find a call from Simon when she got home.
"Well, what happened? Who was at the door?"
"Simon."
They gasped.
Sara sighed. "The fur coat Saran Wrap thing?" She made an okay sign. "Very
effective."
"You and Simon?" Missy's eyes widened.
Sara allowed herself to remember a few of the more pleasant memories.
There were so many from which to choose. "Oh, yeah."
"Well?" Hayden asked as Sara had known she would.
Sara closed her eyes. "Rolls-Royce all the way." Until it plowed into a wall of
Joanna's making. Tears burned her eyes. "The thing is, I don't think I can do
that with another man."
"It? You mean sex?"
"Sex in no way describes what we did."
"Oh, puhleeze," Hayden scoffed. "New lovers always think they're the only
ones & yadda yadda yadda."
"But why would you want to sleep with another man?" Missy asked. "Isn't
Simon the one?"
A tear leaked out. Hayden grabbed a tissue from the box next to Sara's
computer and handed it to her.
"He's the one. But he's not the right one. He came back early from the trip
just to see me and we were asleep in his apartment when Joanna called."
Missy glowered. "That witch."
"Don't flatter her," Hayden said.
"And the next thing I knew, Kayla and her friend, Amber, were coming over
to spend the weekend."
Hayden winced and pressed her forehead with her fingers. "Let me
clarify you're in his bed and he throws you out for his sister?"
Sara nodded. "He didn't throw me out, but it was clear that I'd have to
leave."
"Well, you couldn't really stay there and sleep with him & I mean, she is
only twelve," Missy said.
"I know," Sara said. "And it'll happen again and again. I thought I could take
it, but I can't."
"That man is not right in the head," was all Hayden had to say.
"Okay. Enough." Sara sniffed and wiped her eyes. "So this one stings a
little a lot. I'll just keep looking. It's actually good that I won't feel anything
for anybody for a while because then I can make smart, logical choices before
romantic feelings muddy the waters."
Hayden and Missy looked at each other.
"I want to get right back in the saddle," Sara told them. "I have two names
from the Barre Belles, and anybody else you two have found. See what you
can set up for me. I'm free all next week."
After they left, Sara went through a couple more tissues, grateful that she'd
put on waterproof mascara that morning. The truth was, she felt used, even
though she'd been an enthusiastic participant. Still, no matter how attractive,
no matter how good a lover Simon had proved to be who knew about
backs? he wasn't the one for her. She wanted to be first in a man's life and
Simon clearly had other priorities.
He didn't call her, but when she got back from lunch, a single red rose lay
across her computer keyboard.
11
« ^
IT WAS FRIDAY NIGHT and Hayden tried to get Sara to go bar hopping, but Sara
was still feeling too down.
She got home, got into her fluffy robe the one Hayden had wanted her to
replace with a silk one and popped her Pride and Prejudice DVD into the
machine. She didn't feel like eating, but had two flavors of ice cream on
standby, just in case.
She turned the air conditioner to frigid, settled onto her couch with its new
soft pillows and wrapped herself in the chenille throw. Oh, yeah. And put a
box of tissues on the coffee table.
At nine-thirty, the phone rang. She didn't answer it.
At nine-forty, the phone rang. She didn't answer it. At nine-forty-two, the
phone rang. She glared at it. At nine-forty-three, her cell phone rang, so she
dug it out of her purse.
"Sara?" Hayden shouted in her ear, loud music playing in the background.
"What?" Sara shouted back.
"Answer your phone. Simon wants to talk to you."
"I don't want to talk to him."
"He needs your help."
"I'm no longer providing that kind of help."
"Sara, the guy sounds desperate. Talk to him. He left his number on your
machine."
Fine. She couldn't have him bothering her friends.
His was the first message. "Sara & I need your help. Something is going on [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]