Brida Pact Read Online Free PDF Page B

sister was trying to distract her with
humor, she went with it and smiled back. “The more the merrier?”
    Both women erupted in laughter as Brian stood and threw his
hands in the air. “You two are crazy. I’m going to take a shower. Figure out
what you want for lunch so we can eat once I’m cleaned up.”
    Pixie moved from the coffee table to the couch beside Poppy.
“You won’t really apply, will you?”
    Poppy shook her head. “I was just thinking out loud, Pix.
But you have to admit, what they can do is amazing.”
    “Yeah, it is.”
    Watching the news broadcast for a while longer, the women
talked about ideas for lunch before settling on going out for Chinese food.
    Once Brian was ready to head out, they all piled into
Pixie’s SUV. The Chinese place Brian preferred was close by and only took about
ten minutes to get to.
    Getting a table was fairly easy even though the place was
crowded. A quick five-minute wait and they were sitting down with menus while
groups of people were talking loudly around them. Every once in a while, Poppy
would hear “aliens” or “bride” pop up but she didn’t want to eavesdrop too
much.
    Brian dominated the conversation over lunch, talking about
his work as if he were a heart surgeon saving lives. That was one thing Poppy
had never liked about him. Everything he did was crucial. Every meeting he took
was with important people. Blah blah blah. It was all too much for Poppy to
take sometimes.
    Pixie was quiet through almost the entire meal, and Poppy
knew she herself was the reason. She hadn’t meant to worry her big sister when
she’d mentioned applying for the Bridal Pact. Poppy wasn’t even sure what these
guys looked like, for goodness’ sake. They could be two feet tall with green
skin and bulging heads.
    Trying to come back to the present, Poppy listened to Brian
drone on and on about work. She’d have to go back to her apartment soon. There
was only so much of him she could take. Unlike Pixie, she had a limit on how
long she could listen to him and not think he was a total douche. Throughout
lunch, she tried to participate in the conversation, or at least Pixie’s
portion of it, but for some reason, she couldn’t get the thought of the Bridal
Pact out of her head.

Chapter Five
     
    Poppy ended up moving back to her apartment after staying
with her sister another week. It was either go home or smother Brian in his
sleep. She figured that might piss off her sister for some reason. Getting back
into a routine seemed to be what everyone else in the world was doing. In the
two weeks that had passed since the last presidential press conference, people
were once again going to work, mowing their lawns and pretty much ignoring the
spaceships.
    Major cities had opened Intake Centers in previously vacant
office buildings to gather applications for the Bridal Pact. The first time
Poppy had seen a government commercial asking women to apply, she’d been
shocked. It played out like a political campaign ad, pointing out all the
reasons to apply. It seemed to be working though since the news had shown a few
ladies being interviewed on their way into the Intake Centers.
    The only thing that Poppy wasn’t able to get back into the
routine of was work. She’d been fired shortly after the office reopened.
Apparently being late too often had pissed off the higher-ups and while they’d
been closed with all the alien hubbub they’d reorganized the office to
eliminate her position.
    Searching the classifieds didn’t give her much hope either.
Poppy was told she was overqualified for most positions or needed a better
degree for others. Damn history major. It was getting her nowhere fast.
Deciding to call Pixie and see if she wanted to get together for dinner seemed
like the way to cheer herself up.
    “Hey, Pix, wanna come over and veg? Maybe order a pizza?”
Poppy hoped Pixie said yes since she hadn’t seen her sister since moving back
to her place. Apparently Bonehead Brenda