Happily Ever After? (Sleeping Handsome Sequel) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Zach’s compliments on my
looks seriously. Thinking of Zach, I ask Bret, “So do you have a
girlfriend, someone waiting at home?” Again, even if it’s demented,
I want to hear if someone else is pinning like me.
    He gives me an odd look. Like I should
know his status. “Ah no, I’m on location too much to keep up a
relationship. Besides relationships can hold your career
back.”
    I can’t help a frown. First Zoe and
now him. “Have you ever tried?”
    He shrugs. “A few times. Things never
worked out.” Those green eyes study me while he takes a sip of
coffee. He lowers the cup and says, “I take it you have
someone.”
    I can’t help a quick smile. “Um yeah,
we’ve been going out for a while.”
    His eyes narrow a bit. “Is he in the
business?”
    I shake my head. “He’s in college.
Eventually he wants to get an MFA. But he wants to be a novelist
not a screen writer.”
    “ Interesting,” Bret says.
He doesn’t look too interested. He brushes his hair back again.
This guy has a serious hair fetish.
    Bret is quite good looking, but he
doesn’t come close to Zach. Thinking of Zach again—I’m always
thinking of him—I want to check my email. I set my coffee down and
make a point of looking at the clock on the desk. “It’s getting
kind of late.”
    Bret gives me a long look—why I can’t
imagine —before he stands. “Oh yeah, sure. I’ll leave you the
rönttönen. You can think of me at breakfast,” he says with a wink
before letting himself out.
    I frown as the door closes. What’s
with the wink? What does he think? I’m like five? Sure, he has more
experience and is older than me by at least seven years. But
seriously? Go pump your ego on some adoring fans not the green
actor. Geez.
    As I move to the desk, where my laptop
sits, all thoughts of Bret’s arrogance flee. There had better be an
email waiting. I log on with almost trembling fingers. Ah-ha.
Relief. There is.
    Hey Paige,
    Sorry this is coming at
you so late. Though still in training, I’ve been working with
clients today and didn’t have time for a break until now. One good
thing about this job is that time flies by. It’s nothing like being
behind the reception counter where every second feels like
eternity. I think I’m going to like this position. It’s not
writing, but it doesn’t suck.
    Amanda update: she said hi
to me when I came in this afternoon.
    Once again, I think you’re
blowing the whole Amanda working at the gym out of proportion. And
that you’d even worry about her cuts me. It cuts me deep. You know
I’m crazy about you and have been since I woke up out of my damn
coma. Who’d ever want to be in a coma? Me. Because it brought you
to me. Even if Amanda is up to something—which I seriously doubt—I
love you. However yesterday, I didn’t feel like you believed in my
love.
    Do you believe in
me?
    Fuck. I hope
so.
    Because I believe in
you.
    Z

    I fall back into the chair. My hands
grip the edge of the desk. That he’d question me has me feeling
sick. He just doesn’t get what being friends with the bitch for
three years did to me. Other than when he was in a coma, we never
talked about Amanda. There was never a reason. That part of my life
was over.
    Perhaps if I explain it, he’ll
understand.
    My finger now trembles as I hit reply.
My hands shake as I spread them over the keyboard. Before I can
type one letter, a knock sounds on the door. With my mind still on
Zach’s email, I stagger to the door. Outside my room, a waiter
smiles over a linen covered service cart.
    I shake my head at the silver lid
covering the plate. The thought of food has me nauseous. “Sorry,
but I don’t want that.”
    He gives me an odd look.
    I point to my stomach. “Feeling sick,”
I say and almost slam the door before going back to my
computer.
    And Zach.

~6~
    Zach

    My phone has been blinking, alerting
me to a message from Paige, since I woke up. Late of course. So I
haven’t read her email yet. I wanted to read it.