Her Baby Secret (Friends & Lovers Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

it was getting dark outside. She'd been completely unaware of the time. She tried to force herself not to think of Devin or all the wonderful times they'd had together. But she ached without him.
    "I'm actually going to make homemade beef lo mein," Robyn said, and her voice sounded stilted to her own ears. "All the ingredients are in the fridge."
    "Ooh I can't wait," Emerald said, following Robyn into the small kitchen. "It was so good when you made it last time."
    "I'm going to make extra," Robyn announced unnecessarily. She always cooked more food than she'd eat, usually giving it away to someone. She loved to cook but didn't like to cook just for herself. "You can take some with you when you leave."
    Emerald sat at the small kitchen table and watched while Robyn put a pot of water on to boil for the spaghetti. While Robyn chopped fresh vegetables, she listened to Emerald tell her about her creepy boss. She'd been a receptionist at a gym for more than 6 years, straight out of high school. Recently, her boss, Mr. Marley had retired, giving his creepy son full control of the gym. Ever since the younger Marley had taken over, Emerald complained more and more about him hitting on her.
    "I'm so sick of this, you know?" Emerald went on. "People say I'm crazy but I have the best job ever. I work at a gym, surrounded by mostly health conscious people and lots of sexy ass dudes. I just have to answer the phone and play on the computer all day and schedule people in different classes. It's easy and I'm good at it and I'm comfortable. Well, I was... This stupid loser-pervert is going to make me quit one day."
    "Have you threatened to sue him for sexual harassment?" Robyn already knew that Emerald had told the jerk more than once to get lost and that she wasn't interested.
    "He said it's his word against mine and that no one will believe me." Emerald tapped her fingers against the table.
    "I think you should start looking for a new job," Robyn said as she added the spaghetti to the boiling water. Her stomach rumbled, even though she'd had a chicken sandwich for lunch immediately after she'd gotten home with the groceries.
    "I think so, too." Emerald shook her head. "Anyway, let's talk about something else. Did you get all your Christmas shopping done?"
    "Yeah, I actually did," Robyn said, sitting across the table from her friend. "I'm glad I got it over with. Christmas shopping gets worse and worse every year."
    "I know," Emerald said, watching Robyn take an apple out of the bowl of fruit that was in the center of the table. Robyn quickly bit a huge chunk out of it. "You know you should wash that first."
    "I know," Robyn said after she'd swallowed, standing and going to the sink to rinse the apple that she'd already bitten. "But I didn't even know I was going to grab it. I was suddenly so hungry I had to bite something ."
    Emerald smiled. Robyn returned to the table and sat down, eating the rest of the apple as she and Emerald talked about what gifts they'd purchased for their family and friends. Once the spaghetti was done and drained, Robyn put the noodles into a plastic bowl and poured a little sesame oil over them. She tossed the noodles, then covered the bowl with a plate so that the noodles would stay warm.
    She put peanut oil in a pan and put the pan over a high flame. She added fresh garlic and ginger to the pan, stirring it quickly before reaching for the vegetables she'd chopped. Her mouth watered but it was decidedly unpleasant. The bile rose up in her throat without warning and she ran for the bathroom, not even making it to the toilet and having to settle on vomiting in the sink.
    "Oh, honey, are you okay?" Emerald asked, in the bathroom with Robyn but sounding far away.
    Robyn continued retching until her stomach muscles ached. Emerald rubbed her back as she leaned over the sink.
    "Get rid of that food," Robyn whispered when she was finally done. "I can't take the smell."
    Emerald nodded and left the bathroom.
    Robyn