Her Little Black Book Read Online Free PDF

decorated ballroom of the St. Laurent Hotel. Mike and Sonya’s wedding had been beautiful, and the vows they had written and recited to each other brought tears to nearly everyone’s eyes.
    The way Mike had stood there facing Sonya, staring deep into her eyes while pledging his love and promising to make her happy for the rest of their lives made Courtney long for a man to love her just as much.
    â€œHello, Courtney Diane.”
    She looked up at her uncle Joe. Deep wrinkles now marred a face that used to be ageless, smooth, and extremely handsome. Now it appeared that marriage to the young high-maintenance Suzette had taken its toll. The good looks were still there—if you searched real hard.
Overall, he looked tired, whipped, and a lot older than his sixty-two years. She’d recently overheard her parents saying he was routinely working additional hours since Suzette liked nice things and expected her husband to supply her with them, starting with the Porsche he had given her for her twenty-eighth birthday last year. There was also the huge monstrosity of a house he’d had built for her.
    Courtney remembered how while she was growing up, Uncle Joe used to brag to everyone about his plans to retire early and not work a day past his sixtieth birthday. He would be sixty-five in three years, and thanks to Suzette, retirement wasn’t in his future any time soon. At one time, she used to think the world of her uncle; he was always her favorite. She used to respect him more than she did her own father … until Joe discovered that, like her father, he had no intentions of adhering to his wedding vows. Although his philandering days had come later in life, still they had come, disappointing and hurting Courtney as much as Aunt Peggy and Sonya.
    â€œOh, hello, Uncle Joe,” she said, rising slightly on her toes to place a kiss on his cheek. The gesture was more habit than affection. “How are things going?”
    â€œJust fine. I thought the wedding was nice.”
    â€œYes, it was,” she agreed. Especially since he’d somehow convinced the sophisticated hooch he’d married to behave. Suzette was known to throw temper tantrums at any time or any place, like a spoiled child. Inwardly, Courtney was grateful Suzette hadn’t made a scene, even when no one escorted her in, although it was obvious she’d felt that she should have been part of the
ceremony. Why she believed that was beyond Courtney.
    â€œI just finished talking to your parents a moment ago. They seem happy together.”
    Looks are definitely deceiving , she wanted to say, but instead she took a sip of her champagne and asked, not that she was really interested, “Where is Suzette?”
    â€œShe went to the ladies’ room.”
    Courtney immediately scanned the ballroom, not seeing her aunt Peggy anywhere. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck suddenly stand up as she glanced over at Sonya. Her cousin was standing beside Mike, getting ready to cut into her wedding cake, but Courtney intercepted the silent plea in her eyes and quickly nodded. “Excuse me, Uncle Joe.” She then quickly walked off.
    When Courtney reached the ladies’ lounge, she was about to turn around upon seeing the posted NOT IN ORDER sign on the door, but then she heard both her aunt Peggy’s and Suzette’s voices.
    It seemed her aunt Peggy was giving out just as many insults as Suzette was hurling, and Courtney admired her aunt for finally standing up for herself Luckily, there was no one else in the area. Their voices were getting louder and the words coming from their mouths filthier. She was glad her aunt had finally decided to fight back. Suzette would often go to extremes to flaunt her affair and subsequent marriage in Aunt Peggy’s face, and today was no different.
    The two women’s voices rose even higher. Courtney ignored it as long as both humanly and womanly possible
before deciding it