Kiss and Tell 3 Read Online Free PDF Page B

mention what I was supposed to tell them about.
    “Oh,” I said, pulling my story back together. “Mr. Swift had an urgent last-minute appointment this morning and had to reschedule… I don’t know when I’ll get to see him again, but he said he’d have someone call me.”
    Just then, it hit me—what if London took Anthony up on his job offer? What would my mom think about him getting a job at Parker & Swift when I didn’t get one? Surely that wouldn’t sit well with her! That was just another crack in the story Anthony and I would have to tend to.
    “I see,” Mom said, somewhat crestfallen. She glanced at the nightstand beside me and saw my folded-up scrap of paper, the one I’d written my interview information on. The words “Dessert Oasis” were obvious on it, and I’d drawn a hot, steaming pie next to it.
    “Well go ahead and pursue this shop job,” Mom said, still eyeing the paper. “And, if you hear back from Mr. Swift, you can take it from there.”
    I wanted to sit up and stand up to Mom, to tell her that I didn’t need her giving me career advice, but, instead, I leaned back and nodded.
    “Alright,” I said. “But I’m not going to hold my breath.” I couldn’t tell Mom, but I knew that Anthony would be in contact with me soon, though it wouldn’t be about work or anything related to Parker & Swift. And, even if it was, I could never take a job with the company, for a variety of reasons, none of which I could tell Mom.
    Even before any of this all started, I never wanted to work in the advertising industry, especially not at a firm as demanding as the one Dad worked at. Now, given all that had happened over the past couple weeks, I had even more reason to not want to work there. I didn’t want to be under the employ of my lover, whether or not he remained my lover, and didn’t want to work in the same building as London, should he take Anthony up on his offer.
    “I thought maybe we all could go out to dinner tonight,” Mom said, changing the subject. She looked me over again, examining the clothes I was wearing, then turned to the outfit I’d word earlier and discarded on the bench at the foot of my bed. “Get dressed and ready. Your father should be home soon. When he gets here, we’ll head out for something… How about sushi?”
    Sushi, for the most part, was a good compromise between Mom’s health kick and my craving for real food. It was hip, tasty, and fresh, and it was an appealing meal option.
    “Okay,” I said, sitting up again. “I’ll put on what I wore earlier.”
    Mom shook her head in the affirmative. She’d obviously selected my wardrobe when she stared at my outfit a moment earlier, and she seemed pleased that I picked up on her cue.
    “I’m gonna go freshen up too,” Mom said, turning back toward my door. “Just come down when you’re ready. Dad should be here in a half-hour or so.”
    As soon as Mom left the room, I got out of bed and collected my change of clothing. I quickly changed before heading to the bathroom, washing my hands and face, and reapplying a bit of makeup.
    By the time I was done in the bathroom, I could hear Mom on the phone downstairs. From the sound of things, she was making reservations at Ramaka, a premiere sushi joint on the outskirts of town. Now that I knew where she wanted to dine, I understood why she wanted me dressed in my version of a power outfit.
    I could tell that Dad wasn’t home yet, and I didn’t want to deal with Mom one-on-one again just yet. So, before heading downstairs, I went back to my room, just to drag things out a little.
    Sure enough, it was a good thing that I went back there. I’d left my cell phone in my oversized purse beside my bed, and I wanted to transfer it into the bag I’d be taking with me. As soon as I pulled my phone from my big bag, it started buzzing, and I looked down at it. I’d just received a text message from an unfamiliar number—but, of course, I knew who it was from.
    It’s A,