Looking for You Read Online Free PDF Page A

from the
Mission. Twenty-five minutes, more or less, from where Purple Elephant was
located to Outta My Gourd.
    The real
benefit to rollerblading: it gave her an outlet to get rid of some of her
naturally over-abundant energy. The tai chi master she'd met years ago in Oregon had shown
her how to channel and calm her "restless chi," as he called it.
    Of course, back then she'd had good
reason to be restless. She'd been constantly looking over her shoulder, waiting
for the paparazzi to swoop in and smother her.
    She hated the media. She had since
she'd been six when they'd labeled her the Grape Princess because she'd shown
up to a press conference with jelly on her face.
    That picture had followed her into
adolescence. Worse: her father had punished her for making a mockery of the de
la Roche name. She'd felt embarrassed and shamed. And guilty, because her
favorite nanny had been fired for not making sure she'd been presentable.
    To this day, thinking about it made
her tense.
    But she didn't have to deal with the
press any longer. She'd done a good job disappearing, changing her name and
appearance. She'd become Gwendolyn Pierce, bohemian. No one connected rainbow-haired
Gwen to the missing Grape Princess. She doubted even her mother would recognize
her if they were in the same room.
    Of course, her mother probably
wouldn't recognize her regardless. Being a parent hadn't been high on Janine's
list of priorities. Why would she trouble herself with a dirty job like
mothering when she had a team of nannies at her beck and call?
    "That's the last thing I need to
think about right now," she said to herself as she bladed up Sacramento
Street. Talk about getting agitated.
    To distract herself, on impulse she
rolled into Grounds for Thought. A croissant, and then she swore she'd open the
store.
    It was past the noon rush, but Eve's
café was still busy. Eve was a natural marketing whiz. Gwen had learned a lot
from her in the time they'd known each other.
    Actually, if it hadn't been for both
Eve and Olivia, she'd have been floundering. They'd taken her under their wings
and shown her how to be a businesswoman. Olivia had been the one who'd
introduced her to Rick.
    And Rick had kissed the breath out of
her last night.
    "Don't go there," she
muttered as she wheeled in. She skated over to the counter, where Olivia was talking
to Eve. "Can anyone join?"
    "No, but you're not anyone ." Eve smiled in welcome,
tucking her sleek blond hair behind her ear. "You look flushed. From
rollerblading?"
    "Yes," she lied as she gave
Olivia a hug. Under no circumstance was she telling them she was blushing from
X-rated thoughts about Rick—or that his kiss had rocked her world. Especially
since it was never happening again.
    Her friend held her out at arm's
length. "You look different."
    She put her hand to her lips. Did it
show? It wouldn't surprise her—she still felt the press of his mouth to
hers. "I changed my hair color last week," she offered hopefully.
    "Why are you blushing like
that?" Olivia studied her shrewdly. "You look guilty."
    "Maybe she had a rendezvous with
a man," Eve joked.
    Gwen's face burned hotter.
    "Oh. My. God." Gaping,
Olivia set her coffee mug down. "You did .
Is that where you've been all morning? Who is he?"
    "No one. If I'm flushed, it's
because I just came from the Purple Elephant." Then, for good measure, she
improvised with, "And I'm excited about a new project."
    "A new series of gourds?"
Eve asked.
    Thinking about the drawing she'd
inadvertently done at the center, she nodded. "I think it'll be a hit."
    The women exchanged a look.
    She laughed. "No, I'm not
planning another Jerry Garcia tribute. You made me see it wasn't such a great
idea."
    Eve smiled. "It was mostly the
giant tie-dye inflatable gourd on your roof that we thought was a
mistake."
    Not all her ideas were winners, but
at least she tried. Her grandmother had taught her that. Try everything, Geneviève , Mamie Yvette used to tell her. Grab life by the tail