Lucky Charm Read Online Free PDF Page A

of stockings that she had bought to go with the garter and attempted to fasten them to the garter strips – a task that was easier said than done , as she failed at it again and again, cursing the tricky garter clasps that kept slipping through her fingers. After almost ten minutes of struggle, she finally managed to secure the last strap and stepped into her black plumps. Not bad , she thought, straining to see her full reflection in the three quarter mirror that hung in the foyer. Of course , the extravagant attire she had on was not all that comfortable, but she was fairly certain that once Jeremy got home, she would not be wearing it for much longer.
    Annabel checked the clock again . I t was six o’clock. Any minute now , Jeremy would walk through the front door , and she would surprise him. A smile spread over her lips as she thought about what would happen next. She lit some candles on the magazine table by the couch and put out two cognac glasses along with the bottle of Hine that she had bought on her way home . I t was Jeremy’s favorite brand of cognac.
    But half an hour later , there was still no sign of Jeremy. Annabel propped herself on the couch, reaching for the TV remote , and immediately she felt the corset pinch her sides . S he shifted this way and that, until finally attaining a half-reclined position that was somewhat comfortable. It took me all this time to get into this thing , she thought . I’m not taking it off until Jeremy comes home and sees it.
    It was almost eight o’clock when Annabel heard the key turn in the front door lock. She had dozed off without realizing it . T he noise startled her , and she jumped off the couch, hastily adjusting her now slightly crumpled outfit in place. The candles had almost burned down to the core, and she blew them out, thankful that she woke up in time. She straightened up and, feeling a sudden jolt of adrenaline, hurried to greet Jeremy as the front door began to open.
    “Well, hello there.” Annabel leaned against the wall, doing her best to strike a seductive pose, praying all the while that she did not look ridiculous.
    “Wow, babe!” Jeremy’s jaw dropped as he stepped inside. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a corduroy jacket with leather patches on the elbows . It was his attire of choice: polished and presentable, without trying too hard, as he liked to describe it. However, this time he did not look as collected as usual . H is jacket was creased and his hair was tousled. “You did all of this for me?” Jeremy slid his hefty laptop case off his shoulder and placed it on the floor as he leaned over to give Annabel a quick peck on the lips.
    Well, whom else? Annabel wondered, taken aback by Jeremy’s reaction . I t was far from the response she had been expecting.
    “You don’t like it? It’s too much isn’t it?”
    “No, no! I love it! You look great. Turn around, let me have a look at you.” Jeremy plopped himself on the couch. “Ah, Ann, you got Hine too! You are too good to me, you know that?”
    “Yeah, well, I wanted to surprise you.” Annabel perched herself next to Jeremy.
    “And you lit candles, too.” Jeremy motioned at the blown out candles. “I’m sorry for being so late . T here was some kind of outage with the Metro-North and we were stuck for over two hours. I tried to call you, but there was no signal on my cell.”
    “Hey, it’s okay . Don’t worry about it. The night is still young.” Annabel slid closer to Jeremy and nuzzled his neck.
    “Hey, Ann, can I take a rain check? Don’t get me wrong . Y ou look great . I t’s just that I’m dead tired.”
    “Yes, sure. No problem. I should have thought about that.” Annabel rose from the couch . S uddenly, she felt incredibly ridiculous and could not wait to get the itchy, uncomfortable lace off of her.
    “Hey, baby, I’m sorry! You are not mad, are you?” Jeremy rushed after her as she ducked into the alcove of the studio that was their bedroom,