Male Order Bride Read Online Free PDF Page B

out with him?"
    Lacey felt more confused than ever. A war hero. How could
she identify with such a revered person? What would they talk about? "I
don't know. I'm still thinking about it."
    "You won't regret it," A.J. said.
    That's easy for you to say
, Lacey
thought after she had finally managed to hang up on A.J. Rafe
Chancellor was as much a mystery man as he had been before she made the
call. The basic question remained: Why should she follow through and go
out with him? She'd give it some more thought and sleep on it tonight.
Tomorrow would be soon enough to make any decisions.

    The next day Lacey had just about decided that no matter
how creative and inventive and romantic this Rafe Chancellor was in the
eyes of all the girls in the shop whom she told the story to, she just
wasn't going to send back his postcard. It was too much like following
orders. She had worked long, hard hours to establish her independence
on the business front and she had done that, not by following a
pull-tab-A-and-insert-into-slot-B instructions, but by following her
instincts and forging ahead on her own. If Rafe Chancellor wanted to go
out with her badly enough, he could just meet her the way any ordinary
male would—face to face.
    She did admit to herself that that might be an obstacle
for him. Outside of her buying trips like the one to Atlanta next week,
Lacey was not the type to hang out in bars to meet new men. When she
was in town she was up to her hemlines in work. She just didn't have
time for men. And until Rafe Chancellor's flowers had turned up on her
doorstep to remind her of the absence of a male in her life, she had
been content with her manless existence, as long as she didn't give it
too much thought.
    She just didn't have time to spend on a man right now, she
convinced herself as she drove home again for a quick lunch. If she
should meet him later and he should ask why she hadn't responded to his
flowers and letters, she would simply tell him they had gotten lost in
the pile of her other correspondence. The flowers weren't easy to
overlook, but the two letters were.
    The cassette tape that arrived in her mail that day wasn't
as easy to ignore either. Lacey sat at the kitchen table with an apple
and unwrapped the letter from the tape Rafe Chancellor had sent her.
The letter was written on the back of a magazine-subscription reply
envelope. She turned it over several times. Couldn't this man afford
proper stationery?
    She couldn't help smiling as she started to read.

    Dear Lacey,

    Have you noticed how friendly I have become? In case you
have not found my references in order, I am forwarding the enclosed
tape for your review. You will note that the tape has two sides. Side 1
is called "Musical Insight of Rafe" and Side 2 is called "Musical
Insight of Rafe, Side 2."
    The suggested manner to review this tape is first to brew
a cup of either coffee or tea. I recommend that you use a
coffee-chicory blend or else an economy blend of pekoe, orange pekoe
and cut black tea in tagless tea bags.

    Wow
, Lacey thought. For being a new
man in town he certainly picked up on details right away, tapping right
into the local New Orleans-based favorites that were served here on the
Gulf Coast. And tagless tea bags? What man ever cared about how tea
should be served? She read on.

    Remember, you want this to be an experience. While your
special liquid refreshments are cooking, it would be advisable that you
locate your cassette player and ensure that it is in proper working
order. You now should have your cup, filled with whatever, and it is
time to punch up the tape. While the tape is playing, you do have
permission to get up and dance around the room if you feel the urge.
(Continued on backside.)

    Lacey turned the envelope over and upside down, smiling as
she read the remainder of the message, which he had written around the
printing on the magazine's envelope.

    After you have allowed the words and the music to affect
you, I hope that you