One Way or Another Read Online Free PDF Page B

grinned at her sister-in-law, who was looking stylish in black slacks and a white wrap blouse. Her long, thick black hair, left hanging loose, was curling slightly around her face, contrasting with her smooth olive complexion and making her small nose and full lips look even more Latina than usual. She might not agree with Jasmine on a lot of things, but she had to admit, that was one beautiful woman her brother had married.
    â€œTime is money,” Toni said, accepting Jasmine’s warm embrace.
    â€œUgh, don’t tell me you rode that thing over here.” Jasmine flicked at the helmet in Toni’s hand.
    â€œYou know, Jasmine, you might love it if you give it a try,” Toni teased. “And think of how sexy Trey will think you are on the back of a bike.”
    â€œPlease,” Jasmine scoffed. “There’s nothing sexy about being dead, and that’s exactly what’s going to happen if you don’t give up that thing soon. Especially with the way you ride.”
    â€œYeah, yeah. Heard it all before,” Toni said, looping her arm into her friend’s and changing the subject. “Show me your office. I can’t believe you’ve worked here for almost two years and I’ve never seen it.”
    â€œWell, technically, I don’t really work here—I volunteer,” Jasmine corrected as the two ladies turned into a wide open corridor with large windows that opened up to a field on one side, and doorways to what looked like classrooms on the other.
    â€œAnd my office is actually a common room used by all the staff.”
    Toni followed Jasmine into a large room that looked more like a staff lounge than anything else. Several school-teacher desks that had seen better days with similar looking chairs were set up strategically at the front and at one side of the room. At the other end of the room two battered couches and a coffee table created a makeshift lounge area. Beside the lounge area was a door that led into what looked like another office. From what Toni saw through the slightly ajar door, it was pretty tiny. Definitely nothing to write home about.
    â€œGeez, this place is tighter than our newsroom at the AJC, ” Toni murmured.
    Jasmine chuckled. “I know.” She guided Toni toward one side of the room. “But none of us really spends a lot of time in here anyway, so it’s not that big a deal. Plus if we have less, it means the boys can have more.”
    â€œI guess this is your desk?” Toni asked, sinking into a battered chair at the side of a desk that looked like it used to be mahogany.
    â€œHow’d you guess?”
    Toni pointed to the picture of Jasmine and Trey. “You must have made a hundred of these and stuck them up everywhere,” Toni said, shaking her head at the picture. “It’s your own personal Jasmine-was-here stamp.”
    â€œWhatever,” Jasmine said, shrugging, even though Toni could see the redness staining her cheeks. “For your information, I share this desk with my husband. That’s why the picture is there.”
    â€œMmm-hmm,” Toni said, knowing better. She had seen that exact picture in Jasmine’s office at the clinic, in her car, and also in her purse. Her friend wasn’t fooling anyone. Nonetheless, Toni thought it was cute that Jasmine and Trey were still crazy in love after five years of marriage.
    â€œOkay, so who’s the dude who gets that piece of real estate?” Toni asked, nodding toward the one solo office.
    Jasmine looked up from the files she was gathering. “Oh, that’s our director’s office. He pretty much runs things at the center.”
    â€œHmm,” Toni murmured.
    â€œYeah, in fact, we need to talk to him,” Jasmine said, biting her lip. “He has to give the okay for you to do the piece on Jerome.”
    Toni’s head snapped up. “Jasmine!”
    â€œWhat?” Jasmine asked, avoiding her friend’s