S.E.C.R.E.T.: An Erotic Novel Read Online Free PDF Page B

It hasn’t changed much,” she
     said, looking around.
    “Will says he’s going to renovate. Expand upstairs. But it’s expensive. And right
     now it’s all any restaurant can do in this city to stay open.”
    “That’s true.”
    She glanced down at her hands and I got a better look at her bracelet, which seemed
     to have a lot more charms than Pauline’s. I was going to comment on its beauty, but
     Matilda spoke again.
    “So, Cassie, I need to ask you something. That book that … 
Dell
found. My friend is a little worried that someone might have read it. It’s a diary
     of sorts with lots of very personal stuff in it. Do you think Dell would have read
     it?”
    “Oh God, no!” I said, with a little too much conviction. “Dell’s not the type.”
    “The type? What do you mean by that?”
    “Well, I mean, she’s not nosy. She’s not really interested in other people’s lives.
     Just this place, the Bible, maybe her grandkids.”
    “Do you think it would be odd to ask Dell? To see if she read the book or showed it
     to anyone? It’s important that we know.”
    Oh God! Why didn’t we get a story straight? How
Dell
found the booklet, and how
she
stored it in her work locker until its rightful owner was found? Because I never
     thought there’d be an interrogation, that’s why. Just a grateful owner making a beeline
     out of the restaurant, never to be seen again. Now this Matilda woman had my guts
     in a vise grip.
    “She’s
super
busy right now, but why don’t I go back there and ask her?”
    “Oh, I don’t mind asking her myself,” she said, rising from the table. “I’ll just
     go poke my head in the back—”
    “Wait!”
    Matilda slowly sat back down, her eyes homing in on me.
    “
I
found the journal.”
    Matilda’s face relaxed a little, but she made no reply. She just clasped her hands
     on the table and leaned in a little closer.
    I looked around the empty Café and continued. “I’m sorry I lied. I just, I read a
     little bit of it—but only to find a name, some sort of contact information. But I
     swear, you can tell Pauline I stopped after a page … or two. And, well, I was … embarrassed,
     I guess. I didn’t want her to be any more uncomfortable than she already seemed. So
     I lied. I’m sorry. I feel like such an idiot.”
    “Don’t feel bad. On Pauline’s behalf, I thank you for returning the book to her. Our
     only request is that you say nothing about what you read, to anyone. Absolutely nothing.
     Can I trust you to do that?”
    “Of course. I would never. You have nothing to worry about.”
    “Cassie, you don’t understand how important this is. You must keep this secret.” Matilda
     pulled a twenty from her wallet. “Here’s for lunch. Keep the change.”
    “Thank you,” I said.
    Then she proffered a card with her name on it. “If you have any questions about what
     you read in that book, I urge you to call me. I mean it. Otherwise I won’t be back
     here. Nor will Pauline. This is how to reach me. Day or night.”
    “Oh. Okay,” I said, holding the card cautiously as if it were radioactive.
Matilda Greene
, and her phone number. On the back was an acronym,
S.E.C.R.E.T.
, and three sentences:
No Judgments. No Limits. No Shame
. “Are you, like, a therapist or something?”
    “You could say that. I work with women who reach a crossroads in life. Usually midlife,
     but not always.”
    “Like a life coach?”
    “Kind of. More like a guide.”
    “Do you work with Pauline?”
    “I don’t talk about my clients.”
    “I could probably use some guidance.” Had I said that out loud? “But I can’t afford
     it.” Yes, I had.
    “Well, this might surprise you, but you
can
afford what I charge because I work for free. The catch is I get to choose my clients.”
    “What do those letters stand for?”
    “You mean
S.E.C.R.E.T
.? That, my dear, is a secret,” she said, a sly smile playing across her lips. “But
     if you meet with me again, I’ll