Send Me No Flowers Read Online Free PDF Page B

calling.” Gina propped her chin in her hand. “Especially since you just said you’re in the market for a perfect companion.”
    Rachel rolled her eyes as the answer machine clicked on. Only instead of Drew’s voice, she heard music. The unmistakable strains of Motown, with Diana Ross and the Supremes singing “Stop, in the Name of Love.”
    Gina hummed along until Rachel reached over to press the Off button on the answering machine. Then she grabbed a throw pillow, punching it with her fist. “Why can’t he just leave me alone?”
    Gina’s brow crinkled. “Let’s see...a tall, dark and sexy man won’t leave you alone. Exactly how is this a problem?”
    “Because all this man wants to do is get me to drop the boycott.”
    “So string him along for a while. Make him think you’re open to negotiations so you can enjoy all his methods of persuasion. After all, he’s not a hypnotist, he can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do.”
    Rachel wasn’t so sure. Drew certainly made her feel things she didn’t want to feel. Tongue-tied. Frazzled. Overheated. He also left her off balance. When he was around she did things like leave a patient in the closet. Lose her temper. Forget about Twinkies.
    “I’d rather just have an opportunity to tell my side of the story,” Rachel said. “State all my reasons for the boycott without him interrupting me every other word.”
    “So why don’t you leave a message on his answering machine?”
    “Because I refuse to play games.” She sighed. “Look, I asked you over here to help me decide on a dog, not complain about Drew. Now I’ve looked through all these pamphlets the veterinarian gave me, and checked out a book on various breeds from the library.”
    “Wow. If I had put this much research into choosing a husband, I never would have ended up as Mrs. Kurt Kurtz. Remind me of that next time I go man-hunting.” Gina licked chocolate crumbs off her fingers. “So which breed wins?”
    Rachel set three pamphlets in front of her. “I’ve narrowed it down to a choice between a miniature schnauzer, a toy poodle or a Yorkshire terrier.”
    “I vote for the one with the most teeth.”
    The jangle of the telephone forestalled Rachel’s reply. “This is ridiculous. I can’t believe that man won’t give it a rest.”
    She stood up and moved to the telephone, glaring at it as it continued to ring. “I’m not picking up, Lavery, so you can just keep dialing my number until your index finger falls off.”
    “We could switch murders,” Gina suggested, as the answering machine clicked on. “Like that Alfred Hitchcock movie Strangers on a Train . You can kill Kurt and I’ll get rid of Lavery.”
    Rachel rolled her eyes at the suggestion. “I think it will be a lot easier if I just unplug my telephone.” She reached for the cord just as the tone sounded on the answering machine.
    “ Dr. Grant, this is Jonathan Kasper. ”
    Rachel’s hand stilled on the cord, surprised to hear the voice of her claustrophobic patient. She’d wondered if he’d ever speak to her again after almost suffocating in her closet.
    “ My wife would like to invite you to appear as a special guest on her station’s television morning show, ‘A Look at Love.’ This will be a chance for you to tell everyone about your Valentine’s Day boycott in an objective, dignified forum. We hope you’ll consider doing it and let us know as soon as possible. Thank you .” He hung up right before the answering machine beeped to signal the end of the message.
    “Your wish came true,” Gina said. “A chance to state your case for the boycott without Mayor Lavery’s interference.”
    With a wide smile, Rachel turned to Gina. “Now that’s what I call opportunity calling.”

3
     
    Send me no flowers,
    I don’t want a date.
    I’m perfectly happy
    not having a mate.
    RACHEL SAT in the greenroom on the set of “A Look at Love,” her hands clenched around each arm of the chair.
    She could not