Sweet Little Lies Read Online Free PDF Page A

door and I followed.
    “Are you now?” Hadn’t seen one of those in a while.
    “Most definitely.Ask my twin sister.”
    “Twin sister? What’s that like? Any superpowers or telepathy?”
    He barked out a laugh.“Just twins, not superheroes.”
    We stepped into the taxi line.“Savannah? Sabrina? Sarah?”
    “Stefani.”
    “Steven and Stefani …” I’d forgotten his last name.
    “Williams.”
    “Okay, Steven Williams, where are we having breakfast?”
    “Madeline’s—midtown.Where are you staying?”
    “Doubletree Metropolitan—midtown.Are you from New York?”
    “Oh no, I’m a Midwest boy. Chi-town.You’re a California girl, right?”
    “Yessir. So how did a Chicago guy end up delivering packages in Alameda, California?”
    He smiled down at me.“That’s a whole lot of interest for someone determined to keep this ‘just breakfast.’”
    Okay, he has me on that one.
“Maybe I’m the kind of girl who wants to know who I’m getting in a cab and eating with.”
    “Yeah, you’re that girl all right.” We stepped forward in line.
    “So where’s the rest of your stuff?”
    He looked around.“What stuff?”
    “You’re moving here for the next three… four years?”
    “Hopefully three.”
    “Where’s all your stuff?”
    He smiled at me in a way that told me I was missing some-thing.“I shipped it.”
    “You shipped…of course you did.” I sighed. “I need coffee.”
    We stepped forward again. “We’re getting there. You still need to know my life story first?”
    Before I could answer, my cell phone rang. It was Lisa, my counterpart (nemesis) in the East Coast office.We both started at Valiant at the same time, in the same position.We were determined not to let the other get a step ahead. From Day One it had been an East Coast /West Coast battle to see who could get the better assignments and hold the attention of our senior editor, Jeri. I held up a finger to indicate I needed one secondand plastered a fake smile on my face. “Hi, Lisa.What’s going on?”
    In an equally fake voice she responded, “Hey, girl, just checking to see if you made it in.”
    Rolling my eyes, I answered, “Of course. Standing in the taxi line now.What’s up?”
    “The Js want to know if you can swing by for a quick meeting.” Our senior editor was Jeri, she reported to Janet (editor in chief), who co-owned the company with Jennifer (CEO/ CFO). It had become easier to refer to the entire senior management team as the Js.
    Swallowing a sigh, I looked at Steven. He was smiling down at me in the cutest way. He had that youthful, optimistic eye-twinkle thing working. I wondered when the last time was that I had looked that content in the moment. That thought gave me some pause, and a small furrow appeared between my brows.
    Steven dialed back the cute twinkle a little and tilted his head to the side.“Problem?” he mouthed.
    I shrugged one shoulder and nodded…still in pause mode. Enough pause that Lisa started talking again. “I understand if you don’t want to come in, what with your personal drama and all. I’m sure I can handle whatever they need.”
    That snapped me out of my pause and I answered tartly, “You know what? I’m actually great.What time is the meeting?” Steven and I were next in line.
    “As soon as you get here.”
    Our taxi was up. Climbing into the backseat with Steven right behind me, I checked my watch.“Tell them I’ll be there in forty, depending on traffic.” I disconnected, gave the driver the address to my office building, and sighed. “Duty calls—so much for waffle fries.”
    Steven smiled easily at me.“How about dinner instead?”
    That suggestion made me a little uneasy. I turned my headand looked at him consideringly—the eye twinkle was back. “Dinner?”
    “Yes, ma’am.The last meal of the day…that thing one partakes of prior to retiring for the eve? Retiring separately. To our own domiciles. To sleep. Alone presumably, but not with each other. Does