The Everlasting Chapel Read Online Free PDF

hear. But
then again, it’s not something I don’t know already.
    “So you dated, and then…?” he prods.
    “In brief, I just broke it off with him.” I
already feel my chest tightening. Trying to take my mind off it
before I lose it, I look at the time. “Shit. I have to be back at
work in five minutes.”
    “You should complain about a measly thirty
minute lunch break,” he says.
    “Well, I kind of set it up that way so I
could get to my other job on time.” I scarf down a few more bites
of my salad. Spencer graciously pays the bill, and walks me back
over to the museum.
    “Well, I had a great time,” I say. “Thank
you for lunch.”
    “Want to catch lunch again tomorrow? Same
time, same place?” He gives me a gorgeous smile. Now how can I
resist that?
    “Sure,” I say, genuinely excited to find
someone I connect with, and someone I can be completely open with.
He reaches his arm around me, and presses his warm cheek to mine.
My stomach doesn’t flutter like it does when that other guy
touches me. Maybe that’s a good thing.
    “There’s just something I have to tell you,”
I say, feeling the need to be completely honest with him so there
aren’t any misunderstandings or misplaced expectations.
    “There’s more?” he says with a jovial tone.
“You are very intriguing.”
    “Not like that,” I say. “Since I just
recently broke it off with Michael, I’m not quite ready to move on
yet.” I hope I’m not presuming too much. He hasn’t declared his
intentions, but asking a girl out two days in a row makes me think
he is looking for more than friendship.
    “Oh, well…I wasn’t going to force myself on
you. I just thought we had a good time, and I don’t really like
eating alone. There’s no pressure. I’d still love to eat and talk
with you if that’s okay, though.”
    His comment brings out a laugh in me. “Fine.
I really enjoyed our lunch together. And yes, we do have lots to
talk about.”
    He winks at me and turns on his heels,
waving as he walks away down the street. “See you tomorrow.”
     
     
     
     
     
    4
     
     
    When I get back to work, Michael is waiting
for me with a bouquet of red roses. As soon as I see him, my heart
goes into overdrive. He’s wearing loose faded jeans and a thin,
white linen shirt. The top button of the shirt is undone, and the
sleeves are rolled up to his elbows so I can see his strong
forearms. A sudden spark of desire ignites between my legs. Okay,
body, why don’t you try being on my side for once?
    I give him an evil eye, and walk right past
him. When I don’t approach him, but go in the back office to drop
off my purse, he has the audacity to follow me.
    “You’re not supposed to be back here,” I say
without turning around. “It’s for personnel only.”
    “I already spoke with your boss, and he said
it was fine if I took you out to lunch,” he says.
    “Well, of course you did,” I mutter angrily,
making a mental note that I need to have a word with my boss if
he’s so easily persuaded by Michael. I glare at him. “I already had
lunch with Dr. Spencer Jamison so I’m not hungry. Good-bye.”
    His eyes flinch just a tad, and that makes
me feel guilty. But then I remind myself that I don’t want to keep
living these lies anymore. It felt so good to be with Spencer. With
Michael everything is complicated, and it is impossible to keep the
lies separated from what’s true.
    “Don’t make me beg,” he says.
    “I’m not making you beg. I just don’t want
to go out with you, that’s all.” I continue to glare at him.
    He gets down on his knees.
    “What the hell are you doing?” I hiss. “Get
up! You’re going to get me fired for breaking all the rules.”
    “No, I already told you…”
    Just then, Staci, my nineteen-year old clerk
walks in. “Uh…sorry,” she says, looking from Michael to me.
    “Michael was just leaving,” I say. I tear
the flowers out of his hand and throw them into the trash on the
way out to the