White Offerings Read Online Free PDF Page A

stuck her hand over the passenger door. “Hi, Ari. I’ve heard a lot about you. I can’t wait for your birthday party.”
    “Oh,” Ari said, surprised. She could only imagine how many total strangers Jane had invited.
    “Teri’s gutting this house and remodeling it for me,” Jane said.
    Ari nodded, quite familiar with Jane’s many investment properties. She constantly searched through the listings and the Open House section of the newspaper. Although most of the real deals had already been flipped by people like Jane, once in a while a bargain came along. Jane had been thrilled to find this one, and Ari was certain her profit, despite the slumping economy, would reach six figures once Teri was done.
    “Are you doing most of the work yourself?” Ari asked with genuine interest. She could always use a good handyperson, and Teri was certainly easy on the eyes.
    “I’m doing
all
the work.”
    “Really?” She was impressed. Few people had the talent and knowledge to run the electrical systems, install the plumbing and hang the Sheetrock.
    Jane threw her arm around Teri and patted her shoulder. “Teri’s my main lady. If I need anything, I go to her.”
    Teri smiled humbly at the compliment and checked her watch. “Well, I gotta hurry to Home Depot and pick up my order if I want to get everything done. Ari, it was a pleasure to meet you, and I’ll see you tomorrow, Jane.”
    They watched Teri climb into her truck. She threw them a quick wave before she drove off.
    Jane said, “So you think Teri’s hot, don’t you?”
    “She seems nice.”
    Jane laughed and slid into the Porsche. “Good try, girlfriend. I saw you staring just now. You couldn’t take your eyes off her, watching her cute little ass hop into that big king cab.”
    “I wasn’t staring.”
    “Sure.” Jane started the convertible and turned to her. “Look, honey, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. You’re in a relationship but you’re not dead. You can look, and with Teri, there’s plenty to look
at.
”
    “I take it you know from experience.”
    Jane shrugged. “Not really. Teri’s more of a loner. We went out for drinks, and I invited her back to my place. She declined.”
    “She turned you down?”
    Jane flicked a lint ball from her jacket and checked her lips in the rearview mirror. “It happens. Besides, she is totally not my type.” She crumpled her nose in distaste. “Way too butch.”
    “I thought every woman was your type.”
    “Not
every
woman. But I do believe that there is no greater beauty than the female body. And you were certainly checking out her body.”
    “Jane!”
    “Don’t worry, honey. I won’t kid you about it in front of Molly. I know she’s very insecure.”
    Ari made no comment and they headed to their next stop, a prestigious flower shop in Scottsdale. When they had searched the phone book, Jane had recognized the name, claiming to know the owner. The shop sat on a desirable corner, and the parking lot was nearly full. The automatic doors whooshed open and their noses were instantly assaulted by competing scents. Ari glanced at the various displays around the room, all of which were beautiful and tastefully created.
    “How do you know this person?” she asked as they approached the marble counter.
    “Oh, you know.”
    She rolled her eyes. Another one of Jane’s sexual conquests, but the entire day had been filled with Jane’s bed partners.
    A young man in a pink polo crossed the room to meet them. His hips swayed back and forth rhythmically, and even without the pink shirt, she would have known he was family. He flashed two rows of perfectly bleached teeth and asked, “May I help you?”
    “I’m looking for . . .”
    She realized Jane couldn’t remember the name of this particular one-night stand.
    “Clarisse?” the young man offered. “Or Isabel?”
    Jane clapped her hands together. “Yes, Izzie. Is she around?”
    The young man nodded and quickly sashayed into the back. Ari wandered