Younger Read Online Free PDF

looking to switch jobs or accounts. He was also known for being selectively discreet—no single person knew exactly what he knew.
    But as soon as Anna said, “I’m in the market for some new accounts,” she knew he wasn’t going to help.
    “Well, good luck to you.” His smile was a little too cheerful, his voice a bit too loud. “These are, of course, hard times,” he said solemnly, like an anchorman introducing a poor economic forecast.
    Liar, Anna thought. “I know there are cutbacks everywhere, but with a product launch like Madame X under my belt—”
    “Yes, I hear you’ve done a fantastic job.”
    “And the rest of the sentence?”
    He looked at her blankly. “I’m not following, I’m afraid.”
    “The ‘but’ and the part that comes after it.”
    “Well, just that . . . just that these are hard times.” He waved a hand vaguely, as if hard times were plotting somewhere off to his left.
    “So, tell me, do you think these are going to be particularly ‘hard times’ for me?”
    “For you? Of course not.” He had the good grace to blush. “You’re a thoroughbred, Anna. You want clients, you’ll get clients.”
    “Anyone in mind?” she asked, knowing there wouldn’t be.
    Gregg motioned for the check, avoiding her gaze. When he turned back, his eyes were flat, the shutters drawn. “I’ll let you know if I hear of anything.” His smile reasserted itself, sincere as a time-share salesman’s. “You can count on me.”

    Was she getting paranoid? Her assistant handed her only three messages on her return from lunch. Had everyone she knew suddenly decided she was over the hill? Christ!
    Just three messages, and two were from ad salesmen. “Just blow them off, Kelly,” she said. “Then memo Richard asking to whom we should be referring ad reps from now on.” The third message was from Jan, inviting her to a barbecue the following Sunday.
    “A barbecue? Are you going all Topanga rustic on us now?” she teased when Jan answered the phone. The Bergers had bought a big house in the canyon two years before, in keeping with the piles of money George was making.
    “We never had a proper housewarming, and with George’s movie opening soon, we thought we’d inaugurate the new screening room, as well.”
    “Spareribs and bloodsucking nightwalkers? You won’t find me passing that up.”
    Jan didn’t sound like a woman worried that her husband had a roving eye, Anna thought as she put down the receiver. Still, even considering how long they’d been friends, Anna doubted she’d be the one on the receiving end of confidences. She and Jan just weren’t that close.
    Anyhow, she had enough worries of her own. She reached for her Rolodex. There were plenty of people besides that deadbeat Gregg Hatch to remind of her continued existence.

    A barbecue that included a screening meant industry big shots and celeb casual dress. Anna wore superstretchy designer jeans, with a fitted white ruffled shirt that had set her back almost $500 at Barney’s even on sale, and a pair of black Prada flats. Over a thousand smackeroos’ worth of casual, she thought as she grabbed a gray pashmina from the coat rack by the door to the garage.
    More and more, she saw Jan only at the “girly dinners” with Allie, so she’d been to the Bergers’ massive spread only twice. The backyard was walled off, but tonight the double security gate stood open.
    Anna made her way toward the sound of voices and muted music beyond. She vaguely recognized a few of Jan’s “mom” friends and spotted Allie’s boss, a portly, saturnine über-agent almost as well-known as his clients.
    Then she spied her hostess perched on a chaise lounge by the pool, chatting with Allie and her girlfriend, Shawna. “Sorry. I guess fashionably late went out of style while I was still doing my makeup,” she said as she joined them. “Hey, Shawna.”
    Shawna smiled warmly, giving her long, curly hair a shake.
    “Some barbecue, Jannie.” Anna