Read Online 30 Nights by Christine D'Abo - Free Book Online Page B

Nell’s face turned red. Nell’s short blond bob swished as she scooted farther away from Jasmine.
    Okay, that was cute.
    “What the hell happened to you?” Jasmine laughed and tossed me the roll of paper towels we kept for accidents. “And you’re late. I didn’t think you were coming in, slack-ass.”
    “Thanks, Jaz. Like my morning was going so well, I needed to be harassed by you.”
    “I keep telling her she’s too mean to people, but she doesn’t believe me,” Nell said as she stood up. “Do you have something dry to wear?”
    “I have a sweater. I’m sure it won’t take long for me to become less wet rat. Thanks though.” I really liked Nell and hoped Jasmine didn’t screw things up with her this time.
    “Well, I’ll let you two get to work.” Nell looked at me for a moment before leaning in and placing a quick kiss on Jasmine’s cheek. “I’ll see you after?”
    “Lunch. And then supper and a movie.”
    It wasn’t until Nell was gone and I’d managed to pull my hair into something that wasn’t a complete mess that Jasmine started in on me again. “Okay, when you walked in here you looked as though someone kicked your dog and stole all your candy. What’s going on?”
    “You two aren’t going to the barbecue? I heard they got ice cream for dessert this year.”
    “No, we’re not. Talk.”
    Why? Why did I choose her as my best friend? “I can’t, Jaz. You’ll just give me a hard time about it and then you won’t leave me alone until I tell you more.”
    Which was completely the wrong thing to say to her. Jasmine was on her feet and leaning on my desk within a second. “Dude, what the hell? Spill.”
    “No.”
    “Glenna.”
    “ No .”
    “I’m not going to stop until you tell me. You said it yourself. So it’s better to fill me in now so I leave you alone.”
    I didn’t have the strength to fight her. That said, I didn’t have to tell her everything either. “I took your advice.”
    “That’s good. I give lots of excellent advice. What specifically did you do?”
    “I realized that I needed to take a chance so I reached out to a man. Sort of. Well, I’m going to reach out to him. I think.”
    Jasmine’s grin could have lit the room. “Anyone I know?”
    Of course she knew who, but there was no way I’d give her the satisfaction of saying. “I don’t want to tell you. Nothing might actually come of this, and I don’t think I could handle your teasing if it doesn’t.” I turned to her and took her hand. “I love you like a sister, you know that. But things have been a bit weird since Great Glenna died. I’ve been, I don’t know, soul searching or something. I decided that you were right and I needed to get out there and try a few things. So that’s what I’m doing.”
    Jasmine squeezed my hand in return. “I know I’m a jerk at times. I don’t mean anything by it. I worry that you keep yourself too closed off sometimes. When you brought those sex cards in last week I saw something in you kind of spark. Or something. That sounds stupid. I’m just happy to see you getting out there again.”
    “Speaking of sparks, you and Nell. That was some serious eye-fucking going on when I came in.”
    There was normally an edge to Jasmine and everything she did. But when I mentioned Nell, that edge melted away and every muscle in her body seemed to soften. “Yeah, Nell. I’m pretty certain that I love her.”
    “I’m really excited for you.” For as long as I’d known her, when Jasmine was with Nell it was the happiest I’d ever seen her.
    “Okay, I’ll leave you alone about your mystery man. For now. But the moment things start to get interesting between you I expect to be brought up to speed. With diagrams if necessary. Got it?”
    “Deal.”
    “Let’s get to work then. You need to reschedule one of your interviews, by the way. Something about your ten o’clock student getting stuck at a resort in Cuba.”
    I rolled my eyes. “Life’s so