Read Online Barefoot With a Bodyguard by Roxanne St. Claire - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Roxanne St. Claire
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over. She’d spent the morning on evidence and torts and couldn’t put off the contract section of the practice test any longer. It was a waste of time, of course. She’d no sooner be a contracts attorney than she’d be a farmer. That was how much she hated that aspect of the law.
She picked up the phone that Poppy had given her to check the time. And procrastinate. She knew she shouldn’t log into any of her social media, but couldn’t she find some kind of back door or open a fake account, so she could just check on her world? It took about fifteen seconds to create a Twitter account under the name TCarlson, and not much longer to use the account to see what was up with some of her friends.
Well, Laurie Geise was up to bar hopping, it would seem, based on the picture she’d posted with a cute guy on her arm. Who was that? He seemed vaguely familiar. Glancing inside, she didn’t see Alec—whose name now settled on her brain as just right. She knew he’d be watching her, but he seemed to let her stay alone on the patio, though he certainly could see her from inside.
Surely she could make a phone call to her closest friend if she didn’t tell her anything, right? She didn’t have to ask permission to call a girlfriend. Anyway, Laurie already knew Kate had left town for a study vacation. No doubt she’d have called Kate a few times by now and it would just be weird if Kate didn’t call her.
Rationalization firmly in place, she dialed Laurie’s number from memory, and the phone was answered on the first ring. “This is Laurie Ann Giese!” Ever the PR professional, even her greeting was enthusiastic.
“Hey, girl.”
“Katie! I’ve been trying to reach you!”
As she suspected. This was definitely the right thing to do. “Sorry, lost my phone.”
“That explains this blocked number.”
No, it didn’t. But she wasn’t about to tell Laurie any of what was going on. “Yep, it’s me, checking in from paradise,” Kate said, happily abandoning contract law to lean back and let the sun hit her face and her friend’s voice hit her ears.
“Where did you end up going? I know you weren’t exactly sure when you left, which, by the way, was so unlike you.”
Swallowing a little guilt, Kate said, “I’m on an island.”
“Narrows it right down.” Laurie laughed. “Caribbean?”
“Florida,” she replied. “Who’s the hottie I saw you with on Twitter?”
“Oh my God, Kate, I’ve been dying to tell you about him.” Fortunately, the subject change worked as she could practically hear Laurie settle in for a chat. “His name’s Mike Wesley. He’s a lawyer, totally hot.”
Mike Wesley? “Oh, I know who he is,” Kate said, flipping through mental files and remembering the guy clearly. “He’s one of the few attorneys to beat Steven in the courtroom.” And Steven hated him, which was a point in Laurie’s new boyfriend’s favor. “How’d you meet him?”
“Starbucks. He was in front of me in line two days ago, and he paid for my coffee because they were having one of those ‘buy the stranger behind you coffee’ things going on. We just started talking, and then we had lunch, and last night we went out for a drink. That’s when I snagged the picture.”
“Whoa, moving fast.”
“I know, right? Dinner date is next.” Her voice rose with pent-up excitement. “I really like him. He’s thirty-five and single.”
“You hope.”
Laurie grunted. “No shit. That is never going to happen to me again, Kate.”
“It won’t.” Kate eyed the pool, the beating sun tempting her to at least slip her feet into the water. “I’m glad you’re getting back into the saddle.”
“Well, you know. Once burned, twice shy,” she said, referring to her deepest, darkest secret—the fact that she’d inadvertently been involved with a married man. “I swear I held his hand up to the light to look for a tan line on his ring finger. I never want to make that mistake again.”
Kate stood and
She picked up the phone that Poppy had given her to check the time. And procrastinate. She knew she shouldn’t log into any of her social media, but couldn’t she find some kind of back door or open a fake account, so she could just check on her world? It took about fifteen seconds to create a Twitter account under the name TCarlson, and not much longer to use the account to see what was up with some of her friends.
Well, Laurie Geise was up to bar hopping, it would seem, based on the picture she’d posted with a cute guy on her arm. Who was that? He seemed vaguely familiar. Glancing inside, she didn’t see Alec—whose name now settled on her brain as just right. She knew he’d be watching her, but he seemed to let her stay alone on the patio, though he certainly could see her from inside.
Surely she could make a phone call to her closest friend if she didn’t tell her anything, right? She didn’t have to ask permission to call a girlfriend. Anyway, Laurie already knew Kate had left town for a study vacation. No doubt she’d have called Kate a few times by now and it would just be weird if Kate didn’t call her.
Rationalization firmly in place, she dialed Laurie’s number from memory, and the phone was answered on the first ring. “This is Laurie Ann Giese!” Ever the PR professional, even her greeting was enthusiastic.
“Hey, girl.”
“Katie! I’ve been trying to reach you!”
As she suspected. This was definitely the right thing to do. “Sorry, lost my phone.”
“That explains this blocked number.”
No, it didn’t. But she wasn’t about to tell Laurie any of what was going on. “Yep, it’s me, checking in from paradise,” Kate said, happily abandoning contract law to lean back and let the sun hit her face and her friend’s voice hit her ears.
“Where did you end up going? I know you weren’t exactly sure when you left, which, by the way, was so unlike you.”
Swallowing a little guilt, Kate said, “I’m on an island.”
“Narrows it right down.” Laurie laughed. “Caribbean?”
“Florida,” she replied. “Who’s the hottie I saw you with on Twitter?”
“Oh my God, Kate, I’ve been dying to tell you about him.” Fortunately, the subject change worked as she could practically hear Laurie settle in for a chat. “His name’s Mike Wesley. He’s a lawyer, totally hot.”
Mike Wesley? “Oh, I know who he is,” Kate said, flipping through mental files and remembering the guy clearly. “He’s one of the few attorneys to beat Steven in the courtroom.” And Steven hated him, which was a point in Laurie’s new boyfriend’s favor. “How’d you meet him?”
“Starbucks. He was in front of me in line two days ago, and he paid for my coffee because they were having one of those ‘buy the stranger behind you coffee’ things going on. We just started talking, and then we had lunch, and last night we went out for a drink. That’s when I snagged the picture.”
“Whoa, moving fast.”
“I know, right? Dinner date is next.” Her voice rose with pent-up excitement. “I really like him. He’s thirty-five and single.”
“You hope.”
Laurie grunted. “No shit. That is never going to happen to me again, Kate.”
“It won’t.” Kate eyed the pool, the beating sun tempting her to at least slip her feet into the water. “I’m glad you’re getting back into the saddle.”
“Well, you know. Once burned, twice shy,” she said, referring to her deepest, darkest secret—the fact that she’d inadvertently been involved with a married man. “I swear I held his hand up to the light to look for a tan line on his ring finger. I never want to make that mistake again.”
Kate stood and
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