Read Online Belle Pearl by Arianne Richmonde - Free Book Online Page B

know what? There’s a lot to see right here in the United States. There’s no need to go schlepping around dodgy foreign countries when there’s too much unrest in the world right now. Go to the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone Park, why don’t you?”
    To my surprise, she replied, “Okay, good idea.”
    I tore some fresh basil leaves, sprinkling bits into the pan, and suddenly had a thought. “I have a car…well, it’s Pearl’s car. It’s in San Francisco and needs to be brought to New York. Is your driver’s license in order? And your friend’s?”
    Elodie got up and took a couple of beers out of the fridge and offered me one. “Yup. Cool plan. Can we take as long as we like to drive cross-country?”
    “Sure. No rush. Just be careful. Don’t go over the speed limit—be prudent. Speak to my assistant, Jim—he can get you your plane tickets there, hotels, whatever you need. Maybe you can even stay with Pearl’s brother. Anyway, the car’s at his place in his garage. I’ll call Anthony and Pearl and get it all arranged. I’m sure Pearl won’t mind—actually you’d be doing her a favor.”
    “Why is Pearl’s car in San Francisco? I thought you guys had gone to LA?”
    “We did, but she stayed on. Went to visit Anthony. Now she’s in Hawaii visiting her dad.”
    Elodie ran her gaze over me, dissecting me, drilling her eyes into my thoughts. “You look guilty, Uncle Alexandre. What’s going on with you and Pearl?”
    “Nothing.” I tried to suppress the heat-rush I felt, by turning on the sink faucet and putting the underside of my wrists under cold running water. A trick I learned in the Foreign Legion. As if on cue, my cell started buzzing. The words LAURA popped up on the screen. Elodie picked up my cell without pressing anything, but saw who the caller was.
    She arched her brows. “Well aren’t you going to answer it?”
    I shook my head. Fucking psycho Laura, leave me alone!
    “She called me the other day, you know. She wanted to know Pearl’s number. What’s up?”
    “Keep away from Laura, Elodie. Don’t answer her calls and do not, whatever you do, give her any information about anything or anybody at all.”
    “But Laura’s nice! She was always really friendly to me.”
    “Was is the operative word. That accident changed her.”
    “So what’s that got to do with Pearl? Why does Laura want to get in touch with her? Why didn’t you go with Pearl to Hawaii?”
    I switched off the gas burner. “Would you get us a couple of plates and utensils?”
    Elodie got up. “Why didn’t you go to Hawaii with her?” she asked again.
    “She needed space. Needed to sort a few things out.”
    “I doubt it. Pearl’s crazy about you—anyone can see that. It’s you, I bet, playing games. Playing ‘I need space’ games. So typical.”
    “We both need a little break.”
    “Yeah, right. That’s male code for “back off.”
    “Not at all. I want to be with Pearl…she just needs some time on her own and—”
    “Ha! You’re just making excuses so that you can behave how you like without any thought for Pearl.”
    “You’ve got it all wrong, Elodie.”
    She sneered at me. “I don’t know what you’re doing, juggling two women at once. Typical man behavior. As if male babies were born with a mean gene in them. You’re all the same— all of you. The only difference is, some hide it better than others but the bastard gene is buried into every man’s DNA.”
    She had a point. “That, mademoiselle, is a very uncalled for and rude accusation!”
    She put the plates on the table. “I know more about men than you think.” She blew air out of her lips—pouting while she spoke.
    “Elodie, I thought you were meant to be going to art college this fall anyway, not traveling about and wasting your time.” I served up our omelets and sat down.
    “Next year.”
    “Don’t procrastinate.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
    “And cool it with the cocky attitude, okay?”
    She