Read Online Buried in Bargains (Good Buy Girls) by Josie Belle - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Josie Belle
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house this size there had to be another bathroom. She looked in on a small study and a coat closet. She heard voices coming from behind the next door, and she thought maybe she could ask there for directions to the bathroom.
The door was ajar, so she glanced around it before pushing it open, not wanting to interrupt if the catering staff were having a meeting.
The voices kept on in a rush, however, as they obviously didn’t notice her at the door.
“This can’t go on, Diane,” Michael Claramotta said.
Maggie felt her heart thump hard in her chest. Joanne’s husband Michael and Diane Jenkins, his new hire, were standing at the back of the room. Diane had her arms crossed over her middle as if she were upset and trying to hold it in. Michael looked distressed—not angry, but very agitated.
“Don’t you see?” he asked. “I have to think about Joanne and the baby. I can’t let this hurt them.”
Diane gave a small nod, and her voice was wooden when she said, “I understand.”
“It just can’t go on,” he said. “It’s not right. Not for you. Not for anyone.”
Diane sobbed and nodded, and Michael reached out and pulled her close in a reassuring hug.
“You’re going to be okay,” he whispered against her hair. “I promise.”
Maggie slowly backed away from the door. Her throat was dry, and she felt as if someone had reached into her chest and tied her insides into a fancy sailor’s knot.
“Maggie,” a voice called her name.
Maggie spun away from the door and turned to see Joanne, barreling down on her and just seconds from walking in on her husband with his arms around another woman.
Chapter 8
“Joanne!” she cried. “Just the person I need. Tell me, is my makeup a wreck? I was looking for a bathroom because the other one was occupied.”
Joanne gave her a weak smile. “Oh, that was me. The baby queasies hit hard, but at least I didn’t get sick.”
“Oh, you poor thing,” Maggie commiserated, looping her arm through her friend’s and leading her back toward the ballroom.
“Your makeup looks fine,” Joanne said. She studied Maggie’s face. “No runs. No drips.”
“How about blotches?” Maggie asked, casting a quick glance over her shoulder to see that neither Michael nor Diane had appeared.
“They’re fading,” Joanne assured her. And the lighting is so dim, I’m sure no one will notice.”
“Thanks.”
“Hey, have you seen Michael?” Joanne asked. “He was waiting for me in the hallway, but I lost him.”
“Oh, hey, look!” Maggie replied, pretending she hadn’t heard Joanne’s question. “There’s Claire and Pete.”
Claire looked stunning in her bright blue gown, and Pete Daniels stood beside her, looking quite dashing in his tuxedo. He also looked completely besotted with Claire. Maggie smiled. That was exactly how it should be.
They were standing with Ginger and Roger, and Maggie steered Joanne in their direction, hoping to keep her from thinking about where Michael had wandered off to.
Maggie supposed a tough-love sort of friend would have let Joanne walk in on Michael and Diane, but given how hard it had been for Joanne to get pregnant, Maggie didn’t want her to get upset. And Maggie knew that if Joanne saw her husband, the love of her life since she was a kid, having a whispered conversation while embracing a cute young thing, she was going to be upset.
She supposed their conversation could have been about a variety of things, even though it had sounded really incriminating. Maybe there was a logical reason behind the words they had exchanged. She sifted through what she remembered.
“It just can’t go on,”
Michael had said.
“It’s not right. Not for you. Not for anyone.”
What couldn’t go on? That’s what Maggie wanted to know. Was it something happening between Michael and Diane? Was it something Diane was doing at the deli? Maggie knew it was none of her business, and yet, Joanne was her friend. How could she not
The door was ajar, so she glanced around it before pushing it open, not wanting to interrupt if the catering staff were having a meeting.
The voices kept on in a rush, however, as they obviously didn’t notice her at the door.
“This can’t go on, Diane,” Michael Claramotta said.
Maggie felt her heart thump hard in her chest. Joanne’s husband Michael and Diane Jenkins, his new hire, were standing at the back of the room. Diane had her arms crossed over her middle as if she were upset and trying to hold it in. Michael looked distressed—not angry, but very agitated.
“Don’t you see?” he asked. “I have to think about Joanne and the baby. I can’t let this hurt them.”
Diane gave a small nod, and her voice was wooden when she said, “I understand.”
“It just can’t go on,” he said. “It’s not right. Not for you. Not for anyone.”
Diane sobbed and nodded, and Michael reached out and pulled her close in a reassuring hug.
“You’re going to be okay,” he whispered against her hair. “I promise.”
Maggie slowly backed away from the door. Her throat was dry, and she felt as if someone had reached into her chest and tied her insides into a fancy sailor’s knot.
“Maggie,” a voice called her name.
Maggie spun away from the door and turned to see Joanne, barreling down on her and just seconds from walking in on her husband with his arms around another woman.
Chapter 8
“Joanne!” she cried. “Just the person I need. Tell me, is my makeup a wreck? I was looking for a bathroom because the other one was occupied.”
Joanne gave her a weak smile. “Oh, that was me. The baby queasies hit hard, but at least I didn’t get sick.”
“Oh, you poor thing,” Maggie commiserated, looping her arm through her friend’s and leading her back toward the ballroom.
“Your makeup looks fine,” Joanne said. She studied Maggie’s face. “No runs. No drips.”
“How about blotches?” Maggie asked, casting a quick glance over her shoulder to see that neither Michael nor Diane had appeared.
“They’re fading,” Joanne assured her. And the lighting is so dim, I’m sure no one will notice.”
“Thanks.”
“Hey, have you seen Michael?” Joanne asked. “He was waiting for me in the hallway, but I lost him.”
“Oh, hey, look!” Maggie replied, pretending she hadn’t heard Joanne’s question. “There’s Claire and Pete.”
Claire looked stunning in her bright blue gown, and Pete Daniels stood beside her, looking quite dashing in his tuxedo. He also looked completely besotted with Claire. Maggie smiled. That was exactly how it should be.
They were standing with Ginger and Roger, and Maggie steered Joanne in their direction, hoping to keep her from thinking about where Michael had wandered off to.
Maggie supposed a tough-love sort of friend would have let Joanne walk in on Michael and Diane, but given how hard it had been for Joanne to get pregnant, Maggie didn’t want her to get upset. And Maggie knew that if Joanne saw her husband, the love of her life since she was a kid, having a whispered conversation while embracing a cute young thing, she was going to be upset.
She supposed their conversation could have been about a variety of things, even though it had sounded really incriminating. Maybe there was a logical reason behind the words they had exchanged. She sifted through what she remembered.
“It just can’t go on,”
Michael had said.
“It’s not right. Not for you. Not for anyone.”
What couldn’t go on? That’s what Maggie wanted to know. Was it something happening between Michael and Diane? Was it something Diane was doing at the deli? Maggie knew it was none of her business, and yet, Joanne was her friend. How could she not
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