Read Online Burning Down the Spouse by Dakota Cassidy - Free Book Online Page B

ear with a groan. No one called her anymore. “Hello?”
    “Frankie?”
    “ Who is this?”
    “It’s Maxine.”
    Woot. The divorce fairy. A glance at the clock told her she was a divorce fairy of the early bird variety. Jesus. It was five in the morning. “Yes?”
    “I’m calling to check and be sure you’re up.”
    “For?”
    “Work, Frankie. You have to be at work in an hour. You’re working breakfast and lunch today, remember?”
    Yesterday came back in a crash of mental visuals, featuring hunky Greek men and red vinyl stools that swiveled. She sat up with a speed that left her dizzy, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed to prevent a wobble. Kiki was instantly at attention beside her mistress, quiet as a mouse, eyes unblinking. “Right. Work.”
    “Right. Work,” Maxine mimicked her. “You know, the place where you go every day to earn money to pay for crazy things like food and shelter.”
    Both of which she could care less about. All she really needed was a sleeping bag and a sturdy bridge. No fuss. No muss. Then she caught sight of the picture of her aunt and her deceased Uncle Gus, smiling at her high school graduation, and guilt crept up to bite her on the ass. “I’m up.”
    “Don’t forget to shower. As a courtesy to those around you.”
    Funny. “I’ll shower.”
    “Use soap. Lots of soap.”
    Frankie frowned. “I’m not ten.” Heh.
    “Then you won’t forget to wash behind your ears, will you?”
    Her jaw clenched. “Anything else?”
    “One more thing.”
    “Just one?”
    Maxine’s laughter tickled her eardrum. “Smile today. Just try it once. I swear your lips won’t fall off. But try to make this a positive experience instead of looking at it like you’re walking the plank.”
    A male voice, low and muffled, said something in the background, something she assumed was intimate, and then Frankie heard Maxine giggle girlishly. “Gotta run, but I’ll pop in later today to see how things are going, and maybe tonight I can bring you over to Trophy and introduce you to everyone. You go have a good first day. Bye, Frankie.”
    She didn’t say good-bye. Instead, she hung up the phone with a trembling hand. A pang of envy shot through her, hearing that male voice so low and early morning grumbly. For an agonizing moment, she found herself longing for sleepy morning intimacies. Those first moments when you woke up and discovered an arm flung around your waist, and rather than get out of bed, you snuggled deeper beside your . . .
    Frankie’s heart began an uncomfortable thump. That had to stop. Mitch didn’t deserve warm memories and gushy reflections from her.
    Pushing back the covers, she rose to take Kiki out, then trudge to the shower and make good on her promise last night to Gail. She’d try and find two sticks to rub together and start a fire in her cave. Live, live, live for the moment and all that jazz. Booyah life.
    But only for Gail.
    The house was chilly as she made her way to the bathroom, flipping on the light to get her first peek at her mussed appearance.
    A shower would never fix the jacked-up mess she was. It was like putting a Band-Aid on a gushing jugular. Her skin was pale, her eyes dull, her lips chapped, her hip bones jutting painfully from beneath her flannel drawstring pajama bottoms.
    But whatever.
    This wasn’t Miss Universe. It was Miss Needs A Job.
    Flipping on the water, Frankie let it heat up while she undressed, catching a glimpse of her breasts in the long mirror above the vanity. She cupped them, wincing at how small they were, noting they were also beginning to sag.
    How fun.
    Bamby had fluffy D-cups.
    Maybe she’d been the inspiration for Mitch’s comment when he’d said Frankie might consider a boob job.
    Frankie shook off the memory with a shiver. Mitch was all up in her head today, and she had Maxine to thank for that. If she’d just left her alone, her numb state of denial could have gone on in a blissful haze of her own stench.
    Kiki