Read Online Chore Whore by Heather H. Howard - Free Book Online Page B

Lucy pinches my arm.
    â€œNot here, silly.”
    â€œLucy, how long have you known this guy?”
    She has a reputation for “falling in love” within a week and for knowing he’s “the one” within two.
    Lucy stares at dark thunderclouds out the window. “Oh, five, ten thousand years.”
    Oh God, here we go.
    â€œWe did a past-life regression with this guy Laura Dern knew of and we identified at least three lifetimes we shared before. The strongest one was in Atlantis, where I was a slave and he was the master. God, it was so tragic and so romantic.”
    My watch reads 5:10 P.M . “How long ago did you meet him in the present life?”
    â€œAbout two weeks. We did Live with Regis and Kelly together . . . as separate guests but on the same show.”
    Two weeks. One week longer than she knew Roger before they tied the knot in Vegas. And about one year less than I knew my husband, Basil, before he was gone.
    I suddenly remember Daisy Colette suggesting that Lucy wait a year before she and Roger got married. After that, Daisy’s calls went unreturned and she lost her confidante-of-the-week status. Only recently has Lucy begun speaking to her again. I should keep my mouth shut since I need the income she provides, but I can’t help worrying about her.
    â€œLucy, you’re gonna take this slowly, right? I mean, you went straight from Jock to Roger and never took time to heal in between. I don’t want to see you get hurt again. You want to bounce back slowly.”
    Lucy looks at me incredulously.
    â€œCornelia Wren Brown, how can you say that? It’s been the most intense two weeks of my entire life. I’m trusting that the Universe has brought me my soul mate and I really need you to trust me and the Universe, too. You can do that, can’t you? I need you to believe in me. My mama’s worried, my dad has practically given up on me, and my friends are beside themselves. Please help me with this one, ’cause I’m telling you, Cork, this one is special. He’s brilliant and beautiful and sexy all in one package.”
    I look down, almost wanting to believe that he will be Lucy’s knight in shining armor, but I’ve read Dr. Laura’s books about all the stupid things women do to mess up their lives and I know it takes more than two weeks to tell if he’s “the one.”
    â€œSo, Corki,” she says, “do I have your blessing?”
    â€œCome on, does it really matter if I give my blessing or not?”
    â€œYes, it does. It does because I’m going to need your help.”
    â€œI’ll help you. I need the work. Daisy let me go and Jock’s off to France for six months. I’ll definitely help you. Just tell me who he is.”
    â€œDo I have your blessing?”
    I put my hand on her forehead and lightly push her head back.
    â€œChild, you have my blessing.”
    â€œIt’s Tommy Ray Woods,” Lucy whispers.
    Oh no.
    I try not to recoil too dramatically. Tommy Ray Woods has graced more tabloid pages than I can remember for his forays into womanizing, cheating, beating and feeling up women in public, some of whom he knew, some of whom he didn’t. To date, I am aware of two court cases pending against him—one for sexual harassment and the other for unlawful bigamy. I scramble to try to act happy for her, but it ain’t working for me.
    â€œThe Tommy Ray Woods?” It’s dumb, but gives me some reaction time.
    â€œThe one and only,” Lucy says, placated.
    â€œLucy, I . . . I don’t really know what to say except that his reputation precedes him.”
    â€œListen, Corki, I need you to be fine with this and I need your help. Tommy Ray and I are going on a road trip. He wants to take me to Memphis to meet his daddy, and he wants me to see Graceland. You know, his daddy is one of the last men in Tennessee who still uses a divining rod to find water on his