Read Online Destined for Love by Diane Thorne - Free Book Online

held a bowl in one hand.
    “That’s good to hear you’re staying positive. I’d be a nervous wreck right now if I were in your shoes.”
    The two genies stopped near her. James crossed his arms and leaned against the counter, facing her. Mark stood at her side. The bowl in his hand contained a mixture of fruit. He plucked a cubed piece of melon from the mix then held it close to her mouth.
    “Yeah, well you probably won’t believe this, but losing my job wasn’t the only bad news I received yesterday.” Val opened her mouth wider and took the piece of fruit Mark held between his fingers.
    “Oh? You had more bad news? Dear Lord…”
    “Mm-hmm.” Val finished chewing then swallowed. “I came home and discovered the owner of the building sold the property. I have thirty days to move out.”
    “You’re shitting me?”
    “Nope. And I checked my messages… Thomas left one breaking up with me.”
    “Seriously?” The tone of Terri’s voice was higher.
    “Yep, so I’m officially jobless, homeless and single. I should take an ad out in the paper.”
    Mark held another cube of fruit for her. She graciously accepted it and slid her lips along the edges of his fingers. His eyes lit up with excitement.
    “Oh my God, Val. That's horrible.”
    As Val chewed on the juicy watermelon, she stared at Mark’s torso. The tight shirt showed his erect nipples and every curve of his muscles. She should’ve been pulling her hair out with all her problems, but she couldn’t ignore the gorgeous man standing in front of her.
    “I’ll be fine.”
    “Fine? How can you say that? I would be having a nervous breakdown.”
    Val lifted her gaze to James and realisation dawned on her. She had a once in a lifetime chance to change her life, make it worthy, and possibly improve the lives of others. Most people probably would’ve followed Terri’s path and given up. It would’ve been the easy thing to do. By a stroke of luck, she’d found the bottle on the beach and had set free two incredible men. They’d saved her from a life of misery. And they were giving her the perfect opportunity to take life by the balls and do something. She should be appreciative of the two men and what they’d done and offered, instead of using them for hot sex.
    “Well, I’m hopeful everything will work out. I have to stay positive.” 
    Mark offered another piece of fruit to her. She shook her head, refusing it.
    “I suppose you’re right. Damn, Val. I’m so sorry.”
    “Don’t worry about me. You have your own life to focus on.”
    “I know, but I can’t stop thinking about you. You’ve helped me out so many times, and other people at work. It’s just not fair what happened. I wish there was a way I could help you for a change.”
    Val’s eyes widened when she heard the word ‘wish’. She looked from one genie to the other, waiting to see if anything would happen. When Mark shook his head, she released the breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding.
    “Any ideas what you are going to do?” Terri asked.
    “For starters, I need to revise my résumé. I’m sure that will take a couple of hours to complete. Then I’ll register at a couple of online job banks and scan through their listings. Hopefully I’ll look at the ads for homes and apartments later this afternoon, too.”
    “Sounds like a long day.”
    Val inhaled a deep breath. She’d rather spend her time with James and Mark, but responsibility called to her and she needed to answer. “It probably will be a long one.”
    “Hey, I’ve got an idea,” Terri said excitedly. “Let’s go dancing tonight. I’m sure you could use the break later.”
    “Dancing?” Her legs still felt sore from the many hours of sex. Could she last in a set of high heels? “I don’t know.”
    “Come on, Sam and I will buy the drinks. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet a nice guy who’s rich and will let you move in with him until you find a job.”
    Val grinned at the pleasant thought.