Read Online Emerald Fire (Christian Romance) (The Jewel Series) by Hallee Bridgeman - Free Book Online Page A

the best interior wall colors for a set for a bedroom furniture commercial that would shoot next month. The white headboard and bedding would really pop in front of purple walls.
    She’d used the MP3 player since she’d worked in a cubicle as an intern and needed to isolate herself from the world. For the last year, she’d worked from the privacy of her own office complete with the services of a secretary she shared with three other associates. Even though she could shut the door and play music at a somewhat reasonable level, the habit of total isolation had long been established and she found she worked better with it.
    As she reviewed her notes to make sure she had incorporated all of the elements in the original design, the song ended. Before the next one could shuffle forward, her door opened. Maxine popped the earbuds out of her ears before her rather eclectic secretary could wave her bejeweled arms to get her attention.
    “Mike Robison is on six,” she said, as the sound of a dozen bracelets clinking together preceded her handing Maxine a stack of messages. “You said to flag you when he called. And your meeting with the design department for that,” she gestured to the computer, “has been pushed back an hour. The director is tied up somewhere else.”
    “Thanks, Julie.” As her secretary turned to go, Maxine called her back. “Hey, Julie. Violet or blue violet?” she asked, pointing to the computer monitors on the credenza behind her.
    Julie raised a hand to her bangs. “My hair? It’s more like an eggplant, don’t you think?”
    With a chuckle, Maxine shook her head. “I like the eggplant. It works well. I’m talking about the walls of the bedroom.”
    Julie walked around the side of the desk to peer closer at the monitors. “I’m not seeing a difference,” she said when she straightened.
    Maxine laughed as she picked up the phone and hit the flashing light for line six. “No biggie. Thanks.”
    “Sure.” With a swoosh of her long fuchsia skirts, Julie left the room.
    “Mike,” Maxine said, “thanks for calling me back.”
    She could hear the sound of the police station in the background of the phone. “Sure,” he said. “We still on for tonight?”
    Opening her desk drawer, she drew out a new pack of raw almonds, recommended by Barry’s book as an in-between meals snack, and used her letter opener to break the seal on the package. “That’s why I called. I have to cancel.”
    “Why?”
    The incredulous tone had her frowning. She grabbed a handful of nuts and piled them on her desk before putting the package back in her drawer. “Something else came up.”
    “What could possibly come up instead of Monday night football at O-Leary’s pub?”
    Absolutely nothing could possibly come up. Even the atmosphere at O’Leary’s didn’t appeal to her if she had to go with Mike. She hadn’t enjoyed spending time with him for the last few weeks, and decided that it was time to end it. After a few weeks, every man she’d ever dated wanted to take their relationship to the next level, to the physical level, and Maxine just didn’t do physical. Ever.
    She found it best to just end it instead of trying to explain that, yes I like you , and thank you for dinner , but, no , I’m not going to hold your hand or kiss you good night or sleep with you and thank you for not touching me . Even thinking about a man’s touch made her stomach crawl and her blood run cold. The two times in her past when she’d actually tried to explain the why’s just didn’t go well, and were experiences she personally never wanted to relive.
    Julie cracked open her office door and gestured at the phone, mouthing the word, “Robin,” and held up four fingers. Maxine closed her eyes and sighed. “I have to go, Mike. Have fun tonight.”
    Without waiting for a response, she disconnected and hit the button for line four. “Hey.”
    Little fingers of anticipation danced up her spine, tightening the muscles on her