Read Online Enchant the Dawn by Elaine Lowe - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Elaine Lowe
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kept up close ties with the NYU chemistry department a couple of blocks away, he’d be right there trying to help the kids out. Ugh . She feared for the student population of New York, given his weird sense of humor and his general dissatisfaction with the current state of his employment as chief babysitter to the still downstairs. He was too damn smart for just making bathtub gin. Too bad Mr. Lowbridge Senior didn’t recognize that. Rather than confront his father, Alan buried himself in all-night movie showings in the Village and weird chemistry dabblings in the basement. Someday, either Alan or one of his experiments was going to blow.
She pondered this as she tied on her green apron over the conservative blouse and skirt that she wore for work. When she left, would anyone miss her here in the big city? Would Alan finally lose it and go off on his own? Would Mrs. Andrews still manage to deal with her arthritis or Mr. Banbury his stomach troubles, or any of the other folks whose faces she’d learned to recognize even in the anonymity of New York? Somehow, she knew they’d all make it through. It was herself that she wasn’t too sure of.
“Hey, it looks like one of the pickup artists got lucky for once!” Alan snorted derisively at the scene out the window. Sophia looked up and sure enough, there was a guy chatting up a good-looking girl on the corner outside the store. There was almost always some guy hanging around outside trying to make a move on some young thing. Except this time, Sophia was very sure this wasn’t your typical lollygagger. The man was Daron West.
She seemed frozen in place for a moment just staring and almost missed the moment when the blonde turned around and entered the front door. This time, it was Alan’s turn to be frozen. June came walking in, almost like a breath of warm air. She didn’t perform her usual little trick of staring at the floor to make herself invisible. Sophia smiled at her with encouragement, for it was plain to see from her expression, not just her aura, that the woman was worried. Before she could open her mouth to ask anything, she felt a flare of odd heat to her left and then a high-pitched squeal as the soda dispenser went nuts, coating the floor and Alan with fizzy water.
Alan was still staring at June until he realized that his pants were soaked and the soda machine was going haywire. Sophia couldn’t help but laugh at him and even June cracked a tired smile. Alan bustled about for a minute shutting off the machine and made rapid excuses, disappearing with speed down the hall to the stairs in the back. Sure, Alan was tongue-tied and awkward around girls but this…this was just plain cute. She wished he’d have the nerve to talk to the girl, rather than making a fool of himself. He had a lot to offer to the right woman.
Turning back to June, Sophia was surprised to see the slightest touch of wistfulness in those lovely blue eyes, mirrored in the soft swirls of her life energy. Sophia didn’t even have to close her eyes to feel the pull this woman had toward the man who had just departed so swiftly. The fey sadness was quickly replaced with cold resignation and the weight of worry. Sophia knew now that Miss June would need just a bit of a push to find her own happiness. Then again, who am I to think I know anything about love or happiness? Her eyes flickered to the street corner outside, where Daron West had simply disappeared.
She repressed an aching sigh. “Can I help you, June?”
“Hello Miss…”
“Remember, just Sophia is fine.”
June nodded with that same weary smile. “I know you must be busy and all…”
Sophia interrupted again, “No but even if I was, I’d have time for you. I know you wouldn’t come all the way down here for something that wasn’t damn important.” And I know you wouldn’t bring along Mr. Mysterious unless it was practically life-threatening.
June understood it was
She pondered this as she tied on her green apron over the conservative blouse and skirt that she wore for work. When she left, would anyone miss her here in the big city? Would Alan finally lose it and go off on his own? Would Mrs. Andrews still manage to deal with her arthritis or Mr. Banbury his stomach troubles, or any of the other folks whose faces she’d learned to recognize even in the anonymity of New York? Somehow, she knew they’d all make it through. It was herself that she wasn’t too sure of.
“Hey, it looks like one of the pickup artists got lucky for once!” Alan snorted derisively at the scene out the window. Sophia looked up and sure enough, there was a guy chatting up a good-looking girl on the corner outside the store. There was almost always some guy hanging around outside trying to make a move on some young thing. Except this time, Sophia was very sure this wasn’t your typical lollygagger. The man was Daron West.
She seemed frozen in place for a moment just staring and almost missed the moment when the blonde turned around and entered the front door. This time, it was Alan’s turn to be frozen. June came walking in, almost like a breath of warm air. She didn’t perform her usual little trick of staring at the floor to make herself invisible. Sophia smiled at her with encouragement, for it was plain to see from her expression, not just her aura, that the woman was worried. Before she could open her mouth to ask anything, she felt a flare of odd heat to her left and then a high-pitched squeal as the soda dispenser went nuts, coating the floor and Alan with fizzy water.
Alan was still staring at June until he realized that his pants were soaked and the soda machine was going haywire. Sophia couldn’t help but laugh at him and even June cracked a tired smile. Alan bustled about for a minute shutting off the machine and made rapid excuses, disappearing with speed down the hall to the stairs in the back. Sure, Alan was tongue-tied and awkward around girls but this…this was just plain cute. She wished he’d have the nerve to talk to the girl, rather than making a fool of himself. He had a lot to offer to the right woman.
Turning back to June, Sophia was surprised to see the slightest touch of wistfulness in those lovely blue eyes, mirrored in the soft swirls of her life energy. Sophia didn’t even have to close her eyes to feel the pull this woman had toward the man who had just departed so swiftly. The fey sadness was quickly replaced with cold resignation and the weight of worry. Sophia knew now that Miss June would need just a bit of a push to find her own happiness. Then again, who am I to think I know anything about love or happiness? Her eyes flickered to the street corner outside, where Daron West had simply disappeared.
She repressed an aching sigh. “Can I help you, June?”
“Hello Miss…”
“Remember, just Sophia is fine.”
June nodded with that same weary smile. “I know you must be busy and all…”
Sophia interrupted again, “No but even if I was, I’d have time for you. I know you wouldn’t come all the way down here for something that wasn’t damn important.” And I know you wouldn’t bring along Mr. Mysterious unless it was practically life-threatening.
June understood it was
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