Read Online He's Her by Mimi Barbour - Free Book Online Page B

accepted the discomfort and considered it a small price to pay for a trip she’d never envisioned making.
    The Poppets were surprisingly supportive and encouraged her to take the holiday. The fib she concocted, about being hired as a companion to travel to the States with the fellow in the hospital, was accepted without question. In fact, her grandmother insisted on a shopping trip, in order for Carrie to get some new clothes, and even purchased a new suitcase to put them in. Her grandfather slipped her an envelope as she stepped toward the taxi waiting to take her to the airport. His orders were barked in a joking tone accompanied by a cheeky wink. “Have a spot of fun, Carrie, or you’ll feel the back of me hand on your backside, if you don’t.”

Chapter Nine
     
     
    Carrie arrived in the fun city late the next evening. From the window of the plane the city looked like a thickly jewelled necklace spread over a sea of black velvet. The place hummed with activity. Even the buildings, teeming with people, seemed alive. Each casino’s thousands of coloured lights were as active as a continuous fireworks display and the brilliance kept the darkness of the night from intruding anywhere in the downtown limits.
    Her eyes were rounded pools of amazed disbelief as the taxi delivered her to an ostentatious, flamboyantly decorated building. What looked like a fairground, including a fake roller coaster, was plastered over the outside of the building, depicted in a variety of different coloured lights. Her mouth open, her neck stretched, she stared at the happy crowds of noisy guests coming and going from the dazzlingly grandiose entrance.
    Counting out the unfamiliar money to the chatty taxi driver gave her a moment of discomfort, but with Rhett’s help she soon paid him his fare, adding a substantial tip. The talkative fellow hadn’t stopped his recital about the highlights of the city since they’d left the airport, but he was a happy chap, and she had been delighted with his informational exuberance.
    Rhett wasn’t. Probably due to the stress of the last few days, his attitude had become increasingly more difficult. Carrie had felt ready to pull her hair out by the time they landed.
    She slowly made her way inside the casino, her head swivelling like a bobblehead doll, eager to see in every direction at once. The cacophony of sounds stunned her. Liveliness such as she’d never witnessed before abounded, sparking her youthful appreciation for excitement.
    “Oh darling, what a wonderful place.”
    “It is something else, isn’t it? Looking at it through your eyes and with your reactions has made me see it in a totally new and refreshing way. ”
    Her driver cheerfully led the way to the reception desk and set her one modest suitcase near her feet.
    “Thanks, ma’am. Great gabbing with you. Hope you have a wonderful time here, and don’t forget—call me if you want to be chauffeured around the city. Here’s my card.”
    “Thank you for an informative drive, Mr. O’Nalley. I will call you if I have time to see the sights. Take care of your two boys, and tell your wife she’s right lucky to have such a nice husband.”
    Carrie found his blush only added to the sweetness of his personality. She wasn’t aware her sincere interest had adjusted his normally disgruntled behaviour, or that her friendliness had loosened his reserve and encouraged him to blather on about his personal affairs.
    Still under the glow of Mr. O’Nalley’s friendliness, Carrie was unequal to dealing with the snippy girl in reception. It took only a few minutes for Rhett to take over and handle the difficult desk clerk who had at first refused her request for an immediate interview with Ashley Parks. A quick phone call by the chastised girl and Carrie was cleared to see him in fifteen minutes, just enough time for her to freshen up after her long flight.
    She slipped into a honey-coloured cashmere dress that emphasized her colouring and draped