Read Online Kiss Lonely Goodbye by Lynn Emery - Free Book Online Page A

office. When it opened, she stood aside.
    â€œI’ll check the online site and see if that limited-editionprint is still available. Maybe I’ll have good news for you tonight. Dinner at seven?” Russell walked beside a tall, leggy woman with curly auburn hair. His right hand rested on her waist.
    â€œI can’t wait to add another print to my Biggers collection. You’re so thoughtful,” the woman purred. She turned to face Russell.
    â€œYou’ve been so helpful to me. It’s the least I can do,” Russell said, his voice deepening as he gazed into her eyes.
    â€œHello,” Nicole said in a dry tone. She glanced at Russell, then the woman.
    Russell blinked and seemed to notice Nicole for the first time. His dreamy expression evaporated into one of annoyance. “Nicole.”
    His lady friend flashed a megawatt smile at Nicole. “Nicole, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Aliyah Manning.” She stuck out a perfectly manicured hand with square French-tipped fingernails.
    Nicole shook it. The cool surface of Aliyah’s skin made Nicole think she’d touched a small reptile. She let go after a second. “Nice meeting you, too.”
    â€œRussell has told me so much about the family. I feel like I know you already.” Aliyah wore the enthusiastic expression of a salesperson.
    â€œReally?” Nicole smiled back at her, then looked to Russell for an explanation. “How nice.”
    â€œAliyah is a special, talented lady.” Russell stood closer to her. “She’s got a great head for business.”
    â€œI just let you bounce ideas off me. He’s giving me way more credit than I deserve,” Aliyah said to Nicole.
    Nicole glanced at the woman from head to toe. Aliyah wore a short royal blue skirt and white blouse. Her long, shapely legs probably turned male heads everywhere shewent. Her hair was pulled back into a thick braid that hung down her back about four inches. I’ll bet he’s bouncing more than ideas with you, honey.
    â€œI’m just telling the truth.” Russell grinned at her as though they were alone.
    Aliyah lifted a shoulder in a humble gesture. She turned to Nicole. “I’m so sorry to keep Russell from important business. I’ll get out of the way and let him keep running one of the most successful Black businesses in the Southwest.”
    â€œCertainly. The rest of us will try to help him in our own small way.” Nicole beamed at her.
    Aliyah’s ingratiating smile slipped a notch, but she recovered quickly. “I hope we can get together for lunch sometime. Bye now.”
    â€œGoodbye.” Nicole continued to gaze at her with a fixed smile on her face.
    Russell shot a cold look at Nicole. He turned on the warmth again when he faced Aliyah. “I’ll call you later.”
    â€œI look forward to it.” Aliyah fluttered her eyelashes at him. She ignored Denise as she walked out.
    Russell shot a chilly glance at Nicole seconds after Aliyah disappeared down the hall. “Is there something you need?”
    â€œYes, an explanation. Your office will do.” Nicole went ahead of him. She turned just as Russell closed the door. “The licensing commission called. Since you were in an ‘important meeting’ with Aliyah, Cat put him through to me.”
    â€œFrey is an obsessive-compulsive bureaucrat.” Russell strolled past her and sat down at his desk. “The uniforms are fine. Only one or two guards had a problem, and it’s been fixed.”
    â€œThe company you use doesn’t have that great a track record. I checked with a few people in the business. The fabric and workmanship are shoddy. I mean, the patches keepfalling off.” Nicole spoke in a patient tone, as though talking to a child.
    â€œI saved us a lot of money. It doesn’t make sense to get fancy clothes for lower-rung employees.” Russell sifted through papers as he