Read Online Looking for Love by Kathy Bosman - Free Book Online

this
fiasco. Ella had taken this huge risk where she hadn’t considered
the consequences. All these people depended on her amateur advice.
Some book inside played out like a magical slide show before her.
And her friends dug for a piece of the cake, too. They’d probably
played a big part in her decision.
    And now he
must be a part of the circus?
    Could he reconcile this new tangent of
Ella’s life with his own? He loved her, but…
    Maybe pure
friendship had been better. Safer. He didn’t have to get so
emotionally involved and invested in every detail of her existence.
If her life became a mess, he could merely comfort her and be a
shoulder to cry on. Not stress and wonder what he should have done
to prevent it. Nah, too much responsibility came with love.
    He wouldn’t
tell her he loved her. Not now. Maybe not ever. Could it ever
work?
    The door opened and Ella stepped out the
room with a woman in her arms. The blonde had puffy, red eyes—had
probably been crying—and she gave Ella a huge hug like they were
long-lost friends.
    E lla said goodbye to her and looked around
her. A frown formed on her face, probably at the population
dynamics within her tiny living space. When her gaze rested upon
Ross, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Or had he only
imagined it?
    “ Ross, you made it back. I didn’t
even have a chance to ask for your help.”
    “ I… What do you need?”
    “ Well, I don’t know. The girls
seemed to have everything covered. My next appointment is in five
minutes.” She pointed at the Cleo man. Argh. “It worked, Ross. The Album showed Danni that the guy she likes
at work is perfect for her.”
    “ Oh.” A queasy sensation swirled in his gut.
    “ You don’t believe it, do you?”
she whispered to him, sending unwanted arousal through
him.
    “ How can I? It’s not based on any
evidence or clinical trials.”
    “ Why do you have to be so scientific? What about instincts?
Magic? Changed lives?”
    “ And long term results?”
    “ I gotta run. You can be the coffee man.”
    His body
stiffened.
    She turned to him again, the frown back on
her face. “You don’t have to stay, Ross. I can see you don’t
approve. No pressure, hey.”
    She shrugged, seemingly
unperturbed by his lack of support.
    “ I —”
    “ Just go.”
    She waved him
away, her voice light and breezy. Where had she received this
sudden boost of confidence? This light-heartedness from? He liked
to see her happy, but he didn’t think he could handle being around
when the bubble burst this time. When she went bankrupt or got a
bad reputation in the city. Or when her friends blamed her when
clients came back unsatisfied.
    Was he a loser? Maybe his love wasn’t as
strong as he’d have hoped. He walked out, weaving his way through
the chatter and bodies. The drive home only worked to build up the
questions and concerns.
     

Chapter Four
     
    “ I’m about to fall asleep right
here.” Andrea gave a big yawn and stretched her long arms out,
nearly knocking Ella off the edge of the couch.
    “ I’m still putting photos
in The
Album . Will
probably be busy all night but you ladies can go home. Thanks so
much.”
    Carol was
already asleep. Pauline sipped a glass of wine in the corner, eyes
half-shut.
    Ella peered at her antique pendulum clock
and sighed. It faithfully swung from side to side, never giving up.
Her vision blurred but she forced her focus back on The
Album .
Suppose, at one-thirty in the morning, no one was at their
best.
    The Album in her lap seemed pretty slick,
though. Every picture produced a result, even some only a couple of
pages. Other photos filled up the whole album.
    They never showed death of any of the
couples, but you could only assume as the photos revealed an
elderly couple and then one of them on their own at the
end.
    “ What happened with Bernice, your first client? Did you phone
her yet?”
    “ No, I still haven’t come up with
how to tell her neither of the guys are right for her.