Read Online Love Online (Truly Yours Digital Editions) by Kristin Billerbeck, Nancy Toback - Free Book Online Page A

the curb, waiting in the light drizzle for a taxi. “Even you know this is in bad taste.”
    “Ouch.” Holding his hand over his heart, Frank feigned hurt feelings. “Lighten up, will you?” He waved and whistled, bringing a cab to a screeching halt at the corner. “The only way to get through this is to face it head on. Be a man.”
    They hopped in, and Tom gave the young, bearded cabbie Flavors’s upper eastside address. He settled back, expelled a breath, and unbuttoned his suit jacket. He scrubbed his fingers through his damp hair, eyeing Frank. “What if Jess is working tonight?”
    “So what if she is?” Frank shook his head. “I’ll tell her I was the one who made the plans. Happy?”
    Tom turned to the window and fixed his gaze on the wet pavement. He hummed to the music traveling from the radio through the plastic divider, but uninvited thoughts nudged their way to the fore.
    When he’d decided to start his new life, he never intended to hurt Jess. He liked order. No diverging paths. Perhaps Jess was right about his mathematical mind, but he had tried to prepare for every eventuality. No surprise twists and turns—like Jess’s speech after the service on Sunday. Prepared? With her dark hair wild, her blue eyes flashing, he’d been a half step from pulling her into his arms and pressing his lips to hers.
    The cab swerved and skidded to a stop, jolting him out of his daydream. He’d like nothing more than to pick up some Chinese take-out, go back to his apartment, and maybe phone Jess. They’d watch a movie together via phone, chat between commercials—
    And he’d be right back where he started. Tom sighed and gave Frank a sidelong glance. “I’ll take you up on that. If Jess is working tonight, you tell her you made the reservations.” It was time to move on. He had reconciled to the fact that this was ordained.
    Frank grunted in the affirmative as the cab turned the corner.
    Tom looked past the cloudy divider at Flavors’s green awning, flapping a greeting against the wind. Two women stood beneath it, chatting.
    “That has to be them.” Frank rubbed his hands together like a happy camper.
    “Yeah, must be.” Tom glanced at the meter, counted out bills for the fare plus a tip, and stashed the money in the metal tray. “We’ll get out here,” he told the driver.
    “Good idea.” Frank pulled out some cash. “In this traffic it could take ten minutes to get to the middle of the block.”
    Tom pushed his hand away. “I’ve got it.” Judging by Frank’s demeanor, he was in repenting-for-his-blunder mode. As much as he wanted to cut him some slack, he couldn’t help suspecting his friend’s motives. “What do you have against Jess?”
    “Nothing.” Frank laughed. “Except the fact that she makes you pathetic, and I’m sick of watching it.” He craned his neck and wiggled his brows. “Hey! From here the ladies are looking mighty fine.”
    “Right.” As they drew closer, Tom’s heart flipped at the sight of the willowy brunette. If the fragile blond hadn’t been standing beside her, he’d declare the woman was Jess waiting for him to give her a lift. Jess . He had to push her out of his thoughts right now.
    The women stopped speaking and looked up simultaneously before Tom approached the brunette. “Are you—”
    “Linda,” she said. Her bluish-green gaze held his, and she returned his smile.
    Tom shook her proffered hand, while Frank made small talk with the blond. “And this is Brittany.” Linda gestured to her friend.
    After they’d met each other, Tom held open the door, then followed the threesome. What kind of twisted logic had compelled Frank to choose Flavors as their meeting place? With a Jessica clone, no less. He mounted the steps to the hostess station, where the owner’s daughter Brea nodded a greeting.
    “Table for four,” Frank said.
    Tom bit back the question burning on the tip of his tongue. Is Jessica in tonight? He scanned the tables as far back