Read Online Night After Night by Janelle Denison - Free Book Online Page B

have one,” Zoe said, getting to the second part of her news. “My lawyer called a few hours ago. The Onyx lease agreement is a go. I’ll be turning in the signed contract and my first and last months’ deposits for the place tomorrow afternoon. The boutique is mine.”
    “Oh, my God!” Jessica released a squeal of delight and launched herself into Zoe’s arms for a big, congratulatory hug. “I’m so thrilled for you!”
    Zoe laughed, appreciating her friend’s support more than ever. No one understood more than Jessica just how important all this was to Zoe. “Thanks.”
    Jessica pulled back and grabbed Zoe’s hands. “Wow. Your flagship store. This is huge. How do you feel about all this?”
    Zoe bit her bottom lip, trying to put a name to the various emotions she’d been experiencing since the call from her attorney. “Excited. Nervous. Scared,” she admitted honestly.
    “Yeah, like me and my first album, then my first concert singing live in front of thousands of people. I get it. You wouldn’t be normal if you weren’t a little scared.” Jessica picked up her bottled wine cooler and raised it in a toast. “Here’s to you, ZR Designs, and a prosperous, exciting future.”
    “I’ll drink to that.” Zoe clicked her bottle to Jessica’s, then finished off the last of her strawberry daiquiri.
    “There’s only one thing left to do,” Jessica announced enthusiastically.
    Zoe tipped her head curiously. “And what’s that?”
    “See what Confucius has in store for us.” Grabbing both of the fortune cookies that had come with their dinner, Jessica tossed one of them to Zoe and kept the other for herself. “He’s usually a wise old man.”
    Sometimes they had a good laugh over the silly fortunes folded inside the cookies. Other times, the sayings were eerily accurate, applying to some aspect of their lives in a way that gave them goose bumps. They never took their fortunes seriously, but for some reason tonight Zoe was reluctant to read hers. Her life was going so well, personally and professionally, and she didn’t want a stupid phrase to mess with her head or influence her thoughts.
    “You go first,” she said, giving herself a few extra minutes to get over her illogical worry. Geez, since when had she turned superstitious?
    Without hesitation, Jessica cracked open her cookie and pulled out the white strip of paper tucked inside. “‘Something you lost will soon turn up.’” She glanced at Zoe and grinned. “Maybe I’ll finally find my favorite Cartier pen that I haven’t seen since my trip to New York last month.”
    Most likely, Jessica’s coveted pen was long gone, but Zoe wasn’t about to dash her friend’s hopes by saying so.
    “Your turn.” Jessica set her fortune on the coffee table, twisted the cap open on another wine cooler, and settled back against the corner of the couch.
    Taking a deep breath, Zoe broke her cookie in half, retrieved her words of wisdom, and read them out loud: “‘Sometimes the object of the journey is not the end, but the journey itself.’” She felt a ridiculous amount of relief that she hadn’t been delivered a foreboding message but rather a harmless saying that could apply to anyone’s life.
    “Hm-m.” Jessica made the thoughtful sound before taking a drink of her daiquiri. “I’m sure it has something to do with your new journey as a boutique owner, and how your business is on the verge of taking off.”
    Happy with Jessica’s take on things, Zoe nodded and embraced her promising fortune and future. “I think you’re absolutely right.”
    After all, what else could it mean?

Chapter Four
     
    “Are you sure you don’t want to consider a permanent job as a leasing agent?”
    “No, thank you,” Sean said, knowing he’d never trade in his bartending gig for boring, monotonous nine-to-five employment where he had to wear a suit on a daily basis.
    As he unlocked the glass door to what would soon be Zoe Russo’s boutique, he glanced