Read Online No Time Like Mardi Gras by Kimberly Lang - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kimberly Lang
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happened. It would give him something fun to think back on when he was old and in the nursing home.
He fingered the watch, and Callie’s over-romantic ideas came rushing back.
Maybe...
He didn’t get to finish the thought, because a message from Eric popped up on his screen at that moment with the two most beautiful words inside: FOUND IT.
Aside from the jubilation, it was another, more forceful reminder that this daydreaming was a waste of time. He dropped Jamie’s watch into his desk drawer and closed it.
If he could get Callie, of all people, to drop it and move on, he could do it, too.
It was that simple.
But he should have known it wouldn’t be that simple. Because three days later, Callie’s extra-special edition of The Ex Factor went viral.
FOUR
Jamie cursed under her breath as the brush slipped and left a streak of Moody Mauve across the top of her thumb. Ah, how quickly she’d gotten used to paying other people for things like manicures.
Her bank account wasn’t in dire straits just yet, but until things got settled, she couldn’t waste money on things she could do herself. She allowed herself one brief wistful memory of the Ivy Spa and their amazing staff, who included a mimosa and a scalp massage with every mani-pedi.
She’d gotten spoiled so quickly. After seasons of barely getting by as Joey was making next to nothing in the minor league, the jump to the major league had felt like a lottery win. Then Joey had signed a couple of endorsement deals, and she’d discovered the stores on Rodeo Drive and Fifth Avenue. Joey had called her his princess and encouraged her to live the part.
So she had.
And while she truly believed she was doing the right thing now and was proud of herself for doing it, she wasn’t ashamed to say she missed it.
But she had two job interviews lined up—one tomorrow and one the day after—and if all went well, maybe one day she’d be able to afford some of those little luxuries again—even if Prada would never be in her budget again.
Sometimes she wondered if her pride and self-respect had been worth what she had traded for them.
And she’d traded back and forth a lot.
But this was the right thing, she reminded herself. Money was like a drug and she was just detoxing. It wasn’t as though she was in danger of starving or living in a box under the bridge. Ninety-nine percent of the world lived without valet service and scalp massages. She could, too.
She was thinking positive thoughts about her interview tomorrow, even though her résumé was a bit thin. “Arm Candy” wasn’t exactly a skill set that excited potential employers, and the gaps in her employment history were going to be hard to explain, too. At least she had some experience—she had worked for a while—but between that and the rather questionable ethics situation she’d been embroiled in—however accidentally or unwillingly—it might be tough to find a business willing to trust her too much.
The crows of doom were perched on her shoulders again, and she gave herself a strong mental shake as she went back to her manicure. I can do this. Put positive energy out to the universe and positive things will return to me.
Kelsey’s apartment in the Warehouse District was tiny, but well kept and seemingly safe. And since Jamie didn’t own much stuff, the tininess didn’t matter. While she and Kelsey didn’t have much in common, they were getting along well enough. Granted, it helped that Kelsey worked odd hours as a nurse, but when she was home, she spent a lot of time on the computer and didn’t really care what Jamie watched on TV. Housing—check. Job was next on the list, and after that, the world would be her oyster.
That was the plan, at least.
She blew on her nails, pleased with her efforts. Not too shabby, she thought, and placed another little check mark in her mental list of accomplishments. Joey had used to say—and not completely teasingly either—that her idea of roughing it
He fingered the watch, and Callie’s over-romantic ideas came rushing back.
Maybe...
He didn’t get to finish the thought, because a message from Eric popped up on his screen at that moment with the two most beautiful words inside: FOUND IT.
Aside from the jubilation, it was another, more forceful reminder that this daydreaming was a waste of time. He dropped Jamie’s watch into his desk drawer and closed it.
If he could get Callie, of all people, to drop it and move on, he could do it, too.
It was that simple.
But he should have known it wouldn’t be that simple. Because three days later, Callie’s extra-special edition of The Ex Factor went viral.
FOUR
Jamie cursed under her breath as the brush slipped and left a streak of Moody Mauve across the top of her thumb. Ah, how quickly she’d gotten used to paying other people for things like manicures.
Her bank account wasn’t in dire straits just yet, but until things got settled, she couldn’t waste money on things she could do herself. She allowed herself one brief wistful memory of the Ivy Spa and their amazing staff, who included a mimosa and a scalp massage with every mani-pedi.
She’d gotten spoiled so quickly. After seasons of barely getting by as Joey was making next to nothing in the minor league, the jump to the major league had felt like a lottery win. Then Joey had signed a couple of endorsement deals, and she’d discovered the stores on Rodeo Drive and Fifth Avenue. Joey had called her his princess and encouraged her to live the part.
So she had.
And while she truly believed she was doing the right thing now and was proud of herself for doing it, she wasn’t ashamed to say she missed it.
But she had two job interviews lined up—one tomorrow and one the day after—and if all went well, maybe one day she’d be able to afford some of those little luxuries again—even if Prada would never be in her budget again.
Sometimes she wondered if her pride and self-respect had been worth what she had traded for them.
And she’d traded back and forth a lot.
But this was the right thing, she reminded herself. Money was like a drug and she was just detoxing. It wasn’t as though she was in danger of starving or living in a box under the bridge. Ninety-nine percent of the world lived without valet service and scalp massages. She could, too.
She was thinking positive thoughts about her interview tomorrow, even though her résumé was a bit thin. “Arm Candy” wasn’t exactly a skill set that excited potential employers, and the gaps in her employment history were going to be hard to explain, too. At least she had some experience—she had worked for a while—but between that and the rather questionable ethics situation she’d been embroiled in—however accidentally or unwillingly—it might be tough to find a business willing to trust her too much.
The crows of doom were perched on her shoulders again, and she gave herself a strong mental shake as she went back to her manicure. I can do this. Put positive energy out to the universe and positive things will return to me.
Kelsey’s apartment in the Warehouse District was tiny, but well kept and seemingly safe. And since Jamie didn’t own much stuff, the tininess didn’t matter. While she and Kelsey didn’t have much in common, they were getting along well enough. Granted, it helped that Kelsey worked odd hours as a nurse, but when she was home, she spent a lot of time on the computer and didn’t really care what Jamie watched on TV. Housing—check. Job was next on the list, and after that, the world would be her oyster.
That was the plan, at least.
She blew on her nails, pleased with her efforts. Not too shabby, she thought, and placed another little check mark in her mental list of accomplishments. Joey had used to say—and not completely teasingly either—that her idea of roughing it
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