Read Online Switcheroo by Goldsmith Olivia - Free Book Online Page A

doughnut? Had Bob, before he’d even spoken to her, before he’d had a chance to…before she’d had a chance to—well, to talk—digested this bold act of hers? Had he processed it in his own way, turned it to his advantage and already moved on, leaving her frozen here, unable to move?
    Somehow Bob had managed, literally overnight, to turn her discomfort, her confusion and pain, into an advantage, or at least an ad. No wonder he’d been president of the Rotary and head of the Chamber of Commerce!
    Sylvie stood, frozen, while Phil the director signaled for Bob to start. But then Sylvie broke out of her trance and began walking toward her husband. Rosalie, along with another neighbor and a few kids, had come from her side of the fence and joined the crowd around the shot.
    “Rolling,” the cameraman called out. “Speed.”
    Bob began to speak his lines. “Why would I put a BMW in a pool? To prove to you—”
    “Bob?”
    “Great, Sylvie! You blew a take!” Phil cried. “You know we’re working here.”
    “Bob?” Sylvie repeated, ignoring her brother. “You didn’t put the car in the pool.”
    “No. I know that, Sylvie. I’m just reading the script.”
    Phil got between the two of them and shook his head. “Even my own sister acts like a woman.” Phil signaled to the crew to begin again. “Sylvie, move out of the frame. Okay, people, let’s take it from the top. Rosalie, move back. No one wants that face in their living rooms.”
    Rosalie flipped Phil the bird and stalked away.
    Sylvie, who felt like doing the same thing to her brother, ignored him instead and looked only at her husband. “Bob, do you think I did this to improve car sales?”
    “No.”
    “Oh, come on! ” Phil smacked his own thigh. If he’d been von Sternberg he’d have used a riding crop. “Are we playing twenty questions, Sylvie?” Sylvie just stood there.
    Despite his brother-in-law’s impatience, Bob did, to his credit, keep his eyes locked with hers. “I thought you must have been upset about something,” he admitted.
    “Have you thought about what, Bob?”
    Phil smacked his own forehead, but not as hard as Sylvie wanted to. He pointed to his watch. “This is not the time for a tender marital moment.”
    Sylvie kept the laser look on her husband. “What, Bob?” Sylvie repeated, ignoring not only Phil but all the now silent staff and neighbors crowding her yard.
    Phil, a desperate look on his face, glanced at the watching crew. Then he grabbed his sister’s hand. “Hey, how about you be in the commercial with Bob?” he asked in the false, cheery voice of a desperate clown at a children’s birthday party gone wrong. He regrouped and then continued in a tone that sounded apologetic. “Women buy cars.”
    “No…really. I don’t want to—” Sylvie tried to pull free.
    But Bob grabbed her other hand. “Come on! Wasn’t it you who wanted us to be spontaneous? Just kick off your shoes so they don’t get wet,” he told her. “We’re only shooting from the knees up.” He pulled her into the shot, hugged her, and then grabbed the nape of her neck. Bob tried to point her at the camera.
    Sylvie was about to pull away when she looked down and saw that Bob’s own pant legs were rolled up, his socks and shoes off. She stared down at his bare feet. She couldn’t believe it. She stiffened and once again she found it hard to catch her breath. Bob’s hand on her shoulder became suddenly unbearable. “Sorry. No. I can’t,” she said, horrified, and pulled away.
    “You can’t ? Come on, Sylvie. Since when do you have stage fright?” Phil asked. He grabbed her hand.
    “No. It’s not that. I forgot. I have to go.” Sylvie pulled away again.
    “Where?” Bob wanted to know. As if he had any right.
    “I just have to go. I need to…” Sylvie felt tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn’t think, couldn’t he, couldn’t stay. She couldn’t bear for Bob to touch her, for them all to be looking at her. She felt