Read Online Take Me As I Am by Erin O'Reilly, JM Dragon - Free Book Online Page B

their way toward the table. It was a very passionate kiss and she didn’t know how to answer the question. She wanted to refute the situation as ridiculous.
    Jo and the man—a boy really—arrived at the table where Thea was sitting. Joanna’s blue eyes were cold when she looked at her and even colder when she looked at George.
    “According to John-Henry, you wanted to buy me a drink.”
    “Yes, that’s right. As you and my future bride appear to be friends, I thought you might want to toast our good news.”
    Thea watched to see if her friend’s expression changed. It did.
    Joanna gave out a howl of laughter before smiling sickly sweet at George. Her hand clutched the boy she still held. “Whatever gave you that idea? Ms. Danvers and I are merely acquaintances as we share the same building at night,” Jo said sarcastically.
    “Well, in that case, what’s your poison?” Andrews asked.
    Thea cringed at the situation. Her heart pounded at what she suspected was that Joanna felt betrayed. Why didn’t I tell her when I had the chance? Daisy told me that she was looking for me. Now everything good in my life is crashing around me.
    “If I tell you that, I’d be dead tomorrow, now, wouldn’t I,” Joanna spit out.
    “If you say so, but I was merely asking what drink you would like to have to celebrate our engagement. Isn’t that so, darling? Now, what will it be?”
    Thea refused to look at either of them. She was too ashamed to look at Joanna and couldn’t stand the distaste she felt when looking at George. She cringed at George’s words and wanted to do nothing more than crawl into a ball and hide away somewhere safe. Shame filled her. She had finally given in to the pressure of the man she detested and now she let down the only person who had backed her up and wanted nothing in return. It wasn’t fair. What had she ever done in her life to make her go through this? It really was unjust.
    “Yes, Mr. An…George, that’s correct.” Her voice sounded very small to her ears. She doubted that anyone heard her.
    “Sorry, but,” Joanna asked the young man at her side. “What’s your name?” It was loud enough for them to hear.
    The boy whispered back and Joanna grinned and gave him a swift kiss on the mouth. “Sam and I have other business. Maybe another time.” Joanna turned quickly, pulling the startled Sam with her heading out of the bar.
    George turned to Thea. “Told you so, my dear. The woman didn’t even know his name. She will probably not even wait to get to a bed before she has her way with him.”
    Thea tried desperately to staunch the tears and failed as they slid down her cheeks. She needed to find a way to stop the sinking feeling in her heart and picking up the champagne glass, she swallowed it all in one gulp.
    Maybe if I get drunk, I will feel better. Probably not but it is worth a try.

    †

    Jo sank heavily down on her bed half an hour later and tried to understand why she cared so much about Thea’s engagement. It wasn’t as if they were good friends. Right? Hardly more than strangers really, but—she thought the woman had more backbone. She remembered how Thea looked sitting there next to the gloating banker. A woman who had just accepted an offer of marriage shouldn’t look sad.
    Why? Is she marrying for money?
    Jo thought back to John-Henry’s words— maybe she doesn’t have a choice .
    It was then that she realized that Thea was marrying the bastard to keep her family’s motel.
    What a fuckin’ waste. Why didn’t she just go somewhere else and not marry someone she didn’t love and from the looks of it, didn’t even like much. Who would? He was a troll.
    Jo managed to divert Sam, the boy she had used as a ruse to get out of the bar, who probably thought he was in for a night with her, with hollow promises of later. She wouldn’t be going through with any of them. He’d been a nice kid though, and he was too wet behind the ears to know any different. The only