Read Online Touched by Lightning [Dreams of You] (Romantic Suspense) by Tina Wainscott - Free Book Online

for a break.”
    Adrian laughed, refusing to let the little son of a bitch get to him. “Have you been drinking darkroom chemicals again, Stan? You’re uptight.”
    “I’ll have you know I haven’t touched a drink for five days. That’s a record, but if you keep this up, I’ll have to make myself a martini. You want to ruin my wagon record?”
    “Don’t give me that. What’s going on?”
    “All right,” Stan said, taking a calm breath. “Calvin Klein wants you to do the next layout for their briefs. Be back in the City tomorrow morning. They want to meet with you and brainstorm some ideas.”
    Adrian sipped a glass of wine, enjoying the feel of his silk shirt and his cologne he overdosed on after scrubbing away all the sadness and hopelessness that had touched him that day. He glanced at the old clothes he discarded the minute he stepped into the house, still lying in a heap on the tile by the front door. But to return to the high life wasn’t tempting enough to leave Nikki without at least trying to help her.
    “Stanley, put them off for a week. They can wait. Or someone else can do the layout. I got some emergency business to take care of.”
    Stanley put on the whiny voice he used when he got desperate, like in the early days when it was tampons they wanted photographed, not pretty woman. “Adrian, they want you. I told them they could have you, and tomorrow is the day they chose. How can I go back to them and say you changed your mind?”
    “Tell them my wife left me and my dog died.”
    “Sheesh, you sound like a bad country song.”
    “I’ll be back next Wednesday night. First thing Thursday will do the brainstorming.”
    “All right. They want to messenger you some preliminary sketches.”
    Adrian found the cottage’s address and gave it to him. “I’ll take a look and come up with some ideas.”
    “So, is everything all right? You got me worried, taking off like this. You don’t do this kind of thing.”
    “I told you, it’s my wife and dog thing.”
    “You don’t have a wife,” Stan said.
    “I don’t have a dog either,” he said, though he thought of Crackers. “Bye, Stan.”
    His next call was to Rita. When he’d left, it was with only a quick call to ask her to watch Oscar and a promise to take her out to dinner when he returned, which he left vague. Now that he had a deadline of sorts, he could firm things up with her.
    Once he’d given her the timeline, he said, “Thanks again for taking care of Oscar. Sure you don’t want a cat?”
    She laughed. “Oh, no, you don’t. He’s my best reason for seeing you these days.” Her tone became serious again. “Adrian, what are you doing?”
    “Taking care of business,” he said, refusing to lie to her. Equally refusing to answer her.
    “Are you staying at a hotel where I can reach you?”
    “No, I had to rent this house for the whole month when I came down for the shoot, so I’m using the rest of the time.”
    “Did you meet someone while you were down there? I have no rights to you, but I’d like to know.”
    “I met up with an old friend who needs some help. Thanks, Rita.”
     
     
    The next morning Adrian reluctantly slipped out of his thick terry road and into brown corduroys and a brand-new undershirt beneath the faded black sweatshirt. He ruffled his fingers through his hair, mussing it. As he passed the hall mirror, he did what he promised himself he wouldn’t do: look. Cringing, he rubbed his beard and studied himself. Well, he fit into the homeless class, all right. Except for the hopelessness. Even when he had been on the verge of homelessness, and too young to do anything about it, he had never lost hope. Even when Elio had kicked him around some and his mother never said a word to stop him, Adrian harbored only hatred and a fierce desire to free himself as soon as he could. He had never lost hope. Only his pride. With a smirk, Adrian realized he was losing that again. He shook his head and left.
    Adrian got a