Kendall leaned against the counter, looking around the store. Hardly anyone was there since it was the middle of the week during the day. Kendall kept her eye on a group of young girls, which she was sure had skipped school that day. They huddled around the crystal display, oohing and aahing over the various stones. She didn’t get any negativity from their direction, so she kept half of her attention on them. Once they brought their purchases to the counter and paid, they left. Kendall looked around the store once more. No one remained. “Well, no time like the present for a little practice,” she said, pulling out her Tarot cards from under the counter. “Well, cards,” she said as she shuffled them. “What messages do you have for me today?” Flipping over the first card, she frowned. “Well, that doesn’t look good,” she said. “If I remember correctly, that’s a warning.” She flipped over another card, and her eyes grew wide. “I think that means a broken heart,” she whispe
A few days after Addy decided to contact various stores to see if they would sell her designs, Brooklyn headed for the library. She needed to research her latest article and also wanted to check out the latest books. Since it was one of those rare warm fall days where the sun was shining, she wore a plaid skirt, sleeveless top, and a sweater over top of it. She felt like a student as she walked into the library and giggled at the thought. Heading toward the upper floor where the research materials were located, she noticed the library was nearly empty. “One of the perks of coming early in the morning,” she whispered while waiting for the elevator. The doors opened, and she stepped inside, pushing the button for the top floor. She turned around and looked out of the glass as the elevator ascended. Her eyes narrowed as she thought she saw a familiar figure, but her view was blocked as the elevator rose higher. “No, it couldn’t be,” she whispered, shaking her head. The doo
After Addy and Lewis left the apartment, Shea put down her magazine and frowned. “Fine,” she muttered. “Don’t talk around me.” She stood up and walked toward the kitchen to pour herself a glass of milk. As she drank, her phone beeped, letting her know she’d received a text. Her eyes widened as she looked at her phone, and she put the glass down. “Ooh! It’s from Bradford,” she said when she saw the text. “Hey, gorgeous lady,” the text read. “I wanted to say how much I’m missing you right now. Are you free for dinner tonight?” She danced around the kitchen, grinning madly, before replying, “Hey, handsome! I’m missing you, too. As luck would have it, I am free for dinner tonight. What did you have in mind?” “I wanted to take you to that Italian restaurant across town,” he texted back. “I remembered you said how much you loved their chicken parm.” “He remembered!” Shea squealed as she shimmied in glee. “Ooh! That sounds divine!” she responded. “Great!” he texted. “I’
“Do you want to go somewhere else?” Brooklyn asked in a worried voice. Cort shook his head and said, “No, it’s time I faced her head-on.” “Do you think she’s dangerous?” Brooklyn asked, chewing on her lower lip. Shrugging, Cort said, “I can handle her.” He turned toward her and grinned, adding, “Besides, I’ll have you there as backup.” Brooklyn’s eyes widened, and she asked, “You don’t think she’ll come after me, do you?” “Don’t worry,” he said, putting his finger under her chin, so she would look up at him. “If she does, I’ll be here to protect you.” She looked at him before smiling and saying, “My knight in shining armor?” “If that’s what you want to think of me, then sure,” he said, staring down into her eyes. They stayed like that for a few moments, then Brooklyn’s phone buzzed, causing her to jump back from him. Scrambling for her phone, she looked at it, then frowned. “Bad news?” he asked. “Just my editor, asking about my article,” she said. “Am I ke
“Do you think Cort and Brooklyn are okay?” Shea asked as they rode in the cab toward the restaurant. “I’m sure they are,” Bradford said, patting Shea’s hand. She smiled at him and said, “I can’t help worrying about them. Who knows what that crazy woman is capable of?” “She does have crazy eyes, that’s for sure,” Bradford said, nodding. “Have you seen her up close?” Shea asked, looking at him with wide eyes. He nodded and said, “I made the mistake of answering the door one time when she knocked. Blimey! She was scary!” They pulled up to the restaurant, and Bradford told her, “No more talk about the crazy stalker. This is our night, and I don’t want her to ruin it for us.” Smiling, she nodded and slid out of the car. Bradford paid the driver and held his arm out for her to lead her into the restaurant. He let the host know he had a reservation, and she led them to a table toward the back of the room. “This is nice,” Shea said, looking around the darkened room. “Coz
Once they had discussed the costume ideas, Lewis cleared his throat and said, “I also wanted to ask your opinion on something.” Addy tucked her sketchpad into her purse and turned back to him, clasping her hands in front of her. “What’s up?” she asked. He cleared his throat and glanced around the room before speaking. “I want to do something special for Kendall at the festival, but I don’t know what to do,” he said sheepishly. She smiled at him and said, “That sounds wonderful! I bet she’d love that!” Smiling at her, he said, “I sure hope so. I want to show everyone how special she is, but I haven’t got the foggiest idea on how to do it.” Addy thought for a moment, tapping her lips as she thought. “Do you do anything before they show your film?” she asked. He nodded and said, “The filmmakers usually give a short speech.” Addy’s face lit up, and she said, “How about adding something about her in your speech?” Lewis’s face lit up at the suggestion. “That’s a
“Hey, Lewis! Wait up!” Lewis heard a familiar voice calling out behind him and grimaced. “I really don’t have the patience to deal with her right now,” he muttered as he closed his eyes. He heard footsteps hurrying up behind him and briefly wondered if he could pretend he hadn’t heard her. “Lewis!” she called out as she came up beside him. “Couldn’t you hear me? I’ve been calling your name for a couple of blocks!” He stopped and turned to her. “Sorry,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about things and wasn’t paying attention to anything around me.” “Thinking about your next movie?” she asked with a sly smile. “That and other things,” he said in a flat voice. Shea didn’t get the hint and asked, “What’s happening with the movie? Have you decided on parts yet?” He shook his head but didn’t say anything. “Do you think I’ll have a big part?” she asked, missing the irritated look on his face. “Will I be one of the leads? This could really be the start of something big f
“Hey, Kendall! Wait up!” Kendall slid to a stop and looked around. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted Addy hurrying toward her, waving her arm. “What’s up?” she asked in an even voice. Addy didn’t notice as she said, “I saw you skating by and wanted to tell you the good news.” “What good news?” Kendall asked, frowning. “Have you talked to Lewis lately?” she asked, grinning. Kendall shook her head, feeling a stab of pain in her chest at the mention of her boyfriend. “He asked me to design the costumes for his next movie!” Addy said, clapping her hands and jumping up and down. Kendall shook her head, confused. “He did what?” she asked, blinking. “He knew that I was doing all our outfits for the film festival, and he asked if I would meet up with him to discuss doing the costumes for his next movie,” Addy said, still grinning. Kendall’s eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. “Is that why you two went to lunch?” she asked after swallowing. Addy nodded and