Summer of Love by Marie Ferrarella (easy to read books for adults list .TXT) 📕

“Hey, Earth to Lila. Earth to Lila,” Lucie called out.

“What?” Lila responded, stopping short of biting off an angry cry.

“I was talking to you and you seemed like you were a million miles away. Where were you just now?”

Lila blew out a quick breath and pulled herself together.

“You called it,” she told the other woman. “I was a million miles away. And now it’s time to come back and get to work,” she announced. “I’ve got a stack of reports to review so I can make the rounds tomorrow.”

Lucie inclined her head. “I can take a hint.”

“I certainly hope so,” Lila murmured under her breath.

Hearing her, Lucie added, “For now,” as she left the room.

Lila suppressed a groan. Glaring at the roses, she moved the vase to the windowsill.

It didn’t help.

Chapter Five

“Have you given ‘Mr. Roses’ any more thought?” Lucie asked her a few days later completely out of the blue.

They were each preparing their input to submit for their departments’ monthly budget and, taking a break, Lucie had peered into her office to ask about Everett.

Surprised by the unexpected salvo—she’d thought she was out of the woods since Lucie hadn’t brought the subject up for several days—Lila answered, “None whatsoever.” She deliberately avoided Lucie’s eyes as she said it.

“You’re lying,” Lucie said.

This time Lila did look up. She shot her a look that was just short of a glare, but Lucie wasn’t intimidated.

“You know how I know?” Lucie asked her.

Lila braced herself inwardly. Her outward countenance didn’t change. “Please, enlighten me,” she requested coolly.

“You’re blushing,” Lila pointed out triumphantly. “Every time you say something that you’re not entirely comfortable about—like a little white lie—you start to blush.”

Lila drew herself up. “I do not,” she protested. But even as she said it, she could feel her cheeks getting warmer.

“Got a mirror?” Lucie asked. She appeared to be serious. “I’ll show you.”

Lila sighed, dropping her head back. “Okay, so I’ve thought about him, but the answer to your next question is still ‘no.’ I’m not going to be seeing him again anytime soon—or ever.”

Lucie shook her head. It was obvious by her expression that she thought Lila was turning her back on a golden opportunity.

“I think you’re making a mistake,” Lucie told her in no uncertain terms.

“My mistake to make,” Lila informed her cheerfully. And then, because she knew that Lucie was only looking out for her, she relented. “No offense, Lucie. I know you’re a romantic at heart. I’m aware of your story,” she went on. “You and Chase were teenage sweethearts who, despite a few bumps on the road—”

“Big bumps,” Lucie emphasized, interjecting her own narrative.

“—were meant to be together,” Lila continued, pushing on. “But not everyone is like you. Most teenage sweethearts usually outgrow each other and are meant to be apart.”

“Aha,” Lucie exclaimed. “So you two were teenage sweethearts.”

Lila stared at her. That had been a slip. “I didn’t say that,” she protested.

“Not in so many words,” Lucie countered. “But you definitely implied it. Lila,” she said, lowering her voice as she put her hand over her friend’s. “The heart wants what the heart wants and it doesn’t always make perfect sense. But old loves imprint themselves on your heart and on your brain. Take it from me. They always stay with you.”

“That might have been your experience,” Lila granted. “And I know that you and Chase are extremely happy—”

“We are,” Lucie assured her.

Lila forged on. “—but not everyone is like you,” she concluded. “As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure that very few people are like you.”

Apparently her remark didn’t satisfy Lucie, who went on. “Why don’t you give this guy another chance and see if you belong to the ‘very few?’” she suggested.

Lila went back to looking over her notes and figures for the budget. “Not going to happen.”

Lila might have wanted to drop the subject, but Lucie obviously didn’t. The subject of reunited lovers was something that was near and dear to her heart.

“Why?” Lucie asked her. “What are you so afraid of, Lila?”

Lila’s eyes met her friend’s. “I’m afraid of not getting my budget done in time,” she said in a crisp voice.

“Seriously,” Lucie coaxed.

“Seriously,” Lila insisted, refusing to be distracted from the subject any further.

Just then, she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked toward the doorway. For a split second, she was afraid that Everett had found his way up to the office, but then she realized, as the man drew closer, that it was a deliveryman—and he was carrying another vase filled with flowers.

Not again!

“Oh, look, more roses,” Lucie announced gleefully. “Just in time to replace the ones that are beginning to wilt,” she added, grinning at Lila.

“How do you know they’re for me?” Lila asked almost defensively. “There are plenty of other people who work here.”

“Oh, I just have a feeling,” Lucie told her, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her.

Her grin grew wider as the deliveryman came over to Lila’s office where they were working.

“Ms. Clark?” the deliveryman asked, looking from one young woman to the other.

“That would be her,” Lucie said, pointing toward Lila.

With a nod of his head, the deliveryman offered Lila what looked like a rectangular, brown Etch A Sketch.

“Would you sign here for the flowers, please?” the man requested.

Though she was strongly tempted to refuse the flowers, Lila didn’t want to create problems for the deliveryman, so she did as he had said.

Then he indicated the flowers. “Where do you want them?” he asked her.

“Be nice, Lila,” Lucie cautioned, as if she could see that her friend was tempted to tell the man exactly where she wanted him to put the roses.

Resigned, Lila told the deliveryman, “I’ll take them.”

When she did, she realized that this vase felt even heavier than the last one had. Looking closer, she saw that the vase appeared to be cut crystal.

“Have a nice day,” the deliveryman told her cheerfully, retreating.

“With those roses, how could she do otherwise?” Lucie