Alien Adoration by Jessica E. Subject Read Free Book Online Page A

scooping grounds into the coffee filter. “We kissed…and a little bit more.”
    Her friend tapped her fingers against her mug, grinding on Rachel’s nerves. “And you stopped, didn’t you? You and your dreams of romance.”
    “I didn’t. He stopped.” He’d given her the fancy dinner, everything she thought she’d wanted. “Told me he wanted to take things slow.”
    Christine slapped her hands on the table, wearing a big grin, her eyes wide. “I told you he was ready to settle down. And you’re the lucky one he picked. How I wish I was in your place.”
    Yet, she’d run out on him, afraid she’d done something wrong. No way would she tell her friend that.
    “So, while you were with Luke last night, there was some interesting shit happening in town.”
    Always the gossip queen. “What happened now?” Nothing surprised her anymore in Hanton.
    “Our boss came home from work yesterday to find Dirk fucking his wife in the pool.”
    Her stomach twisted. Even though she no longer dated the jackass, she cringed at the thought she’d let him touch her. If she’d done more with him, who knows what diseases she might have contracted?
    “Bill ran back into the house to grab his shotgun and by the time he came back out, Dirk was flying over the fence, bare-assed. Bill got some of his cop buddies searching for him, but they couldn’t find the weasel or his car anywhere.”
    Christine stood and joined her at the counter, getting her own cup of coffee. “And Jenny Marshall has disappeared, too. I say good riddance to both of them.”
    As much as she hated to ask, she couldn’t help herself. She’d lived in the small town for too long. “What about Bill and his wife?”
    “Jackie claims he works long hours and doesn’t pay any attention to her, that she was just looking for affection. But we all know Bill slipped out the door every night at five to get home to her. What she was thinking, I have no idea. Bill and I both spent the night at Roy’s house, but who knows what’s going to happen today.”
    She gasped. “Roy’s? You’re doing the threesome thing now?” God, she needed to leave this town. Hanton would never bring her the happiness she craved. The worst part was, none of what Christine said proved to be big news. It had all happened to someone else before.
    “No, Bill slept on the couch. I only did Roy.”
    “You’re dating a cop now? When did this happen?”
    Christine spun around without spilling a drop, and giggled. “When I left the bank yesterday, he was writing up a ticket for the silly person who parked in front of the fire hydrant.”
    “You.” Her friend always parked there, no matter how many times she’d been warned not to. And the numerous citations never seemed to deter her either.
    Christine waved her hand in the air. “Doesn’t matter. Anyway, I convinced him not to write the ticket and to take me out for dinner. We’d just left the pub when Bill phoned him. Our fun was delayed a little bit.”
    “Wow, I’m going to have to start calling you Jenny Marshall.” Getting it on with someone else in the house? She would never have the nerve to do something so bold. Even after two years, it had been Luke who’d asked her out, not the other way around.
    “Not quite.” Christine elbowed her. “For one, I would never have dated Dirk. Sorry, but I told you that all along. And second, I don’t do guys who are already in committed relationships. There are plenty of single men around here willing to show me a good time. But to be honest, I think I’m going to keep Roy around for awhile.”
    Mug in hand, Rachel rolled her eyes and sat at the table. She gave the relationship a week. Christine got bored easily.
    Her friend joined her. “But, enough about me. So what’s happening next? Are you going out with your sexy neighbor again?”
    She sipped her coffee then nodded. “Tonight.”
    “Must have been some kiss if he wants to see you again so soon.”
    I hope so. But had he only